1) It bugs me when stores like Books-A-Million try to up-sell me o products and/or memberships
WHY? Business are profit-oriented, so their employees need to promote profits. Sometimes employees make commission.
2) Disingenuous greetings at the register bother me.
WHY? Small talk is part of human interaction, and when an employee has to say the same thing 100 times a day, it can become automatic.
3) Companies charging small fees for things like a cup or ice instead of giving complementary.
WHY? Even small fees and expenses can add up, so companies often keep a very close eye on the inventory that they have. Giving it away causes a loss, and each one in isolation does not seem like a big deal. The cumulative effect is big.
4) Sloppily assembled meals at restaurants.
WHY? Many employees do not feel much loyalty to or passion for their work, so it is easy to revert to the minimum requirements for quality.
5) Long lines for services/products bug me.
WHY? Sometimes customers complicate things unnecessarily which slows progress. Sometimes something goes wrong on the employees' end. People are people and cannot always be maximally efficient.
6) Employees being stingy with condiments at Chick Fil A, as if I were asking for some sauce from their personal stash.
WHY? Management probably tells employees to not give too many away.
7) No return policies from big companies bug me
WHY? Companies are often worried that people will try to abuse return policies, which is understandable but can still be frustrating.
8) Signing long waivers for safety/insurance.
WHY? Companies need to protect themselves in case of accidents.
9) Over-the-top marketing.
WHY? Companies need to find ways to differentiate themselves and draw in business.
10) Obnoxious graphic designs from clothing companies looking to stand out.
WHY? Being “unique” is all the rage right now, so the quickest way to achieve that is to buy crazy clothes, and companies know that so they make ugly stuff.
11) Gift cards expiring!
WHY? I can’t seem to wrap my head around this one.
12) Burger King got rid of chicken fries for a long time, and the rest of their products are kind of bad.
WHY? This one baffled me. Maybe they wanted to outrage customers so that when they inevitably bring the chicken fries back there would be more excitement.
13) Car rental companies either nit renting to people under 25 or charging much higher for a car.
WHY? I suppose some actuaries somewhere calculated that people under the age of 25 are statistically more likely to screw up.
14) Companies sending spam emails.
WHY? This is similar to over-the-top marketing, but companies have to find a way to market their products, so while obnoxious, it is understandable in a way.
15) People taking forever to confirm discussed plans.
WHY? A lot of people don’t realize or care that the other party has things to do as well, so they don’t consider that their slow responses can hinder what needs to get done for the other person.
16) People beating around the bush and not being honest/straight-forward about issues.
WHY? Some people say they do it to avoid conflict/hurting someone’s feelings. Maybe, but I think that sometimes it is so that person can avoid the discomfort of hurting the other person.
17) Little white lies
WHY? Sometimes it’s way more convenient to lie. People like convenience.
18) People flaking on obligations when something “better” comes along.
WHY? A lot of people think about how their actions benefit THEM only, and not about how their actions influence others. Maybe they aren’t concerned with the principle of being dependable.
19) Why are there so many brands for every imaginable product? Paralysis by analysis.
WHY? It’s more or less a free market so if an entrepreneur sees an opportunity to make a product and make a profit, why wouldn’t they?
20) People responding out of anger in discussions and always blaming the other person.
WHY? Shifting blame and yelling is easier than honest self-analysis and measured speech. I fall victim to it for sure.
Reflection: I found the exercise difficult initially, because I thought the list had to be entirely about businesses, but once I realized that it can be interpersonal as well, it became much easier. Maybe this means I’m hard to please or have unrealistic expectations. I can be a bit cynical, but I also try to better myself daily and treat others the way I would like to be treated.
I really enjoyed reading your post! I connected on your anger towards restaurants like Chik Fil A being stingy with sauce; seriously, like you said, I'm not asking for your personal sauce? Why limit me?! I also hate when someone responds to me in anger and then fails to recognize I did nothing in that discussion.
ReplyDeleteI also found my thought process to be very similar on this list. At first, I was trying to be logical, but I decided to just rant on personal things that bother me, so I totally understand!