Don't !!@#$ing jerk me around!

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

Yes I know you don't want the extra warranty or loyalty card or whatever other upsell I just tried to pitch you (and lord knows I don't like having to do it) but all you have to say is "no thanks" or "I'm not interested" or something of that nature.

- Don't tell me "I don't have the money" and proceed to pull out a HUGE wad of cash from your pocket to pay for your purchase.

- Don't give me some BS that your wife/boyfriend/whoever will come back later and get it.

- Don't dramatically check your wallet to see if you have any extra money before quickly announcing to me you don't with a smirk on your face (yes a lady actually did this)

- Don't tell me "I don't really come here much" when I've seen you three times in the past two weeks.

- Don't pretend to debate it forever before saying "no."

- Make a "shooing" motion with your hand as if I am an annoying insect

- Tell me "unfortunately, money's a bit tight right now" when you are buying 7 games, pulled up in a luxury car, are wearing a very nicely pressed suit and yabbering away on an Iphone during most of your time in the store.

Like the old anti-drug ads, all I want is for people to "just say NO."

No dramatics, no bullshit, just "No, thanks."

[Radryk]

Or yes. Yes is good, too.

[Aisling]

No dramatics, no bullshit, just "No, thanks."

I wish that worked. I really do.

A few weeks ago my sweetie and I were out shopping; he needed a new shirt for work. Just the one. At the register, the cashier asked if I had a store brand credit card started the whole "apply for a card and save 10% today" spiel. I waited for her to pause and said, politely, "I don't have one and don't want one, thanks."

Should have been the end of it, but no, she repeated the potential savings (a buck fifty, woooo). I repeated "Don't have one, don't want one, thanks". Then a THIRD TIME she started up. That time I interrupted her and said "No. Don't ask again."

She sulked for the rest of the transaction. Full on lip-thrust-out pouting. Real attractive on a grandmother, let me tell ya.

[Bright_Star]

I wish that worked. I really do.

A few weeks ago my sweetie and I were out shopping; he needed a new shirt for work. Just the one. At the register, the cashier asked if I had a store brand credit card started the whole "apply for a card and save 10% today" spiel. I waited for her to pause and said, politely, "I don't have one and don't want one, thanks."

Should have been the end of it, but no, she repeated the potential savings (a buck fifty, woooo). I repeated "Don't have one, don't want one, thanks". Then a THIRD TIME she started up. That time I interrupted her and said "No. Don't ask again."

She sulked for the rest of the transaction. Full on lip-thrust-out pouting. Real attractive on a grandmother, let me tell ya.

You'd think that one simple "No" would be enough.

[Aisling]

I wish it was, Bright Star. I don't shop in many stores physically anymore, and am a regular at most I do visit, so at least at those they don't bother me. Sometimes they'll mention some new deal or whatnot that's being offered, but they know that asking me repeatedly only gets managers involved. Not to get anyone into trouble, but to inform the store that the managerial dictates forcing employees to bother me are not appreciated. It's occasionally even effective.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

You'd think that one simple "No" would be enough.

It frequently isn't, and for that you can blame corporate types and managers who lay the pressure on thick to sell extended warranties, get sign ups for loyalty cards, and so forth, and levy punishments up to and including termination for not doing those things.

With these people it isn't enough to ask customers about the extended warranty or the loyalty card. You have to get the sale or the sign-up.

[SourRobot]

- Don't tell me "I don't have the money" and proceed to pull out a HUGE wad of cash from your pocket to pay for your purchase.

- Don't give me some BS that your wife/boyfriend/whoever will come back later and get it.

- Don't tell me "I don't really come here much" when I've seen you three times in the past two weeks.

- Don't pretend to debate it forever before saying "no."

- Make a "shooing" motion with your hand as if I am an annoying insect

- Tell me "unfortunately, money's a bit tight right now" when you are buying 7 games, pulled up in a luxury car, are wearing a very nicely pressed suit and yabbering away on an Iphone during most of your time in the store.

