It has been seen of late that small and big businesses are indulging in various corrupt practices far more than what it used to be a decade ago.
Starting from a small vegetable/fruit vendor to big superstores, the salesmen in or without the connivance of their owners encourage in various ways to fleece/cheat their customers. There appears to be no check on such malpractices and it is taken for granted that if caught by a small percentage of vigilant persons, they may apologise and hastily correct the bill.
Take big superstores for instance, the bar codes are promptly displayed along with the price of an item, but on the entry by the person making the bill, an additional amount is added to the item’s price. In case the customer checks the bill before leaving the store and reports this malpractice, it is corrected. Most of the customers do not check their bills and if they do so on reaching home, they are normally reluctant to claim the wrongly charged amount due to the distance/hassle involved. The big stores are perhaps making huge additional amounts in this manner.
Another very common practice is at the petrol pumps. Very small percentage of car owners, especially the ladies, rarely get out to check if the meter is zeroed, hence giving opportunity to the cheaters.
As very few honest sellers exist now, the buyers/customers are advised to be more vigilant and report to the highest authority so that the culprits are brought to book without any mercy.
Moreover, the tendency to feed you with substandard food by various cafes/restaurant must be curbed as is being done presently by the Directory, Punjab Food Authority in Lahore. She has already sealed/fined a huge number of known restaurants due to substandard food and unhygienic environment, etc.
RASHID MAQSOOD
Lahore
