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.

[lawnmowerpartsstore2]

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

Moving forward to today:

There is no longer loyalty. Its all about pricing

[rugerskick]

Exceptions don't invalidate the rule, they prove the rule.

That said, glad you experienced an exception to the rule.

[rugerskick]

There are no entitled sellers, not in the same sense as entitled buyers.  There are fraudulent sellers.

Entitled sellers, in any close sense to entitled buyers, simply run themselves out of business.  No one wants to buy from them.  They get poor feedback.  They leave comments that buyers see and decide to avoid.  If they have anything similar to a mindset of an entitled buyer, they don't last very long.

[pinkryder123]

It's not even as much as that she wanted another sandwich. It's that she demanded another sandwich instead of asking politely. I work front desk at a hotel. I get people like that all the time. Instead of coming in with their concern, they just start yelling at me and demanding things. I think "Why should I put up with this abuse, when it takes me 40 minutes to earn a jar of peanut butter?". 

[joliztoyco]

WE see what you're doing there! And we love it. Of course it will go right over Ebay's head.....
My issue is I have become the de facto "Post Office" responsible for their delivery times and handling of my packages. And despite spending copious amounts of money on bubble wrap, peanuts, triple cardboard layers and double boxing, I still have to worry every time I ship a package.
I'm on a first name basis with my local Family Dollar Store employees because I "dumpsterdive" at their store for boxes. And then boxes that fit inside those boxes! 
The life of a small seller ain't easy....

[toysaver]

"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."

It's generational.  Chances are if it was a shopper in an antique mall, interested in a vintage plaid thermos they were gray haired and not from the entitled everybody gets a trophy generation.  The younger people I know do not collect and want to own as little as possible.  

P.S.  You can buy replacement glass liners for most old thermos styles.

[fishingfool250]

Nothing new. An employee once told me how she dropped a six pack of beer outside the store. Broke a few bottles. She goes back in complaining.......not about how clumsy she was of course....and they give her another six pack. And then you have the folks who eat 1/2 the food at a restaurant, make a fuss about the quality, and walk out for free. Or parents who have their kids damage items and then take the items up to customer service to see if they can get a discount.

The funny thing is.....maybe just to me........I have heard 1,000 stories like that. All from staff or co-workers. All of them being well paid professionals from Physicians to Nurses to Technologists.........people who can afford NOT to steal. We always tend to blame those who have the least......but trust me......in my line of work, prior to retiring thank God, those being paid the most are the least honest.

One thing you are correct about.........the rest of us shoulder the cost.

[justafemster]

I sure hope they took the 'dropped' sandwich and discarded it.  

Heck, I drop things all the time when I'm cooking, back in the pan they go!

I've been confronting shoplifters for years. 

Been told 'you don't work here'.  No I don't, but when you steal, 'I' (and everyone else) pays more.

Was told 'there's nothing you can do'  Yeah, I can publicly humiliate you.

Once someone tell me they were hungry.  I answered, I didn't know mascara was edible and wonder what the nutritional value is? 

I also play a game called idiot or A Hole for people who park in handicap spots (without tags) or between the handicap spots.  I ask them are you an idiot or an AH?  When they look at me, I state 'you're either an idiot and can't read OR you're and AH that doesn't care that this is a handicap space.  Which one are you?'  

[reallynicestamps]

that might coincide with an equivalent decrease in customer service, especially with the continuing labor shortage.

Dealing with the Karens is a part of the reason for the labour shortage.

Our children and grandchildren have  been taught that they have rights (and hopefully also that they have responsibilities) and faced with a stupid demand, they will clap back.

If management won't back them up in a dumb situation, why should they back up management?

It's not as if they are being paid enough to live comfortably on.

Minimum wage here is $15 an hour, but a one bedroom apartment would cost $1700 a month. That might work for a couple, but a single or single with dependents?

[simply-the-best-for-you]

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@3lilyankeefans wrote:

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. 

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@3lilyankeefans 

As a clothing seller, I promise, you won't.  This happens so often, you wouldn't believe.  Granted, it shouldn't be on you to take it in, but if you want to, there won't be any problem. 

@1tuna  One of the Starbucks I frequent in the big city, has locks on the restrooms & you need a code to get in.  

Lots of stores have policies that if you drop something in their parking lot, they'll replace it.  I learned that my liquor store did that, even if you dropped a $500 box of liquor, I remember being shocked, but it was their policy.  I've had Starbucks do it too, though I didn't ask, I was fully prepared to buy another one. 

[rugerskick]

Rich or poor doesn't always determine a criminal mindset.  Its a factor but not the only one.  Person's character has to be okay with it.

[ms.rodriguez*]

You won't get arrested.  You are recorded the minute you exit your car. Bring the item back .   Inorder to be arrested for shoplifting, it must be visible to security in tape and/or in person.

[ripsmc]

I'm in agreement with the OP and would have no problem betting that incident is not her first rodeo. She is likely one of those types who will lie, cheat, and steal to snag another dollar here and there.

A couple of weeks ago I was in a Wal Mart Supercenter and there were 3 large baskets sitting there with mostly small returned items. There was even a half used tube of Crest toothpaste and a 2 liter bottle of Sam's Cola with a third of it missing; no doubt returns from the same type of people.

While in school my sons worked in a grocery store. One of them told me that people routinely would fish out out of date, rotten meat from the dumpster in the alley and walk around to the front door  to get a cash refund for that "bad meat they just bought the day before" and of course the receipt was "lost".

[maxine*j]

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@luckythewinner wrote:

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".

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I have to agree with that.  I'm pushing 80 years old and got my first job, in retail, when I was 16.  I don't see much difference in "entitlement" among buyers or "enabling" among sellers, really, between then and now.

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[inhawaii]

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@maxine*j wrote:

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I'm pushing 80 years old 

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... and a mind as sharp as a tack.  😉

 Congrats to you.  That's quite an accomplishment.