Race Carma
At the age of 20, I was embarking on my second major painting project for a race car. This particular job involved a three-day effort to paint the front grill and chrome accents on a drag car with a stylish Stingray body. The end result was nothing short of stunning. After I had completed the painting, the individual responsible for applying the clear coat expressed dissatisfaction, though it was clear that the issue lay with my work, not the clear coat itself. He declared that he wouldn’t honor the $500 payment he owed me, and because he had already applied the clear coat, there was no opportunity for me to rectify the situation.
Given that this person was a former Marine and a friend of my boss, I decided not to press the matter too forcefully. It was disappointing, and I learned a valuable lesson about the importance of receiving payment upfront and not granting leniency. Interestingly, two days later, when he took the car to a race, the engine experienced a catastrophic failure, resulting in a repair cost exceeding $10,000.
Humbling Experience
I work at an automotive reÂpair shop, and one day, a customer came in with a damageÂd headlight that needed repairs. However, she was not satisfied with the price eÂstimate we provided and expressed her frustration to our boss. She claimed to be a loyal customer and argued that the prices were unreasonably high, causing quite a sceneÂ.
After leaving in anger and reÂturning to her car, she encountered an issue with the ignition. FeÂeling defeateÂd, she came back to us humbly asking for assistance and willing to pay the original price for the headlight reÂpair.
