Ten on Ten for 'Customary' Care

The customer care executive brought the new car home after its first free servicing. Just as he was leaving, my newly wedded sister who was visiting us, exclaimed, ‘Haven’t they washed the car? Look at those stains!’ As I let my gaze scrutinize my suddenly quick-to-find-faults and no-more-meek-but-loud sister, the customer care executive slipped away with a sly smile.

My sister went on to the car and tch-tched at all the areas that needed to be washed. Amma and I nodded in agreement. Acha was not at home. The peace-loving Cinderella that I have become after my sister’s wedding, I wasted no time in getting a piece of cloth and wiping it all off. My sister looked on in horror and awe, at the new I-will-do-anything-for-you avatar of her little sister.

By the time Acha came home, my sister had already left with the car. He asked if the car had looked ok, whether we had checked if the tool kit and stepney were there etc etc. I told him that all that was intact but the car didn’t look properly washed. He couldn’t believe it. This had never happened before. Their servicing was pretty efficient.

And then Amma and I went on to tell him how my sister had spotted those stains, made a remark and how the guy had left the scene. Father called up my sister and confirmed that the there were stains alright. Seeing his expression of disbelief, I told him that the dirt may have come on the way as the roads were all slushy due to the rains.

‘But still…she said it was all over. How can that be? The last time I checked, there was no cyclone that could stain a car like you said. Was there?’

‘Of course not…no, never!’ I offered, wondering what ‘like I said’ was

‘And they keep calling me telling me to give them ten on ten for the reviews. What for?!’ He was fuming now.

‘A four would do’ Amma put in.

My father looked like he was ready to shoot the servicing people. He called the customer guy who had delivered the car home but the line was engaged. He called again, still engaged. My dad was fuming now. About a minute later the customer guy called.

‘Hello’ my father said, a bit gruffly

‘Mm…aah’ I could see a hint of a smile on his face

‘Well...wasn’t the car washed properly? My daughter was saying it didn’t look clean enough…’ his voice was soft now…he was smiling!

‘Oh…Oookay…oookay…oookay…no…no…that won’t be necessary…I was telling my daughter that it must have been picked up on the way….’ He chuckled. Chuckled!

‘No…nooo…no…no problem….ok…oookay...thank you…ookay…good night’ He hung up, all smiles now.

‘I told you right, it must have come on the way…he was telling me he would do a wash again if we wanted…I knew it all along. You guys just blow everything out of proportion…’ and he picked up the newspaper, the smile still on his lips.

Through the corner of my eye I saw Amma shaking her head to herself. I wondered why sometimes I couldn’t talk my father into something while others could do it so easily. I realized, the customer care guy gets ten on ten this time too.