Monday, July 31, 2006

 

Another day in paradise?

Mondays always seem to be Mondays, no matter what else is happening. I am indoors, paying bills and doing other end-of-month paperwork. But I had a glorious day off yesterday - after hordes (well, small hordes) of tourists last week, I was craving some deep isolation and solitude, so I headed off east to my old hometown, population six hundred, if you count people's family pets. One of my favorite places on earth is a little beach very close to one of the houses painter John Marin lived and worked in for many years. I can go there at the height of the tourist season and there's almost no one around. Nothing's happening - just the way I like it. I got there around ten yesterday morning, and didn't see anyone else until the afternoon, except a woman walking her two dogs on the edge of the surf. Best things I noticed yesterday: the tide was coming in, and as I waded near some ledges I watched the barnacles open and close as each wave came up over them (I thought I was alone, but there were actually hundreds of creatures right next to me); and as I walked back to my car, I saw an osprey fly over, clutching a huge fish in both its talons - it headed out to sea to one of the small islands just offshore, and it was making a ruckus because some people were on the island near its nest, I could see them walking on the shore out there. The osprey circled for a while before landing. I took a Laurie Colwin book (The Lone Pilgrim, fitting for a day by myself) with me, and my journal, and watercolors, but besides doing a few sketches, I took the opportunity to do a whole lot of nothing. After five years of running a shop, and ten more years of retail, I find solitude more and more necessary to my well-being. Thank god I can get it, in this great state.

Meanwhile, back at the bookshop, I have an end-of-month dilemma. A few weeks ago a good (though not long-time) customer called and asked me for a book. I had a copy, but he needed it for a gift the next day, and I was going to be closed, so I left it for him to pick up at the bookshop a few doors down. He said he'd come in and pay me for it later in the week, and I said sure, because he usually comes in at least once a week, and seems honest. So as I'm sorting my sales slips out, I find that he hasn't paid for his book yet, and in fact I haven't seen him or heard from him in three weeks. I hate that. The book was $45.00. Do I have to do something? What? Assume there is a dire family emergency and he hasn't been able to drop in (I am notorious for making allowances past the point of what is the usual leeway...)? Let another week go by and call him? See how long it takes for him to actually come in? Write it off? To be fair, he did say he'd come in, but then I was immdiately closed for several days because of my nephew being born. Who is a plum blossom, by the way. My sister and her husband are already reading books to him, and he's actually interested. We'd better start saving for his Harvard tuition now. But back to my dilemma - I think I will do nothing and ride it out, but I am open to suggestions.

Comments:
It's been three weeks so you're perfectly in the right to call him-I know how awkward these kinds of calls are(made plenty of them)but as long as you're very pleasant and use a "I'm not a bill collector" voice. I don't know if you accept credit cards and /or personal checks but one way to put it would be:

"Hi,This is Sarah-I just wanted to know how you would like to pay for Volume Such and Such;I can take Visa,MC,etc."

It can be done without making the customer feel hounded-lots of times,folks will apologize to you for forgetting to pay due to whatever's going on their lives,which you certainly can understand(and share a new baby story,too!). Besides,you were courteous enough to leave it for him to pick up after hours so there's nothing wrong with doing some follow-up.
 
I agree with lady t! Call the gentleman. Explain that you were away from the shop for a few days for a delightful reason, and that you are sorry to have missed him when he dropped in to pay for the book. You were trusting, and it is his turn to be honorable!
 
Thanks for the moral support, you two - I am contemplating picking up the phone and being my usual friendly, positive self! Perhaps if I pretend that there is nothing unusual in a few weeks going by, and I assume that he tried to come by but I was closed, he will follow my lead. And buy the book...
 
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