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Comments
Nope but something like an incredulous look with the words: "Really? Do you think that's OK?"
He probably would've stammered some excuse but perhaps it would open to his eyes to what he did.
My theory is that when you walk through a Walmart, you see what the average American looks like in 2013. The experience can be somewhat depressing, and I think this is why a lot of people avoid Walmart.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
I love this. There's nothing quite like a well placed semicolon; it is an English major's dream.
Wow. A triple negative.
New Sportwagen Pics
I like it. I'm guessing the US will receive the new MKVII version in 2015 after a year of vetting in the EU. Hopefully they'll resolve the intercooler and fuel system problems found in the current diesel motor, and if so, I may be a customer.
When the Walmart in town (the second in the State of New Jersey) Sam Walton was still alive and it was a very different place. They sought out American made products and pointed them out. If there were more than 3 people waiting in a checkout line the opened another one instantly. Any employee I asked had a good working knowledge of where everything in the store was.
His kids are bums but I liked Sam Walton a great deal.
Who are you calling imaginary????
:mad:
Everything is pretty much ok.
I didn't really need for him to show how things work and I told him so.
So far, I've only put about 50 miles on it.
It rained on the way home, so I spent some time cleaning it and reading the 500+ page Owner's Manual over the weekend.
On the delivery side, the tank was only a little over 3/4 full, although I didn't notice it until I was stopped at a light maybe 8 miles or so away.
The finance guy did slip Vin Etching by me by neglecting to mention it when going over the contract.
I do share some responsibility there.
Other than that, I'm pretty happy with it.
Richard
My BIL would think I was crazy if I suggested he had done something wrong by getting the free breakfast.
I like to be as honest and fair as possible, and I would not have the nerve to do what he did. But, it is a very minor infraction. He's older than me, he has worked hard all his life, he is a decent person, it is just a piece of toast and a coffee that will probably be thrown out at the end of breakfast anyway. While eating breakfast there he was talking to some of the guests, so he added to their enjoyment at the motel.
I don't know where it rates with speeding when there isn't a cop around, people taking packages of sugar or salt and pepper from a restaurant, people who take napkins from a restaurant. It isn't nice but not a big deal and I doubt if commenting will change anyone's behaviour.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Wallymart does it to try to get the good for less. They can play suppliers off against each other. Your only hope is if you have an exclusive product.
They aren't trying to put suppliers out of business, they just wear them down to get the lowest prices they can. I doubt if it is necessary for them to be that hard on suppliers, but, that is there method. It has got them to where they are, but, I think they could have done it by being fairer to suppliers.....and employees.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Way back in grad school I got tipped off that in Quincy, FL (about 20 miles west of Tallahassee where I was) was a place called the Garden Grill. Funny but wonderful experience. You pull up and there is no doubt that before it was a restaurant it was a gas station. Heck the concrete platform that the pumps were on was still there!
Walk in and they've painted it all white. The area where the repair bay had been is the dining room. The kitchen was probably the back of the office while it front was the cashier. The staff averaged maybe 80 years old and they were all related.
Well, it turns out to be the best Southern cooking I ever ran into with the possible exception of my then girlfriend's mother. Fried chicken to die for and an insanely delicious chicken pot pie. When I came down the next year while visiting said girlfriend I went over to Tallahassee to see some other friends and made the pilgrimage over to the Garden Grill. It was gone.
I can still taste this stuff. This was 35 years ago.
This is why contractual agreements are so important. I'm thinking that the legal department for Vlasic failed to earn its pay. Walmart has a huge legal team, and they are very bright and very ruthless. It is possible that the corporates at Vlasic ignored the legal advice because they had dollar signs in their eyes. Regardless, contracts were signed and Walmart will never fail to remind you of that fact. From that perspective, I can't find fault with Walmart's policies. No one held a gun to Vlasic's head and made them sign.
Richard
Glad you are doing well.
Richard
NEVER! That's why I ordered the darn thing!
