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When a restaurant receipt story gets wildly popular online, it’s usually because a horrible customer leaves a rude message or because a restaurant staffer insults a diner, but occasionally it’s a happy story about an eatery doing something nice. Question is, are restaurants beginning to fake these stories for positive PR? [More]
Is This Comped Olive Garden Receipt The Real Deal Or Just Viral Marketing?
By March 27, 2013
Is The Coffee-Grounds-In-Milkshake ‘Frozen Mocha’ The Next Secret Menu Item To Take Off?
By March 22, 2013
We’ve talked a lot over the years about secret menu items at fast food joints and how they can be both fun for customers and good for business, so we’re always on the lookout for the next Mc10:35. Now the creator of that fast food Frankenstein has a new secret menu item he says is taking off at his local In-N-Out Burger. [More]
Should Your Landlord Be Able To Decide If Your Significant Other Can Stay The Night?
By September 10, 2012
Remember the days of Three’s Company, when the only way a man could convince the landlord to let him stay in an apartment with two single women was by pretending to be gay? Even when I first moved to New York in the mid-’90s, more than a few landlords told me I could only have male roommates and that female overnight guests were frowned upon. But times are changing and most people just expect their landlord to butt out, so long as they aren’t knocking down walls or installing hot tubs in the bathroom. But there are still some people out there that don’t want any unwed hanky-panky going on under their roof. [More]
What's The Best Way For A Cashier To Handle Problem Child With Complaining Mom?
By August 10, 2012
Learning how to handle problem customers in retail isn’t easy. If you treat them with even a fraction of the lack of respect they show to you, it can balloon into a full-on “situation.” And things can get especially complicated if that bad consumer has a little kid in tow. [More]
Should There Be A Limit On Items At The Self-Checkout Line?
By July 27, 2012
Self-checkout lanes have become a topic of debate in the retail world in recent years. Does it speed up the process and cut down on labor costs, or are they high-maintenance money pits that put people out of work? Are they intended to be used for small purchases of just a few items — or is it perfectly fine to get in line with a full week’s worth of groceries? [More]
What’s The Best Way To Handle The “Hold On, I’m On The Phone” Customer?
By July 10, 2012
There is a special type of bad consumer that is the bane of both retail employees and other customers waiting in line — the person who not only blabs away on their phone while waiting in line but also holds things up by refusing to pause their call when they get to the head of the line. So what is the best way to deal with this problem in a way that just won’t slow things down even more? [More]
Should Snapple Sorbet Bars Disclose They Contain Absolutely No Fruit?
By June 19, 2012
Fruit-flavored snacks are notorious for their lack of fruit content, but most items with “sorbet” in the name at least use some fruit juice or fruit base. And one might look at the box for Snapple Sorbet Bars and think that the phrase “naturally flavored” implies some fruit content. But a look at the ingredients panel says otherwise. [More]
Should An Airline Be Allowed To Say Your Shirt Is Too Offensive?
By May 23, 2012
When does an airline passenger’s attire cross a line and become so offensive they should not be allowed to board? And who determines where that line is drawn? Those are the questions surrounding an incident involving a woman who says she missed her connecting flight because a pilot said her shirt was inappropriate. [More]
How Many Minutes Should Store Employees Get To Clean Up Baby Vomit?
By May 1, 2012
If you’re walking down the aisle of a grocery store and a customer only a few feet in front of you accidentally drops a glass jar on the floor, you would have a hard time blaming the store if you got nicked by a piece of glass. But what if that shattered jar had been there for an hour? Thirty minutes? Ten minutes? This is the question that will soon face a jury in a slip-and-fall lawsuit against Target. [More]
Hero Or Scoundrel? 92-Year-Old Pirates DVDs To Send To Troops Stationed Overseas
By April 27, 2012
Making a copy of a new DVD to send to a loved one stationed overseas with the armed forces is something many people would consider just fine. Making thousands of copies of that same DVD for sale on street corners would likely earn some frowns from the public. But what about someone — especially an adorable nonagenarian World War II vet — who makes thousands of copies for the sole purpose of entertaining the troops? [More]
Who Is To Blame When Car Dealer Sells $62K Nissan To Man With Dementia?
By March 12, 2012
A woman in California has a brand new, extras-packed Nissan Murano convertible worth a whopping $62,130 sitting unused in her garage. Why? Because she says the car dealership should never have sold the vehicle to her husband, who has been diagnosed with dementia. [More]
Should I Accept $10 From eBay Seller To Remove Negative Feedback?
By March 8, 2012
Consumerist reader Ed recently had a rather unpleasant experience with a merchant on eBay, so he did what many of us would do — he posted a negative review detailing his problems. But then the seller reached out to him with a proposition. [More]
Is "No Problem" A Suitable Substitute For "You're Welcome"?
By December 16, 2011
People often complain that customer service reps sound like — and sometimes are — reading from a script. So while many of us appreciate it when we speak to someone who treats us in a less-stilted fashion, is there a point where a CSR’s tone and diction can become too informal? [More]
What Would You Do If You Found $2,500 In The House You Just Bought?
By December 15, 2011
When you buy a house, it’s pretty common to be slapped in the face (or kicked in the butt) by hidden costs. What is less common is stumbling upon a substantial stash of cash. [More]
Who Is Responsible When A Shopper Loses Items He Just Bought?
By December 13, 2011
In all the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, we’re surprised we don’t hear more about shoppers accidentally losing a bag of items they just purchased. But when that happens, is the store responsible for the shopper’s forgetfulness? [More]
Does Accepting A Better Fridge Than The One I Ordered Make Me A Bad Consumer?
By December 5, 2011
Last week, a reader wrote in wanting to hear from the Consumerist hive-mind if he’d been a Bad Consumer by badgering a carwash into giving him some wiper fluid for damage that might not have been the carwash’s fault. Inspired by that post, another reader wants to hear your verdict — and this time it’s a lot pricier than a bottle of wiper fluid. [More]
Does A Bad Credit Score Mean You'll Be Bad At Your Job?
By November 10, 2011
A growing number of employers are running credit checks on potential hires before making a job offer. Unfortunately, there are a large number of people out there whose credit reports are still marred by the recent and ongoing economic troubles. So does it make sense to consider an applicant’s credit history? [More]
