How to Deal with Level 3 Businesses as a Customer

When businesses operating at Level 3 of consciousness (Opportunist) conduct business, their primary goal is to maximize profit by giving as little as possible while extracting as much as they can from others. They view people as mere tools to be used for generating revenue, seizing every opportunity to take more while providing less. For them, profit is the ultimate priority and the customer is used for that end.

Many people assume that business owners operate at Level 5 consciousness (Trailblazer), but if their primary focus is profit, they are at Level 3. A Level 3 individual may act as though they are unwavering in their stance, similar to a Level 5 when they practice fair trade.

However, Level 3 people only mimic the confidence and empowerment of Level 5 business owners. Their true intent is not standing firm in integrity but using dominance to maximize or retain financial gain.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝟯 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀

When dealing with Level 3 businesses, it’s important to approach interactions from a firm stance based on ethical business principles. Niceties don’t work. Levels 3 people often see niceties as a weakness. They may view your niceness as a leverage point and believe they can exploit it and overpower you because of it.
This doesn’t mean you should be rude or tactless. You can be polite, yet firm. You can maintain dignity and respect in your communication while clearly standing your ground when it comes to unethical business practices.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝟯 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀

A good example of Level 3 business tactics is how most gyms in the USA operate. Most gyms use tactics to make canceling a membership as difficult as possible. Staff are trained to follow strict procedures that create the illusion that immediate cancellation isn’t possible, or even an option. They regularly impose arbitrary rules, such as only allowing cancellations on specific days and times, pushing you to leave with the matter unresolved, hoping you don’t come back or give up through the run-around process they put you through.

This is a power play because you are stating your right to cancel the membership and they are basically saying, “That can’t be done”, when obviously it can. They have the power, yet they give excuses about why they are not going to honor your right to end business with them. If you try to think it through logically, their excuses don’t make sense.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝘂𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱

If you do return on the specified day, they may tell you that they require a formal letter, or even that you have to send the letter in the mail to their corporate office. And if that doesn’t work to stop you from cancelling, they may even seem to lose your letter request all together or pretend they never received it.

If you manage to reach a manager, they may claim they lack the authority to process the cancellation and redirect you to someone else who is not there at the time. They will attempt to delay the process and curtail you even further. Then, even if you do mange to speak with the head manager, they will often try to negotiate with you, probing for reasons behind your cancellation and attempting to pressure you to stay. Even worse, when they do finally cancel your account, they end up still continuing to charge your card.

Everything is set up in a way to try to make you stuck in a membership or stuck paying them forever. They have found if they make the process too hard and complicated, people give up and make justifications of why to stay: “It’s only $40 a month, it’s not worth all this hassle. Maybe I don’t really need to cancel right now.”

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱

If you want to stop doing business with someone, it should be hassle-free. There is no reason for there to be only certain arbitrary days of the month that you can end a business deal with someone. If a manager truly lacked the authority to cancel your account, they could easily contact someone who does. Their delays and runarounds are intentional in the hopes that they wear you out so you give up. This is an unethical business practice.

If you run into a situation like this, the key is to refuse to accept their excuses. Make it clear that the responsibility is on them to resolve the issue—you are not obligated to jump through hoops. Stand firm and say, “You need to figure out how to cancel my account. I’m not leaving until it’s done.”

𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝟯 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆

Unfortunately, many businesses operate from a Level 3 consciousness. It’s important to recognize this upfront—many businesses will do everything possible to avoid letting you end a business deal or get a refund. They may keep adding random fees that were not part of the original deal made. Or they may not give you the same product or service they clearly advertised for.

When doing business with these types of businesses, it’s important to not doubt yourself based on what they tell you. You must question their motives and the ethicality of their business practices. A truly good business prioritizes customer satisfaction and does their best to ensure that respectful and rational clients and customers leave without grievances. They understand that loyal customers sustain their success and that negative reviews can be damaging to their reputation in the long run.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲

A good business does not negotiate with dissatisfied customers at the customer’s expense or engage in power games. Their priority is customer satisfaction, not control. If you find yourself needing to threaten their reputation with negative reviews or other consequences just to get them to honor their commitments, you’re dealing with a Level 3 consciousness business.

𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝟯 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆

To handle this effectively, you need to step into a Level 4 consciousness perspective (Higher Calling). No matter what they offer—whether it’s a discount, a gift card, a bonus, a free month, or even disciplining an employee—you must stay focused on what truly matters: the fulfillment of the original agreement.
You were promised a specific product or service, and that is what you expect to receive. Stand firm and make it clear that you will not settle for anything less than what was originally offered.

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝘀

You need to make it clear that you are not going to back down—purely on principle and ethics. Speak only to the highest-ranking person they will allow, as lower-level employees typically won’t have the authority or motivation to resolve the issue properly.

Your goal is to reach someone who can make real decisions and enforce change. Be firm both in your mindset and in your actions, ensuring that you follow through. Your persistence should reinforce the message that you will not accept anything less than what was originally agreed upon.

𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗢𝘄𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺

Businesses like these treat every customer interaction as a game of control, dominance, and power. If they sense that you won’t back down—no matter what they say or do—they will eventually feel they have no choice but to give in and “lose.”

This is especially true for those with a sales-driven mindset. Many assume that salespeople are relentless and unwilling to concede, but in reality, the opposite is true. If you project unwavering confidence and persistence, they will recognize it and eventually back down—because that’s the only game they know how to play.

Their strategy is to apply relentless pressure, hoping to exhaust you until you give in. Their goal is to make you think, “They won’t stop until they get their way, and I don’t have the energy or willpower to keep resisting.”

You need to turn the tables and give them that same feeling. Show them that you are just as unyielding and will not back down, no matter how much they push. Level 3 consciousness people don’t understand any other approach—they only recognize and respond to the tactics they use on others. To get through to them, you must mirror their persistence in a way they can’t ignore.

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆

Even if you’re naturally timid or hesitant to assert yourself, you can find strength and conviction by grounding yourself in what is ethical and true. Aligning with truth gives you a source of authority that goes transcends personal confidence, and also it goes beyond the relentless pressure. It carries its own power because you’re not feeling pressured by any tactics since you know what is ethically true.

Even those at Level 3 who play power games will not understand how or why you’re unshakable to their relentless pressure. When you stand firmly in what is right, you tap into a force that they cannot understand but will find themselves giving into your stance without knowing why.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱

The way to navigate these situations is to consider how you would handle it if you were the business owner, operating from a place of ethics. Would you treat customers the way they are treating you? If not, then you have clear proof that they are in the wrong. Lead with that certainty.

You can even express this directly:

“𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴. 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘣𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘔𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.”

If you speak with this level of conviction, they will have no choice but to yield to your ethical authority. They may even walk away stunned, unsure of how they lost control of the situation. This is because you’re not engaging in their usual games of manipulation or trying to “one-up” them. You’re operating from a completely different level, one they don’t know how to counter.

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