Paying it Forward: Agent-Style
by Harvey ChipkinAn online forum for a home-based agent network was converted into a hub for random acts of kindness when one agent posted that she had missed a final cruise payment, costing her a whopping $2,200.
Not only did four of her fellow agents – none of whom she knew – offer $100 each to help her make up the difference, but her post unleashed a torrent of personal sagas about how agents struggle with work, family and personal lives.
Personal struggles
Susan Curtin, an eight-year veteran of OutsideAgents.com and a resident of Guilford, Conn., had been grappling with a host of personal issues. She had to devote a significant amount of time to her 93-year-old mother and also move from the house that she had lived in most of her life.
In the midst of all that, her best customer – and a personal friend – made a deposit on a cruise, but then decided to take the same cruise on a departure ten days earlier. Curtin missed the final payment on the cruise; her computer was down during her move and her hectic schedule made matters worse.
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Ordinarily comparable cabins could be found without much of a penalty, Curtin said. But this was a popular cruise featuring both Bermuda and the Caribbean.
In the end, Curtin had to book a cabin that was level up in category. And because of the late booking, she wasn’t able to take advantage of early booking discounts.
The result: The booking ended up costing twice as much as originally planned, with Curtin paying $2200 out of her own pocket to make up the difference. She thought it was the right thing to do since the clients were friends and good customers.
A heads-up for other agents
“Nothing like this has even happened to me and I wanted to warn my colleagues about,” Curtin said of the dangers of missing a final payment.
“I rarely participate in the OutsideAgents.com forum because I’m usually too busy. I’m not the type to sit on Facebook all day either.”
Curtin’s post on OutsideAgents.com was headlined ATTENTION TO DETAIL!!! Be VERY careful!! She also mentioned her situation with her mother and her move.
“The amazing thing that came out of this was that people started saying they totally understood,” she said.
“Some realized they had their own final payments due and were able to get those in. Then one anonymous person wanted to send me $100. I said ‘I can’t take,’ that but then there were a bunch of posts about random acts of kindness and then three more people offered $100 each.”
Paying it forward
Curtin eventually decided to keep half the money and pay the remainder forward.
“I was happy to see that a couple of people admitted they too were about to miss their final payments so that I know I’m not the only one this has happened to,” Curtin said. “And I’m glad they were able to catch it so they didn’t get nailed since they read the thread.”
Aside from the donations offered, the forum exploded with agents talking about their own personal problems – illnesses, aging parents and loss of family members.
Sad . . .and happy
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom. There were upbeat stories as well.
“There were so many happy and sad stories and it became a whole thing about paying it forward; about how we should all be thankful for what we have. It was such a supportive community and such a wonderful outpouring of humanity that went in a completely different direction than I thought it would.”
Now Curtin looks at the forum regularly and has come to realize “what a great group of people they are.”
“Besides the personal posts, everybody is helping each other with professional issues,” she said. “If anybody has a problem with work, they will get plenty of responses.
“I still feel weird accepting money from people and I wish they’d let me know who they were so I could at least send them thank you notes,” Curtin added.
“It’s an awesome network. I have cried many tears of both sadness and joy in the last few days with all these stories and I now feel much better about the human race.”
