I’ve never been a big subscriber to the whole “Men are from Mars” thing… but yesterday while talking with a lady (who was obviously from Venus) I may have slightly changed my stance on the issue…
The regularly priced item she bought was $199.99 and it came with a FREE $30 Gift Card.
The advertisement on the shelf displayed below the item said exactly that. In fact, so did the receipt when she purchased it.
While looking at her receipt, she came up with a question, at which point I was called in to diffuse the situation. Maybe “diffuse” isn’t the right word, because that would imply that things were heating up. This situation was one of the more pleasant interactions I’ve had when these types of things arise, which they inevitably do, of course.
So she talked, and I listened.
Then I talked, and she listened.
As it turns out, it wasn’t really her purchase, it was her friends (who stood quietly beside her the entire time). She wanted to make sure her friend wasn’t in fact, beging charged for the “free” gift card – which she was insinuating wasn’t really free, but was bundled into the entire package.
So she talked some more, and I listened even closer.
Then I talked some more, and she listened even closer.
Laughing, we both decided it might help if we walked to the back of the store and actually looked at the signing on the shelf. Perhaps that could help clear some of this confusion up. Great conversation followed as we walked back to the sporting goods section of the store, retrieved the sign and headed back to the front.
We analyzed the sign. We examined the receipt.
This time I talked, and she listened.
Then she talked, and I listened.
STALEMATE.
At just about that time, my supervisor, who also happens to be from Venus, walked by. Finally, the cavalry had arrived and we both welcomed her with open arms (barely short of a hug)! She took the receipt and the sign, looked at them and repeated verbatim what I had been saying for the previous fifteen minutes, but in some sort of Venusian dialect.
“OH!” the lady exclaimed “That makes perfect sense, I completely understand! Thank you so much!”
I called for assistance to help lift my jaw from the ground. Stunned in silence, I looked back at the two of them with shock written all over my face. “Had they planned this?” I quickly thought to myself. “Was this some sort of undercover guest satisfaction test, and if it was, did I pass?”
We all smiled after the exchange and thanked each other while shaking hands and laughing at what had just occurred.
After she left I checked, and no, it wasn’t a Target test… but as I have quickly come to discover, each day is full of tests and challenges of its own – no matter what planet they may (or may not) come from.
“Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry for anger does not bring about the righteous life God desires.” (James 1:19-20).
And that’s right on target.
Thanks for joining me on T-Time. Have a great day Martians… (and all you Venusians too!)
The regularly priced item she bought was $199.99 and it came with a FREE $30 Gift Card.
The advertisement on the shelf displayed below the item said exactly that. In fact, so did the receipt when she purchased it.
While looking at her receipt, she came up with a question, at which point I was called in to diffuse the situation. Maybe “diffuse” isn’t the right word, because that would imply that things were heating up. This situation was one of the more pleasant interactions I’ve had when these types of things arise, which they inevitably do, of course.
So she talked, and I listened.
Then I talked, and she listened.
As it turns out, it wasn’t really her purchase, it was her friends (who stood quietly beside her the entire time). She wanted to make sure her friend wasn’t in fact, beging charged for the “free” gift card – which she was insinuating wasn’t really free, but was bundled into the entire package.
So she talked some more, and I listened even closer.
Then I talked some more, and she listened even closer.
Laughing, we both decided it might help if we walked to the back of the store and actually looked at the signing on the shelf. Perhaps that could help clear some of this confusion up. Great conversation followed as we walked back to the sporting goods section of the store, retrieved the sign and headed back to the front.
We analyzed the sign. We examined the receipt.
This time I talked, and she listened.
Then she talked, and I listened.
STALEMATE.
At just about that time, my supervisor, who also happens to be from Venus, walked by. Finally, the cavalry had arrived and we both welcomed her with open arms (barely short of a hug)! She took the receipt and the sign, looked at them and repeated verbatim what I had been saying for the previous fifteen minutes, but in some sort of Venusian dialect.
“OH!” the lady exclaimed “That makes perfect sense, I completely understand! Thank you so much!”
I called for assistance to help lift my jaw from the ground. Stunned in silence, I looked back at the two of them with shock written all over my face. “Had they planned this?” I quickly thought to myself. “Was this some sort of undercover guest satisfaction test, and if it was, did I pass?”
We all smiled after the exchange and thanked each other while shaking hands and laughing at what had just occurred.
After she left I checked, and no, it wasn’t a Target test… but as I have quickly come to discover, each day is full of tests and challenges of its own – no matter what planet they may (or may not) come from.
“Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry for anger does not bring about the righteous life God desires.” (James 1:19-20).
And that’s right on target.
Thanks for joining me on T-Time. Have a great day Martians… (and all you Venusians too!)