Don’t you just love when you call a company during regular business hours, only to find out that every person who might be able to help you is unavailable? Sometimes, it’s “All the managers are in a meeting.” Or perhaps you’ll hear that “The executive team is attending an important trade show.” And my personal […]

While trying to kill some time before a movie last weekend, I wandered into a Starbucks that I had never seen before. I’m not sure how long this particular location has been there, but it’s on a busy corner with lots of foot traffic. When I went inside, I noticed that the seating area was […]

I recently helped a friend negotiate and complete a large purchase, in the neighborhood of $10k. However, about a week after we finalized the sale and right before delivery was supposed to take place, I got a call from our sales rep at the store. He said that they forgot to charge a special insurance […]

When I travel, my days are usually pretty hectic. Even with everything planned out in advance, there’s no way to predict when meetings will run long or you’ll get stuck in a line at the security checkpoint. Typically, these events mean that you’ll have to rush a little more on your way to the gate […]

Advertising in airports is a big business. Companies like ClearChannel and JC Decaux sell millions of dollars worth of ads on wall-mounted billboards, digital signs, and other airport media. But one thing has always puzzled me: Why don’t they tailor the advertising at each gate to match where the plane is going? Granted, only a […]

When I book a hotel, I always try to use the hotel’s official website. Unlike those non-refundable reservations at places like hotels.com, booking through the hotel site usually means you can change or cancel the reservation as needed. Plus, many hotels have a low price guarantee to match the travel sites on price. But there’s […]

The last time I checked, most airports have flights arriving and departing well past 8 pm. But I’ve come across numerous airports, such as Denver and Fort Lauderdale, that shut down nearly all the restaurants and shops at 8 o’clock. I know people would buy stuff well past that time, since vendors are busy in […]

Every time I deal with another company’s tech support department, it’s always the same story. I explain the problem to the rep along with what I’ve tried so far. Inevitably, they ask me to try the same thing again, ignoring everything I just told them. Next, they transfer me to another agent, who repeats the […]