High pressure sales techniques

Jeff Almeyda

Senior Consultant
Does anyone else feel that stores are pushing the limit on sales techniques?

I bought a pair of sticks last week at a Guitar Center on my way to a rehearsal. I have already received 2 emails from the kid who sold them to me. In one, he tells me that he's glad he was able to "keep me rockin".

It's not just them. God forgive you if you shop at a K-Mart and you don't have a friggin' frequent buyer's card or whatever. The little Russian woman wouldn't let up on me for 5 minutes when I told her I didn't want a card, nor did I want to give her my email address...

I had the feeling that she was going to be beaten for not getting me to sign up, that's how pushy she was.

All of this data gathering is just torture for me when I just want to buy something and get out of the store. With your credit card number and zip code or tel number they pretty much have you. Then come the mailings, emails, and now SMS is coming on strong. I was woken up the other night by a text from Fandango that the new Disney movie was out. I almost threw the phone across the room.

I have a feeling this is going to get worse before it gets better.
 
It's very irritating. You DON'T need my phone #. All you need is my money. Unless of course you let me pay for my purchase with my phone #. I don't care about your survey I tell them in a very polite way though since he/she is just doing their job and what he/she has been asked to do.
 
Yes, but can there be free will in a world where high pressure sales techniques exist?
 
I don't think there's a law requiring you to give your actual zip code or phone number...

I've given the cashier the store's phone number several times and they rarely catch on.
 
I don't mind emails since I do nothing more than delete them without opening. Junk mail is junk mail.

As far as the point of sale register interrogations go, I just say no thanks and can I please just check out. Only once did the person have a problem with it.
 
Yes, but can there be free will in a world where high pressure sales techniques exist?

Yes there can, James! Free will is manifest in the words, "no thanks". When "no thanks" is not enough then it's time for "goodbye", said or with body language.

Jeff, it sounds like you had a bad run. I get more sales harassment on the phone (bye ... bzzz) and in the street (no thanks, I never do street business) than in shops.
 
Yeah, i get tired of all the crap at the counter. I used to give out a phony phone number but now i just say no with my best "Walter White" impression. It is amazing, some clerks don't know what to do when you refuse to play.
 
Yeah, the Guitar Center email thing is pretty annoying. Luckily I have just set up to send them all to the spam folder..ta da..no more annoying emails.

I agree with the worse before it gets better sentiment. Email marketing has become the new commerical. I even hear radio commercials now for email marketing firms.
 
I've given the cashier the store's phone number several times and they rarely catch on.

I love this.

I used to give out a phony phone number but now i just say no with my best "Walter White" impression. It is amazing, some clerks don't know what to do when you refuse to play.
And this.
 
I would reply to the first kid that I specifically played only Jazz and that telling me to 'Keep Rockin'' is insulting because Rock in for Neanderthals.

That'll shut him up sharpish. Especially when he looks up the definition of 'Neanderthal' and self-diagnoses...

I'd probably give them the number of an ex-girlfriend. Hehehehehehehe.
 
This just happened to me this morning at a Books a Million:

Lady in front of me at the checkout line.
Only one person at the counter.
Lady waits for clerk to ring up everything THEN opens purse for form of payment.
Clerk asks for Membership card.
Lady states she does not have one.
Clerks asks if she would like one.
Lady asks how much that would cost, then agrees to purchase membership card.
Thus begins a lengthy series of questions.
Lady is torn between what three free magazines to subscribe to as a thank you.
Lady requests to pay with different credit card for the membership card.
(at this point, I'm thinking I'm on a hidden prank tv show).
Lady asks what to do to have card charged as a "Credit" instead of a "Debit" card.
We get through all of that then lady asks if they have a certain title available in the store.
Clerk goes to another computer to look up title.
Clerk informs lady that the title is available, lady wishes to buy title.
Clerk pages "Sunshine" or whatever the hell clerk's associate's name is.
"Sunshine" cannot be found in store.
Store manager makes finding title a priority.
And then we go through the entire purchase scenario again.

Picture Steve Martin at the rental counter in "Plains, Trains and Automobiles."
 
What used to really irritate the hell out of me was how everything you buy seems to have a "extended protection plan". These days I just cut the cashier off as soon as they go into it and say "no thanks". They rarely push it. I know they are required to offer it, so I kinda feel like a jerk sometimes but I'm just so tired of it. If I'm gonna break a pricey piece of gear by leaving it in the shower or it falling out of a 12-story window, I shouldn't be allowed to have it anyway.
 
On the other end of the spectrum, I had a very pretty female cashier ask me for my phone # when checking out once. I told her only if she gives me hers. She blushed and let out a cute laugh. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and as I gave her my number she dialed it on her cell phone, thus giving me hers. We had a great weekend ;) ;). Plus she didn't even type my phone number into the store's computer. She became my favorite cashier from that point on. I miss the single days :( sniff sniff
 
That's why I buy at local stores (well, that and the absence of a GC). I know everyone there, they will always be genuinely helpfull and wouldn't dream of asking me for my personal information.
I did, however, make a purchase from Thomann once. They have been hopefully sending those massive flyers ever since, but I kinda enjoy those anyway.
 
I don't think there's a law requiring you to give your actual zip code or phone number...

I've given the cashier the store's phone number several times and they rarely catch on.

Stores obviously do the zip code so they can set their demographic and also know where to send their junk mail. Never give them your phone number.
 
Yeah, I hear writing your name, address and phone number in the register when visiting a building can also be bad. When the book is full, they sell it to one of those marketing guys.
 
I got an email the other day from my local music store. It was asking me how I liked the cymbal polish I bought. That made me laugh for 2 reasons:

1. I hated the stuff and if they want to sell anymore they don't want me to fill out a review.

2. I have also bought sticks, books, various accesories and my drums from this place - but they don't want to know how I liked those things!
 
Yeah, i get tired of all the crap at the counter. I used to give out a phony phone number but now i just say no with my best "Walter White" impression. It is amazing, some clerks don't know what to do when you refuse to play.

I do the exact same thing. I swear, so many people don't realize that they asked a yes/no question and that the word "No" is a perfectly legitimate response.
I also once worked for a company that developed telephone applications ("Press 1 to renew your prescription....") and we had a few dedicated phone lines for testing. One was always busy, another would never answer. I used to enjoy giving out those phone numbers.
 
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