Mojo In The Morning

I Get It for Free

11 min
Apr 15, 20263 days ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

The hosts of Mojo In The Morning discuss the psychology and tactics of asking for free items or compensation when orders are wrong or services are unsatisfactory. The conversation explores different personality types—from those who confidently request compensation to those who avoid confrontation—and includes caller stories about getting refunds, discounts, and free items through various strategies.

Insights
  • Confidence and politeness are key factors in successfully obtaining compensation; people who ask directly without aggression tend to get better results than those who are confrontational
  • The 'I need a little bit of help' approach is more effective than demanding compensation, as it appeals to service workers' desire to help rather than triggering defensiveness
  • Different generational and family backgrounds influence whether people feel comfortable requesting compensation for service failures
  • Some consumers strategically under-order expecting to request free items, revealing a calculated approach to getting more value
  • Service workers appreciate kindness and respect, making them more willing to go above and beyond when treated well
Trends
Growing consumer expectation that service failures warrant compensation beyond just correcting the orderShift toward app-based complaint resolution (DoorDash, etc.) as lower-friction alternative to face-to-face confrontationIncreased use of politeness and emotional intelligence as negotiation tactics in customer service interactionsGenerational differences in comfort level with asking for compensation or upgradesService industry workers developing strategies to manage customers seeking free items or upgrades
Topics
Customer service complaint resolutionNegotiation tactics and psychologyAsking for compensation or discountsService failure recoveryGenerational differences in consumer behaviorConflict avoidance vs. assertivenessHotel upgrade strategiesFast food order accuracyRetail customer expectationsPoliteness as negotiation tool
Companies
Zotford
Auto service business mentioned as example of retail operation dealing with customers requesting free items or compen...
Chick-fil-A
Fast food chain used as example of where callers attempt to get free items by requesting additional products at drive...
Taco Bell
Fast food chain cited as target of caller's strategy to get free food by falsely claiming order errors multiple times...
People
Steve Gabbard
Guest who shared retail customer service stories about people requesting compensation for free items or services
Pops
Anna Robb's grandfather (age 86) cited as example of someone who consistently requests free items or compensation
Evelyn
Caller who shared aggressive approach to demanding free items and refunds when orders are messed up
Kyle
Caller who admitted to calling restaurants falsely claiming order errors to get free food when financially struggling
Timothy
Caller who shared friend's strategy of deliberately under-ordering and claiming mistakes to get free items
Courtney
Caller who shared practice of calling businesses pretending to be her sister to request compensation
Toya
Caller who shared strategy of asking for free items at fast food and deliberately not ordering for children to get fr...
Quotes
"I need a little bit of help. When you leave it because people get yelled at all day in that position. But when you come in and say, I need some help, people want to help people."
Host (discussing effective customer service approach)Mid-episode
"Close mouth does not get fed."
HostLate episode
"Kill them with kindness because whenever you call and you're overly nice, then they always just are open to actually giving you a discount because if you kill them with kindness, it works every time."
CallerMid-episode
"I'm definitely, I'm going to get it for free. And if you don't listen, if you mess up my order and then I sit in bed and you mess it up again, I want it for free and I want my money back."
EvelynLate episode
"He pretends to get the order wrong every single time. He's a thief."
