The Consumer Entitlement Phenomenon

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The transactional exchange of services, products, information and even philanthropic donations is a staple of our daily lives. Today is Saturday — I have purchased a friend’s book on Amazon, gasoline, purchased a candy bar from the soccer team out front for their fundraiser and a coffee from the shop I am presently sitting in — all in the five hours I have been awake. Commerce and consumption — we all do our part.

During a recent family trek to Disneyland and other Southern California touristy sites I was witness to some breakdowns in the commerce – consumption relationship and some real irrational consumer behavior. Now I must disclose that my perspective was limited — I was present for the tirades and not the journey.

However, no matter how heated, angry, disappointed or emotional I have ever felt I have never disrespected, cursed at, nor threw papers at those working with me to find some resolution as a customer. As leaders we must feel empathy for both sides of the service dilemma — the irate consumer and the staff that find themselves in the crosshairs.

The root cause is often founded in the lack of alignment between what the consumer expected and what was delivered. On rare occasion it may be a consumer that finds it sporting to push a business into delivering beyond its promised level of service. Or those in the horror stories known to place bugs in their food for a complimentary meal resulting in a raised eyebrow from wait staff when it happens to an honest patron.

There is a lot of focus on our carbon footprint. What if we focused on our consumer footprint. I understand that the education system has its hands full, however there are courses on business ethics – I see a need for courses on consumer ethics. We study consumer behaviorism yet never teach them (ourselves) how to behave as consumers.

In the coming weeks, we’re going to explore this a little more so stay tuned!

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    • http://www.3hatscommunications.com/blog/ davinabrewer

      I wrote a post a couple of months ago, ‘The Gerber Baby Syndrome.’ It is this exactly, when did expectations go this high and when did everyone suddenly feel entitled to easy success, great service for little money? Look forward to seeing more of your series. FWIW.

      • http://leadershipforgood.com Mike Cassidy

        Thanks Davina! I’m heading over to read your post. It’s simply interesting how we’ve created an environment in which we expect first class at wholesale prices. Love the idea of calling a syndrome.

    • Sharon Schneider

      Mike, this reminds me of a fantastic bit from comedian Louis C. K. about airline passengers. In a nutshell, he suggests that instead of complaining about flights being late or a lack of free peanuts, we should spend the entire time marveling at the fact that we are hurtling through the air at hundreds of miles an hour and just be grateful. Only he says it a lot funnier. Search YouTube for “Everything’s Amazing and Nobody’s Happy.” You’ll love it.