You generally do not go to the mall just to buy a wind spinner. If it happens, it is because someone like Giovanni Kabessa has broken through your sophisticated consumer defenses and sold you one.
There is no shame in this. The wind spinner — layers of concentric laser-cut designs that round into three-dimensional shape with the breeze — has an oddly beguiling retro charm. More important, Kabessa, a 29-year-old Israeli expat, is a salesman of not inconsiderable skills of persuasion.
"It’s not about selling," Kabessa says. "It’s about entertaining. If someone stops by for five minutes, we’ll spend four minutes just joking around and having a good time. They’re not always buying the product by itself. A lot of times they’re buying it because it’s part of a fun, entertaining experience."
For Kabessa, being open to new experiences is the difference between browsing and buying. As a young man he left Israel for a vacation in California. He enjoyed it so much, he decided to stay.
Over the years he has traveled extensively across the United States and Europe. An avid surfer, Kabessa moved to Hawaii with his wife five years ago to indulge his passion for the ocean.
"The difference between (Israeli beaches) and Hawaii is like the difference between a mo-ped and a motorcycle," he says, laughing.
Still, Kabessa’s job at the kiosk leaves him little free time. He works eight, nine, sometimes 10 hours a day, six days a week. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.
"I love meeting new people every day," he says. "I learn new jokes from people who stop by, and I pass them on to other customers I meet. People here are humble, down to earth and happy. Of all the places I’ve been, this is by far the best."
Such positive attitude goes a long way in the purgatorial stretch Kabessa and his fellow Ala Moana Center kiosk-ites occupy between CenterStage, with its micro-population of retirees and other time-passers, and the bustle of the nearby food court.
Even among his fellow kiosk vendors — a mishmash of overcaffeinated performers, grin-and-bear-it short-timers and slouching, smartphone-fixated teenagers — Kabessa stands out.
He’s fluent in Japanese and Spanish and can hold his own in several other languages. He’s quick to return each sideways glance with an invitation to browse and chat — even when it’s clear the customer has no intention of buying. And he never seems to sit down.
Kabessa has never taken a business class, has never attended a sales or marketing seminar. Rather, he has gleaned everything he knows about dealing with customers from experience and intuition.
It works for him and for his customers, many of whom return to drop off snacks or photos they’ve taken with him.
"It’s not about money," he says. "I can do many different jobs, but I enjoy this one because I enjoy people. Every day I meet new people and I learn new things about the world."
Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@staradvertiser.com.
