Why Can't We Trust and Other Things that Defy Common Sense

I had a job that required me to do some personal errands for clients.  Most of the clients had limited income.  I didn't have to do the errands and could have hired an aide to do such, but that cost would then be charged back to the clients. It didn't seem right that they should incur extra costs when I was usually shopping on weekends anyway and a few extra stops didn't hurt me. 

One errand that I was doing about every week was replacing a watch battery or two.  There was a shop that I knew that would do it but it took a couple of hours and it cost about $15 - $20 depending on the battery.  So, that meant I would have to hang around for a couple of hours or do between errands.  Either way, it was an inconvenience to wait.  

But, in my city, we have a wonderful jeweler named Appelt's. They are very community minded and often offer ridiculous promotions that seem to good to be true.  They are transparent why they do such.  They want to be your jeweler.  This jeweler replaces watch batteries for free.  Well, for free, but they request that you make a donation in their box which goes to Siloam Mission, an organization devoted to helping people living with poverty.  The same jeweler also is proud of the fact that they hire homeless people in an effort to give them a hands up instead of a hand-out.  

So, from a common sense perspective, it seems like a no-brainer.  Get the watch batteries replaced for free with a $5 donation to a great cause.  Win.  Win.  

Unfortunately, I couldn't produce a receipt for a donation so there was no proof that I had done so.  Even though the watch wasn't working one day and then working the next, there was still no evidence that I had repaired them.  I suppose I could have asked for the store's video recording of me putting a donation in the box but I still wouldn't have a receipt.  

When did we become a society that didn't trust anyone?  When did we become void of common sense?  Couldn't I have sworn an affidavit that I had donated the money in order to be reimbursed?  Regardless of the size of the company, couldn't they understand that the client was getting a better deal?  Happy clients equals successful workforce.  

Since I wasn't being reimbursed for my donation, I took it to the place that gave me a receipt.  I felt horrible about myself because it was costing my clients triple.  It was also inconvenient to wait and I usually ended up buying a $5 coffee while I waited.  I felt more and more resentful.  I stopped doing things above and beyond because it didn't seem to be appreciated.  Frustrated employees make the workplace frustrated.  

It may have only been a few bucks but the resentment cost the company a lot of money.  I would share my frustrations and other employees would share similar stories that seemed to defy common sense.  

Companies should be accountable, there is no doubt about that, but, most companies pay their executives top salaries, or so we are led to believe.  You think a common sense solution could have been found.  Or there could have been an incentive program in order to gain other common sense solutions that aren't actually that complicated.  Let's return to making common sense common practice.