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Learned a valuable lesson the other day.
So photo cards are all the rage this holiday season, and I'm trying to push them like crazy at my store. Without getting into details (and a bit of bragging
), let's just leave it at I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to sell photo cards.
Anyway, so on to the customer. This gentleman comes in to make a bordered 4x6. It's kinda like a photo card, but it's smaller (photo cards are 4x8), and it's about 50¢ cheaper. He resists all my attempts to upsell him on the full-size photo cards, but asks about the price and mentions that he's thinking about it.
I figure he's doing some comparison shopping, so I try something:
"Hey, if you can photo cards advertised at a lower price somewhere else, we'll beat it!"
I practically cringe when I see his facial expression... like he put two and two together and got FREE. But he doesn't say anything.
Just before he leaves, he asks me, "So if I find them cheaper somewhere else, you'll beat that price?"
And to cover my butt: "Just bring in an advertised price, and we'll beat it."
And he leaves.
10 minutes later, he calls and asks me the same question. He gets the same answer.
I've managed to forget about him by the time he shows up in the store... with a COUPON from our competitor. For 10 free prints (note that NOWHERE on that coupon does it say PHOTO CARDS, nor is there a PRICE anywhere on the coupon!).
SC - "You said you'd beat any competitor price. Well, here you go. I get 10 free."
Me - "No, no. I said you need to bring in an advertised price. This is a COUPON!"
SC - "That is the advertised price! 10 free!"
Me - "No, a coupon is not the same as an advertised price. There is no price on that piece of paper."
SC - "No it says right here, 10 free. That's the price."
Me - "No, what I need to see is something that says, 'Photo Cards: 20 for $10' or something like that. I can't be a coupon. We don't take competitor coupons."
SC - "Fine."
He walks away. And he comes back 5 minutes later.
GOTO 10. Yes, we had the EXACT same conversation the second time.
He leaves again. For 5 minutes. This time, when he comes back, he walks right over to one of the ASMs (possibly an obscure abbreviation: Assistant Store Manager).
GOTO 10. Almost word for word, just replace Me with ASM above.
SC comes BACK to my counter and tries to get me to take that coupon. Finally, after I've said 'no' to him at least 30 times today, he gets a scowl and says, "Fine. Then I'll just buy them over at [competitor]."
I practically say, "There's the door. Do you need directions?" Fortunately, he walks off before I have a chance to say something that will REALLY get me in trouble.
Needless to say, we no longer offer to beat advertised competitor prices.
So photo cards are all the rage this holiday season, and I'm trying to push them like crazy at my store. Without getting into details (and a bit of bragging
), let's just leave it at I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to sell photo cards.Anyway, so on to the customer. This gentleman comes in to make a bordered 4x6. It's kinda like a photo card, but it's smaller (photo cards are 4x8), and it's about 50¢ cheaper. He resists all my attempts to upsell him on the full-size photo cards, but asks about the price and mentions that he's thinking about it.
I figure he's doing some comparison shopping, so I try something:
"Hey, if you can photo cards advertised at a lower price somewhere else, we'll beat it!"
I practically cringe when I see his facial expression... like he put two and two together and got FREE. But he doesn't say anything.
Just before he leaves, he asks me, "So if I find them cheaper somewhere else, you'll beat that price?"
And to cover my butt: "Just bring in an advertised price, and we'll beat it."
And he leaves.
10 minutes later, he calls and asks me the same question. He gets the same answer.
I've managed to forget about him by the time he shows up in the store... with a COUPON from our competitor. For 10 free prints (note that NOWHERE on that coupon does it say PHOTO CARDS, nor is there a PRICE anywhere on the coupon!).
SC - "You said you'd beat any competitor price. Well, here you go. I get 10 free."
Me - "No, no. I said you need to bring in an advertised price. This is a COUPON!"
SC - "That is the advertised price! 10 free!"
Me - "No, a coupon is not the same as an advertised price. There is no price on that piece of paper."
SC - "No it says right here, 10 free. That's the price."
Me - "No, what I need to see is something that says, 'Photo Cards: 20 for $10' or something like that. I can't be a coupon. We don't take competitor coupons."
SC - "Fine."
He walks away. And he comes back 5 minutes later.
GOTO 10. Yes, we had the EXACT same conversation the second time.
He leaves again. For 5 minutes. This time, when he comes back, he walks right over to one of the ASMs (possibly an obscure abbreviation: Assistant Store Manager).
GOTO 10. Almost word for word, just replace Me with ASM above.
SC comes BACK to my counter and tries to get me to take that coupon. Finally, after I've said 'no' to him at least 30 times today, he gets a scowl and says, "Fine. Then I'll just buy them over at [competitor]."
I practically say, "There's the door. Do you need directions?" Fortunately, he walks off before I have a chance to say something that will REALLY get me in trouble.
Needless to say, we no longer offer to beat advertised competitor prices.
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