Everyone is Right

Julian F Detmer founded the Detmer Woolen Company and it went on to become the world’s largest distributor of woollens to the tailoring trade. This is one of Detmer’s stories.

“One morning, years ago, an angry customer stormed into my office. He owed us $15. He denied it, but we knew he was wrong. So our credit department kept reminding him. After getting a number of reminders, he came to my office in Chicago to inform me that not only was he not going to pay that bill, but also that he was never going to buy another dollar’s worth of goods from the Detmer Woolen Company.

I patiently listened to all he had to say. I was tempted to interrupt, but I realized that would be a bad policy. So let him talk himself out. When he finally simmered down, I said quietly…