I think that you're wrong about most people not being worried about weight and health. Many people today are very conscious about what they eat and how much. Fitness centers are doing well and, because of the demand, many fast food joints and other restaurants are trying to offer more healthy choices.
I lost 30 pounds last year because of possible health issues. I designed my own fat free diet and ate no sweets above 5-7 grams. I achieved my goal in four months. Still, I am not going to deny myself some delicious things that I like. I'm a Southern cook who grew up on grease and fatback. I'm still living and, according to my doctor, in excellent condition. As Rob2 stated, everything in moderation---once Driver reaches his goal.
Richard
Had I not known that he was kidding, I would have passed out at my computer. :P
Richard
Are in or near Rocky mount? the Mapquest directions look like you head cross lots from Raleigh to pick up 95 right by there.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
: What I did? What I did?"
" I ain't did nothing...I ain't did nothing"
They still hauled him away.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Life is good again, thank G-d!
The New And Improved Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Yep, that's what he called me. After all these years, I'm just a "pigment" of his imagination.
Richard
Wow! In the end, did the butler do it? :P
Richard
Richard
Richard
Richard
I'm sure that the charge was murder---of the King's English.
Richard
I told my wife, we should just leave her home, and go by ourselves. Probably would be much more relaxing!
I knew you were right along 95, and for some reason I thought you were up that way. And that town name is familiar to me for some reason. Maybe they have a chick fil a?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Well being older, worked hard your whole life and being a decent person doesn't justify walking into a place of business and eating their food. Would it be ok for someone to walk into your book business and take an inexpensive paperback because he's older and worked hard his whole life?
No, it's not a terrible infraction but it's still wrong. Would you agree to that?
Walmart could dump them whenever they wanted.
I'll agree that it is wrong, I couldn't imagine doing it myself. I don't think of it quite as bad as someone stealing merchandise from our book sales.
It may be similar to getting a $50 credit for driving a car that you don't really intend to buy. It is not as bad as buying a dress, wearing it to an event, then returning it to the store.
I really don't think he thinks of it as wrong. He is always playing practical jokes on people, he thinks of it as clever.
One thing I do when people make minor indescretions is make allowances for their past or their upbringinig. My BIL grew up in a family of 10 kids, they were extremely poor. He works hard and does beautiful work for people working as a handyman in his community in Florida. He charges $15 an hour (he's retired so doesn't need the money) and if he can save $10 off materials etc. he passes that on to his customer.....at business school they would teach you that any savings you make you should keep.
Yes, I will say it is totally wrong, I would say about the things that really matter he is probably way above average for being honest. Although it is wrong, I don't think he does it maliciously, I think he just thinks it is clever and funny...though, yes, technically it is definitely the wrong thing to do.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
So, last Saturday I agreed to meet someone who called me (from seeing the "For Sale" sign in the window) to take a closer look at the BMW. While I'm eating some delicious chicken and wild rice soup, and posting to Edmunds with my iPad, I see someone lurking around my BMW. He's early. I toss a 1/3 bowl of soup and 1/2 a salad (I hate wasting good food) in the trash to see if the shopper is "my guy". He is.
I introduce myself. He's a chiropractor who has a practice not far from my home. He points to his current ride, an older Mercees E Class (say 7-8 years old) that he says is pushing 150K miles. He goes on to say his kids are grown and no longer needs a big car.
I put on my sales hat..."then this 335 coupe would be perfect." He asks me about the car...
-bought it new
-had the performance package installed at the dealership (bossting HP and TQ by 20)
-never tracked
-oil changes done nearly twice as often as the oil indicator suggested
-new(er) tires
-no paint work, no dings, garage kept
-loaded with AWD, iDrive nav, leather, Harmon Kardon surround sound stereo, heated seats/steering wheel, power rear sunshade, etc, etc.
He looks in the trunk. Sits in both the driver's and passenger's seat. Plays with the radio knobs (stereo wasn't even on).
I show him how the proximity sensors work...beeping as you near any object in the front, sides or rear of the car.
