The salesman told me he had taken the cargo net out of the vehicle I was trading in and placed it in the vehicle I was purchasing. He said the factory no longer provides the net as a standard feature. He said, “It is senseless for you to purchase another one because the new one would be identical to this one. I just moved it over.” What an act of kindness.
When I negotiated the purchase of the vehicle, it was not yet on the lot of the dealership. Consequently, I was seeing the car for the first time. As I walked around the car, I noticed that the new car did not come equipped with mud flaps. It had everything else but the kitchen sink, but mud flaps were not included. I had anticipated that it would be equipped with them. Of course, I would also have expected a cargo net as well. The mud flaps were a standard feature on the one I previously purchased. I mentioned to the salesman that the vehicle I was trading in came equipped with mud flaps. The salesman said he’d check with his manager to see if they could be included. He subsequently reported that the manager graciously offered to discount the price and allow me to purchase a set for $115.00. What a bargain!
Under the auspices of “you never know until you ask”, I asked if I could take the old set off of the car I was trading in. He answered, “Sure, that’s not a problem. I’ll be happy to take them off for you. You can pick them up at the dealership tomorrow.”
Since I was leaving town the next day, I told him it would be Thursday before I could stop by for them. He said that would not be a problem. I left the dealership thinking, “what a kind man.”
Thursday morning he emailed me to say he had forgotten that Thursday was his day off. Consequently, he had taken the mud flaps to his home. He said his home was near my place of employment. If I didn’t mind, I could stop by his home and he’d install the mud flaps for me. He provided a couple of different time slot options that he would be available. I chose one that was convenient for me.
I had absolutely no intent of imposing on the salesperson to install the mud flaps. I confidently thought I had the skill set to do the installation. I was just grateful that the old ones were available for my use. When I subsequently arrived at his home and explained that I’d do the installation myself, the salesperson was adamant that he wanted to do the installation for me. He said, “I want this new car purchase to be an optimum experience for you. I’d appreciate your referring me to any of your friends who might have an interest in a Toyota.”
I eventually deferred to his wishes and agreed for him to install the mud flaps. He said it was a simple procedure and would only take a few minutes. I, too, had anticipated that it would be an easy experience and could be handled quickly.
At the risk of being accused of double-talk, the one thing I learned from watching the installation of the mud flaps is that I didn’t know what I didn’t know. There were no pre-drilled holes for the mud flaps that went on the back of the car. In addition, there was a need to place a small metal sleeve that fit like a paper clip over both sides of the area where the screw held the mud flap in place. I would have missed that step completely. It is a good thing I didn’t opt to do it myself.
It actually took about an hour for the installation to take place. When the installation was completed, I asked, “What do I owe you?” The salesperson said, “The only thing I want is your return business and a referral to anyone you know shopping for a vehicle.” I thanked him for his kindness.
The next day I wrote a thank you note and placed a nice check inside the card. Call it reciprocity, but one good deed deserves another. Had I followed through with my initial plan to install the mud flaps myself, it would have been a less than satisfactory experience. I had no idea that the metal sleeves would be needed.
The experience reminded me of my one and only attempt at edging a concrete patio with brick. I had watched a group of workers engaged in the process and thought it looked fairly simple. When I decided I wanted a similar patio for my home, I had the passing thought, “Think of the money I could save if I opted to do the work myself.” That, too, proved to be a learning experience for me. Actually, by the time I completed the project, I would gladly have paid someone else to have the work done. It was far more complicated and time consuming than I could have ever imagined.
As I wrote the aforementioned paragraph, two or three other examples of my attempting to be frugal and do something myself came to mind. Interestingly, I ultimately had to outsource the projects to get the results I anticipated and wanted.
At any rate, a couple of life lessons come to mind. The first is the recognition that not everyone can do everything. Determine how to best accomplish what you want to achieve. Someone recently told me that her grandmother always said that her family was too poor not to purchase the best. Traditionally, the concept of buying good stuff carries with it the concept of longevity. Quality and durability often walk hand-in-hand.
Secondly and more importantly, the life lesson role modeled by the kindness of a stranger is one worth noting. The salesperson was willing to color outside the lines to ensure customer satisfaction. In the process, he devoted time and effort to assist with my desire for every aspect of the vehicle to meet expectations. In the process of doing so, he exceeded his traditional role and invested an extra hour of his time. It didn’t go unnoticed.
In the course of a day, how many times do I take the opportunity to go out of my way and beyond the scope of my job to meet a need? Perhaps a life lesson worth noting is the importance of always doing more than is expected. If you have the ability to meet a need, offer a word of encouragement, assist in solving a problem or simply extended the gift of friendship, it is always a sound investment.
All My Best!
Don