Eric always kept his word and he expected everyone else to do so as well. Especially if it was in writing. And even before he went to law school.
When he was a child he saw a sign at a gas station that said if they forgot to offer to check your oil, your gas was free. They never offered, Eric called them on it and my Mom got free gas. The next time we were at that gas station, the sign was not.
When Domino’s advertised that your pizza would arrive in 30 minutes or it was free, Eric was at the door with a stop watch. You know he got at least one free pizza.
Once my grandmother took the whole family to brunch in Manhattan. The menu included typical brunch fare, as well as a statement that the chef would make anything you requested. Eric asked for fettuccine alfredo. The waiter looked mortified. He told us the chef was really not in the mood for that kind of request. Eric insisted, pointing out the offer on the menu. That time he didn’t get what he wanted, they claimed lack of ingredients, but Eric was always outraged that they didn’t come through.
Eric also got us all free dessert at the Marriot Marquis in Times Square when they didn’t come through on their 30 minute pre-show lunch guarantee.
He took a perverse joy in testing these statements and getting something for free. This I think he got from my other grandmother who will still stuff her purse with anything not nailed down when taken out for lunch.
I have noticed fewer of these guarantees lately and I think we have the Erics of the world to thank for that. I can’t help but think that he would have liked it more if people actually strived to meet the challenges they posed for themselves, rather than lowering their expectations. After all, he held only the highest expectations for himself and he did everything possible to live up to them.
No comments:
Post a Comment