Examining Principal Agent Relationships

I often like to believe that my responses to most issues, challenges and tasks are temperate and measured. Well, I guess that would apply for the majority of cases, but of course like everyone else I have my turns. But that is not a topic of discussion today – thank God.

I had an experience at the bank last week which allowed me to enjoy (as a principal) the benefits of a principal-agent relationship, but also caused me to more closely examine some of my other principal-agent relationships and to ask how ‘temperate’ and ‘measured’ my responses to these relationships are – particularly in those relationships where I am not the principal. Get it? Well, try this.

So, I am at the bank. They had hand delivered one of my bank cards, but, I guess for security reasons, they had asked that I physically come into the bank to collect my pin number. I had considered how inefficient that whole process seemed, but… I thought to comply and not have a turn.

At the Bank (international bank, mind)
Me: I am here to collect my PIN Number for my bank card
Bank staff: Miss Sanusi? I am sorry but you will have to come back. The lady who can give you that information has just stepped out.
Me: When will she be back?
Bank staff: Maybe around 2 or 3

Note – it was 8.45am or thereabouts.

The mouth-off begins. Measured and temperate. But. With full force authority of a not too happy principal.

(i) Are you telling me she is the only person in the bank that can give me the information I need?
(ii) You asked me to come into the bank to collect my PIN and now when I am here you expect me return later – reneging from responsibilities that I may have between 8-5pm – only to risk this lady not being here? You cannot be serious. I don’t have time to waste. I want my PIN number and I want it now
(iii) What? You are now asking me to call your bank later and check if the lady is back? What sort of customer service is this? The least I expect of you is to apologise to me and then ensure that your colleague calls me when she returns to give me my PIN number
(iv) Can I see your manager?
(v) The manager is not here? Please can you inform me of the actual hours when people do business in this bank so that I can ensure that I come into your bank during those hours?
(vi) All I have heard from you today is a chronicle of what cannot be done. I am your customer. My money is in your custody. I want to access my money which is in your custody and I am not leaving here until I have access to my money which is in your custody.

Mouth-off, mouth-off and mouth-off I did.

A few hours later, I am thinking of my other principal-agent relationships. For example:
(i) God and me
(ii) My mother and me
(iii) My pastor and me
(iv) My driver and me

So, I am thinking. How does God feel and respond when I fall short of His expectations? Does He mouth-off about me to Jesus and The Holy Spirit? “Lord, have mercy,” I thought. For I know I give Him more opportunities than I’d like to admit for any such mouth-offs.

But… He is God and not human. Thank God again. So, He does not mouth-off. Phew. I can exhale.

And then my mother? My pastor? Well, I guess they may rant and rave, but at the end of the day they are usually motivated by love. So when I fall short of their expectations, they may mouth-off, but it is in love.

So why did I not mouth-off in love to my bank staff? Very simple. My relationship with my bank is transactional. I pay to use their services. They impose bank charges and the likes on my transactions, don’t they? Quid pro quo.

God? Ever loving, ever faithful. He allowed the one and all transactional act two thousand odd years ago. Jesus paid in full for my sins and misdemeanors. Thereon, our relationship is transformational. He, The Principal; Ruka, the Agent.

Phew.