The inevitable question (even though it's listed on the sign in the window)..."how much are you asking?"
"$37K"
"You willing to move off that number?"
"Let's find out if you like the car, first. Want to drive it?"
Off we go.
He wasn't bashful about giving his impressions.
He was amazed at the torque and power the car had. He loved how imperceptibly it shifted, and how tight and rattle free the car is. He loved the stereo. And actually liked all the iDrive functions (I showed him how I streamed music from my iPhone to the stereo, and the maintenance minder). Those were the main points. What was clear to me, he liked the car.
We were gone maybe 20 minutes driving on the interstate, as well as around the area where Panera is. He gives it one more walk around.
"I really only have a $35,000 budget and can't really do better than that."
I explain to him that I'm willing to come off $37K, but $35K won't get it done and that I like the car, and not even sure I need/want to sell it.
This is where the long pauses start. He stares at the car for a couple of minutes.
"How about $35.5K?"
GG-"I really can't. I'd be willing to do $36.5K".
"This is a cash deal, all I have to do is to get to the bank."
GG-"OK....$36,250."
He sighs, walks around the car a little more.
As if it's painful to him...."Let's do this right now at $35,750 and we can get to the bank just in enough time before they close."
I'm tempted, but I'm falling pretty far below what I originally wanted. And, we all know how I hate to grind (but am willing if need be).
GG-"$36K and I'm all done."
He sighs again. "I'm way over what I want to spend."
GG-"I'm way under what I originally wanted".
"Help me feel good and give in a little more....$35,800".
GG-"(chuckling) help me save some face, $35,900."
He smiles, pulls out an envelope from his jacket pocket, counts out 5, $100 bills, and shakes my hand...."deal"!
By this time, there was no way to get to his bank before it closed. I took a piece of paper from my iPad holder, wrote and signed a receipt for him. We were supposed to finish the transaction up yesterday. He called yesterday morning and said he couldn't.
So, I THINK there's a deal, but it's not consumated, yet.
As an immigrant from a country that has such behavior and justification very common, I have only to tell you that America still works because most of the people DO NOT behave like your BIL. My old country is full of people thinking this exact way and doing these "small infractions" as your BIL They:
- don't punch their tickets when they enter a metro bus
- turn back odometers before selling their cars
- make fallse claims to get small payouts, when they notice a "crack" in the system
- buy or use pirated records of movies,
- bribe a traffic cop when stopped for speeding or other infraction.
I know, some of those above are quite a bit bigger than taking a "free" bread toast. But that's the logic - when one allows themselves into small infractions, what is to stop them from making the infractions bigger and bigger.
The people, my friends, doing those things, all thinking of themselves as basically decent and honest people, usually in the same breath raging against crooked politicians or business stealing all the money. When called on that, they look at me like I was from another planet. They all have exactly same justifications: I have to do it, because everybody else does, I work hard, they already steal from me, so this is just barely getting even, nobody is getting hurt, I'm already paying taxes, I wouldn't be able to get it without it, etc. When they do it, it's never a big deal, it is almost a source of a perverse pride of, as you put it, "working the system".
In aggregate, it all amounts into a system, in which you can't trust anything or anyone, the government or institutions require all sorts of papers and certifications to get anything done. And wealth creation gets diminished because the businesses and government have to spend a lot of effort and time to fend off those small scams. I always tell people back there that you will not have a working system if you can't trust the other person with even small things.
