Friday, February 13, 2009

Conscience

I had a rare moral dilemma today. It consisted of me having to choose between a free meal and ponying up. Having convinced myself to go for the free meal after much verification that the failed delivery would result to none being charged for it back at the outlet.

This all sounds a bit cryptic, if not a gem of how not to write so...

I'll just lay all the facts out.

I ordered via a pizza chain's delivery hotline. I was given the time and at least an hour from that time for delivery. This means that my order will be handed to me and paid by me within an hour from my call.

The minutes turned on the face of our grandfather clock. The minutes turned into an hour and then into way beyond an hour. I called up the hotline again and inquired as to the status of my order. They informed me that the order still had 4 minutes. I turned my timer on to 4 minutes after that call. But they did inform me that it was unusual that the delivery would take the whole hour.

The delivery man came (rider as the contact person from the hotline corrected me) about ten minutes after the hour given to me. Apparently he still had 8 minutes on his watch because the phone call from the delivery hotline to the branch came say at 330 instead of my call at 318pm.

I said well the hotline told me you guys were late, please call up the branch he said. I called the hotline again and was again (yes they informed me from the very first time that I called that the branch will be calling me) informed that the branch will call. The branch didn't call so I took the branch number from the rider and called them up and laid my case.

I told them that the time difference wasn't attributable to me, and that I didn't need the order anymore because my father and brother (the two persons who'll have to eat it) left already. So there we go, the pizza is something that I wouldn't accept because (1) it was late, (2) I didn't need it anymore. So the woman on the other end told me to just take it and sign on the receipt (much like what the delivery hotline guy said).

I took the pizza!

But I took it after asking from the branch if the rider will be made to pay for this. It's not his fault, why should he be made to pay? It was glaringly obvious that the branch and the hotline center didn't do their respective jobs. So I took it and signed.

Did I do the right thing by accepting something that I didn't need? I initially wanted to return the order and be rid of it all. But the allure of free was too great. Besides I also suffered something equivalent to hurt feelings (if that'll qualify for damages) because I couldn't feed my sibling and parents (yes parents my mom was also here) for the afternoon. I took the failure to deliver on time personally. My wounds were soothed but a new one was torn open, had I just sentenced an innocent rider to be made to pay for something he didn't do?

I also checked with the rider if he'd be penalized he said no. I said yep they told me at the other end that it was production who'd get hit with the blame on this one.

Anyway, I won't rest until I finally come up with something on conscience (I'll look into Aquinas and some other philosophers for conscience) and a piece on conscience and a free meal due to the error of the other.

Please refer to my other post on A friend of wisdom on my other musings on who has to pay.

6 comments:

  1. wow. i symphatize with you on this one, chris. i mean, it really sucks when you're made to wait for something tas super late pa dadating and you wont be able to use it. nonetheless, the agony of choosing to between reward yourself and punish someone else or suck it up and save someone else is too annoying to bear at times. yeah yeah, it's not the rider's fault if he was misinformed by the management bout the time. but you lost in this case, 'cause you didnt get to have your pizza and eat it too. hahaha. im talking gibberish again. anyway, if it was me though, id still take the food kahit i wouldn't enjoy it. that happened to me once! chowking delivered my food almost 2 hours after i ordered it! if i wasnt so hungry lang talaga, i would have rejected it. pero hindi talaga ako ganun. whatever =)

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  2. Nako grey! Hassle nga yung ganun. Yung 2 hours ka mag-aantay ng chibog? Gardemit.

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  3. Yup, I agree with grai. This instance was somewhat a loss of utility for you and your family because the intended purpose of eating the pizza on time was not met. But on top of that, it's also a loss on the pizza chain because someone will have to pay for that pizza. So basically tough break on both sides.

    But don't feel so bad about it. You were giving to your parents the promise of a good timely meal on grounded expectations. Pizza deliveries anyway make their way to their destinations on time, most of the time. So this case was a fluke. And even w/ a fluke like this, the line of accountability down to production is clear. Some department will pay for it. But still don't worry too much about them because on the enterprise-side, operational losses like these are discipline for companies. If mistakes like these happen and no clear losses are incurred, there's little chance for the company to learn in anticipation of the next operational cycle. Believe me, they'll be more efficient the next time. That's how accountability connects with being effective.


    ayan Chris ha, hehe... loooong comment! :p

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  4. haha buti pa si hastin! thanks cyconweb! You illuminated me and lifted the strain on my morals (which at the moment is not as strong) hehe

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  5. sarap ng pizza! reheat na lang pagbalik ng familya!!!di mo ba alam na mas masarap pag libre? the customer is always right! pwera na lang pag nasa kaliwa siya ng nagdeliver...

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  6. HAHAHA tama tama! Iniisip ko padeliver na lang ulit kaya ako sa shakey's para makalibre?

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