Episode 163 – Is Customer Service a Thing of the Past? The Rise of the “Triple-M-to-the-P” (Mini Megalomaniac Psychopath Micromanagers)
In Episode 163 we explore a question many people feel but rarely say out loud: has customer service completely eroded over the last few decades?
We unpack how everyday interactions—from retail stores to airlines to big corporations—feel less and less like customer service and more like protocol enforcement.
The Rise of the “Triple-M-to-the-P”
We coined the term Mini Megalomaniac Psychopath Micromanagers — people who enforce rules from above with zero discretion, empathy, or independent thought.
Are these individuals simply doing their jobs, or are they becoming the enforcement arm of a larger system of top-down control?
Protocol Culture
From COVID policies to corporate bureaucracy, it increasingly feels like people are rewarded for rigidly enforcing procedures rather than practicing the old idea that the customer is always right.
We discuss:
• Passive-aggressive rule enforcement • Why the Triple-M-to-the-P seems to love delivering bad news • Why questioning protocols has become strictly verboten
Pop Culture Parallels
We also explore how Hollywood seems to reveal elements of this phenomenon through pop culture and media:
• Planes, Trains & Automobiles • The Lego Movie • The psychology of “minions” who blindly follow orders • How identity and conformity can become social currency
Customer Service as a Warning Sign
Is the erosion of customer service actually a harbinger of tyranny being ushered in?
A society where human compassion is replaced by automated rules, corporate scripts, and digital micromanagement?
We examine how:
• Big institutions centralize power • Middle managers enforce top-down directives • Independent thinking is increasingly discouraged
Breaking the Cycle
Finally we discuss possible responses:
• Supporting local businesses • Starting your own business • Boycotting big box stores
Maybe the answer is refusing to participate in systems run by psychopaths.