Recently Amy and I were eating in a restaurant. As we finished I noticed a placard on the table that offered a free item if you joined their online rewards program.

The placard said that you received the free item when you joined so I took the sign from the table, showed it to the host and asked if we would receive the perk when we signed up and he said yes.

We were full but didn’t want to miss the free gift (Amy is a maximizer) so I joined the program with my phone and ordered the additional food.

When I asked our server about payment, she said my rewards phone number would activate the gift at the register.

When I checked out, I was told I had to pay the full amount. I asked for a manager and explained that we had registered for the reward and showed my confirmation. She apologized and said I still had to pay.

I excused myself and returned with placard. When I showed it, the manager said she was sorry, but I still had to pay. I was very calm and told her that I was sure she was a nice person and would not want a customer to have an unpleasant experience.

She then said that the placard was “probably” misleading and would send a message to corporate. I smiled and VERY CALMLY said that it seemed unfair to penalize me when I did everything their advertisement asked me to do.

She (reluctantly) adjusted my bill and we left.

Getting angry or upset would have accomplished nothing. When you stay calm you give the facts an opportunity to communicate themselves.

God will give you wisdom when you ask for it. Stay. calm.

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:1, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”  NIV

Go to www.choosegreatness.com today for more insight into living a great life.

You can watch Ron’s show, “Choose Greatness: Your Key to a Happier Life” on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9hhhg3gJWYP8auB02aoerA/videos

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ronball/