私はズボラな性格なので特にそう思うのかもしれないが、「人間て基本的にズボラなんじゃないか」と思う。仕事となると、細かくて面倒臭い作業でも比較的きちっとできる人はたくさんいると思うが、プライベートとなると、内弁慶というか、面倒臭がり屋が多いのではないか。自宅では、仕事をしている時とは別人のような、不誠実な振る舞いをしている人ばかりのような気がする。そんな風に思うのは私だけだろうか。

　世の中には「無料」とか「お得です」という触れ込みで、売り込みをかけてくる業者がある。民間の営利を目的とした企業なので、儲からないようなことは絶対にしない。それが基本だと思う。だからそういった売り込みの電話がかかって来た時は、謳い文句に踊らされることなく、どうやって電話の向こうの相手が私にお金を出させようとしているのかを探ってみる。これがなかなか勉強になるのだ。
　先日、電気代かガス代か忘れてしまったが、「光熱費が割引になる」というセールスの電話が自宅にかかってきた。光熱費はどうしても毎月かかるものだから、少しでも安いに越したことはなく、当然関心がある。しばらく説明を聞いていたが、とにかく相手は「お得です、お得です」としか言わないので、もし相手の指示に従って契約した場合の「お金と人の動き」を尋ねてみた。すると一旦私が割引されていない正規の料金を口座に振り込み、その後私が適切に割引申請をすれば、お金が戻ってくるという仕組みらしい。
　私は「なるほど、上手い！そういうことか」と、相手に聞こえるようにワザと口に出して唸り、「結構です」と断って電話を切った。相手は、これは私の思い過ごしかもしれないが、「見破られた」と思ったように感じた。それが証拠に、それまであれこれと食い下がっていた彼女が、私がそのセリフを言った途端、あっさり引き下がった。

　仕事場で働いている時の私のように勤勉であれば、毎月光熱費を口座に振り込み、きっちり申請を届け、しっかり割引を受けられるだろう。しかし私は、自宅では自室の掃除もロクにしない酷い怠けものだ。光熱費なんて、何もしなければ自動で引き落とされるシステムに慣れきってしまっている。もしその契約をしたら、滞納するのはマズいから、恐らく振り込みはするのだろう。今は自宅のインターネットでも振り込める時代だ。だがしかし、割引の申請まで、さぁどうだろう、プライベートの“ダメな私”が、実直に毎月続けられるだろうか。いやぁ～、ないと思う。

　「割引される」と聞いた瞬間に、働いている時の勤勉な自分を思い出すことも人間の特徴なのかもしれない。実際に勤勉な自分も紛れもない自分自身であるのだから、「できる」と錯覚しても、全然不思議でない。でも残念ながら、人間はズボラな生き物だ。特にプライベートでは。その人間の本性のような部分を上手く狙った、非常に研究された手法だと感心した。非常に勉強になった。
　恐らく言われたとおりにやれば、ちゃんと割引されるのだろうと思う。詐欺ではないだろう。この“うまい”話に乗った人の中で、キチンと割引生活を送ることができている人がどのくらいの割合で存在するのか、私は知りたいところだ。

　研究のベクトルが、間違ってる

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Discounted Service

　Perhaps it is especially true because I am a loose person, but I think that people are basically lazy. When it comes to work, I think there are many people who can do detailed and troublesome tasks relatively neatly, but when it comes to private life, I think there are many people who are shy or troublesome. At home, it seems to me, all people behave in a dishonest manner, as if they are a different person from when they are at work. Am I the only one who thinks that way?

　There are companies in the world that make sales pitches to you with the mention of “free” or “great deals. Since they are private, for-profit companies, they would never do anything that would not make money. I think that is the basic principle. So when I receive such sales calls, I try to find out how the person on the other end of the phone is trying to get me to pay for the service, instead of being fooled by their claims. This is quite instructive.
　The other day, I received a sales call at my house, I forget if it was for electricity or gas, saying that I could get a discount on my utility bill. Since utility bills are inevitably a monthly expense, I was naturally interested in getting as low a price as possible. I listened to her explanation for a while, but anyway, all she said was, “It’s a great deal, it’s a great deal,” so I asked her how the money and people work if I sign up according to her instructions. She said that once I transfer the undiscounted regular fee to the account, and then if I apply for the discount properly, the money will be returned to me.
　I said, “I see, you’re good! That’s how you do it?” I growled out loud so that she could hear me, and hung up the phone, saying no thanks. She seemed to think that I had seen through her, although this may have been my imagination. As evidence of this, she had been pushing me this way and that, but as soon as I said that line, she simply backed down.

　If I was as diligent as I was when I was working at my job, I would be able to pay my utility bill into the account every month, submit the application exactly as I had done, and receive a solid discount. But I am a terrible slacker at home, not even cleaning my own room. I am used to having my utility bills automatically deducted from my account if I don’t do anything. If I signed the contract, I would probably transfer the money to the account because it would be bad for me to be in arrears. Nowadays, you can transfer money from your home via the Internet. However, I wonder if my private “no good” person can honestly continue to do so every month until I apply for the discount. Oh no, I don’t think so.

　Perhaps it is a characteristic of human beings that the moment they hear the word “discount,” they remember their diligent selves when they were working. In fact, the diligent self is unmistakably oneself, so it is not at all surprising that one would be under the illusion of being able to do it. But unfortunately, humans are sloppy creatures. Especially in private. I was impressed by the very well-researched method that successfully targeted such a part of human nature. I learned a lot from it.
　I think that if you do as you are told, you will probably get a good discount. It is not a scam. I would like to know what percentage of the people who took advantage of this “good” deal are able to live a discounted life.

　They’re doing research in the wrong direction.