Smart Consumer Archives - Christopher Elliott

This is how to be the world’s smartest consumer every time

January 20, 2021January 20, 2021

Maybe you’re old enough to remember a time when the customer was always right. Back then, employees were friendly “yes” men and women who served you with a smile. Deals were made with a handshake. You paid less, but you felt as if you got more. You didn’t need to be the world’s smartest consumer because businesses treated you honestly and fairly.

But today, people don’t trust companies to do the right thing — probably because companies often don’t do the right thing. Businesses assume the customer is wrong unless proven otherwise. And the reason no one is screaming to high heaven about this is that the decline of trust and customer service happened slowly.
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What happens after the pandemic? Time to pivot — again

December 23, 2020December 21, 2020

Heather Clark is preparing to pivot back after the pandemic.

Last March, her company, Phoenix-based Pomchies, was on life support after orders for headwear, scrunchies, and lanyards dried up. She quickly switched to manufacturing face masks and business took off.

Pomchies is one of thousands of American companies that made an abrupt turn from one business or service to another. Other transformations include distilleries switching to making hand sanitizer and booking platforms changing their service to fit their customers’ needs.
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Why are travelers not following the CDC’s advice?

December 16, 2020December 11, 2020

Many Americans are not following the CDC’s advice. Instead of staying home during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the government recommends, they’re going on vacation, according to the latest numbers.

This is what the CDC says: “Travel may increase your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others this year.”
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How MirrorTrip solved the one-way car rental problem

December 9, 2020December 4, 2020

Call it the one-way car rental problem.

If you rent a vehicle and return it to the same location, you can usually find a competitive rate. But rent the car in one place and return it somewhere else — a one-way rental — and you’ll pay a hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of dollars more.

Why? Car rental companies charge hefty dropoff fees to give drivers an incentive to return the vehicle to their original location.

But what if there was a way around that?
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Why you need to buy annual travel insurance in 2021

December 2, 2020December 2, 2020

Is 2021 the year to buy annual travel insurance? It is for Debbie Winsett, who plans several trips to Israel next year.

It comes down to simple math for Winsett: If she had to insure each trip individually, she’d pay thousands of dollars. But she’ll be leading several tours to the Holy Land in 2021, and there’s a more efficient, and less expensive, insurance option for that. It’s a single policy that covers everything.

“I love knowing it would cover weekend trips I might need to cancel, or random other travel throughout the year,” she says.

Winsett is part of a travel insurance trend for 2021.

“We are now seeing a big shift in the market,” says Sasha Gainullin, CEO of battleface, a travel insurance site. “Annual and multitrip policies are becoming more and more popular.”
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