Suggestive Selling Really Irks Me

[Mario4ever]

This morning, just like most mornings, I stop at the Speedway station on my way to work to pick up something to drink. When I step to the register the girl asks the obligatory question that she asks every morning which I tolerate with a smile and a shake of the head..."Do you have a Speedy Rewards Card?" Following that, on this day, she asks if I'd like to help their store win a contest by buying some 2 for 1 candy deal. I politely say, "No." She then asks if I'd like to donate my change to a charity. I again decline politely. I give generously to charities of my choice...I don't need to be asked at a convenience store for more. Finally she makes the smart, off-hand remark, "you just like telling me no, don't you?" She probably thought it was cute, but I didn't. I came in to by my daily drink and I felt like I was being harassed by the cashier. I usually tolerate this stuff, but I'm sick of it.

Another example: when I go to Mike's Car Wash, I almost always get the basic wash. I don't have an expensive new car, just one to reliably get me to work and back. Every time the kid who takes my money tries to sell me the tire shine, or works wash or some other, of course more expensive, service than what I asked for. It's starting to tick me off.

I suppose all of this started with Mickey D's asking the now famous question, "would you like to super size that?" Apparently these suggestive selling techniques bear fruit for retailers, but I for one am growing very tired of it.

Okay, I feel better now

[Turn13]

I know what you mean, but in the case of Mike's Car Wash, they're really just looking out for you. Like when the doctor suggests a change in diet

[cheeseczar]

Just this morning I went to a kwik trip and bought coffee and doughnuts for the shop guys.
Cashier asked if I had gas. I pointed to the coffee and doughnuts and said "just this". Then she asks if I want a $1.00 grilled cheese sandwich.
I looked here in the eye and firmly said "JUST THIS". I like their coffee is the only reason I go there.

[indyracefan]

I can relate. I realize that many times it's part of their job and I'm usually polite however sometimes stupidity has to be addressed. Such as when I go to Wendy's and say "I'd like a double hamburger with lettuce, tomato & ketchup." and inevitably they'll ask "would you like cheese on that?' Most of the time I'll just say no but there's times the smart-a$$ in me comes out and I'll have to say something like "I said a double hamburger, not double cheeseburger", or "did you hear me say cheese?"

[ndcrs]

not an attack on any of you, but i just don't understand what is so upsetting about just needing to say "no thank you". as a society, we tend to change our moods and attitudes over things that just aren't that big of a deal.
.

[Ren Butler]

not an attack on any of you, but i just don't understand what is so upsetting about just needing to say "no thank you". as a society, we tend to change our moods and attitudes over things that just aren't that big of a deal.
.

Well said. And if they pizz you off that much, shop somewhere else.

[don7031]

My first encounter with up selling occurred in the early 90's when the manager of a Goodyear service center told me he was required to try to sell three additional services.

I really don't even notice it anymore as it has become part of the routine. "No, I'm good thank you" works fine for me.

[ndcrs]

.

[Max Revs]

not an attack on any of you, but i just don't understand what is so upsetting about just needing to say "no thank you". as a society, we tend to change our moods and attitudes over things that just aren't that big of a deal.
.

Yeah, but just wait until you're retired, and looking for the next thing to get mad about :banghead: .

[Cant_hit_apex]

The funny thing is that those poor fast food / quick stop workers hate asking those questions so much that they usually race through the question too fast for you to even understand what they asked. Here's how it works with me:

Sonic voice: Can I help you?

Me: I'd like a large vanilla Dr. Pepper and a large cherry limeade

Sonic voice: That's a large vanilla Dr. Pepper and a large cherry limeade. Would you mmfffmm mfmmmfffmm wwmmffwmmm mmfwwwfffmmmm mmmwww?

Me: I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?

Sonic voice: Would you mmfffmm mfmmmfffmm wwmmffwmmm mmfwwwfffmmmm mmmwww?

Me (looking at my wife for help): I didn't understand any of that.

Wife: She asked if you wanted some cheddar peppers, cheese tots, or something like wonky jammers.

Me (to disembodied voice): No thank you.

Sonic voice: Drive to the window and mmfffmm mfmmmfffmm wwmmffwmmm

[mstove]

not an attack on any of you, but i just don't understand what is so upsetting about just needing to say "no thank you". as a society, we tend to change our moods and attitudes over things that just aren't that big of a deal.
.

