The Money Coach
  • About
    • Meet Lynnette
    • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • QR Code
  • Books
  • Categories
  • Coaching
  • Hire Lynnette
  • Money Coach University™
  • The Money Coach Recommends™
No Result
View All Result
The Money Coach
  • About
    • Meet Lynnette
    • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • QR Code
No Result
View All Result
The Money Coach
No Result
View All Result

10 Horrible Business Practices That Make Me Shut My Purse

Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach
in Personal Finance
Reading Time: 6 mins read
Closed purse
9
SHARES
142
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn

U.S. businesses are increasingly courting women customers. And it’s easy to see why.

More and more women are taking an active role in managing their family’s finances, and 44% of all females in America are the primary breadwinners in their households, according to a 2014-2015 study from Prudential.

Perhaps that why salespeople, business owners and marketing execs in every industry – from banking and pharmaceuticals to retail and transportation – all want to know what makes women tick financially.

In fact, in the field of behavioral economics, there’s a growing amount of research devoted solely to figuring out why women buy and what motivates us to spend.

I obviously can’t speak for all women. But I can say what’s a true turnoff for me when I’m considering spending my hard-earned dollars.

Here are 10 horrible business practices – including several inspired by my recent summer travels – that instantly make me shut my purse and never want to buy certain products and services.

1. The Ever-Changing Dis-Loyalty Rules

So many companies claim they want to “work hard” to gain my loyalty. But that’s just their words. Their deeds are totally different.

I can’t tell you how many airlines have lost my loyalty because they decided to devalue my frequent flyer mileage, change the rules midstream or in some way, or mess with the miles I’ve bought or earned. That doesn’t speak to me of business integrity. In fact, it makes me question your business ethics altogether. And I don’t like doing business with companies I can’t trust to keep their word.

2. The Dynamic Pricing Dud

I also hate it when I’m going online and shopping for something – most recently, it’s been airfare – and I find that prices are constantly fluctuating. Yes, I know that dynamic pricing is all the rage and that companies employ small armies of analytics specialists to figure out just the right combination of pricing, discounts and so on to entice customers, as well as boost revenues. But for me, it’s really just a pain.

If I see a price quoted online, don’t change it 5 minutes later, so that by the time I run to get my wallet for my credit card the price has shot up inexplicably. That’s a turnoff and I’ll just take my business elsewhere.

3. The Lipstick on a Pig Technique

Here’s another thing to the airline industry: Please don’t send me a nice, glossy letter in the mail telling me the “wonderful news” about how my 200,000 frequent flyer miles have now been devalued but I have “greater options.” OK, so basically you’re saying my miles are virtually worthless, right? Hello! I can see right through your slick marketing lingo. You’re really just trying to put a happy spin on bad news.

If I’m losing a perk and it’s not being replaced by something as good as or better than I had, can’t you just be honest about it? If you can’t afford to deliver a benefit any longer, just deliver the news straight out and say that. Don’t insult my intelligence by trying to slap lipstick on a pig and calling it a kitty cat. It’s still a pig. All your marketing hype makes me think you’re just being piggy too – as in greedy.

4. Price Gouging Gone Wild

I understand that companies are in business to earn a buck. Really, I do. And I get it that certain firms – especially publicly traded ones – are under pressure to post ever higher earnings to keep Wall Street and investors happy. That’s all fine and good. And when I get really good experiences, quality products or excellent customer service, I’m happy to pay a premium for those things.

But there’s a huge difference between me paying a “premium” and me getting price gouged. If I even think that you’re charging an unreasonably hefty charge for something, I’m going to resent it. Even if I do grudgingly pay a certain fee under duress, simply because I have limited or no options, you can be sure I won’t be back – or if I do return, I’ll come up with a clever way to bypass your ridiculous charges in the future.

So marketers need to think long and hard moment about pricing: it’s not about how much you can get away with charging, or what the wealthiest among us can afford. For most products and services, it’s about delivering good value and still being reasonable.

Is it reasonable to charge $25 for a locker rental at an amusement park?

Is it reasonable to charge $150 per passenger just to change an airline ticket – above and beyond the difference in the fare?

I don’t think so.

