We are in PEAK now. That glorious, chaotic stretch between Black Friday and Christmas where order volumes multiply, systems groan, delivery networks sweat, and everyone hopes their parcels, promises, and patience all arrive on time.
It is the busiest season of the year. It is also the season where entitlement spikes higher than courier trucks in December traffic.
Over the years I have seen how PEAK transforms ordinary interactions. Small concerns become urgent by default. A delayed parcel becomes a crisis. A misunderstood policy becomes a moral outrage. People lose their calm because they fear losing control, and that fear often lands on the frontline.
In Can I Speak to a Real Person?, I explore this tension in detail. One line from that chapter still stands as my personal north star:
You bought a product and the company made a promise, but you did not purchase the right to diminish someone else’s humanity.
That is the heart of it. Clear. Firm. Kind. Your payment gives you access to a service, a solution, and fair treatment. It does not give you authority over another person’s emotional well-being.
This distinction becomes especially important during PEAK, when the stakes feel higher and tempers heat faster than mince pies in the oven.
So this morning, with a warm cup of coffee and a cheeky smile, I want to explore the Five Entitlement Traps that so many fall into during this season, and why kindness, especially now, is the strongest strategy we have.
The Five Entitlement Traps of PEAK
(and how honey wins every time)
1. The Countdown Clock Trap
During PEAK, everything feels urgent. “I need it today.” “I need it by tomorrow.” “I need it before the school concert, the holiday, the dinner, the photo shoot.” I understand it. I have lived it. But urgency does not magically grant access to faster systems or sleeping couriers.
Honey move: A simple message of understanding often gets you faster, more thoughtful help than panic or pressure ever will.
2. The “I Am the Exception” Trap
It is PEAK for everyone, not only for you. The temptation, though, is to believe that your order, your gift, your crisis is uniquely special. That you deserve to skip the queue because your story feels more compelling.
Honey move: Treat the person helping you like a partner, not a portal. Partnership activates effort. Pressure activates defensiveness.
3. The Keyboard Warrior Trap
This is the trap where someone, overwhelmed by festive pressure and logistics chaos, transforms into a digital gladiator. All-caps. Multiple exclamation marks. Dramatic ultimatums.
I promise you, the frontline does not respond well to combat mode. They respond to clarity, context, and courtesy.
Honey move: “I know this is a difficult time of year. May I ask for your help?” Watch how quickly things shift.
4. The Respect Blind Spot Trap
This is the one I confront directly in my book. It happens when frustration turns into behaviour that chips away at someone else’s dignity.
Not because we intend harm, but because emotion takes the wheel.
So let me make the boundary very clear: Payment does not purchase power over another person’s tone, emotions, or self-respect. Ever.
During PEAK, respect is not optional. It is structural. It is what allows teams to keep helping thousands of people every day without breaking under the weight of pressure and expectation.
5. The PEAK Magic Trap
This is the belief that PEAK should deliver miracles. That everyone should bend obstacles, rewrite timelines, and deliver the impossible simply because the customer season feels magical.
The truth: PEAK is magical because humans pull together under immense pressure. Not because rules suddenly stop applying.
Honey move: Let people help you in the best way they truly can. Realistic kindness produces real results.
🌼 The Heart of the Matter
Here is my quiet, unwavering hypothesis:
People who choose respect during PEAK receive better, faster, and more sincere service than those who choose aggression. Not because staff reward politeness, but because respect unlocks the very human impulse to help.
PEAK is intense. Things may go wrong. Packages may delay. Systems may glitch. Emotions may rise.
But the exchange remains the same:
You bought a product. You received a promise. And the person helping you deserves the same dignity you expect in return.
Honey opens doors. Humanity keeps them open. Especially during PEAK.