Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Generosity and Kindness
My friend Sue bought some books from me recently. Some very good books, and I was feeling magnanimous and grateful, and I gave her a discount (the famous Friend-of-Sarah-Discount), which I reserve the right to give out whenever I damn well please, since I'm in charge here. The next day Sue called me and said, "I think you gave me too much of a discount." She was talking me up in price.
And today a guy stopped in with a carton of books to sell me. He had a whole stack of Charles Bukowski books from Black Sparrow Press, and a nice copy of Death on the Installment Plan, some T.C. Boyle, the Fagles translation of The Odyssey, and a few other good books. All very saleable, and my kind of books. I sorted out what I wanted and offered him $35 in cash or $40 in trade. He said he would normally take the trade, but he just couldn't bring home any more books right now - he and his wife were about to move. Then he said, "But how about $25, not $35? I want to support the shop."
I choose to believe that people are generous and kind; this is what my customers teach me about human nature. What a great business this is.
And today a guy stopped in with a carton of books to sell me. He had a whole stack of Charles Bukowski books from Black Sparrow Press, and a nice copy of Death on the Installment Plan, some T.C. Boyle, the Fagles translation of The Odyssey, and a few other good books. All very saleable, and my kind of books. I sorted out what I wanted and offered him $35 in cash or $40 in trade. He said he would normally take the trade, but he just couldn't bring home any more books right now - he and his wife were about to move. Then he said, "But how about $25, not $35? I want to support the shop."
I choose to believe that people are generous and kind; this is what my customers teach me about human nature. What a great business this is.
