Does anyone else feel harassed in retial stores while checking out?

powderfinger · #1 10-12-2010, 01:47 PM

I honestly dread going into retail stores these days without being totally harassed and bombarded by the clerk/cashier. Now, I understand the clerk is just doing his or her job, so my gripe is with the mgmt/corporate. I try to shop locally and avoid box stores and national chains, but honestly, around my town, if you want to shop locally, you better 1) have alot of money and 2) be looking for something VERY specialized and specific.

Everytime I go to the store.... its..

1) Do you have your discount card?
2) Do you want to sign up for a discount card?
3) Are you a member of our rewards program?
4) would you like a free 12 mos subscription to Ent Weekly

Its getting WORSE and its HORRIBLE!!!!!

Vent over...

Selta · #2 10-12-2010, 01:50 PM

You just smile and say no. It's not harassment dude, at all. The worst they do is say something like "Are you sure?" and you say yes, I don't want it, thanks. Finish checking out and walk away. Most of them even just do this while their ringing your stuff up and it's a prompt on the screen they have to answer anyway.

Take a chill pill / relax / do yoga / calm down.

CrispyDelicious · #3 10-12-2010, 01:51 PM

Frown a lot. Wrinkle your brow like you're scrutinizing everything. Look genuinely pissed off about something. Not surprisingly, they'll leave you alone!

mambo4 · #4 10-12-2010, 01:52 PM

welcome to the age of "opting out"
consider it practice for transcendence of all of life's other minor annoyances.

powderfinger · #5 10-12-2010, 02:09 PM

Opting out... good choice of wording.

Yes, because when you bring up a DVD to be rang up at (insert retailer name) for example, they say, "would you like to use you rewards card". They are OPTing you IN. I agree.

Fassa Albrecht · #6 10-12-2010, 02:21 PM

The one that frustrates me is shop assistants following me around and asking every three seconds 'can I help you with anything?'. I know they're doing a job but there's a difference between being annoying and being helpful.

MatticusMania · #7 10-12-2010, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

The one that frustrates me is shop assistants following me around and asking every three seconds 'can I help you with anything?'. I know they're doing a job but there's a difference between being annoying and being helpful.

No, they think youre trying to steal.

I'm not bothered by that crap at the checkout stand because I ignore them from the time they start ringing me up until the total shows up on the screen. If they ask questions my auto-response is set to 'no'.

powderfinger · #8 10-12-2010, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

The one that frustrates me is shop assistants following me around and asking every three seconds 'can I help you with anything?'. I know they're doing a job but there's a difference between being annoying and being helpful.

I go into a particular CD/DVD store in the mall here... they sell used DVDs, so sometimes I go into browse for used DVDs I may want to trade in for. ANd this one lady always appears out of nowhere right over my shoulder, as Im looking at movies, "did you know that if you buy 3 used DVDs, you can get 1 new DVD 1/2 or or 2 used DVDs 1/2 off if you sign up for our rewards program... and if not, you can still get the 2 used DVDs 40% off with purchase of an additional cd or used DVD"... and Im like lady, SHUT UP!!!!!

MJ5150 · #9 10-12-2010, 02:27 PM

Take a deep breath and have a big glass of calm down. Hopefully this rant made you feel better.

-Mike

Fassa Albrecht · #10 10-12-2010, 02:30 PM

Another one that annoys me: stupid 2-for-1 offers. When I was a student, there was no way I could have used 8 pints of milk (4 pint bottles, 2 for $6) or whatever else was on offer, simply because I was cooking for one and didn't have room to store everything.

warnergt · #11 10-12-2010, 02:30 PM

I feel harassed every time I step into a Radio Shack. You don't get
three steps in the door before some geek is asking you what you want.

MatticusMania · #12 10-12-2010, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

Another one that annoys me: stupid 2-for-1 offers. When I was a student, there was no way I could have used 8 pints of milk (4 pint bottles, 2 for $6) or whatever else was on offer, simply because I was cooking for one and didn't have room to store everything.

Maybe if you had a bigger fridge you could have stored that milk? Im sorry, but disliking 2-4-1 offers sounds like quite a waste of time. If you get 2 for the price of one how can that be bad? If I go to subway and buy one 6" sub, and a large drink, and I get a second 6" sub for free, how is that a bad thing? Sure, I bought a drink I might not have otherwise bought, but if Im eating a sandwich, im going to want a drink, might as well buy a large and get another sandwich for free. I can eat it later.

Some people really do look for things to complain about.

**zenrad** · #13 10-12-2010, 02:38 PM

I just say no thanks if I'm not interested, not a big deal.

If the clerks work on commission then I can see it. Furniture stores are the worse, and of course car dealerships.

On the other hand, I do have my "pet Perks" card at Petsmart and I do save a good amount of money when they have specials. Same goes for the grocery store discount card - last shopping trip I spent $115 and saved $30. That's a good percentage off and it was because I had that free card. Sometimes it's worth it, and if I can save money and pay nothing then why not? Yeah, they track my purchases, but I don't care if they know how much cat food, cat litter or groceries I buy.

thefruitfarmer · #14 10-12-2010, 02:39 PM

I went looking for shirts the other day.