Timothy (about friend's strategy)Late episode
Full Transcript
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Generated assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com slash disclosures. Alright Mojo in the morning. Kevin says that his mom is always looking for something free. Well, phrasing is interesting. I mean, aren't we all? But in particular, my mom. So this week, I've been taking Josiah over my mom's house and yesterday I told her we were coming over and she's like, okay, I'm going to get pizza and salads and all these things. So we get there. Tell her what we want on the salads. When they bring it, they add tomatoes on the salad when my mom specifically says she didn't want tomatoes. So she called up the company and she's like, Hey, just to let you know, I have tomatoes on my salad. I told you, I do not want tomatoes. I want another salad. And the guy's like, okay, okay, okay. She's like, and what are you going to give me off? What are you going to give me? And this isn't like new to me. I feel like my mom has operated this way kind of like my entire life when something she asks for is different when she received it. She'll always say like, okay, well, I need something off. Like, what do you have off for me? And I don't know if that's like a normal thing. Like, do you guys operate like that or do you have your parents operate? Pops does. He's just saying, wait, really? He wants something free. So if he has one little thing wrong, for sure. Will he let them bring it back half eight and be like, you made this wrong and they'll give him a refund or give him like free meal next time. He doesn't do it where he says, I just want it right. He actually wants something free. Correct. Remember the movie story? He didn't like the movie he went to see. So he got free tickets to a different. Oh my God. And for those who don't know, Pops is Anna Robbs grandpa. 86. Shout out pops. Who's got the greatest voice ever. Hello. Maybe it's like an older generation thing. I don't know what your mom is. Imagine she ain't as old as pops, but she was raised by some of my niggas. So maybe it was passed on. Anna. Can you imagine Anna's pops in Cavs mom going together? They're gonna be upgrading. Actually, Steve Gabbard has walked in from Zotford. Steve, come up to the microphone. Steve, are these the type of people you want coming in as customers at Zotford and Holly? There's nothing better than the, you know, we need it for free people. I love them. Do you have that at all with people like where they'll get something and they want something? Oh yeah. I mean, you know, the work in retail is the most fun job in the world, but you could work with people and you get stories like this all the time. I mean, you can't imagine like someone in the back is getting an oil change and we're providing them with free coffee, but it's cold. So they want to, you know, they want to be taken care of for the cold coffee, but you didn't pay for the coffee. Wait, they'll do that. They'll be in the waiting area. And if they don't like what's in the waiting area, they'll ask for something. We've gotten a talking to a timer or so for snacks. I mean, up to speed in their opinion. I'm not going to lie. If you're going to do something, do it right. But what is it matter of opinion, right? Like, you know, I mean, if I think the snacks are yummy, I mean, look at me. I know how to eat, right? Snacks are yummy, but, but we go out of our way to make it right. I'll send someone across the street to the gas station and get them the crackers they want or whatever it is. It's no problem. I got to tell you that I am the exact opposite of this where I don't ask for it because I'm so afraid of people looking at me like I'm the calling out. Like I don't do it. In my family, sometimes there's times where my family has literally had bugs in their food and stuff. I'm like, don't worry about it. They love bugs. The only time I will actually ask is if I'm about to buy something and girls can empathize with this. If I go up to the cash register and I see that like there's a stain or makeup on the collar or something, I'll be like, oh, do you have another one in the back? And if they don't, I'll usually say like, is there anything you can do? Okay. Because they'll usually give you like 10% or 20% off whatever it is. I'm not mad at my moms though. I'm going to be honest with you. You set, you, you, you order your salad, they're delivering it. You specifically say what you don't want. You have to waste time. You're paying for some. You're going to pay for some. You don't want. It's funny. Watch it. If I do dash it and it's only through the app and I can say that it wasn't, it wasn't right and whatever. I will do it. If I have to face the face, tell the door dash or I won't do it. Well, you're Mr. Non Conflict. If I've ever met. I know. Yeah. I mean, I was at dinner the other night with some friends and a sandwich came and they ordered one kind of sandwich and a complete different one came. And I was like, send it back. They're like, I'm not waiting. They just wanted to eat whatever. Because everybody else had their food and they just plowed through it. What's up, Courtney? How you doing? Hi, good morning. I always do this and it's known that I do this. So there's been times that stuff has happened to my sister and I will call and pretend like I'm her because she's too scared to just to get it fixed and get a discount. That's, that's wild. So yeah, everybody's got a different kind of personality. There are some people that are, I get it for free personalities where they get everything they want and they ask for it and they have no problem. And I'm sure they get turned down and it doesn't face them. If I got turned down one time, I'd be. You're done. Gun-chai and done. Yeah. Would never. Honestly, you got to kill them with kindness because whenever you call and you're overly nice, then they always just are open to actually giving you a discount because if you kill them with kindness, it works every time. We stayed at a hotel. We had a family, our last family vacation we stayed at hotel. It was the worst experience ever. It smelled like weed nonstop because there were a lot of weed smoking people. It was in Chicago. It was when the hall of fame