How about, as a society we need to be happy that someone is stopping in and paying us for a service instead of bugging them to buy some un-related items. The chain around here that is annoying is Kwik Trip. At their stores you can stop in get a soda or coffee and pay for your gas and expect at least one offer of an item by the register - sometimes two. I'm always polite but do keep it in mind when there are multiple choices for service stations.


Mario4Ever - McDonalds was doing that before "supersizing". I worked at one years before such a thing existed and we were trained to always say "would you like fries with that?" For that reason, I suppose, I don't usually take note at fast food drive-throughs. However, there was a time recently when they were trying to push smoothies and you would pull up to any McD's drive-through and be greeted with a "good morning, would you like to try one of our new............insert smoothie name here?" That bugged me because it was pre-coffee. No suggestive selling pre-coffee should be allowed.

[skypigeon]

Oh, well, at least the examples y'all are giving aren't like the stupid SOB I had to deal with at our local Best Buy a few weeks back. He was a rep for a broadband connection service. Can't remember the name; if they employ idiots like this I don't want to.

Anyway, they had him parked by the Macintosh area of the computer section. I was there looking at computer monitors to give myself a break. It had been a hard day. I had to walk by him to get to the monitors.

He walked up to me and said "Sir, have you heard of [name of the service]?"

"No," I said, not stopping, not looking at him, "but I'm sure I'm wouldn't be interested, thanks."

Upon which he said to my back, actually sounding offended, "How would you know you're not interested if you don't know what it is?"

Upon which I spun around with my fists clenched and said loudly, "Because I SAID I'M NOT INTERESTED, thank you very much!"

Upon which he quickly and wisely backed off. But WOW did that cheese me off. Maybe the guy had had a bad day, but that's NO excuse to insult someone not interested in your product. NONE.

[Mario4ever]

How about, as a society we need to be happy that someone is stopping in and paying us for a service instead of bugging them to buy some un-related items...

You hit the nail on the head! That is exactly why this sort of thing bothers me. I have a choice and chose your place of business. Now that I'm here you're not satisfied with that. No, you want to try and extract every last penny you can rather than being appreciative of the business I came there for in the first place. I find it offensive.

[clovis]

This morning, just like most mornings, I stop at the Speedway station on my way to work to pick up something to drink. When I step to the register the girl asks the obligatory question that she asks every morning which I tolerate with a smile and a shake of the head..."Do you have a Speedy Rewards Card?" Following that, on this day, she asks if I'd like to help their store win a contest by buying some 2 for 1 candy deal. I politely say, "No." She then asks if I'd like to donate my change to a charity. I again decline politely. I give generously to charities of my choice...I don't need to be asked at a convenience store for more. Finally she makes the smart, off-hand remark, "you just like telling me no, don't you?" She probably thought it was cute, but I didn't. I came in to by my daily drink and I felt like I was being harassed by the cashier. I usually tolerate this stuff, but I'm sick of it.

I worked for Speedway after I graduated college. The upper management drilled suggestive selling into every manager, which, in turn, drilled it into every cashier.

The reason they suggestive sell is because it works. And works very well. If you spent a few days at the cash register at Speedway, you would be amazed at the results. I am still in awe of how many people would say "yeah, sure", and that was 20 years ago!

For most companies, suggestive selling means millions to their bottom line in revenues and profits. Just assume that 5 people an hour said "Yeah, sure" to the suggestive sell. Adding $2 per person X 5 people an hour = $10. Since most of their stores are open 24 hours, that equals $240 in added revenue per day. $240 X 365 days a year = $87,600 per store X 1600 stores = $140,160,000.

I'm still amazed by how many people fall for the suggestive selling. Absolutely amazing. FWIW, my experience at Speedway way back then was that 5 people an hour was a VERY low percentage.

With all that said, I'd still like to sit down at a Chili's restaurant, and NOT have someone try to sell me a $12 margarita!

[Ren Butler]

Just another thing for people to complain about.

They would use these tactics if they didn't work. People wouldn't buy those extras if they didn't want them. And sometimes they don't know they want them until they know about them. It's impossible to find the 5% who want them without asking the 100% who come in.

High pressure -- sure, that's annoying. But just let the people make the suggestion once, and politely decline once. It's not that hard, people.