I'm a bit upset right now.

by Sadie5 9 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Sadie5

  One of our venders for our business closed down a few weeks ago, and we found a new company to get some of our supplies from. I called there to place an order. While I was making the order, the woman asked me if I wanted our competitor who happened to be there bring it to our place since he was coming our way. I knew my husband wouldn't want that so I told her no, after she asked me 3 times.

  My husband picked up the supplies later on in the day. After he got back, she called me and told me that our competitor had told her we were witnesses and she wanted to know if this was true. I said we used to be. She said ok and hung up. I know our competitor isn't a witness, he is Pentacostal.

  I'm a bit upset that our competitor would be talking with a vendor of ours, about what religion we might be. We had never told him we were JWs. I'm also wondering what kind of treatment we are going to receive now that she knows we aren't but at one time were. I know this is a small company, family owned and might be made up of JWs. They may even refuse to do business with us, I just don't know what may happen. Oh, well I can alway look for another vender.

  Thoughts?

  Sadie
• 

  RunningMan

  Well, I don't know your business, but you probably don't have anything to worry about. In this situation, you are the customer. They make money from your business, therefore if they cut you off or did something else, they would be hurting themselves as much as (or more than) you.

  In all likelihood, they just find it interesting. Think about it - if one of your business associates were, say, Mormon, you would probably find that an interesting point of conversation. Probably nothing more.
• 

  Francois

  I wouldn't worry about it. Even if your vendor is a hard-shell JW, there is one thing the JWs care about more than their ancient, outdated, obsolete tribal God, and that's money, coin of the realm, swag, loot, lucre, legal tender. And I doubt they'd cut off their supply of that in the name of the middle-eastern war god.

  francois
• 

  DJ

  Sadie,

  I lost you at the part where she hung up. Was she angry, did she hang up on you? She sounds like either she is a jw or someone who doesn't like their teachings. I would find out which it is first. If she is a dub then, yup you can and will find a new vendor. Does this business having anything at all to do w/ religion? Dj

  ps. Thanks for the prayers for my dad!
• 

  Sadie5

  Hi DJ,

  No, she didn't sound angry, more like shocked, didn't know what to say. I think she was looking for one of those moments when you find a fellow brother or sister in the truth. Instead she found apostates.

  I was a bit surprised that she asked I was a witness, I wasn't prepared at all. Hubby said I should have just said no, I'm not, instead of saying we used to be.

  Our competitor just rubs me the wrong way, we've always been polite to him but hes done some sneaky things to us in the past and the thought of him talking about us, just got to me.

  And no, our business doesn't have anything to do with religion.

  Your welcome for the prayers, hope your pop is feeling better.

  Francois& Running Man, thanks for the encouragement.
• 

  DJ

  Sadie,

  JUST SAY NO>
• 

  outoftheorg

  Hi Sadie.

  I don't think you have anything to worry about. Federal law and most states have a similar law that forbids disparate treatment of anyone in a business setting due to religioun-sex-sexual orientation-or their race. You could fry their butt with federal assistance if needed.

  Outoftheorg
• 

  Xandria

  Sometimes the best ansewer to a rude question ( because frankly it isn't any of her business). Is a simply question back, " Excuse me ? " or " What does religion affilation have to do with ( fill in the blank ?)" Or even sometimes repeating the question to the person makes them realize how it sounds.

  Xandria

  of the been there done that class.
• 

  Double Edge

  I think they were just nosey....nothing more.
• 

  mustang

  I think Xandria's line of reasoning is the one to follow.

  If you had "reversed" the INTERROGATION, with the question "What does religion affiliation have to do with ( fill in the blank ?)", you might have gotten some more information on this.

  Very frequently, we answer questions that are posed to us. We do this WITHOUT THINKING, because of training to "be polite". Some people use this to pry and get information that they may not normally obtain.

  You have to ask "why do they want this information"?

  These people effect a measure of control over you by doing this. BTW, this is a JW habit/trait. It's curious about enduring the experiences we had as JW's: some become cowed into meekness, others learn to become bullies. I try not to be a bully, but not to let meekness lead to my detriment.

  And "reversing" the conversation by returning it with a question of your own is not prohibited. You are after all THE CUSTOMER. If they are not a Law Enforcement type, I nip interrogations in the bud, these days. I believe that you should have because it has unsettled you.

  I am reminded of the time I was renting a lawnmower. The counter man treated me like a suspect and that he was a cop. I didn't like it and told him so, asking for the manager. He replied that he was the manager. I retorted that he wasn't the manager of the rental shop down the street and left.

  What puzzle's me is that they were insisting on the other party making the delivery. There is something peculiar about this...

  Mustang

  Edited by - mustang on 3 October 2002 19:47:20

  Edited by - mustang on 3 October 2002 19:49:45