[Closed] Navel gazing Psychology question - consumer issues.

I don't think there is any calculated and malicious psychology involved - it's more likely they are terrified that if they put a refund button up, everyone will hit it and they will go out of business.

I try to ascribe the best motives when small companies are attempting comms - not all of them have access to big PR firms who can work out the best way to influence people without pissing them off. 🙂 . Let's face it, there are quite a few big firms who can't seem to manage it either.

I'm tending to give firms a bit of slack at the moment, although some will use Covid as cover to disguise poor customer service.

I try to ascribe the best motives when small companies are attempting comms – not all of them have access to big PR firms who can work out the best way to influence people without pissing them off.

I so wish there were more people like this! Good on you, Mr Hutch.

Now worried that a quick scan back over my posts will reveal lots of times I've ranted about poor service! 🙂 I do try though...

Sick Bikes doesn't count. 🙂

I think you misunderstood me - I'm not accusing BPW of anything. Just trying to understand why it annoyed me with no real good reason. I like BPW and want them to survive.

I think you misunderstood me

Sorry, I read that from this, that it (albeit momentarily) made you feel that way about BPW.

Something about not offering it feels a bit opaque/dishonest.

The truth more generally is that nudge psychology is only irritating to consumers who spot it. Which must be a minority, with the majority blithely being influenced without being aware. It is only particularly inept use of the techniques, particularly in situations where it is heavily scrutinised (Copyright, HM Government), that the curtain is lifted for a lot of folk as to how they are being manipulated.

Is it nudge psychology or is it that as a nation we don't tend to like complaining / saying no.

The classic old one (doesn't seem to happen much any more, maybe as TPS etc. is more prevalent) but the eg: double glazing firms....'we're doing some surveys locally and have someone in your area on weds evening. Is 8pm a good time for them to call round?'

I never asked someone to come round / agreed to it!! But they all used to say it and I assume it's because they'd soon weed out the people who couldn't say no and so were more likely to have solar panels fitted to the roof once the salesman had sat there until 3am.

I agree, if I was given the choice I wouldn't take the refund as I want them to survive and I can see that a few hundred people taking refunds would cause cashflow problems for them...

but...

if I am not given the choice, it annoys me and means I feel like asking for a refund.

Perhaps I'm just an awkward person?

Perhaps I’m just an awkward person?

you were upset because they didn’t give you the option that you didn’t want anyway. Yes. I’d say psychologically that says far more about you than them 😂

Agreed, hence why I posted. Even I cant work out the inner workings of my mind 🙂

Its also the same reason I posted.

Anyway, are there any head shrinkers out there that can explain this?

Not a head shrinker, just interested. I do remember my Mum telling me "whatever you do, don't put your tounge on those battery contacts" (the old 6v spring contact lantern batteries) - to this day I can't walk passed one without my tounge invoulentary coming out.

It sounds a little like "Reactance", Chase Hughes of the Behaviour Panel describes it here at about 7mins and again at about 20mins.

The Behaviour Panel - presidential debate

I think there are a few factors at play here, based on my limited armchair non-expert understanding of psychology.

Firstly, purchasing decisions involve anticipation and this in itself generates a pleasurable emotional response. You’ve had that taken away from you, so you are already in a negative frame of mind when reading through the rest of the email.

Secondly, the use of words like ‘suspended’ have negative connotations associated with blame. And you will possibly feel a little insulted by that and feel that as the injured party in this deal, you should be treated with more respect and deference.

Thirdly, having received bad news in a negative way, you have been deprived of the usual and minimal recompense which would be a full refund.

So, you’ve had your treat taken away, not received a fair exchange for your expense and been made to feel like it’s your fault.

you were upset because they didn’t give you the option that you didn’t want anyway.

Perhaps the big what if? What if the situation surrounding the visit was different? It might be a one off visit that took effort organizing in terms of the various different parties the visit has impact upon (family/work/friends/etc).

What if that were me? I'd be annoyed. It annoys me these hypothetical people aren't taken into consideration. And so on.

Not a head shrinker, just interested. I do remember my Mum telling me “whatever you do, don’t put your tounge on those battery contacts” (the old 6v spring contact lantern batteries) – to this day I can’t walk passed one without my tounge invoulentary coming out.

I'm sure you can see the positives and negatives of this advice.

I do remember my Mum telling me “whatever you do, don’t put your tounge on those battery contacts

I remember my dad telling me to try it and then almost wetting himself laughing when I did, he then did it and I almost wet myself.

Edit to say it was a smaller battery but enough to give me a jump I wasn't expecting.

I also think if they had offered me the option, but asked if I would help them by letting them keep my dosh, then I would have been fine with it.

This is the nice way of doing it. It doesn't take much to write a sentence explaining why. Silverstone did it for the F1, along the lines of you can have a refund or keep your tickets for next year instead. Explained how it affected their cashflow and keeping hold of our money would help the survival of the business. Also they put you in to a prize draw for a pit walk or something if you deferred instead of refunding as a little sweetener.
Similar with all the live events that have been rearranged - always made it clear that you can have a refund if you want or original tickets are still valid.

Reactance is it I think.
From wikipedia, this feels most pertinent:

When an important free behavior has been threatened with elimination, the greater will be the threat, and the greater will be the level of reactance.
When there is a loss of a single free behavior, there may be by implication a related threat of removal of other free behaviors now or in the future.

With reading that and all the other helpful comments, and came to the conclusions that because they have already brushed over my right to a refund, it undermines trust and makes me wonder:
a) Their booking system is limited to three months ahead. I have no real convenient time to assemble all the participants on my booking during the next 3 months. So everyone is compromising, and there is bigger risk of cancellation by one fo the participants.
b) If I don't rebook right now will they erase more of my rights later? Like after 3 months will my booking get cancelled and I lose money?
c) When I looked yesterday there were no CV19 related T & C's, only that if we cancel we lose a cancellation fee.

So all those doubts just make me want my money back pronto.
If they offered the money back, or explained the process/rights more clearly then I would be more comfortable. I am sure the people running BPW have great intentions, but you never know when new management might come along or perhaps the company goes under.

Anyway as I mentioned I am sucking it up and will rebook in a few weeks when better dates become available. I would like a clearer explanation though.

Cross post with POCPOC. I have not been victim of any other cancellations so had not been aware of that.
sirromj made sense too, there are 6 of us, across two bookings, 4 from the south east, one local and one from the midlands.