Complimentary Card
Definition
Also
known as Business card
(Plural busi-ness cards)
Noun
Card with person’s name on it: a
small card printed with somebody’s name, job title, business address, and
contact numbers.
When
someone hands you his complimentary card, what does it mean? In the corporate world, it’s a contact medium to pursue a potential business opportunity or connection. To naive folks like me, it means
nothing, and we just toss it in our bags without giving it a second thought.
On
this day, I was given an assignment to collect a brand certificate from the
APCON (Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria) house at Surulere, so I hopped
into the pool car and we headed to the Advertising council. The trip to APCON
was long and exhausting and by the time we got to our destination, I was in
need of a cold drink to quench my
thirst. However, there was no place to make a purchase and I completing my
assignment was the more pressing issue.
I
was introduced to this fellow whose name became known to me as Martins, now
Martins had features of someone who narrowly escaped albinism with tiny eyes
over a large amorphous head, and a pallid fair
skin. Long story short, he looked like a Chinese-miss-road. Apart from his very
peculiar physical features, he seemed like a really nice person an he was
willing to help in the procedure of obtaining the certificate which I was sent
to collect.
I did what I had to do and left, but not before he offered to buy me a Pepsi. I didn’t understand but I was thirsty (as stated earlier) so I said thank you and gulped the shit out of it.
Then he did the weirdest thing. He gave me his complimentary card. I didn’t even think much of it. I just shoved it in my pocket and kept it moving.
Fast forward to the next time I visited APCON. Man saw me and was like “I was expecting your call”. You needed to see how confused I was. I was like “huh? What in the world gave you that impression? Even if I wanted to call, I don’t have your number.” And he chuckled and said “you have my card right?”
Getting back to the office I relayed the story to my office besties and they had a good laugh at me not understanding that when a guy hands you his complimentary card, it’s expected that you give him a call.
Looking back, I’m honestly still confused. Thankfully, I now fully know the unofficial use of a complementary card. (It’s been a while since I saw one of those though).