I think part of it has to do with benefit-to-risk calculation. When you have relatively poor society, the benefit appears to be much more substantial and the risk is simply too small to ignore the opportunity. When the benefit relative to the wealth diminishes, the risk of shame becomes a greater and greater part. The only problem is it is a catch 22 situation, because you can't build wealth when you have those kind of behaviors, but because people are poor (relatively), they see too much benefit in such behavior to resist.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
I used to have that problem with late night White Castle hamburgers. The grease and it's flavoring really stayed with me for a couple of days. But never for 35 years.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
"A customer is the most important person in our business. He is not an interruption of our work, but rather the purpose of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him, he is doing us a favor by giving us the opportunity to do so. A customer is not dependent upon us – we are dependent upon him. He is not an outsider to our business, but a part of it. A customer is not a cold statistic: he is a flesh and blood human being with feelings and emotions, biases and prejudices. He is not someone to argue or match wits with (nobody ever won an argument with a customer). A customer is a person who brings us his wants and it is our job to handle them profitably, both to him and to ourselves."
After getting permission to post, here's the reply....
Thank you for your inquiry regarding Costco gasoline quality. We've been following the Top Tier debate closely for several years, and are currently in the process of increasing the amount of detergent additive in our fuel. We call our additive blend Kirkland Signature Clean Power, and details can be found on our website:
http://shop.costco.com/BC/In-The-War.../Gasoline.aspx
We are about halfway done installing Clean Power at our sites in the U.S., and then we'll begin in Canada. Most of Canada's existing Costco gas stations will be retrofit either this summer or next, depending on regulatory hurdles and the weather.
Until Costco has the increased Clean Power additives in all our fuel, we can't apply for Top Tier designation as that is one of their rules. Top Tier detergent amounts are typically 2.5 to 3 times the U.S. government mandated amount. We are additizing our U.S. fuel with Clean Power at five times the U.S. requirement, so in that sense we're going beyond Top Tier. We settled on that amount as our engine testing showed that to be the most thoroughly effective amount at keeping engines clean, and at cleaning up existing deposits.
All Costco fuel in the U.S. and Canada contains detergent additives. Detergent additives are separate from octane and ethanol.
All Costco gas stations sell large amounts of fuel, so the gasoline in our tanks is always fresh. We also have fresh fuel filters on each dispenser and we time the nozzle flow weekly to assure the fuel does not have particulate, water, or ethanol/water contamination. We frequently sample our tanks to confirm there is no visual sediments or water in our fuel. Costco's tank and station maintenance procedures are second to none.
In summary, we agree that more detergent additives improve the fuel. We'll have our Clean Power detergent additives in all our fuel as soon as we can get the permits and install the infrastructure at our locations. Once our rollout is complete, it is very likely that Costco will seek the Top Tier designation for our fuel.
In the meantime, you can add an off-the-shelf detergent additive every 3000 miles or so. Costco sells Chevron's Progard Fuel Injector Cleaner in most of our warehouses, or you can find an alternate product at any auto parts store. The money you save on our low fuel prices should more than offset the cost of such supplementary additives.
Thanks
Tim Hurlocker
Director of Fuel Quality and Compliance
Costco Wholesale
I know many of us (including me) are big believers in Costco's products, unwavering customer service, and pricing.
I'm fortunate. The Costco nearest me is one of the ones that sell fuel with the Kirkland additives. So, as I've always suspected, my cars are getting the best fuel money can buy.
The kicker, Costco sells their fuel for as much as 50 cents less/gal than someone like Shell or Chevron. It also looks like they're going to get the "Top Tier" designation when they finish retrofitting all their stations.
Bottom line, the issue at hand is trust - I trust Costco, as their track record is impecable. They have never willfully sold an inferior (or as suggested harmful in some way) product under their brand, so I don't see how they would do it in gasoline. Too much at stake, Top Tier label or not. BTW, from the letter, it seems the Top Tier designation is not just about the gasoline itself, but also about the environment it is sold (pumps, tanks, and such). So if one lives near a newer/retrofitted station, they can assume it is basically equal to what Top Tier would be, whether the sticker is actually on it, or not.
Kirkland products never let me down. I don't buy everything in their brand, but whatever I have bought, was always in pair with top national brands. It just reminded me to make another review of what I buy and see if there is Kirkland brand of the item. They often send discount coupons making branded goods prices closer to Kirkland and I often (perhaps too often) end up buying those instead. The power of habit... I should at least try it.
