Mishmeres HaSholom: Ask the Rav

Q: One of my neighbors opened a small business in her house and hired a salesgirl. It has happened more than once that I noticed that the employee erred in her calculations. (In my opinion, it isn’t a matter of bad intentions, but rather a lack of knowledge, haste, etc.) Her mistakes are sometimes to the customer’s benefit, other times not.

Should I tell her boss about it?

A: A salesgirl who often miscalculates is usually the type who has a haphazard approach to serious matters. It would therefore seem that even if you pointed out her mistakes, she would accept the reproach indifferently. The problem would thus not be solved, especially since it would be difficult for you to follow up and see if the girl changed her ways.

It therefore seems that you should approach the store owner about the problem, taking care to emphasize that the salesgirl has no bad intentions. You must, of course, intend the constructive purpose and be careful not to exaggerate.

The questions and answers above were taken from the Mishmeres Hasholom pamphlet in Israel. For details and inquiries please e-mail us at office@hasholom.org or call 972-2 5379160.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hamodia.