The Tailor

After working for many years, he had finally retired. Now, he wanted to be his own boss. The idea of working alone sounded appealing. After all, tailoring was a profession that could be done independently. He found a small shop in a passage close to his home. There was no need for a large investment. Thanks to the experience he had gained from the companies he had worked for and their brand recognition, he quickly built a customer base. He could showcase his skills, and customers were satisfied with the quality of his work. As a result, his clientele grew rapidly. Even for minor alterations, he would say that he needed at least ten days to complete the job. He was making himself seem exclusive, and customers seemed willing to accept this.

He thought that taking on more customers would bring him more money. He priced his services above the market rate, believing that his expertise and craftsmanship justified the higher cost. Even though he knew that the area he operated in wasn’t particularly affluent, he still insisted on premium pricing.

Within a couple of years, due to the high demand, he moved to a larger shop in the same passage. However, he also started to grow arrogant towards his fellow shopkeepers. To him, his shop was always bustling with customers, while they were struggling to attract any business. He took great pleasure in giving them unsolicited business advice.

Meanwhile, more and more customers started placing custom orders for coats, skirts, jackets, and dresses. These projects were more profitable, so he accepted every single request without hesitation.

Eventually, he began turning away customers who came for alterations. A man who had brought in a shirt for a simple fix was told that the tailor needed to buy a specific fabric. However, after waiting for three months, the customer lost his patience and took his shirts back. Another woman had brought her grandmother’s coat to be taken in at the shoulders. The tailor had promised to complete the work within three weeks. But five months later, the job still wasn’t done, leading to a heated argument with the customer.

Whenever new customers arrived, he exaggerated how complex their requests were. His attitude irritated them. Even for the simplest repairs, he would claim, “You’ll have to wait at least 15 days.” He refused to accommodate urgent requests. On top of that, customers frequently found his shop closed during business hours and had to leave empty-handed. His way of speaking had grown increasingly negative and dismissive. Naturally, the quality of his work had declined as well.

One day, a woman brought in a school tracksuit to have a patch sewn on. She had come to check on it twice, only to be told it wasn’t ready. When she finally collected it, she examined the work and was shocked. The patch was made from shiny satin fabric—something more suited for an evening gown than a tracksuit. Staring in disbelief, she asked, “How can I send my child to school wearing this?” The tailor, instead of acknowledging his mistake, condescendingly insisted that it was a perfectly suitable patch. The woman quickly realized that arguing was pointless. You couldn’t reason with someone who refused to listen. Looking straight into his eyes, she paid her bill and left.

Three years had passed since he had opened his shop. Overconfidence in his skills and an obsession with profit had led him to mismanage his business. Customers had stopped coming, his relationships with fellow shopkeepers had soured, his finances had crumbled, and he could no longer afford his rent. Just as he had stalled his customers, he now stalled his creditors, always trying to place the blame elsewhere. When he finally had to close his shop, he justified his failure by saying, “Business is impossible these days. Customers aren’t real customers, and suppliers aren’t real suppliers.” He still hadn’t learned his lesson.

For his fellow shopkeepers, his story became a cautionary tale. No matter how skilled a person is, arrogance and belittling others lead nowhere. Someone might seem to be winning in the short term, but in the end, they always lose. The real key to long-term success is using one’s skills to benefit others. When people focus on fulfilling others' needs, they not only improve their own quality but also enhance the quality of their relationships. That was the real formula for lasting success.

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                      Experiential Design Teachings and Decision-Making Themed Blog

Experiential Design Teachings aim to give purpose to a person's life.

To be happy and successful in life...

"Since the existence of humankind on Earth, the greatest friend and foe have never changed. The person in the mirror..." 

Yahya Hamurcu 

Who’s Who? The Art of Understanding People 
Mastery in Relationships 
The Psychology of Success
Mastery in Avoidance
Designer (Strategy Design)

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