Young consumers at the short end of the customer service stick

Despite the millions of dollars being spent by electronics chains, cell phone companies and other retailers to attract the youth market, I have a pretty strong sense from personal observation that kids often are treated as second-class shoppers.

Want proof? Here are two recent experiences involving my own children.

Take it or leave it

In March, my 19-year-old daughter was scheduled to board a plane for a spring break trip. Traveling by herself, she learned at the ticket counter that her flight had been delayed more than two hours, meaning she would miss a connecting flight.

That began her customer service ordeal with a ticket agent who said the best she could do was to put her on another flight that day.

Only one problem: The final connecting leg would be two days later. No effort by the agent to find alternatives, no apologies for the inconvenience, no suggestions on how to survive two days in a strange city -- just take it or leave it. Already upset, my daughter felt she had no choice but to go for it.

The agent took her suitcases and simply walked away.

Would an older customer have been treated the same way? I would like to think not. However, with a little parental intervention 800 miles away, a helpful agent successfully routed our daughter on a different itinerary to reach her destination that day.

Afterward, my college freshman summed up her experience: "It is difficult to get respect from adults, and it [can be] hard to stand up to them. As children, we are taught to respect our elders."

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