Fed up of the hard sell

gmang

Why is it that everywhere you go it seems people are trying to sell you crap you don't need?

Today I needed to stop by my bank to deposit a cheque and the post office to send a parcel. In the bank, the cashier deposited my cheque and then told me I was "eligible for an account upgrade". Knowing that the "upgrade" is to a fee-paying account with benefits that are not worth the £12 a month fee (by far), I said no thanks. They then proceeded to ask if I had identity theft insurance, and a bunch of other stuff! For me it is a minor inconvenience, but for many people they might fall for this. It reeks of the cashiers being on some kind of commission structure with targets of people they need to sell products to.

Then I went to the Post Office, just to send a parcel - a low value item - in first class post. I noticed that the clerk managed to sell special delivery to the [foreign] customer in front of me in the queue, although they really didn't need that product at all. I was ready for the clerk's selling and said that the item was worth less than £10 and the delivery date was not important. She took payment off me - I used my credit card to pay. At this point she asked me if I pay any interest on my credit card!! She proceeded to try to sell me a Post Office credit card! Gah!!

What annoys me the most is that many of the older generation still think of post offices and banks as providing a public service, when in fact they are now little more than salesmen trying to flog you products you don't want/need in order to satisfy their sales targets.

Rant over. Have a nice day.

bosseyed

Arf, thems the breaks I'm afraid these days. I had a mate who worked in a shoe shop and they made more money flogging shoe cleaners than shoes, so every single sale was about how they could get you to buy some shoe cleaner along with your new daps.

As you long as you're able to say no its a mild irritant at best I suppose, but it does give you the sensation that everyone is out for something and that every question asked during a transaction is loaded.

Its like those charity muggers - usually a young attractive lady who flirts outrageously in a bid to get me to stop and chat. Liars! they don't fancy me (I'm deeply ugly) they just want my bank details.

custardy

the post office network runs at a loss

The first half of the current financial year, 2010-11, saw a drop of £28 million in Post Office revenues compared to the same period a year earlier. Without the £150 million annual Government subsidy to support loss-making smaller branches, the Post Office would have recorded an operating loss last financial year. The Government has made clear its funding for the whole network going forward depends on a clear plan to eliminate the losses in the Crown network.

so if you want them simply function on you sending low cost 1st class items (paid by credit card so that would be less money for them) then the government subsidy will have to raise by quite a margin

fluffnutter

I don't know about the Post Office, but bank tellers are most certainly on a commission to sell financial products. I don't get their marketing calls, emails and endless letters as I've set all my preferences to 'no marketing', but when I was waiting for a replacement debit card recently and had to visit in person to withdraw cash, the hard sell was unbelievable! They try to flog you all sorts when all you want is a poxy fifty notes. Most annoying, particularly as I was only forced to go to the bank because of their cock up in the first place!

JulieElizabeth

It's the same going in to Poundland - when paying for my cheap shampoo and conditioner I'm asked if I'd like 3 Dairy Milk for a pound

NO

fluffnutter

JulieElizabeth wrote: »

It's the same going in to Poundland - when paying for my cheap shampoo and conditioner I'm asked if I'd like 3 Dairy Milk for a pound

NO

Loads of shops do that, don't they? It's particularly common in Claire's Accessories. You trundle up with your bag of tat that you've grudgingly agreed to buy for your small female relative only to have more shite thrust at you at the till.

mountainofdebt

the trouble is, especially with staff in banks, alot of the performance related targets now relate to the amount of accounts that they can upgrade.

Its the same with any sort of store really these days - for example furniture shops pushing treatments to prevent stains from spillages etc

Jeff_Bridges_hair

Its called 'upselling' and is so prevalent in all walks of life now as companies try and squeeze each penny from your pockets.. Its a pain in teh arras but what can you do?

nomoneytoday

Do you want large fries with that?

murphydog999

This is nothing new, when I worked in Comet around 20 years ago, it was all about extended warranties. Put the fear of god into the customer about service charges (esp. on things like videos, TV's, and washing machines) and get a shed load of commission. It was all the rage then, they are still pushed now, but most people know they are not worth the paper they are printed on.

PZH

murphydog999 wrote: »

...when I worked in Comet around 20 years ago...

Oh dear - you've done it now. Nerrit will be on to you shortly :rotfl: