More Zip Code madness!

[Imprl59]

I've never had a problem with the zip code thing as I know it helps them know where that stores customers come from. I figure indirectly it saves me money since they can use the money to target advertising and even new stores. Now phone number.. forget it... ain't gonna happen in this life time. I try not to be sucky about it though. I either tell them no thank you or give them 727-555-1212


Steve B.

[Imogene]

I think where Juwl works is for company R&D.

...? No, I'm a cashier. And, yes we can get fired for inputting fake zip codes. How corporate determines if we did that, I don't know... I can only put in what info I was given. But I have had coworkers who wouldn't bother asking, instead, just putting the store's zip code.

[Andara Bledin]

On the whole "not going to give out phone numbers" thing: I give out my phone number all the time. I really don't care who has it. For most of my phone-bill-paying life, my number has been listed. I figure at this point, approximately 30 different corporations have my phone number, including grocery stores, pet shops, Hot Topic, book shops, auto parts places, etc.

The total number of times any company has called me for reasons not directly related to a purchase I've made? 0. So all of the super-paranoid people are stressing over a whole lot of nothing, as far as I can tell.

The last "marketing" call I received? From some medical shop wanting to get my ok to change over my general practitioner with Kaiser to their guy (my assigned person changed what they do with Kaiser so I can't see her anymore). They sounded really suspect (and they were nowhere near where I live), so I started to tell them no. But they hung up on me. Makes me glad I didn't say ok.

^-.-^

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Just a note to those talking about giving out fake ZIP codes: We had a post about ZIP codes recently where one clerk revealed the fact that they could be fired for having fake ZIP codes entered at their stand.

^-.-^

You know what? I hope that's true. I truly do. I hope its' true because any company who routinely fires its employees over something so stupid and so out of their control deserves to go down at the head and break apart when it hits the seabed. Seriously. Do these idiots not realize how EXPENSIVE it is to fire, hire, and re-orient people? It's not cheap. I hope it's true because it give me warm fuzzies to imagine the "going out of business" sign on their storefront.

I give out exactly 0 information over what is neccessary to complete the transaction. If stupid demographics info is the price of completing the transaction, the transaction will not take place. But hey, I don't lie about it.

[Emrld]

Juwl- you make me smile . . . .
You are not a Cashier - You are the Cashier that Rocks!!!!!! that is my opinon and you can just deal with that.

by R&D I was saying that corporate was having the cashier get research information for them . . .. gather the info of where people who shop at the store live.

[Imogene]

Juwl- you make me smile . . . .
You are not a Cashier - You are the Cashier that Rocks!!!!!!

*blushes* Why, thank you.

[Eric the Grey]

The Shell station here required a zipcode be entered on the pinpad at the pump when you swipe your card, but I always assumed it was a security measure to make sure the person who owned the card was using it, since if you don't enter the zip it denies the transaction

Albertsons does this as well, on the self-checkout stands. I can see this as a verification of the credit card user, since the employee at the self-checkout station rarely sees the cards or verifies the signatures.

On the other hand, I used to get defensive about the whole zip-code thing. It's all marketing for the store, and does net them money by selling said data to whomever is interested in them, but then I figured it helped get the more popular items stocked in the stores, so it's not all bad.

I've never had a problem with the zip code thing as I know it helps them know where that stores customers come from. I figure indirectly it saves me money since they can use the money to target advertising and even new stores. Now phone number.. forget it... ain't gonna happen in this life time. I try not to be sucky about it though. I either tell them no thank you or give them 727-555-1212

Now here is where I'll get sucky. There is very few places that will get this kind of information out of me. That will only occur if I'm also purchasing a store warranty for something I am purchasing. Stores like Best Buy put in a lot of information for these into their computers. I can see this.

However, there is no other valid reason for this. I would even be tempted to go so far as to put on the tinfoil hat and suggest that once they have said phone number, it gives them a valid excuse to call me at home bypassing the do-not call list. They have, at this point, a business relationship with me...

I'll simply tell them it's not going to happen. If they insist too strenuously, I will walk away and shop elsewhere. I'll also get hold of a customer complaint form to fill out and mail in.


Eric the Grey

[simplyanother]

Hey....It's only sucky if you're a dick about it.

To simply refuse to give out a phone number is not sucky. To berate the cashier who must ask for it, is. Hi, I'm in charge of the blatantly obvious today.

I've found that customers are weirded out when I tell them I live in their zip code, or that I grew up in their zip code, or that my brother/cousin/neighbors nephew lives there.

Yeah. I'm annoying.

And seriously, is it really that hard to say "no" when asked for a zip code? I mean, "can I have your zip code please?" "No" "okay". whoohoo, all done. lol (I'm addressing general you with that bit, not the previous poster, who is a reasonable human, not a sucky customer. )

[Imogene]

Oh, right... I'm adding to this thread because of a last bizarre zip code story.
Had a customer come through my line one morning, asked for her zip, and was told, "I only have a postal code."
I went, "Okay... what's that?"
"57P..."
"Oh, yeah, I can't take that, I only have numbers..." so I put in the "declined to answer" code.

[Broomjockey]

"I only have a postal code."
I went, "Okay... what's that?"
"57P..."

Huh. I wonder where they're from. U.S. is numbers only. Canada's letter/number/letter.

[Mark Healey]

Albertsons does this as well, on the self-checkout stands. I can see this as a verification of the credit card user,

I had a Lowes self-checkout do this to me when I was paying cash. I was pissed, so I just entered some random digits. Appearantly, there are some 5 digit numbers that are out of the Zip code range and it geve me an error message and returned to the display to enter the zip again. I entered another random string. The same error message came up and it returned me to the entry screen again. This time there was a decline option on the screen. These scheming fuckstains have their machines pestering you before they will take no for an answer. Lowes is now on the bottom of my list when I need hardware.

On the other hand, I used to get defensive about the whole zip-code thing. It's all marketing for the store, and does net them money by selling said data to whomever is interested in them, but then I figured it helped get the more popular items stocked in the stores, so it's not all bad.

Not with all the legalized kickschemes they have now. They call them things like "slotting fees". The stores demand money up front for a producers items to even be on the shelves. This is one thing that is killing regional brands.

I would even be tempted to go so far as to put on the tinfoil hat and suggest that once they have said phone number, it gives them a valid excuse to call me at home bypassing the do-not call list. They have, at this point, a business relationship with me...

Nothing crazy about that. I can see some slick lawyer making just that very argument.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Just a note to those talking about giving out fake ZIP codes: We had a post about ZIP codes recently where one clerk revealed the fact that they could be fired for having fake ZIP codes entered at their stand.

And here I was contemplating giving cashiers at my store the zip code for, say, Utica NY. whenever they ask me for my zip code every time I purchase a Coke Zero for my lunch break. But I would end up feeling guilty that the cashiers are getting disciplined or even fired because of my mischief.

Any company who would fire a cashier for putting in a zip code they have no idea is false because it's what was given to them, is run by limp-dicked micromanaging fucksnausages who shouldn't even be put in charge of a front-lawn lemonade stand.

[Fiyero]

Any company who would fire a cashier for putting in a zip code they have no idea is false because it's what was given to them, is run by limp-dicked micromanaging fucksnausages who shouldn't even be put in charge of a front-lawn lemonade stand.

I hope it means for the people who make up their data themselves, e.g. the store zip code or 90210 every time.

[Anriana]

I don't mind giving my zip code out, but then I almost always shop at stores in my same zip code. I like telling them that people from the area go shopping there at night; it gives them motivation to stay open 24/7.

I don't like giving my zip code when paying at gas stations though, because the screens are sooo slow to take my input!