FAIL: Management

A buddy of mine lives around the corner from me, in an apartment complex under different ownership. He was with a bunch of his friends who live in the same building, and ran into his property manager at a nearby bar. She approached the table:

Manager: “So, how can we make things better for you guys?”

Fair enough. My friend responded:

Friend: “Well, covered parking is pretty expensive, I’m not sure it’s really worth it–”

Manager: “But those prices are typical for [this area].”

Friend: “I’m not so sure, my friend pays [much less] and he’s just around the corner.” (referring to me)

Manager: “Oh, you mean [where I live]? I’m friends with the manager there, I’ll give her a call. They won’t have that price for much longer.”

Let me get this straight: your goal isn’t to be better, it’s to not be worse? THAT is how you manage a business? THAT IS YOUR ETHOS? Imagine you were her boss, and overheard her asking that same question, adjusted for honesty:

“So, how can we make things seem less bad?”

You would be embarrassed, and she would be fired.