Social Contract or Not

Dear Alina,

I recently contacted Alex from Family Travel Concierge to help my family find and book an all-inclusive resort. We spent 2 hours on the phone with him. This is unheard of in the travel industry – the agents usually give you a quote on the specific resorts and dates that you ask about, and tell you to call them back when you decide. Alex spent hours helping me sort through dozens of resorts, airlines and dates to find one that fits our needs and budget. At the end of our call, we agreed that I will run the details by my wife and call back to make a firm reservation. My wife, armed with all the information that we researched, went online, found the resort and the airline directly, and within minutes could book a deal that was $300 cheaper than our last deal with Family Travel Concierge. She said that we should just order directly through the airline and resort. I believe that she would have never found a deal this great, especially in terms of price-to-quality correlation, without the info that I got from Family Travel Concierge, and I believe that according to an unspoken social contract it would be fair that we book our vacation through Alex. Who is right?

Dear Social,

You are obviously not under any obligation to buy from Family Travel Concierge – Alex chose to go above and beyond for you, and chose to provide exceptional service without asking for a payment in return. You made no promises to buy from him, and as your wife points out, you are free to get a better deal. Your question is really about your inner sense of fairness vs. your wife’s sense of fairness. It sounds like you believe that it would be fair to compensate Family Travel Concierge by paying an extra $300 for your package, because without FTC’s guidance, you would be paying that money anyway for another package, possibly for a worse resort and possibly after spending countless extra hours on research. It sounds like your wife believes that everyone is a free agent, and if you can get something for free (research and information that Family Travel Concierge didn’t charge for), you should get it. So, it’s really a question of personal values, and there is no right or wrong answer. I am sure that your wife wouldn’t steal – if she took something from an unattended vegetable stand, she would leave money for the produce, even if she could get away without paying for it. If a farmer offers you fresh produce, though, the farmer’s price may determine your willingness to accept it. Alex offered you something that you needed, without a price tag, so you are not obliged to pay for it. Yet, if you believe that the offering is valuable to you it sounds fair to pay for it. It seems that the info that you got is worth $300. What you get for paying FTC $300 is not just Alex’s research: it’s a sense of being fair. Although do clear the expense with your wife first. Enjoy your travels!

Alina

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Alina Bas, M.A., is an Executive Coach and a Life Strategist who helps leaders connect to fulfilling work and live an engaging life. She has over 10 years of corporate experience in Organizational Effectiveness and Leadership Development, and is a co-author of the book “Changes of the Heart”, offering the best coaching strategies for life’s toughest moments. Connect with Alina atwww.MindTerrainCoaching.com

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