Arrrrg, there goes my comission...

[toolbert]

At my place of work I get a decent sized commission plus my normal hourly rate. So, to increase my total rate of pay I got to sell really big things. Well, yesterday I had this customer come into the store asking about the Treo 700s and since we're one of a few places that actually have some stock left, we still get some of the buisness. So, this customer and I are talking for about 30 minutes and I'm basically getting him to purchase about $1200 in stuff but he's still not sure and wants to ask some more questions about the product but I've got a couple of people who need help as well. He tells me to help some people since he needs to ask me some other stuff and I acquiesce and help two people out.

The first person has a quick tech question so I get that out of the way right away. Now, the second person I help out is this lady who wants to buy a case that's roughly $30. That's fine and fine till I run her card through. It's declined. I try it again in case my reader is off. It's declined again. I notify her (meanwhile the other customer is still waiting to possibly purchase the other stuff) and she insists that she's just used it. In my head I'm thinking "Of course you've just used it, that's why it's declined twice now and I don't want to try it a third time for the same result"). She puts up a fit and I agree to try it again. Declined.../sigh. I know where this is going. Does she have another card? Yes, but instead of being declined its invalid. No, it can't be I need to try it again....invalid, call the bank. Now its become my fault and that I'm trying to get it so she can't purchase stuff with this card again ....what?

So, as I'm trying to get this lady calmed down I look over and what do I notice flying away sheepishly...my $1200 sale and my commission. I knew that guy was going to be an impulse buy and tried to get him to buy it as quick as he could and knowing that he really wanted it (honestly he did as I hate being a sleazy salesman) but needed the small push to get it. So now, instead of getting a big sale I'm ending up with nothing because this lady will not accept DECLINED for an answer . I just wanted to tear up her card and send her on her way...luckily I only sent her on her way

[Bugg]

Why can't we cut up cards like they do in the movies again?

And why can't people understand if it comes up declined, it's not the cashier's, or the machine's fault, 99% of the time it's not the bank's fault either--PAY YOUR BILLS!!!!

That, and I love the part where people think you can get the machine to do it on purpose (which I'm sure can be done), but if we're all so stupid how could that be??

[Sandman]

I would have told the woman "Do you know that you just cost me a good commission?"

[Sphinx]

I would like to have said "And there goes this months rent, and maybe a few groceries, out the door . . . . "

[phillippbo]

Why can't we cut up cards like they do in the movies again?

I don't know if it still happens, but back when I worked with credit cards in person, I'd have some come back "DESTROY CARD" or "CONFISCATE CARD" or "RETURN CARD". If it came back to destroy it, we had to cut it in four pieces and throw it away. If it came back confiscate or return, we had to cut it into four pieces and mail it to the bank on the back. It's not often I had to do that, but usually by the time it got to that point the account had long since been closed and written off, and the bank was tired of seeing the former customer trying to use it.

In case you're wondering, sometimes you can actually use a card that is attached to a closed account, if it hasn't actually expired. If a credit card system is down, some smaller companies (like the c-store I used to work for) will dust off the good old manual card machine and try to send all the cards through when the system comes back up. (Any guesses how many seconds that tidbit of information takes to travel all through the town and people start pulling out their old, bad cards?) In some larger companies, the card will be run through the machine like normal, but the charges will all be sent through in one batch when the system comes back up. Of course, things could have changed in the 7 or so years since I actually worked face-to-face with customers.

[lordlundar]

Why can't we cut up cards like they do in the movies again?

In the movies, they treat the "decline" notification the same as an "expired" notification. You still can destroy expired cards, just not declined ones.

Declined means it can't be used temporarily. (usually once the customer deals with the bank)

Expired means it can't be used again period.

I wish Hollwood would clue into this.