Comments on: Retail Store Annoyances

By: phoenyx

phoenyx — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 16:24:30 +0000

It seems that the job of marketing/sales is to push people and annoying enough, but not too annoying. I wonder if more people showed more annoyance if stuff like this would even happen.

867-5309 is a valid phone number in my home town. It is for a pawn shop.

By: Russ

Russ — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 16:08:56 +0000

I think you give cashiers too little credit. I suspect that if you’d given (333) 333-3333 to begin with, you’d have had no further trouble. As a former cashier, the thing to keep in mind is that their job basically sucks, pays little, and is easy to get, so the end result is that they just don’t care. If you say your phone number is 867-5309 and they recognize the reference (I would have,) what motivation is there for them to “Call you on it?” I wouldn’t have. It might have ended me up with a pissed off customer on the other side of the counter, and that’s the last thing I wanted to deal with.
And of course don’t blame the cashiers for offering you “free” stuff, or credit accounts, or asking for your phone number. Cashiers are the bottom of the food chain. They’re told they must do X, so they do X.

By: Nicholas Butler

Nicholas Butler — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 09:22:41 +0000

Amen, brother .. Preach it.
I to am getting annoyed and the ever ongoing sales pitch of vanity and hope which I am subjected to at the point of sale. When in the super market I want to see a Cash Only No Questions just pay and go, Till , theyd be backed up round the store I bet.

By: Kevin mark

Kevin mark — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 09:15:30 +0000

You think that’s bad… I read recently on boingboing.net about a car dealership that would not sell a car without the consumer giving them his thumbprint!
-K

By: dave

dave — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 04:49:51 +0000

I’ve noticed a drop in phone number requests as well.

I think it’s important to ensure they’re aware of my displeasure with the practice. I never give my phone number to cashiers; I refuse every single time. When they press, I politely let them know that if they require a phone number for the sale, there will be no sale at all. In most cases, they suddenly don’t need a phone number, although I suspect the cashier simply makes it up.

By: PurrBall

PurrBall — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 22:14:47 +0000

I agree that stores are just trying to use you to make more money. It is so annoying.

By: HiddenWolf

HiddenWolf — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 17:25:56 +0000

I’ll bet you they’ll try to sell it to you anyway, and something else besides.

Not too many very smart, very motivated people end up on store floors at least on this side of the pond.

By: maniacmusician

maniacmusician — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 16:45:34 +0000

Good one, I liked it. I think I may just start giving out the same phone number. I never really thought about giving out my phone number up till now. I don’t go shopping much so I haven’t been asked often. In fact, I only recall one time where I was asked for my phone number, and I gave it at the time.

My phone number is now 867-5309 as well

By: Mackenzie

Mackenzie — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:40:05 +0000

and I’m not a Windows user…I just saw that it shows that. I’m at work, and I don’t have the choice to use Feisty here.

By: Mackenzie

Mackenzie — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:37:07 +0000

I’ve worked in a store where we took phone numbers. We never gave them out. We had one use for them: “hey you bought a Dimebag Darrel wah pedal last month, so we thought you’d like to know that Nick Catonese is going to be in the store giving autographs next week.” Usually we sent out postcards instead though.