Behavioral psychology and buying a warranty at Menards

I'd assign higher probability to the latter, given that he was quite effective at selling you a warranty.

I would also go with the latter, given that the situation appears framed such that the salesman had arranged the matter such that he could assume compliance/agreement rather than having to specifically acquire it. That's a high-pressure sales tactic and it's a classic.

I have a similar anecdote in which the manipulation was completely unintentional. As a teenager, I was home alone in my parents' house when a woman rang the front doorbell. When I answered it she brusquely invited herself inside, acting as though she had every right to come in and that of course I would know that. I can't fully reconstruct what I was feeling but I guess I was flustered and intimidated. She entered, then announced that she'd be taking a tour of the house. She proceeded to wander through every room, commenting occasionally, then thanked me and let herself out. I was stunned--both concerned over what had just happened, and mortified that I had just let it happen. As it turned out, she was a real estate agent who was supposed to be assessing my neighbor's house and got the wrong address. Her air of absolute confidence that she was allowed to do this and that she was in too much of a hurry to confirm that she had permission was unfeigned.

Indeed he was! The experience was really shocking to myself; I hope to gain increased awareness of such approaches/situations. Hopefully a decrease in sensitivity to perceived humiliation as well.

Wow, it really does work with readily available scenarios:

• "Do you want to supersize it?"
• "Would you like a drink with that?"
• "Add the supplementary electronics plan for $13.97?"
• "Paper or plastic?"

(I try to remember to bring my own reusable bag.) Not sure about "Receipt with you or in the bag?"

A very simple fix that, as False_Solace points out, is perhaps mostly applicable for these types of buying situations. Reduce chance of error/regret while only marginally increasing the need to correct. Thanks for sharing!

I usually respond "No thank you, not today". Adding "not today" reminds me that I contribute to charity on many other days, and I pick those organizations more carefully.

Unless the donation is expected as part of a cultural tradition just say "No Thank You" and keep walking. It really isn't that hard and they probably wont respond unfavorably.

socialons

Useful idea and term. Thank you.

Plus, it is really hard to tell some random person "sorry, but the utilon-to-dollar ratio is insufficient".

While I'm curious as to how the results would turn out, I have strong suspicions already -- but I wonder how people would react if instead of asking for your donation, they arranged matters such that they could assume you would donate: i.e.; 'do you require us to not contribute one dollar in your name to so-and-so organization?'

Why I'm curious: I wonder how those of us who have learned the language of 'utilon-to-dollar ratio' would react in a functionally equivalent situation that required active denial rather than active compliance.

Considering this kind of arbitrary self-consistency is often undesirable, it might be worth it to train yourself to deliberately and publicly reneg on snap judgements. Think of it as a security patch. You may also find that your social status does not take the hit you think it will, even if you leave a long time before announcing you've changed your mind.

Yes -- indeed. It definitely should have been easier since I had not swiped my card. I agree that the longer I deliberated (this was like split seconds, though it felt like a long time), the more foolish it seemed to retract my "Okay." It didn't help that I was deep in thought about how to continue my testing when I got home. I was really not very aware of the task at hand.

Alternatively, how do I notice when people are fleecing me for trivial amounts of money, so I don't feel like a chump afterwards?

Absolutely perfect wording. My same thought at the register was that $2.97 was hardly worth fussing over. When my mental playback set in on the way out the door and to my car, my emotions/self-image begged to differ.

Maybe people with skills like that are less likely to become beggars.

I wonder what sort of dangerous things you can do to a multimeter within the year...

I don't know... given an entire year I'm sure I could get pretty inventive. Already I'm wondering how one could integrete a multimeter into a plasma-arc speaker for 'audio-dubbing' effects...

Yes. This left quite the impression. At the very least, I plan to speak up next time rather than think it won't matter. That's what I did this time, and it clearly did matter.

What would bring me back in to that store? $14 multimeters, for one thing. I still shop at Sears, although a LOT less than I used to. Their prices on appliances can be very low. Their service sucks. To save a few hundred dollars of after tax money I am willing to spend a few hours more than a smoother more expensive transaction somewhere else.

As to the warranties, I think in a similar situation I would have let him ring it up and then feigned shock and anger when I saw my bill and demanded he call a supervisor over to the register. Once screwed like that my equilibrium is shattered and my entertainment value comes from screwing these people back. A public display of outrage at unasked for charges will probably moderate how both this cashier and her supervisor behave in the future. In any case, it will be a satisfying display for me, especially if there are other customers listening.

Most cashiers I deal with offer the warranty sheepishly as if they are required to by the store but think it is stupid. That i find to be a bonding experience with the cashier.

By the way, Menards is a hardware store. Like Lowe's or Home Depot or the hardware section of Sears.