Thank You Corporate...

[DesignFox]

As most of you know, I work in a little agent store that sells cell phone products. We sell exclusively for one company.

What I can't stand is that corporate it constantly undercutting us. It makes business damn near impossible since we are in an area with about 19,000 other cell phone stores (and some of them are owned by [company]).

I think I deal with the cheapest customers I've ever dealt with in my life. If they can't get their phone for free, they don't want it. They don't buy accessories if they aren't free or have an extreme discount. These people will argue over the cost of the sales tax. I can't freakin' win!

This week has taken the cake. Business has been extremely slow... the few customers I've gotten...walked out. Why? I don't know.

All three of them wanted phones for free.

Well, they were new activations, so I had some leeway. I checked their claim that the phones were cheaper online, did some math, and offered to match the price. I explained to them that we can't usually do that, since those are ONLINE ONLY offers, but since they were new customers, I could make the exception.

They walked out anyway.

All of these jerks wasted my time, my breath, my brain power...and walked out.

Seriously. WTF?

I'm so drained from this...I just want the good customers to start coming back.

I want corporate to stop offering discounts that the little guy can't keep up with.

[Apathy]

I'm so drained from this...I just want the good customers to start coming back.

The what now? I can't say that I've ever heard of this phenomenon of which you speak.

[SuperB]

In all reality it's the economy affecting things. A cell phone may or may not be a necessity depending on the person. Luxury purchases are down right now and you're likely dealing with more people who need a cell phone but are balancing the cost against the rising gas costs. (especially if they use it 'on the road' a lot)
It sucks but everyone is looking for a deal right now.

[BaristaTrav]

Ahh.. I spent 5 years butting my head with my own company undercutting me day in, day out. I worked in a deparmtnet directly for a cruise company. And my job was to book cruises. No problem, right? Problem was my very own company gave cheaper rates to huge travel agencies and those agencies also threw in perks I had no means whatsoever to include like free mp3 players, shore excursions, digital cameras, etc. My own company wanted and demanded me to make X number of bookings every month (and we had quotas.. don't make quota, and you're fired) and undercut me all in the same breath. Even though I was good enough at my job to stay afloat, I just got sick of the b.s. And talk about cheap? Most of my "leads" Would rather take an Al-Qaeda chartered "cruise" through the Persian Gulf if it would save the $50 from what I quoted. I know your pain.. All to well.

[DesignFox]

I'll agree SuperB, the economy certainly isn't helping things.

Normally by this time of year, business has picked up a bit. But we're still fairly slow.

It is true, Apathy, I have a "good" base of customers, and also a regular base of customers. Some of regulars just won't be ready for new phones for months to a year, and that leaves us with our bargain hunters coming in. (and hoping some more good people will come wander by!)

We have a steady base of cheap bastards that constantly waste our time with questions, saying they are ready to buy, and then walking out.

Or saying they saw something "cheaper" online. Of course, when they have problems with their phone, at least I have permission to throw them out the door if they try to get us to help them with it. (I'm more lenient with people who at least ordered it from the company directly rather than a third party like Wirefly)

Some of these people are shameless- I mean, they come in regularly to price haggle. I recognize them every time they come in. Every time we go to close the sale, they come up with excuses.

It's not like one guy coming in, taking a look around and deciding to go elsewhere...
That is disappointing, but not necessarily sucky. Especially if I CAN'T pricematch what he wants.

Barista, well...At least you aren't alone. I never thought about the travel industry...I can see that happening. All these Orbitz and Travelocity and all that crap... Must drive a private agent batty.

[BaristaTrav]

Barista, well...At least you aren't alone. I never thought about the travel industry...I can see that happening. All these Orbitz and Travelocity and all that crap... Must drive a private agent batty.

Oh, the mom and pop TAs have been all but run out of business by the giant websites. But that wasn't even me.. I worked directly for the cruise line itself, and they gave me quotas, and undercut me, and expected and demanded that leads booked with me anyway. And most of our leads came from where? the internet. Yea, the same internet dominated by Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, etc. So.. basically my job was to swim upstream without a paddle. I don't miss it one freakin' bit.

[DesignFox]

I worked directly for the cruise line itself,

What the hell?

[powerboy]

Oh I know how you feel. Working in the self-storage industry, is like that. We have so many deals going on, it is out of control. I wish that we would just have a Managers Special. But nooooooooooo, they want us to do everything that we can to keep the customers or to make them sign up.

[Shards]

You know, a funny idea just came to me.

I'm in the process of being certified as a lifeguard at my future place of employment (as a lifeguard)... Imagine if corporate decided to give me quotas?

[marasbaras]

I'm in the process of being certified as a lifeguard at my future place of employment (as a lifeguard)... Imagine if corporate decided to give me quotas?

They do have a quota: 100% survival rate.

self-storage industry

I'm always amazed how many self-storage units there are. Do we collectively have so much junk that we have to store it all off-site?

[BaristaTrav]

You know, a funny idea just came to me.

I'm in the process of being certified as a lifeguard at my future place of employment (as a lifeguard)... Imagine if corporate decided to give me quotas?

I guess you'd have to pay your friends to feign drowning so you could "save" them once a week or so.

What the hell?

Exactly. So glad I'm out of there.

[Becks]

I'm in the process of being certified as a lifeguard at my future place of employment (as a lifeguard)... Imagine if corporate decided to give me quotas?

Maybe I can help you.

I don't swim and I can't float.

Trust me. I just can't.

[Andara Bledin]

I'm always amazed how many self-storage units there are. Do we collectively have so much junk that we have to store it all off-site?

It's a combination of people not being able to let go of anything and housing going from large multi-room houses with garages to 1-2 bedroom condos with parking slips.

^-.-^

[Shards]

They do have a quota: 100% survival rate.

That actually isn't true. CPR has a less than 13% success rate, and most of the time, unless it's just a mild panic attack, by the time even the best lifeguards can get there, it's either to the defibrillator or it's too late.

Most of the lifeguards who've worked there more than two or three years have had at least one person die while they were on duty despite them doing everything they could...

It's kinda sad that despite all the training we get, we end up relatively helpless, fighting a losing battle, and only rarely actually winning.

[tamezin]

I think I deal with the cheapest customers I've ever dealt with in my life. If they can't get their phone for free, they don't want it. They don't buy accessories if they aren't free or have an extreme discount.

Ok...I admit it...I was recently one of those people. We recently joined the modern age and signed up for a wireless plan. I think the most frustrating part was trying to find the best deal on the phone. For the life of me, I couldn't understand why X store across town and X store mid town and X Kiosk in the mall all had different deals on phones, even though they represented the same wireless service???

Of course we want it free, keep in mind though, most customers will return to the place of purchase for accessories etc. I know we did.