The elderly man paused beside a gleaming car, studying its interior through the window. His trench coat was frayed, but he had arrived knowing what he wanted.
A salesman in a blue suit approached.
“Don’t waste my time. You can’t afford this car.”
The man turned toward him.
“I came here to buy a car, not beg for one.”
The salesman laughed instead of asking which model interested him.
“Then bring me someone who knows how to sell,” the visitor said.
“You think you can tell me how to do my job?”
Before the man could answer, Daniel, the dealership manager, stepped onto the showroom floor. He stopped when he saw the customer.
“Sir, is that really you?”
“Hello, Daniel. We need to talk.”
The salesman’s smile disappeared.
Daniel looked at him. “He owns this entire dealership.”
“Sir, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
The owner glanced at the car, then at the employee who had refused to discuss it.
“You judged me by my clothes. Now you’ll remember me as the man who fired you.”
He asked Daniel to handle the dismissal privately, then added one instruction for the showroom team.
“Every person who enters deserves a proper welcome. Nobody should need an introduction from the manager to receive one.”