The lady at the return counter who argued for 20 minutes over a $5 discount

I work customer service at a home goods store in Grand Rapids and this woman wanted me to override a price match because she saw the same pillow at a store in another state. Has anyone else noticed how people get way more worked up over tiny amounts than big purchases?

2 comments

2 Comments

thomas.tyler20d ago

Oh man, @tarag28 you totally nailed it with that principle vs. feeling wrong thing. I think it's way more about not wanting to admit a mistake (you know, like grabbing the wrong flyer or misreading the price) than actually caring about five bucks. It's like their brain locks onto the discount as the hill to die on because backing down would mean they were wrong about something minor, and that stings worse than losing $5. I've seen people spend ten minutes arguing over a coupon that saved them like $1.50 but then drop $300 on curtains without even checking the tag. It's almost like the small stuff is just a stand-in for other frustrations they brought in from their day, you know?

tarag2820d ago

Was she one of those people who acts like five dollars is life or death but drops hundreds without blinking? That's usually the pattern I see, where the little stuff somehow triggers a bigger emotional reaction than the expensive mistakes. How much of this do you think is about the principle versus them just not wanting to feel wrong about something minor?