I could have become an SC....

[sld72382]

...But I chose not to. Here's what happened.

About a week ago I went to rent a movie from Blockbuster, and as I was about to checkout the manager started trying to push that "Blockbuster Online" service trial for 15 days. Now I know for some people it's a good deal but I don't rent enough movies to make it worthwhile and I'm terrible with trials, I usually forget to cancel and eat the charge. Even though you get a free movie in the store when you sign up with the trial, it isn't worth it for me for the reasons I stated.

So I politely tell him I don't want to sign up. He again tries to overcome objections and again, I say no. So he goes on again. After telling him my reason AGAIN for not wanting to sign up, he goes "That's OK, we also like people who overpay." (As I won't get the free movie).

WTF? I give him my reasons, he should have left it at that. I could have told him he was acting like a jerk and told him I was heading over to Hollywood Video instead, but I choose not to as I didn't feel like driving down the road for 10 minutes when this Blockbuster was a 1 minute drive from my house.

When I was in retail I made my pitches and if the customer said no, I tried ONCE to overcome objections and that's it. As a customer myself I HATE being pressured, but it's also annoying when the salesperson (or manager) makes a comment like I'm an idiot for not buying something.

EDITED TO ADD: I know he might be under pressure to sign people up but I still stand that he shouldn't have made that comment.

[4Gifts4Lisa]

That SERIOUSLY would have pi$$ed me off. You would have seen me go from sweet to *itch in 0.10 seconds.

[blas]

A lot of employees are under a lot of pressure. Sometimes I feel like they're being forced to act like telemarketers, and ask you repeatedly until they get maybe 3 nos in a row. I doubt any employee really likes doing it.

But ya know, one "no" is good enough. If we could leave it at that, I'd lie for the employee if the manager or someone asked if I was asked x many times.

[georgiab]

I work at a thrift store and I remember this one day my manager was pushing this exercise machine big time...well he finally snagged someone who I think was just being polite by listening to how great this thing was...Anyway she kept asking her friend should i get it , do you think i have room and so on. Now to me this is obviously someone who does not need nor want this thing but he kept at it getting louder with every pitch about how it was a great price and she should get it Well finally she saids okay and pulls out her money with this look like WHY ya know so he walks off and I say Look you don't have to get it if you don't want it okay and guess what She said "Really" all relieved..I said Yeah it's fine and she was like Are you sure and I said of course...He came back a few minutes later after she had left and said did she but It and I said NO she didn't want it and he seemed shocked What a moron..It sold with'in thirty minutes with two people wanting it...just goes to show product can sell themselves!!!

[powerboy]

I hate that. I hate being pressured into something. I would have been sucky on that.

[FenigDurak]

Man, sounds like my old BBV manager, with one difference. He, she, kind of a big distinction.
I'm sorry you got one of the crappy ones whose entire life is their promotion quota.

[Gurndigarn]

If a store clerk tries to pressure me after I say "no", I give them the Blank Stare O' Doom (tm). You know, the one that says "I don't know what planet you're from, but around here, you're supposed to tell customers the total they owe you, not expect them to figure it out with ESP."

Borderline sucky, true, but I do it the nice way first.

[Becks]

Isn't it tough? It pisses people off to no end to be...well, pressured, I guess is the word... and with this site, we try not to be sucky to the poor employees, because we know what they go through.

[anode_probe]

Oh dear me, I remember front line, having to pitch the extended care agreement. I remember the "overcoming objections" crap that we got from the sales specialist. Why the heck to tech support need a sales specialist??? I remember once being told that our companies tech support was a black hole of finance that the company may someday break even with, and I thought to myself "if tech support is a black hole, they would have gotten rid of it years ago." So with that bold faced lie in mind, I offered the extended service plan, if the customer wanted it, then I'd set it up, if not, then I would leave it at that.

[reformedwaitress]

My response when they ask me a second time after I've said no is to smile and say, in a jokingly conspiratorial (or however you spell that) way, "How many times do you need me to say no before the boss lets you off the hook?" I almost always get a laugh from the employee and they stop pushing whatever it is at me.

At least that's how I deal with "pressure".

[BusBus]

Man, I would have been pretty pissed off as well! I do like being told the promos, but no means no! I would like to think that I would have said something clever,witty and to the point, but I probably would have been cranky and thought of something clever,witty and to the point in the car on the way home.

This is exactly why no one here likes pushing promos, because we know how annoying it is to be on the receiving end of it.

-BB

[ahanix1989]

Sometimes the required pitches are bad for both customer and employee -- at my old job, I was required to say "Welcome to ______'s, my name is Ahanix. Would you care to try our Italian Meat Sampler today?"

Now, I have a slight speech problem, so the odds of me saying all that without just miserably failing is rather low... but I was required to say it each time.

[4Gifts4Lisa]

Just wanted to add to my original post...

The reason I would have been pi$$y is NOT the pressure to buy; I know that clerks are instructed to push their product, and I understand and sympathize.

HOWEVER...this guy basically called the OP stupid. When the OP refused to buy the membership, the guy said they take customers who pay too much...in essense calling the original poster stupid for "paying too much". It was a very thinnly veiled insult, and that never, ever has a place in retail.

[Will-Mun]

I have to say that I actually have sympathy for this guy. He was, well, yeah a dick... But companies press these things HARDCORE. People can lose their jobs over this, especially managers. It's annoying, but yeah... I think I heard you're supposed to get three 'no's before you stop.

It's wrong.

It's dirty.

It's annoying...


But it's what we're told to do.


As a Radio Shack Employee, I used to have to sing additional services CONSTANTLY. Wether it was our replacement plans, our Credit Card, or one of our special "BUY THIS MANY GET THIS MANY!" deals.

Yes, for the entirety of my employment, they COUNTED 4 for 10 battery sales (you buy 15 bucks worth of batteries for 10 bucks) You were supposed to have at LEAST 1 4,4,10s per 4 sales. That means outa four sales I was 'supposed' to have one of the schmucks leave with more batteries than they wanted or needed.


But I never did it, I always ask (when appropriate), they say no, I give them a "Are you sure?" and an "Okay"

[Mighty Girl]

That SERIOUSLY would have pi$$ed me off. You would have seen me go from sweet to *itch in 0.10 seconds.

Ditto. I'll respond nicely the first time, tersely the second time, then the third time-all bets are off. I'd suggest he get a hearing aid or perhaps a customer-to-a$$hole translator.