You see examples of this quite often on notalwaysright.com (in the 'not always right' category).

Customer comes into the store and then makes unreasonable demands, threats, etc., and insults workers, other customers, and store management.

When they don't get their own way, or are just generally offended that their whims or distorted consumer-view are dismissed, they proudly announce that they are done with the vendor and will never return!

And then ... they return. And go through the same nonsense each. and. every. time!

I've seen that happen in front of me in "real life" as well.

And I just don't get it. If someone is so obviously unhappy with a business, whether it be a product, level of service, or other patrons, they are *fully* within their rights to boycott that business. Take their money (and their attitude) elsewhere.

Heck, *I've* done that on occasion (minus the unreasonable demands, threats, and insults). Many years back, my vehicle was totalled in a collision (inattentive driver coming from other direction turned directly across my path, leaving me enough time to say "Sh-" ). Anyway, needed a new vehicle immediately. Researched our options *fast*, went to a dealership within a couple of days, gave our requirements, and the salesman found a mostly-suitable vehicle. "Mostly", since it had a feature for which we had absolutely no use, and he agreed to drop it from the price. AWESOME. Sat down for paperwork, discussed financing, etc. Total time spent was now up to 3-4 hours. He comes back with the contract and says his manager won'd drop that $500 option (on a $25,000 sale). We stood up after having been jerked around for almost 4 hours and left. And related our experience with that dealership for years afterward. (And related our absolutely WONDERFUL experience with a different vendor that I contacted on the phone just after we left -- told my requirement on the phone (this was at end of day). He had a vehicle on the lot, I went in the next morning and drove away 15 minutes later with a new $25K purchase -- no fuss, no muss!)

Anyway, the point is, we opted not to frequent a dishonest vendor, and stuck to our guns (including for other later purchases).

So, no... I just *don't* understand why anybody continues, day-in, day-out, to come back to a place they are "done with", that they believe is full of blatant "BS" and is rife with other patrons that cheat the system and panders to select clientele at the expense of others, etc., etc., etc.

Anybody else have an explanation for that type of behaviour?

Just curious :-)

This...

No idea what drives people to act this way. I've decided to walk out of places for good only a couple of times, and for those never returned.

Honestly, I don't get it either. A dangerous combination of persistence and self-destruction?

Now I will share a fun story for you, just to cheer you up . . .

During my undergraduate days, my friend visited a nearby bar, located just off campus in an otherwise sleepy neighborhood. This dear establishment kept the thirsty coeds from a long drive into the city. One day, after a decent number of beers and plenty of encouragement from friends, this friend decides to steal borrow a wooden statue of a Native American Smoking a pipe; one that had so strangely sat outside this fine institution. While attempting to hoist the heavy statue into his pick up truck, the owner confronted my buddy, who was comically not making much progress. The owner asked, "Do you attend the University?" "Well, Yes," he says. "Do you think the Dean would be happy if he heard what you were doing?" continues the owner. "Sorry, I don't know what came over me. I'll return the statue and do whatever I can to make it right." "Well," said the bar owner, "I'll make a deal with you. Why don't you and your friends come back here tomorrow and have more beer and act like perfectly good citizens . . . and we'll forget the whole thing ever happened?" They were back the next day, and the smoking native American sat safely outside that bar door for years to follow. I'm not sure, but it may still be there many years later. I like to think it is still there.

Now see, my friend had an opportunity to show some moral rectitude after a small lapse in judgement, and we have a happy story. ;)

On the contrary, consistently acting like a spoiled 9 year old . . . is not as much fun.

Anothing thought I may proffer is that some of those agwyvern described with have this reaction no matter where they go. So no matter what establishment they get their services from they will complain at and say they will leave, but it would only be to another location they have done the same at before.

I think some folks, the sub-cretans that they are, follow this behavior pattern to try to affect a business in a bad way, perhaps believing their repeated behavior will rub off on other patrons that frequent the establishment.