This post is dedicated to those business owners who I feel have over-charged me, or those who have taken the opportunity make a quick buck at my expense.
To be specific, this is to the dentist who over-charged me for my teeth scaling, this is to the shop owners who indiscriminately raise their prices, this is to the condo management who makes us pay ten times more for water. This is to the mixed rice stall who charged me RM4 for two vegetables and an egg.
Maybe you readers can identify with what I am feeling. Have you ever been over-charged for something? Did you feel cheated but you cannot make a complaint because it is not officially cheating?
Well, I hope you can emphatize.
So, to the short-sighted business opportunists out there (and I am being too kind with that term), here’s a poem I wrote especially for you (because I love you that much):
Your eyes, they shone when I walked in,
Evil intent masked with insincerity,
Your butcher knives, polished to glint,
Inside, rubbing your hands with glee.
Oh, your mouth was full of honey,
But this nectar was purely bitter,
All your excuses just for some money,
Ethics and goodness didn’t even matter.
It’s not my fault, you tell your soul,
In these times I have little choice,
I need to protect my rice bowl,
Look at others who raised their price!
Petrol increased forty one percent,
A good excuse to increase your fee,
You say these things you can’t prevent,
You’re affected even more than me.
I know in business profits are important,
But that can’t be your only target,
You need to change, and if you can’t,
Remember that it’s an open market.
You laugh at me behind my back,
Quick profits in your cash register,
But for you I just feel so sad,
Come back to your shop? Never ever!
My advice to you short sighted business owners,
Losing one customer may not even matter,
But if you keep on screwing your customers,
You’ll pass your time with a fly swatter.
Photo: Roman Volkov
That’s an amazing poem; I could never get the words to rhyme like that. 🙂
I personally wouldn’t call them “short-sighted” because the issue of price increases is usually more complicated.
Adino: Thanks for your kind compliment. I agree that price increases are more complex than that, but what I meant was business owners who only seek short term gain.
impressed!!!!!!!!!! most definitely 🙂
Adino: Haha, thanks for the compliment, but seriously I’m quite upset at being over-charged.
that is a superb poem. I wish my English is as good as you.
Adino: I think you can do it also if you try!
🙂
Agreed 110% with your sentiments and the poem!
Adino: Glad to know I’m not alone in my opinion of this!
But we are never over charge for our work ðŸ™
Adino: Yeah lor, how come our salary is not over-paid?
It is “funny” how when they raise prices, they blame it on the increase in fuel prices, where some of these business have little to no relevance with dealing with fuel. When the time for prices to be adjusted based on the drop in said fuel prices, they then attribute the many “factors” to why they are unable to do so.
For employees, inflation would not be so bad if our hard earned income is adjusted to scale with it. Sadly that is never the case.
Adino: But worse than those raising prices, are those who take advantage and over-charge you. Sigh…
i’m not a dentist, but trying to think like one, i’d say that if you went for scaling, which in essence is not treatment for a disease, then there’s a tendency to charge you a premium for the service.
very much like what a plastic surgeon would charge for liposuction.
even after the price of petrol has plummeted.
Adino: I guess I learn a lesson to ask the price before going through the treatment