Having a laugh!

Thats the words I used to the garage man when he pointed out my courtesy car! It was huge! I had previously stood by it and commented how it was taller than me not knowing I would soon be driving one like it! It was an all singing all dancing thing - wide screen for the sat nav, buttons  that slid the seat forward -  I had to go forward to its maximum position for my feet to reach the pedals! Once I had adjusted the seat and  mirrors and sorted out the lights and wipers I was off feeling both excited and nervous! Well what a fabulous drive and experience it was! So high up I could see everything in front of me and look down on the roofs of other cars! Shame it was so foggy and  I could not see much else! Atrocious driving conditions, not least in a unfamiliar car which was the size of a tank. The only other  worrying thing was every now and then the car beeped at me! I decided it was when I was going to fast for the zone I was in! Clever eh? ! I thought it best  not to drive it through the lanes as it felt too big to fit and the thought of meeting another car did not fill me with joy! Luckily I had stopped in the lanes on the way in to Plymouth to get my blip! What a good decision that was for when I got home I found I could not get the car in reverse! Luckily being on a hill I could roll back into position - but I did not even attempt to manoeuvre into position between my neighbours car and motorbike! 
Once home I  received a phone call from the garage - did I know where the nut bolt to remove the tyres was?! Now last time they replaced my tyres they had phoned and asked the same thing - since I would no more attempt to change a tyre than fly to the moon I told them the only people who would have removed and used it would be them! They had to order one to do my tyres and promised to put it in the car. Well I never checked they had and obviously they hadn't! So again they would have to order one - the cost being £60 to me! Well I swiftly pointed out that as they had no doubt lost it they should pay for the replacement. Since the garage is no longer owned by SEAT and it was the last time this occurred, I was told I would have to take this up with them and did I want their number! I wasn't expecting to get a favourable response but to my surprise they checked my record with them, decided I was a good customer, and would pay for it! So pleased my usual approach to such matters is to be calm, polite and reasonable! One can always get more strident and forceful if needed but if one starts that way there is nowhere further to go. Plus it  will only aggravate the person and run the risk of giving them the  pleasure to say no whereas they might otherwise have not!  It pays to be nice - someone should tell Trump that!