My women's apparel retail store also has a catalog channel, print as well as online.
When we don't have what a customer wants right there in our store, we'll suggest that she use our dedicated-line courtesy phone to place a catalog order for her next-best chance of fulfillment. These in-store-placed catalog orders (shipped to a home address) get a reduced shipping & handling fee, but they're not FREE.
Invariably, SCs will protest,"But, LL BEAN always has FREE SHIPPPING!"
Or, "But, ZAPPO'S always has FREE SHIPPING!"
Or, "But, COLDWATER CREEK always has FREE SHIPPING!"
Naturally, when I hear this whiny crap, I want to snarl, "Then do yer g.d. shopping THERE and get outta here!"
However, as my name indicates, I am a paid Retail Actress, so instead I purr:
[with sweetly-apologetic smile and sympathetically-tilted eyebrows] "Ohhhh ..... IF ONLY we were LL Bean!"
...... pause ....... let that sink in ........ perhaps SC will "get it"? ......... if not ....
[meaningful sigh] "But, we're not." ..... another significant pause, and then, with polite delicacy, "Did you want to continue with your order?"
99.9% of the time, they do. <eye roll>
This frequent little act is a real PITA.
When we don't have what a customer wants right there in our store, we'll suggest that she use our dedicated-line courtesy phone to place a catalog order for her next-best chance of fulfillment. These in-store-placed catalog orders (shipped to a home address) get a reduced shipping & handling fee, but they're not FREE.
Invariably, SCs will protest,"But, LL BEAN always has FREE SHIPPPING!"
Or, "But, ZAPPO'S always has FREE SHIPPING!"
Or, "But, COLDWATER CREEK always has FREE SHIPPING!"
Naturally, when I hear this whiny crap, I want to snarl, "Then do yer g.d. shopping THERE and get outta here!"
However, as my name indicates, I am a paid Retail Actress, so instead I purr:
[with sweetly-apologetic smile and sympathetically-tilted eyebrows] "Ohhhh ..... IF ONLY we were LL Bean!"
...... pause ....... let that sink in ........ perhaps SC will "get it"? ......... if not ....
[meaningful sigh] "But, we're not." ..... another significant pause, and then, with polite delicacy, "Did you want to continue with your order?"
99.9% of the time, they do. <eye roll>
This frequent little act is a real PITA.
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