Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Late Fee Negotiations

One snowy day a gentleman enters the store. Fernando does not recognize him at first, but then he speaks and all comes back. This gent is on Fernando's ban list because a great many movies were rented by him years ago and never returned, and they were inherited by Fernando when he took over the store. And by “great many” I mean like $154 worth of late and replacement fees.

There are other customers in the store at the time and Fernando does not feel it fitting to embarrass the chap in front of everyone else, so he is free to browse the store for a while before coming up to the counter with eight rental tags in his hands.

You've got $154 in late fees,” Fernando states before anything else is done.

What? Really? I don't remember this.”

You wouldn't arbitrarily be on that list, trust me.”

So?” he asks after letting it sink in.

So, you have $154 in late fees. That's kind of my argument in its entirety. Would you like to pay it off?”

I don't have that much on me. I have only enough to rent these movies.”

Fernando takes a brief glance at the avalanche of tags. “You have twenty-eight dollars in rentals there.”

Really? Er...that's...um...a lot. How about you let me rent them and then I'll come back soon and square up with you?”

How about you put down the twenty-eight dollars on the late fee as a gesture of good faith, since you're intending on squaring up with me soon anyhow?”

He gapes at Fernando for a moment, then books for the exit.

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