Human nature - Gotta luv it

[ubeaut]

Here's a little story that may amuse.

As most of you know, we recently did the Melb WWW Show as we always do, however on the day after the show I received a phone call of the death of a cousin and we had to leave almost immediately for points far north for funeral etc. Whilst at the airport in Sydney (waiting for the flight out on the second leg of our journey) I received a phone call from an elderly sounding lady that went something like this. (slightly shortened version)

Lady "Hello, my husband purchased a polishing kit from you at the Melb wood show for $120, but you only charged our credit card $1-20."

Me (shocked) "Thank you for letting me know, it's really nice of you to do so and I really do appreciate your honesty. However I'm just about to board a plane and have no way of taking down your details at the moment. Would you mind ringing the factory and leaving your phone number on the machine and I will return your call as soon as I get back, which will be early next week."

Lady "Yes, that would be fine. By the way how long would it have taken to pick up the mistake."

Me (stupidly) "Not long, but I couldn't do much because the merchant copy of a credit card transaction doesn't have the full card number or any other identifying information on it."

Lady "OK. I'll leave our phone number on the answering machine and hear from you soon."

Me "Thank you so much for being so honest. Most people wouldn't bother, they'd just say, bad luck. Your honesty will not go unrewarded."

Lady "Thank you, this has cleared our consciences. Talk to you soon."

I told Pauline what the call was about and she said that it was really good of them to ring and she spoke of honesty, goodness and other such glowing stuff to do with human nature.

I looked at my mobile and noticed that their phone number had been blocked and didn't show in received calls, I thought about what I had said during the conversation and said to Pauline. "I reckon that'll the last we ever hear from them."

What a cynical prick I'd be, eh......

Well it's been almost 2 weeks now and they did exactly as I predicted. They said to themselves.... Ha! They have no idea who we are and can't trace us... STUFF'EM.

You've really gotta love human nature - It's so bloody predictable.

Cheers - Neil

PS To the predictable old farts who had a $118.80 wind fall on us, I say "YOU'LL GET YOURS!"

.

[zenwood]

Nice story, Neil...

But then, it's just my black sense of humour.

Do what the bible says:

If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.

Shout them a meal at the next WW show

[ozwinner]

Cheers Neil, and I just love my new polishing kit.


Al

[Kev Y.]

I told her not to call you !!!! bugger... ok IF I pay now can I still have the senior cits discount?

[Gaza]

Neil & others, if you do not have a pen etc, you can dial the number into the handset of your phone while on it, then when the call ends save the number, i do it all the time but give a warning first as the caller gets a series of beebs.....

[Kev Y.]

Gaza, you idea has some merit,
except of course when as neil said "I looked at my mobile and noticed that their phone number had been blocked and didn't show in received calls,"

[Cliff Rogers]

What a buga.... :mad:

Here's a tip that the 'systems' people use when the hire & train guppies...
On the slip that prints, find the amount & put a circle around it, then find the word approved & put a circle around that. (NB:You 'should' notice if they not are correct.)
If you do those 2 small things, you'll never dud yourself that way again.

Here's a tip from me... if you need glasses, wear them.

[ubeaut]

That's all well and fine and works for me and her too Cliff problem it didn't seem to work for a helper who just swiped and spiked. (We put all our merchant copies on a spike) Not the first time either, have lost quite a few hundred dollars over the years because of the same thing, however, I mentioned this one because I thought I had finally found someone who was willing to do the right thing by ringing up.

Our fault, no one else's. Just thought we had found a genuinely honest one for the first time. Funny thing was that I was going to give it to them for half price when they rang back, as a reward for their honesty.


Cheers - Neil


PS My faith in older people has dwindled somewhat over the years of doing these shows. We often lose up to 5 books and 3 or 4 demo bottles of Shellawax, etc, at a show. Most are nicked by either old blokes or old ladies and I do mean old usually in the 70 to 80+ age group. Not sure which are the worst the blokes or the women, I suspect it's the blokes, but not necessarily. Surprisingly, none on our stand can ever recall losing anything when the schoolies were around. Just the oldies.