5. The “Catch” in the Marketing Hook

Don’t try to confuse me by saying there’s a special promotion, a discount or freebie available – when you know that 99.9% of all possible customers will NOT qualify for that price break. Sometimes, women are pitched these offers as “buy one, get one free” or 50% off deals. Legitimate offers like these are fine. But if I have to jump through ridiculous hoops to qualify for any deal, that’s no better than a bait-and-switch move – another one of my buying pet peeves. You might as well say: “Hey there! We have a big sale going on, but it’s only for left-handed people age 70 and older who were born on Christmas Day in Topeka, Kansas with the last name Mecklenberg.”

6. The Crazy Opt-In Tactic

Don’t slam me into offers that I didn’t ask for; that’s unethical — whether it’s a new credit card, a magazine or newsletter subscription, or a 30-day trial offer for some vitamins. So make sure that the stupid little box to “opt in” to something isn’t already pre-checked or selected when I’m about to make a purchase. I want to control what I opt into – not you.

7. The Never-Ending Pitch

Here’s one for retail stores: I shouldn’t have to repeatedly tell some pushy cashier that I don’t want your credit card to save 10%. I understand that you have to train your sales associates to ask if I want your store credit. But cut out the hard sell already. Once I decline once, don’t keep asking me the same question seven ways from Sunday or telling me about all the benefits the card offers. Keep doing that and I’m liable to put the entire purchase back and walk out the store empty-handed.

8. The Rabid Robocalls

I really shouldn’t have to say this one, but I will – and it’s to all the businesses out their pitching their wares and services by bugging me and basically using the telephone as an instrument of complete and total harassment.

Do you really think I’m going to buy anything in the world from you when your annoying robocalls have dialed my house at exactly 7:05 a.m. every single day for the past two weeks? Are you nuts!?

I tell you what: send me a list of all the products and services you sell. That way I can be a truly informed consumer. And I promise you this: I will do my very best to avoid ever buying anything whatsoever from you – for the rest of my entire life.

9. The Spamming or Cold-Calling Chumps

Speaking of the phone, if you’re spamming me with text messages, you can really forget about landing me as a customer. Are you completely crazy? Do you know how many scammers are out there texting, emailing and making cold calls? I assure you that my credit card and I are not going to come near your company with a 10-foot pole if you engage in these business tactics.

10. The Impossibly Hard-to-Find Fine Print

Lastly, don’t make me search Google to find out how to cancel a subscription, end a service, get a refund or make a change when it comes to some product or service for which I’ve paid. All this info really should be easily and readily found on your website. What do you think an FAQ’s section is for? If I can’t at least find it there, now I’m really ticked off because now you’re wasting my time and I feel like you’re playing games with me.

When I want a refund, a cancellation or some kind of change and I can’t find it quickly, the only thing going through my mind is: How come your sales pitch is in 48 point font in BOLD, RED LETTERS on page one of your corporate site, but the process for cancelling something or making a return is God knows where in the fine print or buried deep in some technical area?

Use some common sense and have some respect for your customers: If I buy something online, the same the page that I used to place an order should be the same page where I can easily find out how to cancel or make changes to that order.

So these are 10 horrible business practices that drive me bananas and cause me to shut my purse.

What drives you crazy and shuts your purse or wallet? Sound off here on AskTheMoneyCoach.com or on your favorite social network.

Related articles on the web
  • The slow demise of the frequent flyer program (washingtonpost.com)
  • Attention all passengers: Frequent flyer miles are on the descent (news.yahoo.com)
  • IRS Eyes New Ways to Tax Frequent Flyer Miles (taxprof.typepad.com)
Tags: Frequent-flyer programtravel rewardswomen and money
Previous Post

Manage Your Budget and Debt With These Free Tools

Next Post

Tips for Dealing with Mounting Debt

Related Posts

Lynnette Khalfani-Cox discussing the Silicon Valley Bank Collapse

The Silicon Valley Bank Collapse Explained: Video

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

https://youtu.be/N_hSvQTZ63AI created this video to help my audience better understand the impact of the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. Many of my followers have asked me why this happened, what was the cause of the failure, if their money is still safe, and why SVB gets a...

