Well, 'tis the season. The 2006 Christmas season (or holidays, if you prefer) are upon us. What are you doing reading this? Why aren't you out shopping? Don't you understand that you are no better than the terrorists if you aren't buying, buying, buying?
This is also the time of year when your reward for supporting our economy like a good patriot is that consumer abuse goes into high gear. It's around the rest of the year too--the cable bill that includes Fox News as part of the unnegotiable package, the unnecessary indignities after you've paid for your ticket at the airport, the expensive health, home and auto insurances that aren't worth the paper they're written on. But this is the season when customer abuse is in your face.
When I was a child, my great-uncle owned an upscale menswear store in a mid-sized town. He and his salespeople lived and breathed the old adage, "The customer is always right." The customer was king in his store. Preferences were respectfully solicited and honored. Everyone who worked in that store flat out appreciated their customers. After all, those customers' satisfaction represented job security. When was the last time you were treated like a valuable customer?
Ours is called a "service economy." So here's my question: Where's the service?
I like to buy gifts for my family. We try to be reasonable in our expenditures and don't turn the holidays into a greedfest. While I'm sure if I went out in my back yard, gathered up some pine cones, sprayed some glitter on them and gave them as gifts in the non-materialistic spirit, my family members would have a good laugh and we'd all have as much fun as ever. But I like to see that spark in the the eye, that catch in the breath when a well-chosen gift says, "I know who you are, I know you wouldn't do this for yourself, I want you to be excited and surprised."
So why is it that even when we start out the door chock full of cheer it takes so little time to feel like Scrooge?
Find a sale? Sorry. All sold out. Rain check? (Good luck. This exact item will never be in stock again, ever.)
Want to carry a credit card rather than cash? Be careful. If you overlook a payment or the post office loses it you will pay over 30% interest on that card forevermore. Not only that, any other cards you have will be entitled to charge you over 30% forevermore.
Did your purchase turn out to be defective? You'll probably be able to get a refund but be prepared to pay a restocking fee. If the store puts that lemon back on the shelf enough times they will make full retail value just from the restocking fees.
The day after Thanksgiving is the biggest sale day of the year when great bargains are available from 5:00am to 11:00am. The scam is that there are very few at each store. There are photos in the paper the next day of people lined up around the block, who have been there all night long (in freezing temperatures in Alaska for pity's sake) to try to be the first to stampede the store because that's the only way they can afford that special gift. They shoot horses don't they?
Don't like the way you are being treated? Who cares? Get out of the way, there is a line of pushing, shoving customers behind you waiting to take your place.
Holiday shopping consumer abuses don't hold a candle to other corporate abuses like toxic waste, obscene CEO compensation, or the prostitution of our Congress. But consumer spending accounts for 70% of America's Gross National Product. THAT is why President Bush wanted you to go shopping after 9/11. Shouldn't there be some service provided to the consumer in exchange for all that money?
What's your consumer pet peeve, whether holiday or year round? What do you think should be done about it? ("Never shop again" is off the table.)