Sing me a song

[gerund]

The Cast

Me: Guess who?
SMBO: Sucky Motor Bike Owner
BSW: Bike shop worker
BSWM: Bike Shop Workshop Manager
BSM: Bike Shop Manager

OS#SPP#: Other Shop (Number) Spare Parts Peon (Number)
Note: this shortens the story somewhat. Just understand that there are 3 other spare parts shops and a different peon every time

Introduction

I sold spare parts. For all sorts of different machinery and cars and bikes. I was good at my job. I knew where to get things. I knew how to get them quickly. At my front counter appears one morning SMBO with a sample in his hand. I took one look and knew it was not a standard part and knew I didn't have one.

I also knew that I had a computer list that was only a few weeks out of date that showed what was in stock at the distributor in another state. They showed 6.

First Verse

Me: There are 6 in (Other city) I can get one in an airbag for $10 and have it here tomorrow.
SMBO: Oh no! I have to have it today.
Me: OK, I will check the other shops in town and see if they have one, but I'm mostly sure they won't.

I ring the three other stores in town getting OS(1-3)SPP1, none of whom have this part.

Me: Nope, best I can do is tomorrow.
SMBO: Oh well I will have to keep trying.

Chorus

Over the next hour I get phonecalls from each of the three stores from OS(1-3)SPP2 asking me for this part.
Me: I don't have one in stock, but there are 6 in (other city). Airbag will get it here tomorrow.

Second Verse

Next day I get a call from BSW.

BSW: Do you have this part in stock?
Me: There are none here and none in town. I have checked everyone else and they don't carry it. There are 6 in (other city) and I can get one in an airbag by tomorrow morning.
BSW: No, that's no good. We need it today.
Me: If SMBO had ordered it when he was in the store yesterday we would have it by now.

Repeat Chorus

(except with OS(1-3)SPP3)


Third Verse

Repeat second verse except with BSWM instead of BSW.


Repeat Chorus

(except with OS(1-3)SPP4)


Fourth Verse

Repeat second verse except with BSM instead of BSW.


Repeat Chorus

(except with OS(1-3)SPP5)


The song ends here. There is no epilogue. As far as I know the SMBO never got his part.

Have you ever had the feeling you were caught in a bad dream where no one listens to you? After the first day I received 12 phone calls about this part, all of which were given the same answer.

[rerant]

Insanity: The act of repeating the same task and expecting a different result.

[gerund]

Insanity: The act of repeating the same task and expecting a different result.

Obsession: The act of repeating the same task over and over with no result.

[marasbaras]

What a twit. I would've gotten the part number from you, gone home, called all the bike/parts shops in town, found it that I was out-of-luck, and then gone back to you and ordered it. Total time: 2 hours tops.

[Depot Denizen]

Out of curiosity, what was the part and for what bike?

[gerund]

Killed the cat

Out of curiosity, what was the part and for what bike?

Some sort of needle roller bearing made in England for an Italian bike. It was off the main shaft. The factory in England who made it did lots of strange specials and mostly were the only ones in the world who made those sort of parts.

[Sliceanddice]

i have question after the third time why didnt you just order it then over charge with moron tax?

[gerund]

i have question after the third time why didnt you just order it then over charge with moron tax?

There were a number of reasons why not.

It was a very special part. In over 15 years of selling ball and roller bearings and working for 4 years as the state supply officer for the wholesale division of the company that made it, this was the first time I had ever seen that particular part.

The small business I worked for could not afford to write off mistakes like that if the SMBO never came back for it.

The bike company who were repairing this bike were not regular customers and even if I ordered it, they might have ordered it as a genuine part. In that case it would be a race to see who got it first, and they had told me not to order it.

Every time they went through the chorus, I knew it was because they didn't listen to me or believe that I could get it. Even if I had got it, they might reject it, as they had not ordered it.

As well, the sample I saw did not look damaged. It may well have been at the end of the three days that they decided to replace the original one and it may have continued to work after that.

Finally, it was a song I was used to going through for one verse and chorus only. This happened every day (almost) of the 16 years I worked in these spare parts, and mostly customers didn't come back, even when they told you to go ahead and order something. So when they told you not to order it, that's what I did. If I had known on day 1 what was to come, I would have ordered it and had it there.

I used the moron tax whenever I could get away with it.

Sadly I was not a mind reader.