On a comment posted by somebody that they "had to" use Top Tier, I say, no you don't. It may be recommended, but there is no legal reason to do so.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Good work GG. I guess the article I read about signs not working wasn't true.
Glad it worked out for you and that seems like a good price, not everyone is 100% satisfied but that rarely happens.
It's hard to sell a car privately in such a short amount of time.....extra congratulations for that too. Good thing you got all that training from us.
I think mentioning the sign thing actually spurred you on to prove me wrong, so I should get some credit too.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Points well taken and interesting views....I have to say I agree with your thinking about how a dishonest system can ruin the whole economy.
When I started my business, I was delivering books to stores and displaying them. I would check in the books with the owner, put the new books up, and carry out the plastic containers I carried the books in. I could have taken some books out with me, no one ever checked me going out.
I had two theories, one is if you build a business based on dishonesty you won't last...make small amount and never grow based on honesty and integrity. The second theory is I have to live with myself. Once you go down that road of dishonesty I think it will snowball and continue.
Third point, I am a very bad liar, so even if I tried it I would get caught immediately.
Speaking for myself, I wouldn't take food I hadn't paid for in that situation. Yes, I agree it was wrong.....and your thoughts are well expressed, I get your point.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
They sure do.
When we lived in SC we went to Jacksonville to see a Steelers game in ’95 (they lost) with about 20 people that were also from the Burgh originally. When we got there we checked into a hotel the Saturday afternoon before the Sunday game and then the guys went to the lounge to unwind from our 5 hour drive down there. The girls went to the room, took a nap, put on makeup or whatever they do after a 5 hour road trip. Some of the women got together about a week before we went and planned what we would do on Saturday night. First we would go to dinner then we would go on a paddle wheel boat ride for about 3 hours that had slot machines. I wasn’t going to gamble because I knew the end results. Mrs. j called me a scaredy cat and said “c’mon, we can afford $25 each to do this. What do you want to do, go up on the top deck again, we already saw the sunset”. I told her I had a better chance of seeing another sunset than she had with winning. Again, I chickened out. When the boat was headed back to the Jacksonville dock a bell sounded as a warning that the machines would be turned off in about 20 minutes because the boat would be inside the 3 mile limit of shore at that time and the law didn’t allow gambling once the boat reached that point. The bell sounded once more to inform the players that the machines would be turned off in 1 minute.
When the first bell sounded Mrs. j was up about $15 and asked, “what should I do”? I told her to take the money and run. She says, “I don’t want to walk around with $15 worth of quarters in my purse, it’s heavy enough as it is”. I told her she could get bills for her winnings but it was her choice. You had to see this to appreciate it. She and the other people that had a slot machine lever in their hands started feeding those machines so fast I thought they were going to choke those poor things to death or at the very least have the levers in their hands. When the second bell sounded she stopped. Probably because her arm ached. Guess what, she lost all of her money except for about $5. I have to think that a switch is automatically flipped to change the odds when the bells rings. But, that is just a theory I have that I can’t prove. So, in the end she was down $20. As we were leaving the boat she said, “no big deal I never did that before and probably won’t ever again. That was an interesting experience”. I told her I was glad that she thought like that because a lot of people say they will have better luck the next time.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Great quote, and so few businesses follow that rule. I had no idea Mahatma Gandhi owned an auto showroom!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
When your neighbor left the voice mail, did you return his call? Just curious.
Richard
Great story JM. When we applied for our $25 worth of free money to use on one machine I got the impression the coded plastic card we inserted into the machine made the machine make people winners, so they would get a feeling of winning......the brain senses this. It is further reinforced as the bells ring and you win more and more. But, once you are hooked, you will just keep feeding the slot machine until you lose it all.
The few times I go to a casino, if I ever get ahead, I only bet half of my winnings, then I will leave with something. I set my limit of how much I will lose too, and if it is $20 I quit when I am down $20...that's it.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
By the way, one used paperback book equals one full breakfast.
Richard
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Richard