Yesterday, I was excited to go to a new business networking event. I had been following this event for a while now. Sometimes the timing didn’t work, other times I forgot. Therefore, finally I registered in time, made payments and was ready to leave. Just as I was leaving, I decided to change my bag. I hurriedly swapped items, visiting cards, my sunglasses, an umbrella, phone charger, AirPods, bottle of water, and my metro card.
I rushed out and found the first train. Great! I carried on. Once I dropped at the station, there was still a 2km walk and only 15mins. Therefore, I decided to save time and booked a cab. The cab driver showed 3 mins away. I was relived. It would only take a few mins and I would make it on time.
Suddenly, the 3 mins turned to 13 and the driver was way past in another locality. I started to panic just a little bit. I was looking around for taxi’s if any, knowing fully well that this might mean I get charged by the booking provider. However, fortunately the cab driver cancelled the ride and I was off the hook. Simultaneously, I found another cab passing by and I jumped to take it.
Few seconds into the ride, I got a message that my card was charged by the app. I was unhappy. But I was more nervous as I realised I left my wallet back home! I checked my new bag to see if I had any cash residue or if I were lucky. No luck.
So I tried to find the next best alternative, I had some account balance in my e-wallet. I double-checked that and hoped the payment would work. By the way, I also raised a request with the cab booking platform to refund my money on a cab I did not take.
When so much is happening in your head 2 km can be a short distance. The current cab ride ended, and I asked the driver if he was okay taking payment via the e-wallet. He vehemently refused. Started calling me all sorts of things, feeling cheated and taking a loss and whatnot. I was not going to let this go on.
It was an honest mistake. It wasn’t deliberate. I had money, just not cash. I got out, found a delivery guy who was about to leave across the street. I requested him if I can send him money on e-wallet and he can give me cash. Transferred the 20AED. Now this guy din’t have change. He gave me a 50. Got that to the cab driver, got change back for 30 and paid the delivery guy his money back.
All those moral of the stories that end in presence of mind that I used to read as a kid. They seem to be working! Instead of abandoning the cab midway or leaving the cab with no money, I found a clever work around. Cheeku, the rabbit, had a win-win.
he cab driver smiled. He din’t believe his luck, he was almost certain he was not going home with a failed ride. He waved as he left. And that is not even the end of the story.
I was dropped at the alley behind. I walked through the alley toward the restaurant, excited to finally network. But something felt off. The venue was empty. Quiet.
No event.
I stood there, stunned. Pulled out my phone, triple checked the booking details. Date, time, location, all correct. The app was even sending me a notification: “Your event is live now!”
I was furious. I had been to like 100+ events in the last six months. I do this every week. I know this. I wasn’t a naive teenager who went to her first ever event and got duped. No offence.
I wasn’t going to be a sucker!
In a span of 30 minutes, I contacted 5 different support teams:
- Cab booking platform
- Event restaurant venue
- Event booking platform
- Event booking host
- Bank
Asked the restaurant venue to check for event at this location and other locations. Requested refund for event, requested refund from organiser, requested to block the organiser. And asked the bank to cancel the transaction.
Make no mistake after all the various support tickets and follow ups. I still felt like a sucker. As a consumer, I was furious, frustrated and flabbergasted.
As a seasoned communication professional, I have been on the other side of the table. I have been in rooms where processes are decided. Where policy makes way to corner cases. I understand process & policies.
Process & policy are mostly designed to uphold brand image, indemnify legal claims and protect financial interests. It creates just enough room for empathy, but just not enough for action.
Process & policy usually ignores the people it is usually meant to serve.
And why just process or policy? I believe we have created a society where success triumphs everything. Instead of human ‘being’ we are benchmarked to human ‘doing’.
How much are your grades? How much is your salary? How big is your house? How many reps can you do? How many holidays do you take?
In this constant comparison and competition, we forget compassion. First for ourselves. Then for others. We forget to feel.
The manager at the restaurant was emphatic, but very quick to draw a boundary. This wasn’t their fault nor their problem. In this life, a very necessary skill for survival.
In our society today, we are not allowed to fail. We are not allowed to feel overwhelmed. We are not allowed to overshare. Or express. Or talk about our failure publicly.
If you do, you will be judged.
In all the moral stories you read as a kid, if you did a good thing, you will be rewarded. You will win. Growing up is about learning that it takes time. The good thing you did today, does not give you rewards instantly.
Growing up is learning that the short story is short. And real life, pretty long.
Do I hope that my good deed brings good karma? Yes. What I hope more is the courage to forgive myself. The empathy to tell myself that I am not liable for other peoples ill intentions or ill doings. To tell my younger self, be who you are. Be good.
It starts with awareness. What is my emotional need right now:
- Kindness: See around me acts of kindness, even if it’s not for me. Just random kindness so that I can believe in humanity.
- Purpose: Ensure something good comes from my first-world suffering, so that it wasn’t such a waste.
- Authenticity: Unabashedly be authentic and be able to share my failure publicly.
