Akpo Uyeh: When Going for Quantity over Quality Goes Wrong

What do you make of a situation where you get to pay less than the original price? Do you rush at the offer, or do you pause to weigh your options before making a choice?

Sometimes having to pay less (what we call awoof) might not be a bonanza spree. It might be a bait to dupe unsuspecting customers. And, as the saying goes, ‘Awoof dey burst belle’ – which when translated means freebies/cheap things do not give optimum satisfaction or pleasure.

In essence, the beneficiary does not get to enjoy what he/she paid for in true sense after all. My conclusion is based on some experiences proving that it is better to go for quality and pay higher provided you enjoy what you paid for, than pay less and end up spending more.

Forget Monday morning runs, Sunday morning runs also hold in this part of the world. Ever since church service included a special early morning series on finance, I deemed it necessary to attend all the series. Normally, I would’ve taken my time and gone for other later services, which would give me time to dress up, makeup, eat and stroll into service.

However, the introduction of the early 7 AM finance series, with speakers seasoned in their fields giving financial insights, got me on my toes. I threw away all my conveniences. I became more disciplined, began making all the special Sunday series. After all, they say that the secret of great men is in their stories. Being an area I would say I was kind of struggling with, I just had to make sure I attended all the series, learn and apply my learning. No data to burn to watch videos or money to buy tapes. I believe there is an anointing that comes with a physical presence, and that was my motivation.

I had two options: cab services or public transport. I opted for the later. Don’t ask me why. Early Sunday morning, the sleep was so sweet, I wished I would have continued but my alarm clock in the opposite room was disturbing. I had to get up to shut it up, that is how the sweet sleep left instantly. Preparation for Sunday service started immediately. Thankfully, I was done in the nick of time, I was sure I would get to church in time.

Everything was going well from when I got to the bus stop until I saw several buses beckoning me to fill up their seats. With so many bus conductors persuading the available passengers, I decided to go with the one with an abnormally low fare. First of all, this driver was taking time to leave the bus stop; he made sure his bus got completely filled with passengers. As I sat patiently without complaining, I felt satisfied that in the long run, I would have some change to keep.

Then, the journey commenced and the normal tradition of collecting transport fares was done. All was going well until the bus abruptly stopped on the way.

Without apologizing to his passengers for the inconvenience, the bus driver came down from bus to change his tire. Who does that? I mean, he knew quite well that he had a bad tire but went ahead to carry unsuspecting passengers. No wonder the bus fare was what it was. And we fell for that bait!

It was unwise to demand a refund. After all, on a normal day, the money paid was enough to take one to where the bus stopped. I could not wait for the bus driver to change his flat tire – remember I had a series to catch up with in church. I jumped down from the bus and quickly searched for another. I ended up paying twice the normal bus fare based on my calculation. If I had followed my instinct, I would have paid once and for all and saved some money.

This brings back to another experience: As an undergraduate, I needed a pen for some assignments. I got duped in broad daylight by the pen seller. She was selling a pack of pen (of a brand I have never heard). After tactfully convincing me to buy them, I ended buying the unidentified pen brand. To start with, she gave me one that was writing to test its effectiveness and that how I swallowed her bait.

It would have made more sense if I gently went for my Bic pen, but no, I wanted a cheap one. In my mind, I would have enough change to buy other stuff. In the end, the pack of pen bought was useless. I had to buy another set, and that meant spending more.

Would you go for quantity over quality? Do you jump at every offer without weighing your options? Do you follow your instincts or go with the crowd? One has to be careful because ‘Awoof really runs belle” True or False?

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