Alexandra’s Blog

Is it just me or does everyone want something extra for nothing?

Of course, we all want something for nothing. We would love to get extras on everything but we know that is not always the case considering we are not going always get everything we want and there are certain areas that are not going to give us something for nothing.

However, in the last few years, I have noticed that there are certain individuals, business owners, who are now wanting something extra. Something, I honestly don’t see needs to occur.

Take for example my “former” trainer. The more I thought about it, the more I found that I was being sent to the cleaners. He was always looking for some way to make some extra money. And like the kind considerate person I was, I would oblige. After giving him a check for a full week of work, I would also throw in something a little extra, maybe a few more dollars. Well, this person decided that they could go to the well a little bit more. One month, I decided to pay the trainer a fee at the end of the month. Being that it was the holidays, I wanted to do something nice for a person who had been nice enough to me. With the month’s check, I put in an additional forty dollars. 

You would think that the trainer would be pleased with this option. However, he gave me a bill whereby, get this, he had already given himself a raise! The more I think about it now, the more I had wished I would have saved that money to pay on a bill. He was expecting something for nothing. And now he is getting nothing. Life is so unfair.

This “extra” something led me to leave a hairstylist. When I first went to this stylist, I was impressed by her work and her reasonable prices. I had been going to her shop for a few months when I noticed that she had posted a sign in pink regarding her new policies in the shop. Of course, she had to raise the prices of her products. I can understand that considering that there was inflation and our economy is shot to hell. But then, when I saw that she was going to charge you $25 for failing to cancel an appointment at least one day prior to, I was floored. It was on that same day that she was giving me a relaxer. She was explaining to the lady that her relaxers no longer cost $35, they were now $60, which did not include the shampoo ($15) and a deep conditioner ($15). Was I going to a hair stylist in a small town or somewhere in New York?

What made matters even worse was the fact that after I had gotten the relaxer, my hair started coming out badly. Upon going to another stylist, she informed me that I had been the receipent of a expired perm!

Now, here comes the doctor. A doctor who had been going to for a while now has decided that he wants to be put up a sign as well. Anyone who does not call to cancel an appointment (did not specify a time limit) will have to pay an additional $25.

Have these individuals ever heard of emergencies? What happened to patient or client’s happiness? Why are we, as a society, trying to get something for nothing? Ever been to a loan company where they told you that you had to pay your bill on a certain date or otherwise they would charge you  fee for being late? Whatever happened to courtesy?

Sure  I know that there are some people who make appointments but don’t show intentionally. But should we have to suffer for their mishaps? Things come up, accidents happen, relatives pass, dogs die, but yet I am going to be punished for not showing up?

I guess you know what happened after that. The trainer slowly saw the clientele decreasing (probably because the trainer was trying to cheat the best clients). The hairstylist eventually started losing customers. Guess what’s going to happen to the doctor? Enforcing this type of policy is wrong because you feel as if an individual was wasting your time. I want all of three of these people to step into the consumer shoes for a moment and imagine if the cleaners told you have to come pick up your suit by 5 p.m. or get charged a holding fee?

What if your creditor said that you had to pay a bill by Wednesday or get charged extra for your services? What if these three individuals had something that had to be at a particular time or had an appointment that if they didn’t cancel they had to pay $25 or better yet $100? They wouldn’t want that either, so why do this to your clients and consumers?