11 #2
Helen smiled, having loved Ewha, but she didn’t think it was the right time to ask what Mrs. Chung had studied.
“I can’t pay any more than $450. It’s six days a week. I close on Sundays so I can go to church. Do you go to church?”
“Yes, we will be going to Gospel Presbyterian in Anaheim. Our son said it’s nice, and that’s where Yun’s mother goes, too.”
“I am an elder there,” Mrs. Chung said proudly.
“I should call you Elder Chung, then.”
“Yes, you may.” Mrs. Chung shifted on her stool. “How old are your children?”
“In America, Bo-hun is twenty-two, Dae-hun is twenty, and my youngest, Mido, is nineteen. My middle one is at Yale, but my oldest and youngest still need to go to college. We moved around so much—”
Mrs. Chung nodded with understanding.
“The weekly salary for six days’ work is $450,” Mrs. Chung said.
The thought of getting this poised and well-educated woman to work for her was appealing.
She regretted having hired young women who talked too much, or brought her their complicated personal problems, then ended up quitting.
Mrs. Chung just wanted someone to stay on and take the work seriously.
Helen took a breath. “I’ve always received a base salary and commission. I’d be happy to work for $300 a week and take a ten percent commission of the retail price, if that would be okay with you.”
Mrs. Chung appeared surprised by Helen’s counteroffer.
“I haven’t given you the job yet.”
“I’ll make more money for you. I am good at what I do.”
Mrs. Chung laughed, more than a little pleased by her fellow alumna.
“I don’t know,” Mrs. Chung said. “It’s not personal. I’ve hired many people, and they often disappoint me.”
“We can try it for a month, if you like. I’m able to keep track of sales and can make it simple for you,” Helen said, unwilling to give up her commissions. It was really the only way she could make more money.
Mrs. Chung looked doubtful. She wanted to hire Helen but didn’t like the idea of sharing profits.
“Let’s try your way just for today. What do you think?” Mrs. Chung asked.
Helen asked to study the floor inventory and checked price tags. She asked Mrs. Chung about her markup structure and how much room she had for discounts, because here, the customers expected to negotiate.
Mrs. Chung was not disappointed. Helen had a wonderful manner with customers.
She greeted them politely, observed them without being intrusive, and knew precisely when to be helpful.
Without much context, she was still able to discern which customers sought attention, which required deference, and which needed to be left alone to browse.
Some customers wanted privacy to imagine themselves with the desired good—whether it was a pair of Italian shoes, a rare handbag, or a cashmere coat.
However, she knew that she could not disappear.
Helen was able to anticipate the needs of her customer.
Above all, she knew never to judge the worth of a customer based on her appearance.
Where she excelled uniquely was in honoring her customer without being subservient since aspirational goods, which were what Mrs. Chung sold, required a knowledgeable salesperson who wasn’t off-putting and yet was also the kind of person whose approval customers sought.
Helen was like your kindest, most tasteful ally, who would tell you the truth and never let you get in trouble.
Customers felt comfortable asking Helen questions about how to put on a diamond necklace with a tricky clasp, how to tie a large silk scarf as a cummerbund, or what kind of watch one bought for a lawyer son-in-law.
Of the Korean shopping malls in Orange County, Mrs. Chung’s store had the highest-priced luxury retail inventory, and though her customers were Koreans who had once shopped in fine department stores in Seoul or Busan, they still felt uncomfortable walking into an equivalent American department store or boutique.
More importantly, they had little time to drive over to the fancy mall, which could take half a day from work on a Saturday, and certainly never during the week, when they worked from dawn till dusk.
The Emporium opened to the public at 10:00 a.m., and for a Thursday morning, business was not bad, with a fairly steady stream of customers and some decent sales. Around lunchtime, Mrs. Ku, who managed the video store across the shopping mall, came in.
Mrs. Chung said hello and returned to her newspaper. She was on cordial terms with the video store owner but didn’t know Mrs. Ku well enough to chat.
Helen had been wiping down the counters with a glass cleaner; she put away her dust cloths and bowed her head to greet the customer.
Although it was warm outside, Mrs. Ku wore a long-sleeved cotton jersey shirt, elastic-waist pants, and a woolen vest, all in shades of blue. Her hair was gray. She was in her late fifties but seemed older. Her skin was papery and mottled, and she appeared a bit intimidated and anxious.
“How may I help you?” Helen asked.
“You must be new,” Mrs. Ku said shyly. “I haven’t seen you before.”
“Yes, my family and I moved here recently.”
“From where? Did you find a place to live?” Mrs. Ku asked, wanting to help the newcomer.
“Yes, thank you, we’ve just arrived from Australia,” Helen said. “Is there anything you need today?” She knew that a person like this didn’t come into the Emporium unless she had to buy something specific.
“My son is getting married,” Mrs. Ku said. Her voice was quiet but proud.
Hearing this, Mrs. Chung looked up from her newspaper.
“What wonderful news. Do you like the bride?” Helen asked.
“Yes. Yes, so much. She’s a dental hygienist. I think she’ll take good care of my son. She’s a hard worker.”
Helen smiled.
“My son bought her a ring already, but I wanted to get her something myself. She’s a very attractive girl.
She cares about how she looks. Not like me.
” Mrs. Ku laughed, looking down at her white sneakers from Costco.
“But she’s not vain. I’m not trying to say that.
I’m so lucky. I’m not trying to brag. I’m so sorry. ”
Mrs. Ku blushed. She was a woman who wasn’t used to speaking about her recent good fortune.
“What do you think she’d like?” Helen asked. She was too tactful to ask her directly about her budget.
Mrs. Chung pretended to read her newspaper, but she was paying attention.
“I thought maybe a necklace or earrings. Diamonds or pearls maybe. I’ve got some money I have been saving for her.”
“Do you have to get presents for her family, too?” Helen asked.
“My son said they’d prefer cash.”
Helen nodded.
“But I want to give her something. From me. I don’t want her to think I’m not happy about it, because I am so grateful.
He’s my only one, you see.” Mrs. Ku could hardly say this last bit.
She wanted her daughter-in-law to like her, want to visit now and then, not feel pressured but want to see her, even though their apartment was small and not very nice.
“I have something that’s beautiful,” Helen told her, and guided her to the jewelry counter, where she took out a tray of earrings.
“What do you think of these?” Helen pointed to a pair of pearl and diamond earrings. “Very suitable for a young woman, and not old-fashioned. Or maybe these diamond studs.” Helen showed her the small ones first, which were not inexpensive.