The generation of entitled buyers.

[inhawaii]

I've read several posts lately about entitled buyers.

I was standing in line at a subway once.

A lady walked in holding  a sandwich saying "I need another sandwich. This one fell on the ground."

The workers started making her a new sandwich.

I questioned the manager about this. In essence we're all paying for her new sandwich.

Why does she get a new/free sandwich if SHE dropped the sandwich outside the store?

(Even if it was inside the strore, why should she get a free sandwich?)

The response from the manager was "We have a no confrontation policy".

It's bad that this new generation of customers feels so entitled.

It's even worse that some businesses have adapted to them.

[earthdreamer]

Entitled buyers exist in every generation, though there does seem to be an increase of late.

My most memorable entitled buyer was from 30 years ago. She had purchased an expensive and fancy sterling silver ring from my store, came back a few months later with a mangled mess that looked like a bus had run over it, and wanted a free replacement.

Turns out that she had actually dropped the ring on the roadside, and a bus did run over it, and she felt no shame or embarrassment asking for a refund or replacement. 

Needless to say, her demands were denied. 

In B&M stores there is usually a conga line of entitled buyers, but it is relatively easy to deal with them face to face. Online, however, they can remain anonymous, and be as obnoxious as they please. 

[rugerskick]

Not just entitlement.

Its zero personal responsibility.  They damage something then demand a return.

You are nothing.  They will not suck up the problem.

These same people walk around brick and mortar stores and they and their kids break stuff, and no one makes them pay for it. 

[rugerskick]

Certain brick and mortar stores encourage and foster this behavior.

Kohls for example used to take back anything even if the person broke it or wore it for years.  My mom worked there a long time ago and she had people returning shoes they had worn out for refunds.

When retailers train sellers to behave this way it hurts the other sellers who dont.  They are already selfish, entitled, demanding Karens. Thanks to the retailers who encouraged them to behave this way and rewarded them for doing so.

A great show had a line where a guy who dealt with some punks has to explain why it was a good thing he did.  He was asked why he did it.  He says, matter of factly, they were being a-holes.  The other guy says, but the world is full of a-holes, though.  The guy responds, yeah, and you know why?  The other guy says, why?  He replies back, because people let them get away with it.

[movieman630]

Nobody wants to be personally responsible for their own actions anymore. 

[toysaver]

It's the human version of climate change.   Every generation sees faults in the younger, virtues they possess that did not get passed along.   The nature of life is constant change.

[3lilyankeefans]

Kohls no longer treats their customers well. Last year they sent me a coat with one sleeve sewn shut. The replacement they sent had a security tag on it. I called them and they told me to bring it to a store to have it removed.  Oh yeah, I definitely won’t get arrested for shoplifting if I do that. 

[1tuna]

I think its the tick tock generation but I have no proof

next door in Philly they are closing the starbucks rather than deal with problems.

the Baristas have to put up with an open door policy for the restrooms

that means the homeless and dope shooters

they have closed a few locations and more are scheduled

I feel sorry for the ladies that work there. some have unionized  in Philly but its not helping

we were just rated the rudest city in the USA

@inhawaii 

[farmalljr]

We live in a world where people have no coconuts. If someone screams about something, we are all expected to bend over for them. It's the nightmare version of the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

If you say no, or stand up for yourself, everyone else piles on and tells you what a cad/racist/pick your pronoun, that you are. Everyone seems to give in to anyone whining and complaining. 

Takes people to have some intestinal fortitude, and few seem to have any. I could go on about why people are so weak, but it's not like it would make a difference anyway. 

[dhbookds]

what about entitled sellers?

@inhawaii 

[luckythewinner]

I don't think this generation is any worse, either as consumers or as business owners.

I can remember observing the exact same thing at food establishments 50 years ago.

Back then it was called "gaining a loyal customer".

[luckythewinner]

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@3lilyankeefans wrote:

  Oh yeah, I definitely won’t get arrested for shoplifting if I do that. 

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If you use common sense and bring your receipts, you definitely won't.

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

@rugerskick 

I have a store/ booth in a large Antique mall and recently got a call from the owner about an item. It was a 1960s plaid Thermos that was in very desirable colors, the customer dropped it and it busted in the inside. This customer offered to pay for it!

     I told the owner to thank this customer for fessing up but I know accidents happen. Now this was a real shocker to me but made me feel pleased at the same time. Some good folks out there.

[a_c_green]

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@luckythewinner wrote:

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@3lilyankeefans wrote:

  Oh yeah, I definitely won’t get arrested for shoplifting if I do that. 

---

If you use common sense and bring your receipts, you definitely won't.

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Agreed. The spouse worked for Old Navy for many years, and there was a big overlap between store-bought items and mail-order items, and all the complications that entailed, such as stores having to accept return items ordered by mail, or ship-to-store items needing to be processed for pick-up ASAP, so an antitheft tag winding up on a mail-ordered coat isn't too far-fetched at all. I doubt anyone's going to bat an eye if asked to remove it, especially with the supporting receipts. (That one with a sleeve sewn shut is a different story. 😂)

[t-bone543]

But not every customer who complains or asks to speak to the manager is entitled or is a Karen/Ken, though we seem to generalize it that way anymore (and if there's video, the complainer becomes a dreaded YouTube Karen). Sometimes complaints are valid, and we have to maintain the right to stand up for ourselves as consumers spending hard earned money. Maybe customer entitlement and Karenism have increased, but that might coincide with an equivalent decrease in customer service, especially with the continuing labor shortage.