24 March 2006
This morning I was thanked for being 'honest'.I'd just filled up with fuel and the cashier asked me for £40-something. But I knew she had the wrong pump, my bill should be £50-something, and I told her so.
As it turned out I wasn't so much being honest as illustrating why I shouldn't be allowed out on my own... I'd been reading the litres delivered read-out rather than the cost. Still it made the cashier smile, and she thanked me for being honest.
In one sense honesty is a lot like friendliness. Even if it wasn't the right thing to do it would still be the obvious and sensible thing to do. Why risk a reputation for a few quid, or a few million for that matter? We are our reputation, and so are you.
Posted by Nick Warren at 4:13 PM
