I am thinking about the most minor and insignificant of annoyances that pop up when what was once the common and the usual, shifts to a new code of unfamiliar nonsense.
At the moment, my pet peeve is being called a “guest” as in “next guest” at my local drugstore. Really? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines guest as a person entertained in one’s house. Since Duane Reade is not an abode, and I am not visiting to be entertained, I am hardly a guest. I am merely someone who has stopped by to drop money on assorted sundries.
But my question is: when and why did my “customer” status morph into guest-dom? Did some marketing wizard send out a memorandum:
To all Employees:
Profits can be increased 50% if our paying public feels warm and cozy!
Give them the feeling that they are entering our living room!
Make them feel special and connected to the cashier.
They are our GUESTS!
But I do not want to be a guest. I just want to be told I’m next in line so I can move on. And get out of the drugstore.
The Write Side of 59 
They must mean “guest” in the same vein as travelers stopping at the inn in Les Miserables: gulls to be fleeced. Then it makes perfect sense.
Disney is the culprit. They started calling their customers “guests” and business schools took notice.
It’s another example of distorting the language to appear friendlier. My pet peeve is TV news anchors who end their show by saying “we’ll see you tomorrow”. Unless there is technology that allows them to see through my TV, their “friendly” statement makes no sense!
Hi Julie! I think you pretty much nailed it as to why so many large chains want their perspective shoppers to become their confirmed buyers. Its not enough that they can track purchasing trends through the use of their ” customer buyers card” which gets swiped and read for all of our purchases. Competition has gotten so fierce that you now are lumped in with some others who feel “entitled” based on some imaginary social status. Bravo to you for busting ’em on this Mickey Mouse tactic. You go girl! Sorry, shouldn’t have said that. Hope to see you at the reunion. Cheers!
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