Apparently, offering an SC a special offer is rude

[Lace Neil Singer]

This is, to date, the most baffling SC encounter I've ever had. I was serving this man, and as well as his petrol he'd picked up a chocolate bar. Now at the moment, there's a special offer on certain chocolate bars, so naturally I told him about it. His response?

"That's extremely rude. *cat butt face* I won't have this after all *throws chocolate on the floor* and I won't ever come back here."

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? All I did was tell him he could save some money. I don't understand how that could possibly be seen as being rude. My collegue Jim was just as confused as me, and promised to back me if the SC complained.

Has anyone else had an SC encounter that completely confused them?

[TelephoneAngel]

Too many to remember - they all have the same theme there is no logic to an SCs complaint that's why it makes no sense to a normal person.

I had similar when I worked retail along the lines of

*choclate bar might be one for 50p, special offer is two for the price of one*

SC brings choclate bar to counter and I point out that she could have two for the same price as one is free.

SC complains she only wants one if she wanted two she would have bought two. SC scowls at my wicked attempt to force upon her two choclate bars for the same price when she only wants one.


me

[tropicsgoddess]

Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the universe...

[blas]

More like someone woke up today without Viagra.

[wagegoth]

I think they were shocked, shocked they were, by the fact that the store minion robot spoke to them off script.

[MoonCat]

Possibly he didn't hear you very well and thought you said something else, although what it might have been I couldn't even guess. I just know I've had people think I said something completely different from what I actually said, and more than once they thought it was something offensive.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I seriously doubt that was it, seeing as he heard me perfectly up til that moment. My theory now is that he was just an arsehole who was having a bad day and just wanting any excuse to take it out on someone who couldn't tell him to go fuck himself. -.-

[ravevolution]

When I worked at a game store long ago we had a period of time where people could get the membership card for free whenever they bought a game console. (the card offered 10% off on pre-owned games/accessories and a 1 year gaming magazine sub.) typically it was like 10 bucks.

I had one guy just out right refuse, his exact words "I don't want free sh*t."

Another was a lady who was buying a system and some used games for her husband (the free card would have saved her like 15-20 bucks off on the games and I told her the magazine subscription would have benefited her husband if he was ever interested in possible future games that may interest him) She declined it

Some people just want to walk in, grab their stuff and walk out. They don't care if they save money or not, let alone be inconvenienced.

[EricKei]

I had similar experiences when I worked at GameStore. More than once, I had someone who, -- between trade-ins and used stuff they were buying -- would have saved MORE than the cost of the card if they bought one. In other words, *not* getting the card would cost more in the end. They wouldn't even let me sign them up and just make up a fake name/address >_<

My mind still boggles.

[Tora]

I don't know about most people, but I do think that in some cases you suggesting a deal that can save a customer money somehow translates in the customer's mind as you implying they don't have a lot of money and that you think they're poor or something, so they get offended. This is just a guess, though, as I've never personally had this kind of reaction before.

[terakhan]

I hate to admit it, but I am one of those people who declines the money-saving cards. But its because I didn't go to the store to sign up for stuff, but to purchase stuff. At no point in my plan did it include filling out some little card/survey/whatever, nor do I desire to take the time to do so.

Whoever said 'time is money' failed to take into consideration that unlike currency, you can not go to work and earn more time in your life. But those clever little pieces of paper with dead presidents...and Ben Franklin... can be earned at a rather steady rate.

I do understand that it is a required part of their job to at least offer it, so only once have I gotten an attitude about it. But when the customer refuses three times and you keep offering it, you need a bit of a wake up call.

[Lace Neil Singer]

The thing is, it's actually part of my job to offer special offers to people. Most people are grateful; those who don't want the special offer usually decline but say thanks. This is the first time I've ever had this reaction.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Some people just want to walk in, grab their stuff and walk out. They don't care if they save money or not, let alone be inconvenienced.

That's me exactly, actually. I'm not rude about it (I don't consider being firm with someone being rudely and uncomfortably persistant to be rude...I consider it to be evidently necessary if the person refuses to let it drop after I decline.). I realize people's idiot bosses make them do it and try to be understanding.

Those crappy little cards they hand out? Not worth the hassle. How much money am I really saving? Certainly not enough to endure:

1. Having to keep up with the thing and remembering to use it.

2. More clutter.

3. My name on a million marketing lists. They say they don't sell or share your info, and personally, I do not believe that. Nobody does anything like this except to collect info. If I don't play, I don't have to take the store at it's word. I KNOW I won't end up on a million marketing lists.

4. More junk mail. See # 2.

5. The creepy practice of tracking your purchases.

6. The offensive idea that I do not have the option to decline.

Once, I DID sign up for one. Lowe's did a thing for a while where they'd give you a hundred bucks per thousand you spent. That's only a ten percent perk...usually not enough to get me to play...but I was getting ready to embark on a kitchen remodel. And the several hundred dollars I got back in gift cards bought me a refridgerator. THAT is worth my while. Couple dollars or cents here or there? Keep it and just ring me up. I'm the sort of person who will actually willingly pay more money for less hassle.

As for special offers, I got really irritated at somone foisting one on me. I didn't get nasty with her, but it really pushed my buttons. They had chocolate bars right on the freaking counter, so there was no way to miss them. They were taking up space right there on the checkout counter so you had to work around them. And there is a big sign on them. And then the checkout woman started trying to foist them on me as if it were somehow possible I might have missed seeing them (Helen Freaking Keller would not have missed them). She's all like "Would you like some chocolate bars? YOu should get some, they're on sale. Blah blah blah."

Well, I'm thinking if I did, surely I would have picked up a few, right? I see them, AND that they are on sale. Maybe I'm diabetic. Maybe I'm dieting. Maybe I'm allergic. Maybe I just don't want any fricking chocolate. I'm not there to have a conversation about. Irritating.

[MoonCat]

It must be really frustrating for the clerks, too, because they have no choice, they are told they have to offer these things. I do understand that. I think more customers who really hate this practice should let company HQ's know how much they hate it. I know it takes time to do so, but maybe if enough of us did some of these corporate twits would think twice about these practices. Big 'maybe', but still...

We've done similar things at work where, for example, as Mother's Day approaches, we are supposed to ask callers if they'd like to place a Mother's Day greeting. Well, you only need to be snapped at a couple of times with "My mother is dead!" (delivered in an aggrieved, 'it's-all-your-fault-I'm-upset-now!' tone) before you start feeling like an ass. Nobody likes to be snarked at, but when the boss says you have to do something, you do it.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Well, I'm thinking if I did, surely I would have picked up a few, right? I see them, AND that they are on sale. Maybe I'm diabetic. Maybe I'm dieting. Maybe I'm allergic. Maybe I just don't want any fricking chocolate. I'm not there to have a conversation about. Irritating.

This guy had already picked up one bar of chocolate tho, so it wasn't about that. I don't have to offer the special offer to everyone who comes in, just people who buy chocolate.

And in any case, there is no need to be an arsehole about it. All you have to do is say politely, "No thankyou," and be grateful that you're not the person who has no choice but to offer you this kind of thing.