I am 6'2" and because I have long arms and relatively big shoulders I need an 18" collar size with 36" arms. Most shirts have shorter arms than fit me and they are usually tight across the shoulders.

I found one local shop that sells shirts that fit me so I went back there. However, they only had my size in shirts that require cuff links not with a button on the cuff. I don't want to be looking for cuff links in the morning. I wanted a a higher quality cotton that irons easily. They only had thin cotton. They tried to sell me what they had so I said "no thanks".

I went to another shop and asked have you got any shirts that fit me? A young woman measured my neck at 16 1/2" and said I was not an 18" size. I tried on the shirt and the arms were too short and it was tight across the shoulders. I walked out in frustration.

I did n't feel harassed but I felt they were trying to do what was good for them and shift the boxes rather than give me what I was asking for...

Fassa Albrecht · #15 10-12-2010, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

Maybe if you had a bigger fridge you could have stored that milk? Im sorry, but disliking 2-4-1 offers sounds like quite a waste of time. If you get 2 for the price of one how can that be bad? If I go to subway and buy one 6" sub, and a large drink, and I get a second 6" sub for free, how is that a bad thing? Sure, I bought a drink I might not have otherwise bought, but if Im eating a sandwich, im going to want a drink, might as well buy a large and get another sandwich for free. I can eat it later.

Some people really do look for things to complain about.

Given that I was a student, sharing a fairly small fridge with 6 other people, I had not a huge amount of space to store stuff in. I kept the bare minimum in the fridge as I could.

Plus, it seems a waste. I know a lot of elderly people on their own who feel the same as me. They simply can't/don't want to use two sandwiches or three pizzas or 8 pints of milk.

**Jerose** · #16 10-12-2010, 02:48 PM

I'm not a sales clerk so I can't answer from experience, but I'd assume when you say "No" to an offer to sign up for a discount program, that's less work that they have to do in giving you the forms and awkwardly waiting for you to finish.

So they probably don't mind.

**Jerose** · #17 10-12-2010, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

Given that I was a student, sharing a fairly small fridge with 6 other people, I had not a huge amount of space to store stuff in. I kept the bare minimum in the fridge as I could.

Plus, it seems a waste. I know a lot of elderly people on their own who feel the same as me. They simply can't/don't want to use two sandwiches or three pizzas or 8 pints of milk.

Just because it says "Buy one get one free" doesn't mean you actually have to get two. The benefit is there for the people who want or wouldn't mind having two of the product. If you don't want two, then you just ignore it.

No one is forcing two bottles of milk into some old person's hands, stealing his wallet and kicking him out on the curb and screaming "This isn't 'Nam, Smokey, THERE ARE RULES!". It's okay to take one.

MatticusMania · #18 10-12-2010, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zenrad

On the other hand, I do have my "pet Perks" card at Petsmart and I do save a good amount of money when they have specials. Same goes for the grocery store discount card - last shopping trip I spent $115 and saved $30. That's a good percentage off and it was because I had that free card. Sometimes it's worth it, and if I can save money and pay nothing then why not? Yeah, they track my purchases, but I don't care if they know how much cat food, cat litter or groceries I buy.

These things are adjusted for competition. I use my Mom's Vonscard when I shop at Vons, as its the closest supermarket to my residence and I often walk there. As any Vons customer knows, their prices are marked higher than a place without a 'club card' like Food4Less or Stater Bros. After using the Vons card, the total purchase ends up being closer to what one would pay without the card elsewhere.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

Given that I was a student, sharing a fairly small fridge with 6 other people, I had not a huge amount of space to store stuff in. I kept the bare minimum in the fridge as I could.

Plus, it seems a waste. I know a lot of elderly people on their own who feel the same as me. They simply can't/don't want to use two sandwiches or three pizzas or 8 pints of milk.

Still, it is a waste of energy to be upset about a retail store offering such deals. Obviously, the 8 pints of milk deal was not made with a person like you in mind, but rather someone who does drink a lot of milk, you know, like the mother of a family of 4. And like the subway deal, not for someone who chooses to dine alone (unless theyre really hungry) but rather 2 people going out to eat together. To be upset over something like that is just, well forgive, its stupid.

Atoz · #19 10-12-2010, 03:01 PM

There's a local grocery chain here that has some sort of "charity week" every so often where the checkstand staff loudly hit you up for donations at the cash register and then get a butthurt expression on their faces when you say no.

If the company cared so much for the charity they're pimping, I figure they'd donate some of their own money instead of trying to shame me out of mine.

6jase5 · #20 10-12-2010, 03:04 PM

Be mad at the generals, not the soldiers. Most folks in retail are given the weekly "push" and I find it interesting. I once new someone that had to say "You're the best in the west at Best Western Ranch House Inn, can I help you today or have you speak to one of our reservation specialist?" EVERY time she answered the phone. I'm just glad eye whent two colage.

If you don't like shopping at stores, there is always that whole new fangled interwebs shopping thing. You go to the Amazon....I don't know.