Category: Pet Peeve

Price Dickering: Strategies and Games

I don’t sell vehicles very often, but when I do many people employ a tactic that just pisses me off and puts me in the wrong frame of mind (regarding that person) right from the start. I will state a price, and at the very beginning, sometimes before they’ve even seen the vehicle, they will ask some variation of, “What’s the lowest price you’ll take?”

😐

Excuse me, but you want me to give up everything, all leverage, right off the bat? Seriously? No. Either play the game, or go away. The game is negotiation back and forth. And the game goes like is: I set a price –> if you think my price is too high, make an offer of a lower price –> if that lower price is acceptable to me (I usually do have a bottom dollar in mind, but that’s not the point here) I will take it, if it’s not I will either counter with another price, or I will simply reject it. And back on forth until we either agree on a price, or we agree to not deal at all.

This has happened several times in my life.  Maybe they’re hoping I’m selling because I’m desperate and they can get a proverbial ‘steal’ of a deal. Maybe they’re hoping I’m weak and so non-confrontational that I’ll cave without a fight. Maybe they’re just fishing for that ‘steal’ from their recliner and don’t want to go out if this isn’t it. Could be any reason. In most things I am not a very good negotiator, but this tactic in particular sets me off and my attitude hardens immediately. My eyes narrow to slits, and I get this “Don’t eff with me!” look and determination. Now, you are the enemy, and while I will still sell you my vehicle, I am also willing to sit on it for awhile and sell it to someone else if you’re not willing to show me some base level of respect and properly negotiate.

In my experience I find that it is older men that do this. I have never encountered a woman that does, and I do not recall ever encountering a younger man doing this. Always older men, my generation and above. Maybe it’s a generational thing. <shrug>

This morning I get a bite to a Craigslist ad for a vehicle I am selling. The guy has two questions, condition and what the lowest I’ll take. Ok, I described condition in the ad, but I repeated it. Then price. I told him I don’t do the lowest price thing. If he’s interested he needs to make a counter offer, and so on as described above. I may never hear back from him. I’m ok either way.

Part 2, the other annoyance (I always seem to have a part 2, don’t I?)…

Another game I will not tolerate: Don’t show up to purchase something, say a vehicle that I have a listed price of $3000, and say, “Will you take $2200? That’s all I have on me.”

That’s all you have on you. 😐 Right. Ahem. Ok. I very clearly listed a price, and you knowingly and purposely showed up with less. (Allegedly, but we’ll go with the words at face value, I’m not going to ask to search your pockets.) At this point, I despise you. You’re not simply an annoying cheap SOB like the guy above asking for a bottom dollar, you’re outright dishonest in your approach. If you do that to me, I will give you two options… I will give you directions to an appropriate bank/ATM so you can get more money, or I will give you directions off my property.

Part 3, But wait, there’s more!

And don’t get me started with the schmucks who want to pay via Paypal or cashier’s check (and sometimes overpay and want you to refund the difference in cash) and have their ‘agent’ or shipper pick it up. Scam alert! (Hmmm, sounds like another curmudgeonly blog post for later.)

The bite mentioned above did email back as I was writing this. He thinks I’m honest and will pay me what I ask… via PayPal and he will send a shipper to pick up the vehicle. *facepalm* Now I’m playing with him a bit. I responded that my ad clearly says cash only, and that I will not hold it, but if his shipper shows up with cash, I will sell it to him. If someone else flashes me the cash first, tough luck.

I won’t hold my breath.

By Annoyances, Pet Peeve2 Comments

Tipping: Part 1

…of 193, probably. Ugh! This is going to be quite the series. LOL! I have strong opinions on tipping. Yer shocked, nay, dismayed, I can tell… that I have strong feelings about something.

TIPS: To Insure Prompt Service. Phfft!  Yeah, ok, whatever, I’ve never believed that is the actual origin.

Now, don’t get me wrong. For true service, and good service, I am good with tipping. Many people hear my thoughts on tipping and think I’m a spendthrift and a curmudgeon… wherever would they get that idea???, I mean really!… but I actually tip well. I’m usually in the 20-23% category, sometimes higher, and my wife can back me up on this. I even usually sometimes tip more than they actually deserve when they provide lousy service, I’m still around 15% even for that (though I know I shouldn’t). So what do I kvetch about? Let me tell ya…

1. Entitlement Mentality: This is probably my biggest pet peeve regarding tipping, the entitlement mentality that has developed. It’s no longer an appreciated gift for having done a good job or providing a worthy service, it has evolved to become an expectation and if you don’t live up to their unknown and possibly unreasonable expectation you are treated as a pariah. Scorned and scowled at if you ever go back and they remember you. Simply for not lavishing them with the remnants of your bank account.