Like the old anti-drug ads, all I want is for people to "just say NO."

No dramatics, no bullshit, just "No, thanks."

I agree with all of that.

Should have been the end of it, but no, she repeated the potential savings (a buck fifty, woooo). I repeated "Don't have one, don't want one, thanks". Then a THIRD TIME she started up. That time I interrupted her and said "No. Don't ask again."

I have a coworker who does that and I'm annoyed for the customers. She's actually in the department next to me, but she was at my register talking to a customer yesterday. She asked the woman if she had the store card and the woman said something along the lines of no. Then the coworker kept asking if she would like to open one, she would save this that and the other, etc. Both the customer and I were trying to explain to her that the customer did not want to use one. What the coworker didn't know was that that customer had been mine a few minutes ago and she had already explained to me that she would rather use her debit card. Still, that was very annoying. Now I know how she gets so many instant credits. She badgers her customers into opening one.

It frequently isn't, and for that you can blame corporate types and managers who lay the pressure on thick to sell extended warranties, get sign ups for loyalty cards, and so forth, and levy punishments up to and including termination for not doing those things.

With these people it isn't enough to ask customers about the extended warranty or the loyalty card. You have to get the sale or the sign-up.

Thank you! Some customers don't realize that some of us employees only do it because of the pressure that the higher-ups are always placing on us. Luckily for you if you were ever my customer if you say no once I get the hint and stop asking after the first time.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

A couple of things here:

- I wouldn't doubt for a moment the girl in Aisling's story was probably hurting for numbers and under intense pressure from management to get them up. In situations like this, when a person's job is on the line, they usually tend to do one of two things:

1 - Be as high pressure with every customer as possible (I have seen a girl literally BEG customers to buy upsells because she would lose her job if they didn't)
2 - Using some kind of register tricks/fraud/lying to or deceving customers to boost your numbers

I have done the first sometimes, but never the second.

I really wish more customers would speak to our manager about how bothered they feel, I've told him myself but we all know coroporate doesn't really care what we think. A few customers might be able to make them listen. It saddens me that people are so used to this kind of sales approach in retail they don't even bother to fight it anymore.

I used to work at a place that did the "you have to get three NO replies before you give up" thing. I flatly refused to do it but was never reprimanded for that decision.

[Aisling]

A couple of things here:

- I wouldn't doubt for a moment the girl in Aisling's story was probably hurting for numbers ...1 - Be as high pressure with every customer as possible (I have seen a girl literally BEG customers to buy upsells because she would lose her job if they didn't)
...
I really wish more customers would speak to our manager about how bothered they feel...

I've spoken with the managers in the store in my story before, several times over the years. Things got better for a while, which is why I started going back. Now that they seem to have returned to their high-pressure tactics, I don't think I'll be going back. I didn't speak with a manager that particular time because I was on a tight schedule, but I did email corporate. They thanked me for my feedback and are "taking it seriously".

And as much sympathy as I feel for anyone whose job is being threatened for ridiculous reasons, it's really not my job to make your job secure. If someone begs me to buy an upsell to save their job, I politely ask for a manager, explain that I don't appreciate such behavior, and then walk out without purchasing anything. I'm extremely stubborn, and the harder someone pushes me the harder I push back.

I said not interested and left the register before paying and all the stuff I wanted to purchase behind...Wonder how that looks on a performance evaluation? Wonder if I really care?

Excellent decision. I'm sure there was another store more than happy to take your money. Did you talk to a manager or contact corporate or anything? I fear that if people like you and I don't really drive these points home, nothing will get any better for anyone.

[bean]

I actually have a semi pleasant experience from yesterday.

Mom and I went into Compusa to find her a new pc. *MY* requirements were windows 7 home 64 bit, at least a dual core cpu, 3+ gb ram, and a SATA HD. These days that's a very entry level pc. She was dead deat on an HP until both the sales guy and myself informed her of the price differences.

