Today was a happy day! After 2.5 long weeks, I finally got my truck back from the shop after my little fender bender that happened a month or so back. I was so pumped! I finally got transportation back in my life without having to rely on my friends (sorry, guys), Ubers or walking everywhere in the cold January air. I felt the freedom flow back into my anxious, lead feet, ready to hit the road again to drive around and see friends here and there. But then. . . I saw the bill.
You know how sometimes you're like, "I bet I know what this is going to cost," (you know, because of estimates). Well, I did NOT know what this was going to cost me because the estimate they gave me was a lightyear away from what it ended up being. Long story short, I left the shop feeling PUMPED that I actually got to drive my own vehicle home, but by the time I got home, I felt broke as a joke and kind of ripped off, outweighing said PUMPED feeling momentarily.
This circumstance provided a chance for me to do a heart check on myself by asking the question, "How should I respond when I feel like someone rips me off?" It's a question we should all ask because, eventually, we're all going to feel ripped off at some point.
Should we be angry? Do we say something, or better yet, do we retaliate? Should we pretend like nothing happened and just move on to the next thing with a little less cash in our pockets? WWJD? Do we make a vow to never use a business again? There are just so many options, thoughts and feelings, but which one is the right one?
I'm still not sure, and I'm still not totally sure how I'm going to respond, but I know this, as angry as I was about it, I don't want to be angry, and as much as I wanted to walk back into the shop and demand to know why the cost was so much higher than predicted cost, I don't want to be a demanding person. I actually want to be the opposite of those types of things; I don't want to be angry or demanding, and I definitely don't want something like money getting me down in the dumps. There are bigger things to worry about and other things I'd rather be known for.
Looking back on it now as the anger has flared down and I've asked myself that question, there's probably a logical explanation for what happened between the estimate and the actual. Going in there with my agenda and my thoughts on how they should fix it probably won't make any difference, and, honestly, I probably don't know enough about cars or the situation to justify anything. With that, I guess the best way I can think to respond when it feels like someone has ripped you off is to step back, let the anger flare down and begin to think logically, not emotionally, about the situation at hand. Weigh the facts and try to see things from the other side of the fence. Sure, you may and I may get ripped off, but in the end, aren't we supposed to turn the other cheek and give someone our shirt if someone takes our coat?
Sometimes we're going to get the short end of the straw, but that's okay. Life happens, and in time, everything works out. If you feel ripped off, take a breath, step back and think about what happened and why the other party did what they did and why you're responding the way you're responding, then, if they have ripped you off, rip off some kindness and send it their way.
-Cliff
Cliff's Note: If you feel ripped off, rip off some kindness.