Stories often get passed around in the world of business so much that people believe them to be true. That adage about the customer always being right, for instance, is something that most people realize is a complete myth and just a phrase that businesses are used to espousing.

There are some truly crazy tales out there as well, and it’s often hard to know if there’s any substance to them. Here we’ll discuss three common stories from business and attempt to discover whether they’re true or not.

Man Gets Lifetime Supply Thanks to Logo Tattoo

One business story that certainly feels like a myth is that of the loyal customer who tattoos a company’s logo on his body in exchange for free supplies from the company. It’s a tale that often gets thrown around but is never usually verified. Or is it? It turns out that there is some truth to this claim out there, with one case occurring as recently as 2022.

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In the summer of last year, Subway released a new set of sandwiches known as the Subway Series. In a promotional event, a man from Colorado opted to get a massive 12-by-12-inch tattoo of the new logo. In return, he was presented with $50,000 in Subway gift cards, enough to supply him with footlongs for life. The self-proclaimed sandwich lover wasn’t the only one to get inked for the event. several other people got smaller tattoos and were each rewarded with a year’s worth of free subs.

Casinos Pump in Oxygen to Keep Players Awake

Casinos have a wide range of tactics to keep players playing, with some truly ingenious solutions. One way that many people believe keeps players at the tables for longer is the pumping of oxygen onto the casino floor. Yes, you read that right. There’s a widespread belief that casinos do this and that’s why players stick at the games for so long.

You’ll be glad to know that there’s no truth to this one whatsoever. It would be incredibly dangerous to do so, as it would turn the whole site into a fire hazard. It could also make customers sick. There are a few real techniques that casinos use, though, such as keeping all the natural light out so that players don’t know what time it is.

Companies Sometimes Use Scare Tactics to Keep Customers

It sounds highly unethical to say that some companies use scare tactics to sell their products, but this is another myth that has some substance to it. In advertising, a common method is to make the target audience feel fear about a certain outcome. Then, the company can place its product as the solution or prevention of that problem.

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For example, after 9/11 many businesses capitalized on the growing fear in the USA and started to advertise products that had military functions. A 2007 advert for a Hummer opted to highlight its impregnable nature to appeal to people who wanted to feel safe.

Business owners need to be aware of all the common myths out there. Some of them can be useful to know and may even inspire new ideas. Others, however, act as warnings about how not to operate.

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch – pexels.com/