Many, many years ago (it might have been August of 2007), there was a man who lived in a big city, in a country far away. For quite some time things had been tough, and as he had done before in times of crisis, he went shopping.
It was late in the evening, but he lived in a city that never slept, and on the edge of the large park was a glass cube, named the Apple Store, which was open day and night. As he wandered through the store, a friendly smiling shopping clerk walked up to him and asked if he needed any help. “I would like this one,” the man said, and at that very moment he saw a sparkling glow in the eyes of the shopping clerk. It wasn’t a sparkle of enthusiasm, though, but rather an attempt to cover up a smirk. “This iMac?” the clerk asked, now with an even bigger smile, and in less than a minute the purchase was processed and our man was standing in the checkout line.
“A 27 inch iMac, sir!” The cashier read the sold item off of her Apple display, smiling brightly, but what was that sarcasm in her voice about? These kids at the Apple Store are way too snotty, the man thought, as he handed her his credit card. She swiped it. “There is a 10 percent shelving fee when returning any item in an opened box, sir. Please sign here.”
It was late and the journey home took long. Once our man arrived at his apartment, he placed the giant Apple box next to his bed and went to sleep. When he woke up in the morning and saw the box, he felt like a ten year old, waking up to the realization that his birthday has finally arrived. He took his iMac out of the box; it was the largest and fastest model. He set it up on his desk, and admired the huge white shiny object. He felt a happiness welling up in his chest that he hadn’t felt for a long, long time. Sometimes, spending money really helps.
Then the doorbell rang. A friend came by. He glanced at the computer on the desk and asked: “Hey, have you seen the new iMac?” Our man didn’t understand. “The new iMac? This is a new iMac, I just got it twelve hours ago.”
His friend shook his head. “Apple launched their new line this morning. The new ones come in a stunning aluminum casing, and they are a lot faster. And they reduced the price, they’re $300 cheaper! They’re available right now.”
Our man’s mouth dropped open. He stared at his white plastic iMac which, in mere seconds, had lost all its beauty. All new found happiness had evaporated instantly as well.
One hour later, he carried his big box back into the store. In the frantic rush he had skipped breakfast, and somewhat light-headed he walked up to a clerk. He put the box down. “Last night I bought this iMac, and I want to exchange it for the new model.” “Absolutely” the clerk said, smiling friendly. “Of course you’ll have to settle the 10 percent shelving fee first, as I see that you’ve opened the box.”
A shiver went through our man’s body. He looked at his receipt, calculating that this would cost him nearly $300. The lightness in his head transformed into dizziness and his hand holding the receipt started shaking violently. “That’s not fair,” he stammered, “If anyone had mentioned that I had to come back for a better and cheaper model the next day, I’d be fine with that, but you can’t deliberately withhold information and charge me extra now!” The clerk maintained a friendly smile. “It’s Apple’s policy not to announce new products before they arrive in store, sir. And I’m sure you were informed about our shelving fee. Let me tell the guys to bring out a new iMac for you, while you settle with my colleague at the register.”
That’s when our man lost it. He used words like scam, absurdity, and unacceptable, and he might have even raised his voice a bit, as the clerk started looking around nervously for assistance. The store manager, an even friendlier looking guy, stepped in. But our man, who usually acted quite even tempered, could not be calmed down. All accumulated anger and grief from recent months was let loose. He raised his trembling voice, clenching his fist, and before he realized what was happening, a crowd of onlookers gathered, watching how our man lost himself in all his anger and dismay, and then – then – then he burst into a terrible grief. His voice broke. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He felt his legs trembling. That’s when the store manager grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes. Our man saw tears welling up in the store manager’s eyes. Then the store manager hugged him. It was a comforting hug, a hug our man had been longing for for so long. “I feel your pain,” the store manager whispered in his ear.
Five minutes later, our man sat in a cab, on his way back home. A brand new iMac with aluminum casing was loaded in the trunk, and the $300 in price difference was reimbursed to his credit card. Calmed down and relieved, he stared out the window. The city, wild and restless, was gliding by on a safe distance. It was a beautiful sunny day, and although a dark winter lay ahead of him, he felt, like never before, that the worst was finally over.