The entitlement mentality goes both ways, from some servers and from some businesses. They’re taking advantage of people and getting what is virtually free labor because the state allows them to get away with it.

As things generally go, this entitlement mentality has expanded to other professions that might not deserve a tip. Everyone seems to think they’re special. Which leads us to…

2. Who gets a tip?: Tied to the entitlement mentality, which professions should get a tip? A server in a sit-down restaurant? Sure. They’re running around basically catering to your whims. They are your servant for the moment. Regardless their hourly wage, that’s worth something. Don’t be a tightfisted chump, treat them well. We’ll get into wages in a future installment, but they often are legally paid less than minimum wage (in most states), and that is and should be a factor, but just one factor of many.

How about the person who cuts your hair? Should they get a tip? Yes? Why? I say ‘no’. I do tip, albeit because of the societal guilt trip involved with not tipping, but I shouldn’t have to. I go to independent barbers. They state their price on the wall. End result, they are paid in full, and set their own price based on what they feel their service is worth. That’s fine. But it’s also somewhat dishonest. They know most people will throw in some extra. I say if you want or need more money, then raise your price. I’m still going to pay it, but it will save me the bother of having to wonder if I gave too much or too little. Yeah yeah yeah, you can say that you aren’t forced to tip, no one’s holding a gun to your head, blah blah blah. Societal guilt tripping and peer pressure is powerful, and that’s a fact. A set price would actually be more respectful to both parties.

How about “servers” at buffets and picking up ‘to go’ orders? I say ‘no’. A case could be made for a ‘to go’ order, and it’s true they may get paid less than minimum wage, and there is some effort involved in putting the order together, but it’s far less than table service. As such, a smaller tip would be appropriate, maybe 10%.

Having said that, with a buffet I’m literally serving myself… and isn’t that the point of a buffet… variety and that I serve myself? <shrug> They might get drinks and clean the table afterward (or they might not looking at a local buffet I frequent [they do have good food and they’re cheap]), but that is small compared to literal table service. No, if I’m doing virtually all my own work, the person standing in the corner watching me eat is not deserving of a tip.

The way we’re going, I fully expect bridge toll takers to start getting tips any day now. <insert eye roll here>

Conclusion: So that’s it. That’s the end of Part 1. Future installments will include (in no particular order)… tip jars & counter service, tip sharing, wages & laws, the amount of the tip, the effort put forth, people who don’t tip and/or are rude to the servers, and more. Stay tuned. 🙂

By Pet Peeve, Restaurants, TippingOne Comment

I’m just going to the store…

I find this photo ironic, because sometimes police are the worst panhandlers.

…don’t accost me on my way in and out begging for money.  (Sometimes you do get hit up in both directions, too.)  And really, that’s what is going on, begging for money.  Same goes for at the register, btw.  Doesn’t matter if a product is being sold or a good cause is being promoted.  It’s still confronting people to pressure them into buying a product they didn’t come out for.  Sort of an emotional public intimidation.  But what it really is is begging.

I’m just going to the store, leave me alone.

I’m not talking traditional panhandling.  You know, the people at the side of the road with cardboard signs.  That’s bad enough.  But that’s easy to take care of… just swing your car as if you’re going to run them over and watch them scurry for safety.  LOL!!!  Oh, fun times.  😛  But I digress.

Warning, mini-rant:  I especially hate it when panhandlers use their kids.  That makes me angry.  /mini-rant off

Anyway, Little League, school clubs, Scouts, various charities and so on, all selling their various goodies and wares by placing themselves at an unavoidable place of a store entrance.  It doesn’t really matter what the cause it, I didn’t leave home to seek you out, you placed yourself in my path seeking money.  That’s a form of begging.

