OT Craft show question

[sweet sawdust]

Did a high end invitation only show this weekend. Great setting ( Governors Mansion and Capitol Building grounds) free food for all and special VIP breakfast for invited participants. Lots of fancy dress and Ky Derby Hats on the women and all the usual Ky Derby hoopla. The general public was invited to a buffet breakfast and to see and buy from the vendors (only 36 vendors invited) I had one family with three little girls come by and the oldest kid about 10 yr old threw up in front of my booth, causing an awkward moment. Every thing else went fine, decent sales, nice customers most on the upper scale of income. Toward the end of the show I had a mother and daughter come in to the booth, both clean but not "well dressed", kid wanted every thing in the booth. She finally settled on two items one $6 and one $8. The mother gently let the kid know that she couldn't afford the $8 toy but could get the $6 toy, if they didn't buy anything else at the show and skipped some other treat of the day. (This was done quietly while I was with another customer so I wouldn't know.) What should I have done?

What I did was offer the mother a "slightly damaged" $8 toy for $6 and when she agreed (much to the little girl"s delight) and I had made the transaction I knelt beside the little girl (in the mother's sight and hearing) and slipped the $6 dollar toy in her pocket and told her it was because she was such a delightful and cute child. I got a hug from the girl a smile from the mother and a your a sucker look from SWMBO.

Tie in to wood they were wooden toys.

[CW]

The world needs more "suckers" like you. Fine thing you did there.

[Lew Hodgett]

Your CFO complains about giving the store away.

Your VP of Sales complains about losing commissions.

As CEO, you get to make executive decisions that allow you the opportunity to reap the rewards of knowing you made some body else's day a little bit brighter.

You enjoy those moments to the fullest, because there is no place for them in the bank.

That's one of the perks of being the CEO.

Lew

[nailshooter41]

That should tell you right there what you need to know about doing a good thing, or the right thing.

Pretty sad comment there.

I don't give away a lot in my business, but I have to say that with my now aged, partially disabled parents living on SS, I do have a real soft spot for the old folks.

My buddies call my efforts "gettin' my ticket punched for the Glory train".

I do it because I want to.

Robert

[Doug Miller]

What should you have done? What you did, of course.

I'm guessing the kid needed the toy more than you needed six bucks. You did the right thing. Thanks for making the world a little bit better place than it was the day before. Good job.

[J T]

Sun, May 6, 2007, 11:07pm (EDT-1) [e-mail] (sweet=A0sawdust) doth sayth: Did a high end invitation only show this weekend. Great setting ( Governors Mansion and Capitol Building grounds) free food for all and special VIP breakfast for invited participants. Lots of fancy dress and Ky Derby Hats on the women and all the usual Ky Derby hoopla. The general public was invited to a buffet breakfast

Why the OT? It's loads more on-topic that a lot o stuff tat people do't boter to label off-topic.

Ya dun good. But I agree with your wife.

And why were alll the rest of us not invited?

JOAT What is life without challenge and a constant stream of new humiliations?

- Peter Egan

[Kate]

You definitely deserved that hug :¬D

Kate O|||||||O

What I did was offer the mother a "slightly damaged" $8 toy for $6 and when she agreed (much to the little girl"s delight) and I had made the transaction I knelt beside the little girl (in the mother's sight and hearing) and slipped the $6 dollar toy in her pocket and told her it was because she was such a delightful and cute child. I got a hug from the girl a smile from the mother and a your a sucker look from SWMBO.

Tie in to wood they were wooden toys.

[Vic Baron]

Considering the state of the world today, you set a great example for the mother and child that there still are nice people around. I'd bet the smile and the hug were the best payment you received that day.

Well done!

Vic

[Gerald Ross]

snip

What should I have done?

snip

Almost missed the question there. But you answered it yourself just like I think you should have.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Best part of the day, huh?

[Brent Beal]

Who says Santa doesn't exist......maybe a little late.

That's what being an American is about......caring about our fellow people.

[sweet sawdust]

Thank everyone for the answers and kind words. doing something like this does make a day or show special, and I always have found one person whose day can be made better by a kind word or act. Some day if any one is interested I'll share some of the stranger/funnier ones. How ever I am finding more of the little girls in my story at every show then I have in the past. Makes me wonder what's going on and If I can keep giving away items Like I have in the past. I know I will as long as I can afford it.

[sweet sawdust]

Why the OT? It's loads more on-topic that a lot o stuff tat people do't boter to label off-topic.

Ya dun good. But I agree with your wife.

And why were alll the rest of us not invited?

I do this show only every two or three years, next time I go I will see to it that you get an invite, but remember you have to dress up fancy with a big flowered hat for the Derby. Or at least look like a horse.

JOAT What is life without challenge and a constant stream of new humiliations?

- Peter Egan

[nailshooter41]

SNIP

buy it but wouldn't pay such a high price >for it. His daughter turned around from talking with my >wife with a look of horror on her face. I told the

from out of our babies mouths etc.

SNIP

Wow. Life is too short for that, amigo. I would have told him that sorry old tightwad to get lost. I have run into that attitude before, but rarely over ten frikkin' cents. In his mind, or in his country, haggling may be a tradition. Good for him.

I wouldn't stand there and waste air talking to him, making everyone around us feel that uncomfortable.

My thoughts are this: if you want to tell me something I am selling is too expensive, that is certainly your option. Any salesperson is used to hearing that.

If you want to stand and insult me, my ethics, my work, my business and talk to me about taking food out of a child's mouth for something that you >>don't have to buy

[J T]

Mon, May 7, 2007, 11:26pm (EDT-1) [e-mail] (sweet=A0sawdust) doth sayeth: He picked up a $2 item

OK, what I'm wondering is what are you selling at $2, $6, and $8? And what century was this? You're actually making a profit? I'm wondering because if I priced anything at $2, I wouldn't even be making materials cost, let alone anything for labor; and only about $2 for labor at $8.

JOAT What is life without challenge and a constant stream of new humiliations?

- Peter Egan

[J T]

Mon, May 7, 2007, 11:29pm (EDT-1) [e-mail] (sweet=A0sawdust) doth promise: I do this show only every two or three years, next time I go I will see to it that you get an invite, but remember you have to dress up fancy with a big flowered hat for the Derby. Or at least look like a horse.

OK thanks, I'll skip the horse, and wear the hat. I suppose you'll expect me to wear pants too. There's alway a catch.

JOAT What is life without challenge and a constant stream of new humiliations?

- Peter Egan

[Lew Hodgett]

sweet sawdust wrote: > Thank everyone for the answers and kind words.

Don't you just love those "first liar doesn't have a chance" scenarios?

Great way to have fun.

Lew

[Lew Hodgett]

It's not the money, it's the game that counts.

Money is just how you keep score.

Lew

[Henry Law]

No, no. She knows him well, and knows that he's a sucker; that's probably one part of why she loves him. She'll be proud of him, like the rest of us.

(BTW I hope I've worked out gender assignments here; if I haven't then please forgive me and forget about it: it's not germane to the point I'm making.)

[sweet sawdust]