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June 21, 2005
BF2 didn't come today.
I love my grandfather. He's a short-tempered southern pragmatist, and mean as all hell when people behave stupidly in front of him. He points out the simple things, and has a power to make smart-aleck sales associates weep in shame before him (I hope someday he will teach me this).
A good example would be when my grandmother passed away, he asked me to drive him to a gym that they had just joined. He explained to the woman behind the counter that he had paid for 3 months, and would like a refund for the 2 months that my grandmother would not be using. The little chippie responded with a condescending smile and a quick "Oh I'm sorry we don't do that."
I can't describe what happened then. There was a brief silence while they held eye-contact, during which I imagine that some sort of psychic exchange took place. Then suddenly she understood. She didn't just understand, she was now the champion for my grandfathers cause. She was going to get him his refund, or she'd buy the gas to burn the place down. 10 seconds earlier, corporate policy was no refunds for membership cancellations, period. Now she got it, this man was asking them to return the money he paid for something he would never get - and come to think of it, that makes perfect sense, doesn't it.
I stood well behind him and watched. The chippie, transformed into a human again, goes to the jock in the office. Through the window I see him shake his head, bothered by the question. He stands and comes to the door where he makes eye contact, and the pause happens again, now he nods in agreement. He's on the phone in a heartbeat. 10 minutes later, they're issuing a credit remittance for 2 months of an unused membership.
My grandfather, who taught me how an electric circuit works when I was 6, believed in the unspoken and understood agreement behind monetary transactions. I will pay you to do something. If I don't come through, I will make it up to you, and you'll do the same. More and more, I'm having trouble finding services that work like this.
I realize today that the "pre-order" concept is just as diseased. "I will give you money right now, for nothing. In exchange, on the 21st, you'll have a copy of Battlefield 2 for me. If you don't deliver I get.. I get.." oh wait, I don't get anything do I. If you don't deliver, I get an editorial cartoon of me bent over a tree stump getting kicked in the ass by someone wearing your logo.
The price of admission was not enough. To be continued...
Posted by bradley at June 21, 2005 04:49 PM