The worst, IMO, is the fire fighter “boot drives”, where fire fighters (and sometimes police) station themselves at busy intersections and walk up and down the stopped vehicles holding their boots out for people to toss money in.  Let’s be real, that’s intimidating to the average person, and they know it.  It’s a form of bullying, an emotional strong-arm tactic, regardless the intent or who is doing it.  Bottom line:  it’s no less panhandling than what traditional panhandlers do.  No way around it.

I don’t appreciate being put in the position of being the “bad guy” who didn’t donate to the cause, or didn’t buy the requisite amount of cookies, or whatever, in full view of everyone and being labeled “that guy” when I may have a perfectly good reason to not participate.  Maybe I give elsewhere.  Maybe I have other causes near and dear to my heart, and limited resources, so I have to pick and choose accordingly.  Public coercion doesn’t allow for that, though.  You still get unfairly labeled.

Then again, maybe I should embrace being “that guy”.  I am a curmudgeon, after all.

By Annoyances, Daily Life, Pet Peeve2 Comments

Condolences

One of the worst feelings in the world is for something tragic to happen and for you to have nothing to say.  You know that no matter what you say it won’t make them feel better, but you feel the need to say something anyway, as saying nothing will be perceived negatively, too.  Yes, like I alluded to before, you feel helpless in your inability to help.

But don’t you fear.  There are time tested solutions to this quandary.  There are things you can do that are sure-fire guaranteed to not only help, but put the grieving person in a warn-and-fuzzy mood, if not a fit of belly-laughter rolling on the floor.

And what are those things, you might ask?  (Yes, I’m dragging this out… you’d think I’m getting paid by the word.)  Well, I’m going to tell you.  Here they are.  Ready?  I even offer my own sage advice at the end.  I should charge for this, it’s gold!  Here we go…

Prayers:  “I’ll say a prayer.”, “I’m sending prayers your way.”, “You’re in my prayers.”, and so on.  Obviously, this is from the religious, and one would hope for the religious, but then religious people often subconsciously believe they can save the world with their hope and kindness, don’t they?  I’ve always wondered, what do non-religious people think when offered prayers?  I’m pretty sure most roll their eyes and say nothing, maybe offer back a weak smile of acceptance.  Bringing this scenario along to it’s next logical step… what do non-religious people offer to others?  The answer is obvious, of course, they offer the vaunted…

“Good Vibes”:  “I’m sending good vibes your way.”, and other such thoughts.  These phrases are usually uttered in lieu of prayer by non-religious people, and I’m sure they mean well, but do they actually think it’s meaningful?  Think about this for a moment.  If they reject prayers, even though prayers ostensibly are backed by a supreme being who can literally smite the earth without a moment’s notice, then what the hell are “good vibes” good for?  I mean, really.  Do you really think things will go well for the other person simply because YOU wished it?

So, what do you do for the person for whom neither of these would be appropriate?  The answer is so blindingly obvious that I’m sure you saw it coming before you got this far.  You offer them your…

Thoughts and Prayers:  “Our thoughts and prayers are with you.”  Yeah, thanks for nothing.  Aside from being the preferred political alternative… which alone should make us wary of it… this is the double-whammy.  You get both, prayers and vibes, divine intervention AND the personal Jedi-like assistance of the well-wisher.  How can you go wrong with that?

To sum up, instead of all this meaningless crap that you don’t really mean anyway… c’mon, we all know you are secretly hoping they will never ever call on you to help them like you offered… say this instead and the world will be a better and more honest place…

“Suck it up, Buttercup.”, and walk away.

 

 

By Pet PeeveOne Comment

Do you want fries with that?

“Do you want fries with that?”

<blank stare>

“Did I say I wanted fries?  No.”

Do I actually say that?  No.  Not anymore.  Contrary to popular belief, and contrary to standard curmudgeonly customs and expectations, I have gained some sense of couth and social refinement over the years.  Now, I will admit that I want to say that every single time, but I never do.  I mean, that would be rude, right?

Besides, I don’t want anyone spitting in my food.  Practical considerations, ya know.

Yeah yeah yeah, it’s called ‘suggestive selling’, or ‘upselling’, and employees are told to do it because it’s quite effective.  I have read many sources who claim corporations make boatloads of extra money just by adding an extra item here and there.  It boggles my brain cells that so many people fall for it.  Yet, in the interest of full honesty, I cannot claim that I have never fallen for it.  Every now and then, rarely, even though I know what they’re doing, they will suggest something that appeals to my weaknesses and I will succumb.  As a general rule, however, even if it sounds good, and even if I want what they are suggesting, I will politely decline just as a matter of principle.  I have been known to decline even though I was just about to order what they suggested.  I’m kind of stubborn that way.  I’ll show ’em!

