Store credit cards.....

[Mighty Girl]

Are there any magic words to get a salesperson off your back the FIRST time regarding store credit cards? I almost became a severe SC a few times over the past few weeks because they were starting to get way too persistent. We just had all of our Kaufmann's stores turn into Macy's, and they seem to be pretty bad with it right now. I thought Kaufmann's was bad, but now I stand corrected. Macy's puts Kaufmann's to shame.

Here's how it went each time-

RA- Retail Associate
Me

RA "Did you find everything that you're looking for?"
Me Yes (they're probably required to say that, but I think it's stupid- if I hadn't found everything I was looking for, I wouldn't be paying and leaving)
RA "Will that be cash, check or Macy's card"
Me "Visa"
RA" "Do you have a Macy's card"
Me "No thank you"
RA "You could save 10% which would reduce your total to....."
Me "No thank you"
RA" I can process it right now"
Me NO THANK YOU
RA <Big eye roll> Well here you go, (sarcasm) have a WONDERFUL day.

As annoying as it is to be asked over and over to apply for their card with it's exorbitant finance charges, it's even worse if you get stuck behind someone who decides that they do after all want a store card. I was at JCPenney's and these rednecks who, after ranting about the price of every single thing they're buying, then decides to go ahead and apply for a store card. We were there FOREVER while this salesgirl asked them a ton of questions. UGH. And do they really think I want to answer personal financial questions while 5 people are behind me in line listening? Who on earth decided this was a good way to do business?

I worked retail for years, so I'm pretty sympathetic to the demands of that environment, but there are two things that I can not take- people who can't/won't take no for an answer, and people who invade my space.

[RentalRacer]

Yeah I had that happen to me at Pennys...Salesgirl kept telling me that what I bought would get a 25% discount if I signed up for the card, I said no 2 times, then I just lied and said look, my credit score is really low, so I won't qualify. But, I thank you for forcing me to divulge this information to anyone within earshot. That shut her up. Hope that was not too SC of me.

[powerboy]

I also want to know, what can I say, to stop them from asking. I always tell them, that my credit is bad, so I know I wont qualify

[Barefootgirl]

I've never had this problem. Maybe the salespeople round our way just aren't pushy with credit cards that way - I find saying "no thank you, i don't need one" works fine.

Perhaps next time you are faced with an over-pushy sales assistant, demand the number for corporate (or even better, an address) and write and complain that while you don't mind being asked once if you would like a store card, a policy requiring the staff to ask over and over again if you would like the card is rude and unnecessary, and reduces the chances of you shopping there again.

This gets your point across to corporate, but doesn't involve unfairly victimising members of staff, who are msot likely told over and over and over again to offer customers the stupid card.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I also want to know, what can I say, to stop them from asking. I always tell them, that my credit is bad, so I know I wont qualify

"Oh goodie! You want to give me a credit card! Wonderful! I haven't been able to get one since I defaulted on my last 12 credit cards and declared bankruptcy!"

It also works well to do your best impersonation of David Spade in those Capital One commercials and say no in as many creative ways as you can.

[Librarybabe]

I took them up on it and still had problem!

I actually accepted the offer for a Macy's card a couple weeks ago. Before I signed the application I READ EVERY WORD ON IT, and decided I didn't want their VISA card, just a store card, so I checked the little box declining the Visa-logo card. Simple, no?
Fast foreward 9 days. I receive in the mail a Macy's VISA card and instructions for activating it. No info on how to fix the snafu. SO, I trundle back to Macy's at the earliest opportunity (December 23rd) to speak with a customer service representative. FWIW, they were very helpful, and they did cancel the Visa card and arranged for the issuance of a store card, but I felt compelled to pay off the balance, and brace for the likelihood of never setting foot inside the place again.

Irked, but not angry.

[JustaCashier]

Ah yes, the wonderful world of Corporate America where the overpaid suits sit in their comfy offices and push various levels of management down the line to Store Manager to push these card offers, getting Customers' Addresses etc. with threat of write-up and/or poor performance review for the Salesclerk if a certain number of offers aren't accepted by Customers!

I agree with BFGirl. Especially with the Internet available. Fire of a scathing E-mail to Corporate telling them you resent the practice, and feel it's unjust to force their frontline Employees to do it.

Mike

[Becks]

RA "Did you find everything that you're looking for?"
Me Yes (they're probably required to say that, but I think it's stupid- if I hadn't found everything I was looking for, I wouldn't be paying and leaving)

Well, maybe they thought to ask because sometimes even if I don't find an item or two that I'm looking for, I'll still decided to buy the ones that I have found.

RA <Big eye roll> Well here you go, (sarcasm) have a WONDERFUL day.

Now THAT was vastly unprofessional of the RA. Shame.

And as for really trying to push the card, maybe each cashier has a quota?

[trunks2k]

I also want to know, what can I say, to stop them from asking. I always tell them, that my credit is bad, so I know I wont qualify

Tell them that, and then hand them an Amex Signature Ultra Platinum Preffered Super Duper My God your Credit is Great card.

[Cedophile]

Tell them that, and then hand them an Amex Signature Ultra Platinum Preffered Super Duper My God your Credit is Great card.

Time to start building my credit, just for the look on their faces!

[Cole]

as for really trying to push the card, maybe each cashier has a quota?

i know at my store each cashier HAS to get 2 a week, and the store must get at least 48 a week. We also have to keep a certain credit level. A cashier can get written up, and fired if she/he does not ask customer to sign up or use their cards. I worked cash for 2 years befor i moved to the customer service desk, but it is really stressful for the chashier, and as much you hate to hear it we hate to ask it a million times more.

That said, i don't feel that you to be really pushy. I would just ask once as part of the greeting. Unless it was a big ticket item, and i knew it would save them alot of money. I'd explain the card more to them. Or if i saw they were paying cash, that way they could put it on the store card to save 10% and then pay off the balence with the cash, so they didn't have to actally use the card again (and i only did this when my line was dead)

[Becks]

Thank you, Cole, for the insight.

However, I don't think I have any kind of credit, and if I do it's leaning towards the bad side (I didn't mean to bounce that check!!! How was I supposed to know the bank that I was using at the time charged money for each check used??).

[sbandliz]

I agree with Cole.

In Australia, we have a store called Lowes which specialise in school uniforms. With their store card, the standard discount is 5%, and a couple of times a year they have special days where it is 20% off storewide.

I use their store card to get the discount, then pay it off on the spot with cash. This way, I pay a little bit less for something my kids need (believe me, school uniforms are very expensive), and I make sure I don't forget and attract high interest charges.

[stormtreader]

I get annoyed with being asked in my favourite clothes shop, because I got refused due to having pretty much no credit history (im more of a saver than a spender) and I have moved house a lot through being a student.
It just reminds me every time that I cant have one

[DesignFox]

Wow. I know cashier's have quota's to meet, but I've still never met anyone that pushy. Usually one No Thank You is enough... I also think it is awful for corporate to impose such quotas on their stores/employees- I understand they want the card offered, and they want customers to be using THEIR card, but it is very unfair to the employees to be told to shove these things down people's throats...or they'll get fired! That pisses off the customers big time- and puts them in a bad position- we all work retail right? We know the cashier has a quota- maybe we are preventing them from meeting their quota...great- I didn't get a card and now someone loses their job over it... plus it just adds all this anxiety for the poor cashier who doesn't want to ask you 50 times, but also knows that if you say no, she might be out of her job... what a suckfest. I definitely think writing corporate is the thing to do....

I also think that in your case, MightyGirl, the cashier was wrong to roll her eyes at you! You were patient not to tell her off the 4 time she asked you about the card...