Warm toned portrait of black senior woman talking on phone while enjoying breakfast in morning

Beware Of These 30 Scams That Will Take Your Money

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

Every year, the IRS and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) receive numerous complaints about fraudulent activities and financial scams. These scams can be devastating, causing people to lose their hard-earned money and personal information. It’s important to be aware of the top scams reported by the IRS and BBB to...

Happy Women's Day greeting card illustration. 3D papercut woman symbol with group of women from different cultures. Paper craft design for international womens event.

Celebrating International Women’s Day

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

https://youtu.be/32K0nm-Id84International Women's Day is celebrated annually on March 8th to recognize the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women and to advocate for gender equality worldwide. The day is celebrated globally, and it serves as a call-to-action for women's rights and gender parity.The history of International Women's Day can...

Woman reads bad news in mobile message. Female sad looking at smart phone feels shocked. Business woman worried from investment losses. Customers are not happy with the internet connection speed.

10 Ways to Avoid an Overdrawn Bank Account

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

Finding out that you have an overdrawn bank account is never a pleasant experience. Not only can it be embarrassing, but it can also result in costly fees. The average overdraft fee in the U.S. is around $30. To avoid this situation, here are 10 ways to prevent overdrawing your...

Updating Your Resume

Updating Your Resume to Get a Higher Salary Job

by AskTheMoneyCoach

Updating a resume is something you should do regularly, even if you’re not planning to leave a job soon. It’s important to review it occasionally since the world is changing, as does the corporate environment. Therefore, your job application documents might be outdated once you have to use them.  Additionally,...

extra cash

Ten Proven Ways to Make Extra Cash

by Guest Contributor

People are always searching for different ways to make some extra cash. With the cost of living rising and bills piling up, it can be hard to make ends meet. Luckily, there are plenty of creative and easy ways to generate additional income without having to work long hours or...

Small business african female owner smiling while turning sign for opening of cafe. Happy afro-american waitress entrepreneur in apron present sign on door

Buy Black: 20 Powerful Reasons to Support Black-Owned Businesses

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

In February, you’ll see a lot of people on social media and elsewhere urging you to Buy Black and purchase goods and services from Black-owned businesses. And that’s great! Let’s normalize supporting Black entrepreneurs beyond Black History Month. But as the co-owner of a Black-owned firm for two decades (TheMoneyCoach.net LLC,...

Load More

Popular Posts

  • Car repair

    What to Do If You Can’t Afford a Car Repair Bill

    1369 shares
    Share 548 Tweet 342
  • What to Do if Your Spouse Stole Money From You

    1159 shares
    Share 464 Tweet 290
  • What to Do If You Can’t Afford to Leave Your Spouse

    1097 shares
    Share 439 Tweet 274
  • Here’s Why I Pay My Kids For Good Grades (And Maybe You Should Too)

    999 shares
    Share 399 Tweet 250
  • What Do All Those Strange Codes In My Credit Report Mean?

    809 shares
    Share 324 Tweet 202
  • Do This Now If Your Wages Were Not Reported

    736 shares
    Share 294 Tweet 184
  • How to Find Out if a Debt Collector is Licensed to Collect Your Debt

    713 shares
    Share 285 Tweet 178

All information on this blog is for educational purposes only. Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach, is not a certified financial planner, registered investment adviser, or attorney. If you need specialty financial, investment or legal advice, please consult the appropriate professional. Advertising Disclosure: This site may accept advertising, affiliate payments or other forms of compensation from companies mentioned in articles. This compensation may impact how and where products and companies appear on this site. AskTheMoneyCoach™ and Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach® are trademarks of TheMoneyCoach.net, LLC.

©2009-2023 TheMoneyCoach.net, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

RSS / Sitemap /Submit an Article / Privacy Policy / LynnetteKhalfaniCox.com

No Result
View All Result
  • Books
  • Categories
  • Contact Lynnette
  • Get Coaching
  • Hire Lynnette
  • Money Coach University™
  • The Money Coach Recommends™
  • Home
  • Subscribe to Newsletter
  • QR Code

©2009-2021 TheMoneyCoach.net, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist