“There is a certain type of person who buys luxury cars. They are usually successful and know that they can afford the best. Because of this, they might even come across as a little smug, especially if they’ve worked hard for their money.
Benny had worked in a luxury car dealership for the last 5 years. Throughout this time, he has always performed well. He knew the business like the back of his hand and was good at it. Benny was the guy who could even sell a car to a car salesman. Of course, he enjoyed his reputation among his colleagues. After all, not everyone is as successful as the young man.
An important aspect was that he was eloquent and elegant. He left nothing to chance. His customers were always very wealthy people and accustomed to a certain lifestyle. Leaving a good impression was therefore an important part of his job. However, sometimes the car dealership receives visits from curious onlookers.
That day, an old man who looked nothing like the typical customer profile was looking through the car dealership window. He wasn’t dressed in a fancy expensive suit and shiny shoes. This man was wearing a tattered plaid shirt that had been washed too many times, khaki pants that seemed a little too short, and a slouchy hat. He slowly strolled through the showroom, and it wasn’t long before other customers noticed this man who looked nothing like them.
Benny didn’t think it would be a one-time thing. The old man was outside anyway, so he couldn’t be a nuisance to either the customers or the employees. The next day, the old man was there again. This time, he stayed on the premises longer. On the third day, the old man actually entered the dealership to look at the cars up close.
Benny was the first employee to approach him while the rest of the staff ignored the old man. Benny politely asked him several times if there was anything he could do to help, but the old man just shook his head and told him he just wanted to look around up close. Benny saw that the man looked older than he first thought. Benny believed he could be over 80 years old. He had thought about asking the old man for his driver’s license to get a better idea. Benny refrained from being impolite and chose to leave the old man undisturbed as he seemed uninterested in purchasing a car. Despite repeated offers of free refreshments, the old man declined each time. His frequent visits caused discomfort among other customers, but Benny empathized with him and allowed him to stay, reasoning that he wasn’t causing any harm.
When the owner of the dealership noticed the old man, he instructed Benny to ask him to leave, citing that he appeared unable to afford their cars. Despite Benny’s attempts to explain, the boss insisted on the old man’s departure, leaving Benny no choice but to deliver the message. Though saddened by this task, Benny appreciated the old man’s genuine admiration for the cars. He approached him with kindness, expressing gratitude for his presence before conveying the unfortunate news that he needed to leave unless he intended to make a purchase. For a while, the old man looked like he was still processing the information. Benny felt as if the man didn’t know how to react, but then he looked down and nodded slowly to himself. He then turned away from Benny to leave the building, and when his hand was on the doorknob, the old man turned around and thanked Benny for letting him be in the shop for the last few days. He then emphasized that he would not forget it. It almost broke Benny’s heart.
Benny returned to the office behind the car dealership to report to his boss that the old man was now gone. But the boss, who was already busy with something else, had completely forgotten about it and quickly shooed him away. Benny felt terrible for sending the old man away. He almost felt sick thinking about it. He knew the chances of seeing the old man again were slim, but he couldn’t stop thinking about his last words, ‘I won’t forget that.’
For the next few days, Benny didn’t see the old man again, but strangely enough, he didn’t see any customers walking around the dealership either. The store was strangely empty, and it was supposed to be their busiest month. The boss soon tasked Benny and the other employees with getting more customers. They were on the phone all day trying to find their next buyer. Since they sold luxury cars, it was always a tough and lengthy sales pitch. Benny knew from experience that it wasn’t easy to sell an expensive car to someone who wasn’t interested in it. Even the rich don’t want to buy a new car every day, so he was slowly wearing down.
Benny and his colleagues called many of their customers, but no one was interested in a new car. It was the first time a month went by without either of them selling anything. Suddenly, there was a major crisis in the company, and no one could figure out what was going on. Days went by without a soul walking through the doors. Benny started to worry. If this continues, the dealership could close, and he would lose his job. He had put so much effort into this company and didn’t want to be unemployed. Even if the store continues to operate without shoppers, it would still be a bad situation. Without car sales, there would be no commission, and without commission, he wouldn’t make enough to make ends meet.
When a month passed with no sales, the boss called everyone together for a meeting. Benny started to get nervous about this. Things weren’t going well, and he had a bad feeling that his fear of losing his job would come true. The meeting was short. The boss told everyone that the company was closing due to lack of sales. He would have no choice but to fire everyone.
What also surprised him was that her boss not only closed the store and put it up for sale but also filed for bankruptcy. Benny and his work colleagues knew full well that their boss still had some money in his hand, but thanks to his lawyer, a loophole was found that allowed her boss to file for bankruptcy. This was another bad news for her. When a company declares bankruptcy, it means that the owner is not obligated to pay employees their final wages. Without this salary, none of them would have enough money to make ends meet for a certain period of time.
Benny went home right after the meeting, feeling lost. He had a family to support and wasn’t sure if he would be able to get a new job right away. But he decided to keep his unemployment a secret for a while to buy himself some time. Benny could hardly believe his bad luck. He had put so much work into his job and hoped for a promotion one day. After all, he had consistently shown good performances. He couldn’t believe that all his efforts were in vain.
That night, Benny received news that made him angry. Apparently, the boss was able to sell a very expensive car after the meeting. Even though he gave the customer a big discount, it was still a lot of money he made from it. It seemed like the rich were getting richer, while he and the other employees had to go home empty-handed. His boss was able to make one last sale that brought him a tidy profit. Life really was unfair.
