Let me take you back a couple of years. Come with me as we relearn a lesson; one that has stuck with me, in my present memory, and inspires me yet.
We walk into Elida Road Hardware. An old fashioned hardware store. No automatic door, not a computer in the building. Nothing unusual about the day, or the fact that we go to that store. It is one that I go to fairly often. As we enter the door, two sounds greet us. The sleigh bells of yesteryear, the ones that make that sweet, peaceful tinkle as we open the door. The other sound is the electronic beeper that alerts Andy of our presence.
“Good afternoon, Ryan,” comes the cheerful acknowledgment. Andy Bianco is a very friendly sort of proprietor1. He is of medium build and height, we’ll say about 50, and the smile on his face welcomes us.
We walk across the old wood floor with its squeaky spots, and uneven joints. Andy asks us what he can help us with. I tell him we are looking for a spring. He very patiently replies “I carry lots of springs, you’re going to need to be more specific.”
“Beats me what they’re called; just a spring for an old-fashioned screen door.”
“That’s it. A screen door spring. Right down there.” We turn to where he is pointing, and sure enough, there they are. Andy knows his store, and his products. That’s why I come here instead of Meijer. The service can’t be beat. The price; Yes. But service and satisfaction; No.
I pick up one and follow him to the counter. A keg of peanuts sits beside the counter, and beside it, another for the hulls. Covering the counter is a piece of Plexiglas, and under it, all manner of business cards.
“Hey, got a card? Put one under here. Free advertising space.”
“Thanks Andy, but I already have one. See, over here.”
“Well, you do.”
He figures up the price, doing the math in his head. “$1.88, with Uncle Sam’s share comes to $1.99.”
“Put it on Pop’s account.”
He nods and smiles, remembering that this is the third item this week that received that verdict.
“Good ole’ Pop’s account.” He chuckles. “I don’t know what you boys would do without Pop’s account!”
He hands me the ticket and as I sign it I ask rhetorically, “You really trust my signature?”
His reply startles, yet gladdens me. “When I can’t trust Jerry Hoover’s boys; I can’t trust nobody!”
We leave, and the brain immediately starts to forget things, in order of importance. But what Andy Bianco said that day, rang in my ears. And it rings in my ears today. That’s a tall order to live up to. It’s a high standard of integrity. My father made a reputation for that name, and I get to enjoy the benefits thereof. But by the same token, I must maintain that reputation. And that’s serious business.
Serious <wbr>Business严肃的事
说说几年前的事儿吧，跟我一起从中重新学习一些东西。这件事在我的记忆中挥之不去，并鼓舞着我。
我们走进艾丽达路五金商店。那是一家老式的五金店，没有自动门，整个商店没有一台电脑。那一天很平常，我们去五金店也没有什么新奇的目的。那家店我经常去，那天我们进门时有两种声音欢迎我们——去年就换上的雪橇铃在我们推门时发出甜美、安宁的清脆声音，另外电子蜂鸣器也发出声响提醒安迪我们的到来。
“下午好啊，瑞安。”店内传来一声欢快的招呼。安迪·比安科是那种非常热情的老板，他的身高和块头都属中等，我们觉得他大约50岁，此时他正微笑着欢迎我们。
我们踩着接缝不平的老木地板走过去，发出一阵嘎吱吱的响声。安迪问我们需要什么，我告诉他我们想买弹簧。他很有耐心地回答：“我这儿有很多种弹簧，你们得说得详细些。”
“我也不知道它叫什么，反正就是那种用在老式纱门上的弹簧。”
“我明白了。纱门上的弹簧。就在那下面。”我们转向他手指的方向，不会出意外，我要的弹簧就在那里。安迪了解他的商店和商品，这就是为什么我来这里而不去梅杰零售店——安迪这里的服务是那里比不了的。价格上也许那里更便宜，但服务和满意度却比不了。
我拿起一个弹簧跟着安迪来到了柜台。柜台上有一小桶花生，旁边还有一个小桶，是盛花生壳用的。柜台上盖着一层树脂玻璃，下方压着各种商务名片。
“嘿，有名片吗？你可以放一张在这下面，免费广告位啊。”
“谢谢了，安迪。不过我已经放下面了。喏，在这儿。”
“哦，是啊。”
他心算出了价钱。“1.88美元，加上咱们的税费，一共是1.99美元。”
“算在我老爸的账上吧。”
他点点头笑了，这是本周他卖出的第三件算在买主老爸账上的商品了。
“老爸的万能账户啊，”他咯咯地笑着，“我想不出来你们这些小子离了老爸的账户该怎么办！”
他将收据递给我，我边签字边委婉地问他：“你信任我的签名？”
他的回答让我既惊奇又高兴。“如果我不能信任杰里·胡佛的儿子，那我就谁都不能信任了！”
我们离开了商店，发生过的事儿立刻就从不重要的到重要的开始逐件遗忘。但是，安迪·比安科那天说的话始终萦绕在我耳旁，今天也不例外。这是个难以达到的要求，这是高度诚信的体现。父亲为自己的名字赢得了信任，而我也可以享受由此而来的利益。但也正因为这个原因，我必须要将这种信誉保持下去——这是件严肃的事。