I could tell my wife was frustrated.
Husbands, you know when you know. She owns her own business and had just gotten word that there was a $900 mistake made on a client’s custom furniture order. (She’s an interior designer.) There was a tone in her voice as she told me what happened, and I just knew this was a bad one.
I’ve learned not to try and fix these things, so I affirmed her frustration and let her be. Not out of, “I need to steer clear,” but out of respect.
This morning, though, things took a turn. Not in her attitude, but in the story around the mistake. What started as frustration turned into a big, even more anger-inducing saga. Not just because there was more back-and-forth, but because she figured out the source of the error. And it wasn’t at all what you’d expect.
That source? It was a spelling error. Yes, a spelling error.
If you are willing to give me a little time, I’m going to explain not only the story, but also the really important lesson this saga reveals.
Minuscule mistake, big saga. Tiny typo, huge lesson.
Minuscule mistake, big saga. Tiny typo, huge lesson.
I’m not just saying this because it’s good practice to say this, but because it’s true: My wife is usually right. She’s not perfect, but she’s usually right. I throw a million words against the wall and see what sticks; she chooses hers wisely and intentionally. I think as I talk; she thinks before she talks. I throw stuff together; she plans it out. All that to say, she doesn’t miss much.
Sure, there’s the occasional time like yesterday when I asked her to pick something up from the store, she told me it wasn’t there, and I had to FaceTime with her to point out it was, in fact, in stock. But friend, that’s the exception and not the rule. I’m usually the one who can’t find the mayo in the fridge while it’s staring me in the face.
So this morning I found her combing through emails trying to figure out how and why a custom piece of furniture she ordered for a client ended up being $900 more than what she told the client it would cost. Because she just doesn’t miss those things.
And that’s when she found the error. And when she did, it was nearly unbelievable. I still can’t believe it. There, buried in an email from the furniture company, was a line about the price change. Except, it wasn’t about the price change. Or was it?
See, in hindsight, I can see it. But reading it in real time you’d think everything was fine. Here’s the relevant line from the email:
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to "Dear Jon" to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.