Living in Hope

BE FAIR TO THE CUSTOMER A better way of doing business is for the retailer to avail of the lowest possible wholesale prices so that after selling his goods at a fair price, he is still able to make his profit. I n a certain locality of Delhi which I have been passing through for the last ten years, there are several hotels owned by Muslims. But out of this entire number, there is only one which has made continuous progress during this period, the others having suffered a decline in clientele. One day, I asked the proprietor of the successful hotel the secret of his success. “Very simple,” he replied. “What other hotels buy by the kilo, we buy by the quintal. For any purchase we make, we explore the entire market and buy only from where we find the prices are the most reasonable. By buying in bulk and paying cash, we acquire things quite cheaply.” Then he smiled and said, “If you want to make a profit, make it from the market and not from the customer.”