“Serving overseas as a small-town boy from America is intense, stressful and humorous! Enjoy a light-hearted story with me from our last 20 years overseas!”
– Matt
Hand & Mouth
I have a twenty-year old Chevy that looks like a baby Jeep-like vehicle that some call a “Barbie Jeep”. It is truly the runt of the family of American off-road vehicles. I had some underbody rust protection work done on this vehicle by Rufus whose shop is on Antwerp Road in Grabill, Indiana. We talked over the work to be done, pricing, etc., and with a shake of the hand and by word of mouth, Rufus did a great job as we agreed.
Living overseas has taught me that business happens in a different way there than in small-town Indiana often times. For an apartment I had bought all the furniture we needed directly from the factory that made it in order to save money. It was not assembled, sanded, nor stained. I knew I could handle that job myself. I had completed different pieces of furniture when I realized I just didn’t have the space anymore to complete the table and hutch. I found a local business to sand and paint those last pieces who offered me a fair market price, but not cheap. I agreed and hired a truck to move the furniture to the business and met the owner that was to sand and paint them. After I said “hello” to the owner and mentioned the work and the price we agreed upon, he replied, “the price is now 25% more as we didn’t make the previous agreement in writing.” Knowing I would be in between a rock and a hard place, he had waited to inform me after the moving truck pulled away. He knew I would lose money to hire the truck back to pick up the unfinished furniture and leave if I didn’t agree to his new price. I had no negotiating leverage (nor ability in the new language and culture), so reluctantly I went ahead with the overpriced work.
I still have a bitter taste in my mouth about how that furniture owner did business and took advantage of me. I have learned to be a little bit more wary when doing business transactions, and a lot more thankful for the people I can do transactions with by just a handshake and spoken word.
Something similar ever happen to you? Contact me and let me hear your story!
mattsmishaps@gmail.com Matt’s Mishaps, PO BOX 114, Grabill, IN 46741
