My daughter's teacher was going on an extended vacation. Just before she left, I gave her money to order a special piece of equipment for my daughter. The teacher promised me she would take care of it before she left. Weeks went by, and the package never came. I was sure the teacher forgot, and I was angry at her apparently nonchalant attitude to this important matter.

Eventually, the package arrived, badly damaged. "Oh," I thought, "so I misjudged her! She did order it, but it was damaged and delayed in transit."

Now I had the correct party to blame; I called the shipping department. The shipping clerk was surprised because the tracking number on the box didn't match the original shipment. The clerk then made a claim to the package delivery company, who agreed to accept responsibility for the damage and delay.

I was satisfied the matter was finished, until the shipping clerk called back -- it wasn't the delivery company's fault. The clerk originally sent the package to an incorrect address; it was then returned to the company, remailed, and damaged in transit only a few days before I received it. The clerk apologized and sent me a replacement by overnight mail.

Just think -- first, I blamed the teacher for forgetting to place the order, then the package delivery company for mangling the box, and it turns out the whole thing started with a typographical error by the shipping clerk.