= 27d567bc2d48d9f40e9ccc20ea370b15)
Dorikka comments on Behavioral psychology and buying a warranty at Menards - Less Wrong
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
= 783df68a0f980790206b9ea87794c5b6)
Loading…= b715d02e85f7b3b4ae65ca3d3e450868)
Subscribe to RSS Feed
Powered by Reddit
= f037147d6e6c911a85753b9abdedda8d)
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
Comments (38)
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.
Hard stuff like this happen to me when getting a gym membership (expensive!) and in a number of other cases where the salesperson bring up a set of reasonable claims (but of course highly biased and selected) in a friendly manner to get me into the agreeing frame before pressuring for a sale.
I find it helps to have defined the requirements before talking to any sales person, if not build up reflexive response to sales people and not attempt to update with likely highly incorrect, biased and difficult to process information in time sensitive communications. It also makes sense to pay more attention in non-routine purchases since the sales tactics is not inoculated against and make take more thought.
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.
Yes! That's the exact feeling. 1) Getting a bit shocked out of your element, 2) The confidence leading you to follow along and then 3) Puzzlement as well as not even quite understanding what just happened.
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.