We Just Lost a Sale!

[Dips]

Mark just got off the phone with a guy who was angry that he couldn't get our new version as a free update. Mind you, he last paid for anything in 2002 and already received 3 updates for free since then.

Mark told him the price for the new version (which is less than half the price new customers pay, by the way) and the guy gave Mark grief about it and then declared he was an attorney. [I don't know why he mentioned his profession. Maybe at Everywhere Else they give attorneys special deals or something.]

After Mark repeated that if he wanted the new version he was going to have to pay for it, the guy declared that if it wasn't free he wasn't interested.

So we lost a sale of $0. Ouch.

[MadMike]

To paraphrase The Gord:

"Oh no! Someone who never spends any money with us is taking his business elsewhere! Whatever shall I do?"

[TeslaRecoil]

I always loved it when people who don't spend a dime threaten to take their business elsewhere. What's even worse is when the people who cost you money by trying to buy stuff for less than cost threaten to do so. i send them right out the door with a smile on my face.

[workerbee222]

I work for a clothing store. We lost a sale yesterday, too.

A sc called and wanted us to press and steam a dress she had had tailored somewhere else. We're not supposed to do this. But the boss said, nicely, she'd do it for a fee. A rather low fee, at that. SC ranted, I guess, that she spent a lot of money here, is that the only option there is? Boss says the other option is to not offer any service at all, since we're not supposed to take things back into the store, once they've been altered by some one else. SC calls boss a be-otch. Boss hangs up.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I remember one idiot called me "rude" because I charged him for a rebind. He brings in this bound document that was falling apart, asks to have it rebound. I rebind it for him and bring it over to the register. He goes "Oh, it COSTS something?"

No, dumbass, we're a charity organization.

I said, "Yes, but it's only a dollar."
He said, "Oh, you're RUDE."

I didnt' give him free shit, so I'm rude. Charging customers for services and goods is rude.

[Jester]

Okay, I have to break out with this story.

Years back, when I worked for Chain Family Restaurant, for a (thankfully) short while they ran a "Kids Eat Free" deal. Basically, on the slower days of the week, we ran a special where you could get one free kid's meal for each adult that was in the party. In other words, a soccer mom couldn't bring in the whole team by her lonesome and feed them all for free. One adult=one free kid's meal. Still a good deal, if you ask me.

So this ran on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Well, on Thursday, this lady comes in with about three kids or so. There may have been another adult with her, can't remember. (This was over seven years ago!) Anyway, she starts ordering, and starts ordering the "free kids meals."

ME: "I'm sorry, ma'am, the free kids meals are only on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays."
SC" "Not today?"
ME: "No."
SC: "Can I get them for free anyway?"
ME: "No, ma'am. I'm sorry. Even if I wanted to do that, my management would never approve it." [Not that I would want to do it anyway for this cheap woman, but I wasn't lying.]
SC: "Well, can I get some free fries?"
ME: "No."
SC: "Free soup?"
ME: "Sorry, no."
SC: "Well, shit, what CAN I get for free, then?"
ME: "I'm afraid nothing."
SC: "Why not?"
ME: "Because, ma'am, this is a restaurant, where we sell food. We don't give it away."

I [barely] resisted the temptation to yell at her "THIS IS NOT A SOUP KITCHEN YOU CHEAP RUDE COW!"

She was not very happy, they didn't order much, my tip was even less, and they did the only thing that made me smile the entire time they were there. They left.

[Becks]

SC: "Well, shit, what CAN I get for free, then?"
ME: "I'm afraid nothing."

Not even tap water?

[LostMyMind]

Not even tap water?

Tap water cost alot in Florida. Bottle water can sometimes be cheaper.

[Jester]

Not even tap water?

Yes, tap water, but she wasn't looking for a refreshing glass of water, but some grub for her and her brood.

Tap water cost alot in Florida. Bottle water can sometimes be cheaper.

This was in Arizona, not Florida. And frankly, if any place could get away with charging for tap water, it would be Arizona. Not because it is good--it isn't--but because it is the middle of the desert and the water does have to travel several hundred miles to get there.

[karma_gypsy]

SC: "Well, can I get some free fries?"
ME: "No."
SC: "Free soup?"

NO SOUP FOR YOU!

She didn't want you to bend the rules, she wanted you to break them and throw the pieces into a shredder...

It's always nice to get something for nothing every now and then, but you don't sit there and demand it.

[Jester]

[I]It's always nice to get something for nothing every now and then, but you don't sit there and demand it.

There is one place where you can sit there and demand free stuff.

But until any of my tables turn into Santa's lap, my section ain't it!

[powerboy]

About 2 weeks ago, at a convention in SF. I was helping this couple, look for anime, I had the sale, I mean I had the sale, it was going good, until....... My boss demanded that I, come over to help him with something right then. the couple left, and I told them sorry for my boss being like that.

[Becks]

There is one place where you can sit there and demand free stuff.

But until any of my tables turn into Santa's lap, my section ain't it!

Oh, that's the best!!!!!!!!! You should get that made into little business cards and hand them out!!!!!!

[RecoveringKinkoid]

That Santa's lap crack made me snoogie Diet Rite up my nose.

I [barely] resisted the temptation to yell at her "THIS IS NOT A SOUP KITCHEN YOU CHEAP RUDE COW!"


You know, I DID once say something like that to a guy. He came in and tried to get us to run his stuff for free. "Can I get this for free?" he says.

Way I see it, you ain't a customer if you ain't gonna pay.

And if you ain't a customer, I can be a smartass iffen I want to.

So I said to the guy, "Sir, Oliver Gospel Mission is down the street."

SC: Uh....excuse me?
Me: Oliver Gospel. The homeless shelter. It's down the street.
SC:
Me: This, on the other hand, is Kinko's.
SC:
Me: We sell stuff here. Oliver Gospel gives away free stuff, but here, you gotta pay for stuff.
SC:

Does he have to pay.

[Horsetuna]

I have people coming in demanding free drinks at the tables. Note, we only do this in a few occasions:

Pit bosses being nice and buying a round 'on the house' (I wonder if this is where that term comes from, since 'we' are the house vs the player. eg, House advantage).

Guy has too much alcohol, we offer them free water or coffee to 'lure' them away.

Special occasions (Eg, free sparkling champagne on new years' eve)

And I THINK They offer free drinks in High Limit, though I'm not sure. And to play there you can't be a cheapskate with a 25 dollars minimum. Then again, I get guys who win 400+ dollars who dont tip a penny *kills all*