A dude was buying a mattress (from the other salesman who works when I am off) going through our financing option. It took forever for him to finally get all his paperwork together but came in to make the down payment and take his mattress home. I know the guy so after faxing over the contract, getting his check for the down payment and sticking it into the check processing thing a-ma-jig (technically speaking) went to the back of the store to help him load it. He borrowed a truck from a friend, who sat in the passenger side. I weigh ninety five pounds soaking wet even with hot flash sweat but the guy who bought the (king size) mattress is kinda big so together we hoisted it out the back door. Getting it up onto the truck was another thing.
The guy asked "What do we do now?" to which I replied "How about asking your friend to get out of his truck and help?"
I know I said it loud enough for the non helping dude to hear but obviously felt his loan of a vehicle was help enough and remained in his truck.
It wasn't easy and my neck still hurts but simply pushed my head under the mattress and held it up while the other man pulled it into the back of the pick up.
Major success. Off they went! (after convincing him to tie it down) I was behind a vehicle once with a mattress flopping in the wind and the driver pulled over at the last minute before it flew off the roof.
Sweating like a lone Klansman at the Apollo I went back inside to finish up the paper work. I pulled his check out of the processing machine for his down payment to write down the approval code and immediately felt like throwing up. The message on the machine read "DECLINED."
I just let this guy drive off with an almost thousand dollar mattress and even waved good bye to them.
I immediately called him on his cell and told him his check had been declined. He said that was crazy and I said that may be so but the contract for financing called for him to make the down payment and since he hadn't, I was in deep do do.
He asked if it was okay to take the mattress home since his buddy needed his truck back and then come back to give me the down payment? Like the idiot I am, I said that would be fine and mentally crossed my fingers.
Now don't get me wrong, over the past few years when we were desperate I would kite some checks but were to keep the lights, water or gas on and I had overdraft protection.My checks always cleared, I was just left with a hefty NFS charge.
He called me back two hours later and said "We" had a problem with the mattress." I wanted to say "No sh*t. It's not paid for."
He told me the mattress didn't fit on his bed frame. I told him if he had a king size bed, we had loaded up a king size mattress (as I rubbed my sore neck) and it should fit. He said he would just bring the mattress back.
Maybe he re-thought his bounced check or maybe he was an idiot or maybe I didn't even care at this point...all I knew was my last day was the next and certainly wasn't going out leaving almost a thousand dollars worth of merchandise unaccounted for under my watch.
I clocked in for my last shift the next morning and was a nervous wreck. I called his cell numerous times and got no answer. I got smarter and used a land line he wouldn't recognize and he picked up after the first ring. Once pegged down he said he would bring the mattress back but didn't have a truck. I told him Home Depot rented them for $19.00 for seventy minutes and he'd best hurry over there and rent one. He promised to have the mattress back by five.
By six I was sweating, and not only from hot flashes. Fifteen minutes before we closed a big ole truck backed up to the loading door and saw the mattress in the back.
Once again he got out of the truck and had another story. The dude driving just had back surgery and couldn't help. By this point I would have carried it myself and almost did.
All's well that ends well. It was still in the bag and made it back to inventory.
It was totally my fault for not running the check first, therefore it was totally my fault for letting it go out the door.
I was just worried we'd never see it again and go out as a scorned and burned mattress maven. Not to mention I'd be responsible for the cost of the mattress.
So I squeaked out clean and relieved.
The owner sent me a nice text after I posted my last rms. (retail management system report) and said I had done a great job and hoped to work with me again in the future.
Be careful for what you ask for!
Bullet dodged and lesson learned.
Back to being a server full time but hitting it at the right time. The holidays. It's our beach season. Did great all weekend and with fingers crossed, Tim flies out of town this next weekend to explore a job opportunity that may be an answer to all our prayers. Keep me on your prayer list.
It's been a hard tough four years but we've made it. I've been with Tim for over a quarter of a century. (He says it feels more like fifty) We sailed smoothly for twenty years then hit an iceberg which felt like living on the Titanic with three kids aboard, three pups who needed us too and no where to run (or swim).
Swim, tread water, paddle and pray...and not in that order.
I'm the luckiest woman on earth.
I know I use Dr.Seuss quotes a lot, (my younger son is a Seuss fanatic) which is a good thing to me but the man simply seems like a genius to me.
“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”
It's all about Karma. Live your life and expect nothing more than you've given.
Yes I'm a you tube music freak but here's some words that totally speak to me.
"Lean On Me"
Sometimes in our lives
We all have pain, we all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow
Lean on me when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need somebody to lean on
Please, swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you won't let show
You just call on me, brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'll understand
We all need somebody to lean on
Lean on me when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need somebody to lean on
You just call on me, brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'll understand
We all need somebody to lean on
If there is a load
You have to bear that you can't carry
I'm right up the road, I'll share your load
If you just call me.
We have had so many people who not only shared our load but lightened it. I have so much to pay back it could be a full time job and would feel blessed to have it.
Thank You God, thank you family, thank you friends and thank you thousands who read my drivel. I love you all right back.
Just call me.
Till next time...COTTON
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