As it turns out, their store brand PCs are built in the US (ok yeah mostly chinese parts, but), and use 100% industry standard, NAME BRAND parts. Salesman and I talked her into, actually, the cheapest brand new PC on the floor, dual core celeron, 3gb ddr2, onboard video, LG dvd burner, MSI motherboard, Western Digital HD, windows 7 preloaded AND NO BLOATWARE. Plus a 320 gb SATA drive, lots more SATA ports, and I have a spare SATA 500 GB HD to toss in it.

Plus their store brand uses dead simple standard ATX/microATX patts. I can swap EVERYTHING in it. And the Win 7 license is easily worth over $100 by itself. The only bloatware was it included a copy of a demo of MS Office, and a Computer Associates antivirus demo (which she had a key for on her old pc anyway, we just transferred it over).

I will say I was a little bothered by how often they kept asking us if we needed help, but I latched on to a good one.

Mom LOVES her new pc btw.

i stated what I was set on.. which these days is entry level. Her video is a little sluggish, the rest of the pc *FLIES* compared to her old Pentium 4 2 ghz w/512MB RAM and a 120MB IDE.

[Magpie]

In situations like this, when a person's job is on the line, they usually tend to do one of two things:

1 - Be as high pressure with every customer as possible (I have seen a girl literally BEG customers to buy upsells because she would lose her job if they didn't)
2 - Using some kind of register tricks/fraud/lying to or deceving customers to boost your numbers

You forgot

3 - Be largely deaf, and really just not get it when the customer says they don't want the card, and a percentage of people will fill out the forms that you're waving at them just to get you to shut up.
4 - Be nice to all the new employees, and show them how to fill out the forms. Make sure to put your name down as the employee who is responsible for the sign up.

3 means management loves you despite you being incompetent. 4 works only until you get caught, and will actually get a pet (you know, the ones who can't do anything right, but somehow manage to never get fired) fired.

[Rantsylvania 6-5000]

It frequently isn't, and for that you can blame corporate types and managers who lay the pressure on thick to sell extended warranties, get sign ups for loyalty cards, and so forth, and levy punishments up to and including termination for not doing those things.

With these people it isn't enough to ask customers about the extended warranty or the loyalty card. You have to get the sale or the sign-up.

This is infuriating! The only ones who aren't affected by this are the assholes who made this policy! It's outrageous that someone's whole job performance is judged by those fucking credit card sign-ups! While looking for a new job, I've been trying to avoid applying anywhere that has a store card. I don't want to get fired for something that's out of my control!

[KellyHabersham]

I'll agree that it's infuriating.......I remember one of my co-workers at Macy's telling me that when we received our performance review, whether or not we received a raise depended on how well we'd done with getting new credit accounts. (although I blame HR and corporate staff for this one, it wasn't under our department manager's control)

[Seraph]

I thoroughly understand this. When I worked at Target, I flat out told the hiring dept I would not sell credit cards. I think they're a terrible cause of debt, and I hate them. They agreed, said that was fine, as I tried to practically make it out like it was a belief. (hehehe)

Didn't last long, when I got my 30 day performance review....I got a C. Even though I had a bunch of customer compliments filed, and I had A's in every other area (except punctuality, I got like a B+ in it)....they threatened my job because I didn't push the cards.

I asked if they really thought that not selling a card was enough to fire me, and they bluntly told me yes. They informed me I needed to be seen selling cards, constantly, and if I didn't get a sale within the next four days, I was going to get fired.

Unfortunately, I did make a sale, and I actually APOLOGIZED to the customer who signed up for it.

Turns out, one of the other employees knew the lady, and told her of my plight. They didn't want to see me let go, and neither did she....so she signed up for a card. Just to help me keep my job. Crazy, huh?

[Exaspera]

This is so absurd! I don't want a different credit card for every store. If my wallet gets stolen, I need to remember what cards I had. I pay bills online, but I would have to keep track of making sure everything gets paid on time. With a Master Card, I just make one payment. On top of that, I am trying to keep my FICO score up.

With all of the checking of my credit, and having lots of cards it can really affect the FICO!