Coming into the adult world, I love a good margarita.  Must be frozen/blended.  I call them “Adult Slurpees”, and I am a sucker for a good Slurpee, with or without tequila.  When I order one, though, they usually try to upsell me to a higher grade tequila.  I have been known to respond, “I’m not sophisticated enough to know the difference, so no thank you.”

I always get an annoyed stare in return.  They never laugh.  <shrug>  Plus, after two I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, anyway, so no, I’m not paying the extra money for a higher-end tequila.

I’m kind of stubborn that way.

By Pet Peeve, RestaurantsLeave a Comment

Classic band or Cover band?

Isn’t it amazing that you can still see so many classic musical acts?  And they’re all over the place.  Our nostalgic teen years can be continually played and replayed over and over again.  It’s great, I don’t ever have to grow up.

Hey Mickey you’re so fine, you’re so fine you blow my mind, hey Mickey!

Oh, sorry, got carried away.  Anyway, who are these people?  It’s one thing to see the Stones and view Keith Richards suspended in a perpetual age of 192 since he was 27, but for lesser bands it’s not always so sure.

I have this very basic criteria:  For a band to be that band, they must have at least one original member.  One.  And for simplicity sake I define “original” as the lineup when their first album was released.  No need to go back to the first garage jam session, just the first album. Otherwise they’re just a cover band.  And no, the height of the band’s popularity isn’t good enough.  Must… be… original.  Maybe it’s just me… it usually is… but I don’t think this is an unreasonable criteria.

Believe it or not, some bands claiming to be whoever have no original members at all, just hangers-on from later in the band’s career when the band was dying anyway.  There are several instances where there have been TWO bands of the same name, each one with an original member and each original member hating each other.

Then there’s the case of the J. Geils Band.  For legal reasons, the band calling itself the J. Geils Band in recent years doing nostalgic shows had most of the original members… but not J. Geils.  He had disputes with the rest of the band, so they wouldn’t let him in, but they got to legally keep the name.  That’s actually funny.

I’m not convinced Keith Richards will ever die, btw… then again, maybe he’s been dead for 40 years.  Can’t tell.

By Pet PeeveLeave a Comment

The Windows to Your Soul

As you will no doubt learn while reading my blog, I have pet peeves. Many pet peeves. Some people probably will think too many pet peeves. (It has been noted… *cough*) But hey, some things need to be said, and some people need to be told, and I’m the person to set them back on the right path. Well, there is an increasing trend that is sweeping the nation, and it is of epic, almost Biblical, proportions.

Have you noticed that when people post photos of themselves they are almost always wearing sunglasses? Quite often even indoors. Sunglasses are becoming ubiquitous. Even celebrities are wearing sunglasses in official functions. I was watching Wheel of Fortune the other day and Pat and Vanna were wearing dark sunglasses while making a promotional pitch. Several years ago then-San Francisco Giants manager Dusty Baker did a television commercial for a charity and, yep, you guessed it, he was wearing dark sunglasses while making his pitch.

What’s wrong with that, you say? Everybody’s doing it, right? Well, everybody re-elects their Congressperson and you can see where that got us. Anyway, dark sunglasses covers your eyes. Still shrugging your shoulders and wonder why that matters? Your eyes are the window to your soul. Your eyes convey personality and character and trust. Your eyes tell me who you are. If I can’t see your eyes, I can’t see YOU.

I get it, it’s sunny. You are shading your eyes. I do that, too. But when sharing a photo, you sitting in a tropical resort means nothing to me without the warmth of your personality coming through. You might as well wear a mask, and a cheesy smile doesn’t make up for it. When Dusty Baker was pitching his charity, I had no reason to even want to contribute. He removed all potential sense of trust when he covered his eyes. Might as well have been a hit man, or something, for all I knew. Regardless, he didn’t convey trust.

So, lose the shades for the photo-op. It takes only a few seconds, then you can put them back on again. I want to see you, not some generic soulless creature.

By Pet Peeve, Photography2 Comments