the credit card story ...

At my office building on the ground floor, there were some sales agents offering free gifts for credit card application.

Of course there were many 'tham pin yi' people (yes, i admit i'm one of them) who apply for the cards just because we wanted the free gifts... POLO golf umbrella and Mizuno backpack.

But this is not what I wanted to talk about in today's post.

There I witness many people characters while they are applying for the cards. Most of them use apply on card to card basis (ie. using another banks credit card to apply for this bank card)
For some who hasn't got other bank card, or didn't bring their card, they can also apply with latest 3 months pay slips.

There were a group of Malay & Indian guys in their mid 20s to 30s who were applying using pay slips. After the sales person gone through, all were excepted except for this one Indian guy who was told that his salary does not qualify for card application because his pay had not reached the minimum RM1500 per month.

The Indian guy expression at that point of time ... I do not know how to describe but it was a mixture of sad, embarassed and sort of lowered his self esteem. He took back his pay slips & application form before walking away to another corner while his friends happily redeemed their gift. He was looking at his payslip with great intense.

The last I saw him, he was still standing at the lifts waiting area, thinking hard and didn't move even when the lifts arrived. All his friends has gone back to office. I may not know exactly was he was thinking but it must have hit him hard, maybe hurting his vulnerable self esteem at that moment. I felt sympathy for him I do not know why.

Thoughts were running in my mind at that moment ...

1. Should have the sales agent be a bit more 'sensitive' towards his customer and avoid the kind of situation where someone may be embarassed?

2. Was his friend reaction of leaving him alone appropriate?

3. Regardless of what happen, this guy (which is about mid 20s to 30s) with the current inflation and price increase, how does he manage? and i wonder whether he has a family to feed and whether there will be enough? and if it's just enough or barely enough, how do these people grow their money when they don't even have extra? <--- i know i think too much.

4. If a person is earning lesser than most of his / her friends and if the group chooses to enjoy a more lavish lifestyle, is it right not to follow or is it wrong to follow. Sometimes I think we people are in situation like this, we want to be with these group of friends and they choose to eat at some places which may not be our budget, do we go along or do we not. If we go along, our budget suffer but if we do not we risk being anti-social or being 'kedekut'

5. I hope this incident will wake the guy up... to at least motivate him to increase his earning capabilities. Given the benefit of doubt that he's an average guy with no attitude problem at work, I really did hope that he earns more ... not so that he can apply for a card (which may land him into deeper trouble) but maybe for him to regain his self esteem or to give his family a better life.

6. and I count my blessings ... and I told myself I will share whatever little I know to people who wanted to know. For the world is full of abundance for everyone.