happened. Okay. The room was dirty. They never came and cleaned the room. You tell it you stayed at. It was horrible. And it was really an expensive time in Chicago because there was a bunch of stuff going on in Chicago at that time. Yeah. And Chelsea's like, call the manager and do it. A guy gets on the phone and he's like, and I told him, I said, it smelled like weed. They never cleaned the room. We found this and this in the shower. All this stuff. By the end of the conversation, don't worry about it. You'll do great. I'll see you later. Take care. Chelsea goes, what did he do? He said he didn't do anything. And she goes, you know why? Because the entire time you're talking to him, you're like, I get it. I should have let her call. Actually, I should have let. Can I tell you the manager's mom or Anna Robbs, grandpa? The magic words I use all the time on customer service people is, hey, I just need a little bit of help. When you leave it because people get yelled at all day in that position. But when you come in and say, I need some help, people want to help people. I like it. It's a great lead. Toya, I need a little bit of help. What can I get you for free? What do you want? What kind of help do you need? Are you and I get it for free person? I am. My kid's Haiti. Why? What do you do? So we can go through like, say for instance, we're going through the drive-through at Chick-fil-A. And I will order our food and I get up to the window like, you know, you could have gave me another chicken sandwich for free. And I'm like, ma'am, you really want, why don't I do if you go put one in the bag, go in and do it? I'm not going to say no. It doesn't hurt to ask. I go say no. Do you ever not order for one of your kids? Like, do you ever not order for them knowing that you'll eventually get something for free? Yep. Yeah. I actually go into a lot of situations doing that. Oh my God. Okay. So you walk. Hey, hey, mom, I'd like to have. Mom, I'd like to have. I got my daughter to make her food yesterday. Yeah. Mom, I'd like to have no you won't. We're going to get whatever you get for free. We're going to ask them for it. What's up Evelyn? Hi. Good morning guys. How are you? Good morning. We're doing great. What's going on Evelyn? Oh, I'm definitely, I'm going to get it for free. And if you don't listen, if you mess up my order and then I sit in bed and you mess it up again, I want it for free and I want my money back. Oh man. Can I tell you, you're the worst advertiser we ever have on the station. I hate when we've had a couple of these advertisers that from time to time, they'll be like, I heard my spot run it. And we're like, Oh, you know what? We'll figure it out. We'll make it. We'll do the deal. That's Evelyn. And then they'll call back. Wait a second. I'm describing Steve Gabbara. Here we go. Actually, Steve is the story. No, Steve is the easiest advertiser ever because honestly, I don't think Hassan has ever called him to follow up on anything for you. Well, let me tell you what really happens is no one ever calls and says, Hey, I want to buy a car because I heard you on mojo. They call and say, Hey, I heard mojo picking on you the other day. Hey, advertising is advertising. I feel bad press. I feel bad that you have a friend like that guy. What's going on, Kyle? How you doing? Good. So back when I was like really, really broke, I used to call restaurants and say, Hey, you messed up my order. I need something. I need something free. I would specifically do it to Taco Bell probably at least three times a week for like a month. So you ate for free three times a week for a month. First off, you ate Taco Bell three times a week for a month. Are you okay? No, actually. Timothy, what a strategy. Yeah. Timothy, what's going on? How are you guys? Good. What's going on? I'm just going to get my phone out for stuff for free today. That's what I'm going to do to them and sit on the phone all day. I have a friend that every time we go to any fast food place, he will always order less than he needs like fries and stuff. And then when he gets the window, he'll be like, yeah, there's only one fry in here and they'll give him like three extra fries every time. And it drives me crazy. Oh, so he pretends they got the order wrong. Yeah. He pretends to get the order wrong every single time. He's a thief. Yeah. That's crazy. He really is. It drives me crazy. I tell you this and that is amazing that people are able to do that. Steve gave a great piece of advice. The help me line is that they work. I need a little bit of help. Just a little bit of help. My friend Denise George always told me that when you go to a hotel, the first thing that you do is you compliment the person that's working behind the counter. Because the person working behind the counter rarely ever gets somebody going, hey, come on. And then you say to them, here's the deal. I know you already have my room picked out. I would like to have the better room that you have and always ask for the better room and they will give you a better room. Really? Yeah. Close mouth does not get fed. Yeah. And it's wild because how many times that you checked into a hotel and you just go into the room and you're like, ah, this room kind of is whatever. You know what I mean? Like you don't know what you're. I'm always staring at a brick wall. It never fails that I always get like the worst. Mattis, we did a new part. Or like the parking garage or whatever. I have claustrophobia. I'm really, I have a really bad time. I'm having really bad anxiety. Is there any way that you can give me a better room like with a good view and stuff like that? Like you say something like that to them. And then the people that really do have claustrophobia and anxiety, they're screwed. You know what? It sucks to be bored. But when I get on my phone and play real casino games on spinquest.com, the time flies by that two hour wait at the DMV seems like 10 minutes. Play your favorite spots. Live blackjack. Live preps with a live dealer. New players $30 coin packs are on sale for 10 bucks. Play spinquest.com and you'll never be bored again. SpinQuest is a free to play social casino. Voidware prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details. 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