"Did you later learn anything about her?"
"She bought the shoes at another store. I saw her review online."
"What did she say?"
"That she had come to Ebony Elegance because her daughter had admired our designs, but the associate made her feel embarrassed about asking to see them."
"Was that you?"
Tasha nodded.
"Yes."
Amara waited.
Tasha's voice became quieter.
"I knew I shouldn't have done it. But Victor praised us when we kept the floor moving and made the sales numbers."
"Did you apologize?"
"No."
"Do you know whether the customer received any follow-up?"
"No."
Amara wrote down the case.
"Thank you for telling me."
Tasha looked confused.
"You're not angry?"
"I am disappointed that it happened. I am not going to pretend otherwise. But anger does not tell me what happened. Your answers do."
Tasha lowered her eyes.
"I can contact her if you want."
"We'll review the case first. If she is willing to hear from us, we will offer a sincere apology. Not a sales pitch."
Tasha nodded.
Before leaving, she stopped at the door.
"There's something else."
"Go ahead."
"Victor said things about my hair."
Amara looked up.
"What things?"
"He said my natural hairstyle wasn't sophisticated enough for the flagship. He suggested I wear it differently if I wanted to represent the brand."
"Did he say that in front of other employees?"
"Yes. Twice."
"Did you report it?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I thought he was probably right about what luxury customers expected."
Amara's expression changed.
"Who told you that?"
Tasha gave a small shrug.
"Nobody. I just believed him."
Amara looked at her carefully.
"Your professionalism is determined by your conduct, your knowledge, and the way you treat people. It is not determined by whether your hair conforms to someone else's personal preference."
Tasha's eyes began to fill.
"Thank you."
Amara nodded.
"Please include the details in your written statement."
Sophia Bennett was the most difficult interview of the day.
She was one of the store's highest-performing associates. She had an excellent knowledge of the products, a large number of repeat customers, and a record of exceeding sales targets.
Victor had praised her frequently.
She had also accepted his system.
When she sat down, she looked defensive.
"I understand why you're doing this," she said. "But I don't think the whole store should be blamed because one manager had a bad attitude."
"Neither do I," Amara replied.
"Good."
"That doesn't mean the rest of the store had no responsibility."
Sophia crossed her arms.
"I followed the standards I was given."
"Did you ever question them?"
"Not really."
"Why?"
"Because they worked."
Amara tilted her head.
"Did they?"
"Our sales were strong."
"That wasn't my question."
Sophia shifted.
Amara placed a complaint summary in front of her.
"Do you recognize this customer?"
Sophia looked at the page.
It described a woman who had entered the store to compare two handbags. She had been told that the larger model was probably beyond her budget. When she asked why the associate had made that assumption, the associate responded that she was simply trying to save her time.
Sophia's face changed.
"That was me."
"What do you remember?"
"She was asking about the price of several styles."
"Is that unusual?"
"No."
"Did she ask for advice about what she could afford?"
"No."
"Then why did you mention her budget?"
Sophia looked away.
"I thought she was wasting time."
"How did you reach that conclusion?"
"She was carrying an old purse."
Amara let the silence sit.
Sophia's face reddened.
"I know how that sounds."
"How does it sound?"
"Bad."
"Did the customer buy anything?"
"No."
"Did she complain?"
"Yes."
"Did you contact her?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Victor told us not to encourage people who were only looking for an argument."
"Was she looking for an argument?"
Sophia shook her head.
"I don't know."
"Did you ask her?"
"No."
Amara closed the file.
"Sophia, your sales record is strong. Your product knowledge is strong. But neither one changes what happened to that customer."
"I understand."
"Do you?"
Sophia's eyes lifted.
Amara continued.
"If a customer has money, does that mean you should treat them well?"
"Yes."
"If a customer has no intention of buying, should you treat them poorly?"
"No."
"If a customer walks into this store wearing clothes that cost ten dollars, should they receive less respect than someone wearing clothes that cost ten thousand?"
Sophia hesitated.
"No."
"Then what standard should we use?"
"How we treat people."
"Exactly."
Sophia's shoulders dropped.
"I thought I was doing what the manager wanted."
"That explains the pressure. It doesn't remove your judgment."
Sophia nodded.
"I know."
Amara softened her tone.
"Do you want to tell me anything else?"
Sophia looked at the table.
"There was a young woman who came in a few weeks before you visited. She was wearing a gray sweatshirt and jeans. She looked at a handbag for a long time. I asked if she needed help, but when she said she was just looking, I walked away."
Amara recognized the description.