Do you work in a shop? and are you forced to sell credit cards?

chunkymonkey2144

I work in a high fashion store and as you know as part of your job you have to sell their store card, but do you think if you don't manage to get folk to take them out that you should be penalised for this? In my work, we are all individually spoken to and asked why we arent getting them? i mean i will ask a customer if they would like one but thats not enough, they want to hear us forcing the benifits apon them. I feel this is morally wrong. Having been in debt myself, i wouldnt encourage anyone to take out credit just because they were talked into it. To be told your not performing in your job because someone won't take credit, is rediculous! I believe if someone doesn't want it, and they are set in the fact they don't want it, then they can't be persuaded. We're in the middle of a recession, what do they expect. I feel i ask customers and if they say no, they say no and it's their choice. We are also threatened with action from area managers and diciplinary action, should this be allowed?

KonkyWonky

I guess from what you say you are a sales person in a store who wants to push a product (there card).

As happens in the sales profession if you don't meet targets then your bosses aint gonna be happy. I don't think there asking you to do anything wrong, they are only asking you to push one of there products.

You may see it as morally wrong and I am quite sure so will a lot of people. Taking a wage off an employer though and deliberatly going against there orders is also morally wrong.

I guess you have to decide if you disagree with it so much are you are willing to leave your job.....

chunkymonkey2144

i have considered it, what ever happened to customer service being about helping a customer find what they need, not trying to force a really high interest credit card on them?

tobiascurious

Does the store card offer 10% off or other discounts? How about pushing that benefit to the customer but whilst also mentioning that its expensive to leave a balance on for a long time

chunkymonkey2144

tobiascurious wrote: »

Does the store card offer 10% off or other discounts? How about pushing that benefit to the customer but whilst also mentioning that its expensive to leave a balance on for a long time

yea we do give that and thats what i use to sell them, and thats fine, but then you get the weeks where your store doesnt get any cards and then thats when the boses start turning nasty.

Shorrtybearr

I had the same thing in my previous employment, they kept pushing me to get store cards even with the current credit crisis. I'd hate signing up families or customers with these huge 40% cards that just didnt help anyone.

I eventually told the boss that i wont sell something i didnt think was worth it, they left me alone after that. If your a shop assistant and its not in your contract then legally i think your fine, however i could be wrong on that. Its a bit of a slippery slope though.

Just do your normal job, ask if they want one (explain benifits etc) and let it go.

We had a whole meeting about the different ways to get the customer to take one, some of the tactics were so sinnister!

KonkyWonky

If the customer gets a 10% discount then I wouldn't feel bad about pushing it. As long as you explain to the customer its best to pay the balance off before the interest gets charged then your conscience should be clear.

chunkymonkey2144

I mean yea i know they get lots of benifits to it, but yea there are some horrible misleading ways to encourage. Do you know though, your not allowed to encourage anyone to take out a store card, thats against the law. Its also against the law to enter someone into a credit agreement with incorrect information. I had an argument on the phone to Santander the other day because they had given us wrong information to give to customers.

chunkymonkey2144

And also i think the fact that as soon as your not pulling these cards out the bag then they start getting really nasty with you, surely thats not allowed? If i ask, i'm doing my job right? If they don't want to take one, thats their decision?

ILW

I would sat that as an employee it it your job to sell what you are told to sell (as long as it is legal). If you cannot or will not then you are not the person to be doing that job. Sorry but its a tough old world out there at the moment.

KonkyWonky

If they don't want one then thats fair enough, but regardless of that your boss will still want you to attempt to sell them one.

If your boss feels the reason that they are not buying is because you are not following some form of guideline or structure then he could probably take it further. Just make sure you are not putting yourself out on a limb, if there is a structure to follow make sure you cover your own back.