[Gumby]

I reckon that stinks. :mad:

[Andy Mac]

Just thought we had found a genuinely honest one for the first time.

Hi Neil,
Feel for you, especially when it seemed it would turn out OK. Are you serious that you haven't come across an honest person, like handing back too much change or something like that!!
Its a shame that business owners can't always trust a customer. I met one that did once, on a tourist trip through Maleny near the Sunshine Coast. It was in a secondhand book shop, where I stumbled across an old publication on the making of handtools for woodworkers, something I just had to have! I didn't have any cash on me and the owner didn't have credit card facilities, but he saw how disappointed I was. So he let me take it...with my promise to send money when I got home. Of course I did that, but it actually made my day that someone was still willing to trust a stranger, in a business situation.
Cheers for now,

[outback]

Me three. :mad:

[bitingmidge]

Neil,

I'm truly saddened, not for the lack of dough, but for what's happening to our "civil"isation, and have had similar experiences. I also believe what goes round comes round.

All of this reminds me of the story of a family of a certain ethnic persuasion (it's not open slather after all) who are usually characatured as being of a marginally unscrupulous nature.

Young son is sitting in the back of the shop doing his homework, when he comes across a word he doesn't know, so asks his father: "What's Ethics?"

Dad replies that its a bit hard to explain, so he'll tell a story:

A lady comes into my shop and buys an article that's worth say $20.00, and she gives me a $50.00 note, I give her the change and her parcel.

As she is walking out of the shop, I am putting the money away, and I notice there were actually two $50.00 notes stuck together.

Now, this is where "ethics" come in. I immediately think to myself:...



"Do I tell my partner?".

Cheers,

P

[Driver]

Surprisingly, none on our stand can ever recall losing anything when the schoolies were around. Just the oldies.

Just because they're old doesn't mean they're any better (or worse) than the rest of us. Old people aren't a separate species. They are the same mixture of angels, ratbags and everything in between as the rest of us - they're just older.

It's a mistake to think that everyone mellows as they age. If a bloke was a thieving lowlife when he was younger, it's highly likely that he's a thieving lowlife still. However, he probably finds it slightly easier to get away with it these days because people make the mistake of assuming that old codgers are all benevolent, upright citizens. They're not, as you have discovered, Neil.

[ozwinner]

I have a book in mind when we sell the shop. Al Tells All..

We have had our eyes opened in the last 18 months....:eek:

Al

[ubeaut]

As a rule I find that woodworkers seem to be really honest at least the ones we deal with on a regular basis. I have often done as as the book shop man did for Andy and sent product on trust or given it to people on trust. These people have never let me down yet, although a couple who should know better have strung me out for a few months before paying.

It's the ones who think or know they have got away with something that are the problem. I have on a number of occasions been given the wrong price when buying something and (if I pick it up) will always say to the person at fault did you realise that you have only charged me for one of those instead of two (or whatever the mistake was). It is in my nature and I know that the poor waitress or whoever is going to have to come up with the goods or get into trouble later on from the boss. I know what it is like to come up short at the end of the day and don't wish it on anyone.

We all need to have some sort of ethics - hopefully the bulk of us choose the good kind.

I fully realise that the old aren't a separate species nor are the young (although there might be a sub species or two). I'm just slightly amazed that it's the older ones who seem to be the biggest perpetrators (loathe to say it) of this form of crime.

There seems to be a cynical form of thinking, (which cuts across all age groups) that everyone who is in business for themself is rich and out to rip you off. Because of that they are fair game. Well I'm here to tell you that many of us in our own businesses aren't rich, many are just keeping the wolves from the door and staying off the dole. Ozzwinner is a prime example (hope you don't mind the reference Al).


Cheers - Neil

PS Probably should learn to keep my mouth shut. But what the heck.