Honesty just cost me $37.10

May 25th, 2006 at 01:32 pm

We finally got our first bill from the lawn-mowing guy, and he forgot to bill us for the first mowing of the season. So I wrote him a note about it, and enclosed payment for all 3 mowings.

If I didn't pay him what I knew I owed, I'd feel terribly guilty. I also do things like give extra change back to cashiers when they make a mistake in my favor--and certain people have laughed at me for it all my life!

I'm no angel, though--if it were some big corporation that made a mistake, I probably wouldn't say a word. Wink

But when the cashier is right in front of me, a person who will get in trouble if her drawer is short, I have to give the money back. And the lawn-mowing guy is a nice fellow who's just trying to make a living so I can't stiff him either.

I wonder what most people do.

Posted in Mindset | 8 Comments »

8 Responses to “Honesty just cost me $37.10”

annab Says:
May 25th, 2006 at 01:39 pm 1148564344
1148564344

that honesty will be repaid with loyalty. I work in a shop, and there have been a couple of times (not many) that I've made an error -- I always appreciated the people who were honest. It shows that they have a thought to someone else's welfare besides their own. In a store, a cashier might have to cover any shortages out of her own pocket, and when a customer takes advantage of a slipup, it makes you lose faith in humanity.
Thrifty Ray Says:
May 25th, 2006 at 02:42 pm 1148568128
1148568128

You absolutely did the right thing.

If you believe in karma, you have done yourself the bigger favor
tynana Says:
May 25th, 2006 at 06:06 pm 1148580371
1148580371

That is great that you did that. One thing that people always say about my DH is that he is the most honest person that they know. He grew up with nothing and has worked hard his entire life. He will not keep a dime if it is not his. His integrity spills over into everything he does.
flash Says:
May 25th, 2006 at 06:51 pm 1148583066
1148583066

You did the right thing! WRT other people...last week, the clerk rang up a 50 cent coupon as $5, and I corrected it. Not letting her drawer come up short so I can make a buck. And, when I checked a receipt on my clearance spices I found two bottles hadn't been rung up. I went back. They told me not to worry about it, but I wouldn't have felt right. I like bargains and deals, but not cheating.
eisor Says:
May 25th, 2006 at 07:27 pm 1148585252
1148585252

I am always honest in these situations. At the Braves game the guy forgot to ring up one of our hotdogs. I let him know, even though it meant $5 more dollars!
LuckyRobin Says:
May 25th, 2006 at 11:53 pm 1148601238
1148601238

As someone who used to have to count tills, I saw firsthand how hard it is on the employee whose drawer was short. Anything off over $20 was a week's suspension without pay, 3 times off over $20 was a firing offense. Over $10 was a 3-day suspension. When people are living on minimum wage and doing their best, but are taking in $1000 an hour and even have management going in and out of their tills I always thought it was a horribly unfair policy to blame them when they weren't the only ones using their tills.

Knowing this, I would never keep the extra. Well, I wouldn't even if I didn't know this.
StressLess Says:
May 26th, 2006 at 02:18 pm 1148653090
1148653090

Glad to hear so many other people would do the right thing. I just wonder once in a while if I'm being the world's biggest schmuck, not taking advantage!
lrjohnson Says:
May 27th, 2006 at 01:32 am 1148693530
1148693530

People on this site are great; I love the honesty.

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Staying Debt Free

Honesty just cost me $37.10

8 Responses to “Honesty just cost me $37.10”

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