It was a glorious day! It was bright and sunny. It definitely reflected on my face beaming with happiness as I reached another milestone in my life;I turned fifty!! On this happy occasion, my mind asked me "Where Do You Want To Go Today" (Microsoft), but, my wife an Apple fan felt that I should Think Different (Apple's slogan) and asked me if I can take her minivan for a regular maintenance servicing. Life was looking so exciting and positive; accepting her request needed no further thought as I always believed in; if wife asks-Just Do It (NIKE).
I merrily made an appointment for that afternoon. The ride was so smooth and handling was so precise that it felt like The Ultimate Driving Machine (BMW) that day. Even Divesh may not have had this great pleasure of driving his Maserati, I thought. Does it need servicing at all, when it drives like a super car! In my fifty years, I never had this proud and positive feeling.
As my car glided in to the parking lot and came to a musical halt, I could envision in the background the claps of utter joy, as if the plane landed smoothly congratulating the perfect pilot. I gently nodded my head acknowledging the applause and assured like Greyhound (Leave The Driving To Us). Though, I don't use LG goods, but I seem to be experiencing their strikingly sticking slogan-Life is Good!
As I majestically meandered to the service desk intoxicated with pride, the service manager greeted with a confidence-You Are In Good Hands With Allstate. I looked at my Casio watch;it seemed to warn me-Expect The Unexpected. My positive attitude of the day overlooked the reason for his-Life is Good feeling, till he gave me an estimate of $1530 for the servicing. No doubt, he was sporting that LG smile! I then remembered my better half reminding me"Don't Leave Home Without It" (American Express). I pointed to my simple Nissan Quest minivan, hoping that he mistook my majestic amble for a Maserati driver. He too pointed at the same Maserati masquerading as Nissan.
It didn't take much time to go from Whopper feeling to a Popper feeling. It was obvious he didn't believe in McDonald's slogan- We Love To See You Smile! I was still pretty hopeful. I gave a long and convincing speech about my loyalty to the company; like Diamonds, good customers Are Forever. I could see the tears webbing in his eyes looking at my macerated Maserati face. He assured me that he would speak to the supervisor about a possible discount. My hopes rekindled and life was good again.
He came back with a beamer (BMW) face and Avis attitude (We Try Harder) and announced that I got a $153 discount. It was a GE moment for him (We Bring Good Things To Life). Positive attitude always helps, I pondered. "You are very lucky", he blurted". Of course, it was my birthday-how can things go wrong, I blundered! "you came on the right day" he continued merrily, "you got a SENIOR CITIZEN discount", he finished mercilessly. It was a Kellog's Rice Krispies moment for me (Snap, Crackle, Pop).
I thanked the fellow customers for adjusting my angle on the floor from 0 degrees to 90 degrees. As I was witnessing the bright stars that sunny afternoon, I murmured; LG stands for what.....
Pradeep-Bat(tered) Man.
