Remember the law student turned real estate agent who sent the whiny e-mails? Yeah, Lover's new home teachee. THAT guy.
Well. . .
He sent me an e-mail apologizing for his e-mail of nearly a year ago. Which was great. Big of him. Awesome.
Then came paragraph two. Pay attention, folks, because this is where it gets weird. In paragraph two he offered one of three things to "make it up" to me:
1. Dinner for my husband and I at his place. (Nice enough gesture. Not too weird because he IS in our ward (though he has yet to speak to me), but still, no thanks. I've got so many people I will love and miss that I need to hang out with on top of the piles of projects to do before graduation that this really isn't in the cards.)
2. A gift card to my favorite restaurant. (Oh. . . okay?)
3. Tickets to a movie. (WTF? I have a better idea--why don't you just show us some virtual home tours on your big screen and get it over with?)
Is it just me, or is it a little insane to offer gift cards and movie tickets as an apology in this circumstance? And not even gift cards or movie tickets, no. This is the chance to ASK for a gift card or a movie ticket. Bizarre.
Of course apology gifts have their place. When your wife is pissed it's totally appropriate to get her flowers. When you screw up with someone you have a professional relationship with, you fix the damage done. When you send someone you've never spoken to bitchy e-mails you. . . ask them if they want a gift card? What? Have I totally missed a new social convention? Or does this all go back to the fact that the guy has no social skills yet would still like my business since he knows I'm moving shortly?
So what should I say? I want to be gracious and thank him for the apology (the first paragraph of which I was genuinely impressed with), but I also want to tell him how he is embarrassing himself. Or maybe I should just take him up on the gift card idea and have him foot the bill at Communal.
What say ye?
8 comments:
That is SUPER STRANGE! And that is my clinical opinion. He clearly has social skills deficits.
If it were me, I would just thank him for his e-mail, but that you feel uncomfortable with his ideas for reparations. If he gets pushy, I would just say that dinner would be great, and suck it up for a night that you can tell stories about later. My guess it that's probably what you have already thought to do.
What a weirdo! Good luck with that.
Demand an interpretive dance evoking both the original offense and his deep sincere apology. Require him to dress like those high waisted braid belt real estate agents.
Ugh.
I imagine he expects that you will decline the proffered options. It's sort of thoughtful, but also undeniably weird and perhaps a bit creepy, too.
Then again, the chance to eat for free at Communal is always a good one. He's probably envisioning the need to purchase an Applebee's gift card. Blergh.
It's probably best to politely decline, and point to your impending graduation and move if he presses the point on dinner at his place.
Certified weirdo.
I agree with Em... clearly this guy does not understand social graces, as evidenced by the email a year ago and this "Choose Your Own Adventure"-style apology.
Had he just sent you note with a couple of movie tickets or a gift card, that would have been a really nice gesture and a great apology. But the fact that he's making YOU decide which is the best option takes all the sincerity out of it. It almost NEGATES the initial apology that you found so impressive.
If I were you, I'd tell him thanks for the note and not to sweat the rest... and be thankful you're moving back to Oregon soon. What a freaking weirdo.
Knowing the guy, I'm pretty sure he is being truly sincere here but is being hampered by his lack of social skills. The best response is probably to say you appreciate his apology but no other reparations are necessary. Then ignore any future emails. And come hang out with us.
P.S. Under no circumstances, though, should you refer to your upcoming move as an excuse. He would almost definitely see that as you opening the door, which he would follow up with a sales pitch, and then be extremely offended when you declined because obviously you made the first move.
Wow.
This is killing me.
Please tell me the email ended with "Let me know what I can do to help you meet your changing real estate needs in today's economy."
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