Ask For Help

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I had my sister and brother-in-law staying in January and they hired a car from Thrifty to drive down to the Florida Keys for a few days and inadvertently left their binoculars in the rental car on return.

After they had returned back to the UK and unaware that they had left anything behind, I got a call from Thrifty advising me they had been found. Unfortunately we live about 25 miles away from the rental return so I said I would pick them up when I was next over that side of town. I called in twice and both times lost property was closed. Once was my fault because it was Saturday and I should have realized there would be nobody there but the other time was midweek just after 4.00pm and I only missed them by a minute or two.

The lady that originally phoned to tell me they had been found called two or three times more but we kept missing each other for one reason or another. Then today she caught me just as I finished a meeting. She had phoned to explain that they were only allowed to keep items for 30 days and that my time was up and as they were due an inventory she couldn’t keep them stored any longer. Seeing as there was no way I could drive over before next Wednesday when I will be collecting my in-laws from the airport I tried to persuade her otherwise. We talked for about 2 or 3 minutes with no resolution in sight when I changed tack and asked for help. I simply said ‘Is there anyway you can help me resolve this situation because there is no way that I can get to you before next week?’

That one sentence created a quantum shift in the ladies attitude to me. She went from being efficient and curt to trying to come up with all sorts of ideas involving FedEx and UPS. Eventually and without me really saying anything more she said ‘I’ll tell you what, I’ll make an exception in this case and put them to one side until next week’ I thanked her profusely and hung up.

People on the whole like to lend a hand, we like to feel needed it makes us feel good. How often do you stop somebody for directions and they refuse help? Maybe every once in a while if they are not local but on the whole people love to help. Too often in life we battle away on our own because that’s the way we have always done it, when a simple request for help will not only make us feel better but give somebody else the chance to feel better about themselves too.

Now that is what I call a win/win situation!