Lost and Found in a Lancashire Town

Have you ever been told to “get lost” before you have even said a word?

Hard as it will be for you to accept it I know, I have.

It produces mixed reactions in you.

“Who do they think I am?”

“I must have called at a bad moment”

What a good Salesman hears is “make an appointment”, so I visit Reception only to find that being told to get lost meant just that but with the reassurance that it’s normal, not personal.

Well that certainly helps.

Maybe If I was selling anger management courses or how to greet visitors I could achieve my budget in this one Company alone!

Sadly I wasn’t.

“How do I get an appointment then?” I asked Reception.

“He only makes his own”, came the sheepish reply but I got a name and left Intrigued.

I then set about what is called in the North “mithering the Man” which in English means ringing him constantly and receiving various robust negatives but refusing to give up.

He soon realised I would not give in until I got an appointment when his next game was “can you be here for 7.00 a.m. tomorrow morning?”

(Did he really think sales people were up that early?)

“Earlier if you wish”, said I, not wishing to sound bullied.

And so at 6.50 a.m. I stood waiting. (yawning too)

At 6.59 a.m. he stood before me saying no more than “come with me”

Without a word he surely took me the longest possible route through the factory to his office and said “sit down” and you know I can be good at being obliging.

“You’re a damn pest and you have exactly five minutes before we are done”, he said.

I took my watch off (Ok but I was young!) and placed it in front of me and for the sake of holding my own I told him I noticed the factory floor was badly in need of repainting and marking and that guessing the size as roughly this, in the same colour scheme the cost would be that and was he agreeable to bringing back to his expected high standards?”

He told me the actual size (and I was close), I readjusted the cost and asked my question again about going ahead.

“I suppose you will promise to have it here tomorrow too wont you?” he asked.

For a nominal charge I would guarantee it I told him, now apologising that I may have exceeded my five minutes. (Ok I was young!)

I sat there thinking he was now playing his next game, pretending to get me an order number but amazingly he did!

“Now get lost” he said ending as we started.

Now here is the lesson.

First my confession that I loaded the price because all the odds seemed against me and he deserved it (Ok I was young!) but dreading my next visit I met the man who looked the same but who was now being friendly and offered me a drink!

Was he the twin?

Maybe he had bumped his head I thought.

Get this for a style.

He only dealt with people who wanted to do business and who he could rely on in the long term.

Very few ever came back for more and those that did, received preferential business.

In fact, it turned out he was a lovely man.

Later that year he reminded me that when he had described me as a “damn pest” that bit was true!

A compliment of course....I think. (Hard to tell when you are young!)

I have now matured to “young at heart”

I am still working on that pest thing though!