High street show shops trying to flog you crap shoecare

Quasar

The OP is correct, the management push their staff to offer all these extras. You can bet that when you get all those insincere sounding "Hi how are you today", or a relentless patter trying to flog you unwanted items, the chain is being heavily mystery shopped and the staff are marked on doing (or not) all these things. I know because I've been a mystery shopper for 15 years now and have to look for things like that.

However, it is NOT a good policy as it puts customers off. Most people know what they want and if any extras are really useful, the staff ought just to point them out without making a hard sell. Something like "By the way, if you find the shoes get grubby, we have some good stuff to sort them out". And leave it at that. Unfortunately that's not good enough for the management, hence their hard sell, which I'm sure most of them would rather not do.

I remember once, about 10 years ago, needing a phone/fax machine. That was a genuine enquiry, not a mystery shop. After I chose what I wanted and the box was taken to the till, I was subjected to a barrage by two assistants trying to persuade me to get the infamous extended warranty that would cost as much as the machine. I started off politely declining, then when I saw they were not giving up I said "Ok, I can see this machine can only be purchased with the warranty, in which case I have to leave it. Goodbye". I was really going to leave but one of the assistants backed down and said there was no obligation to buy with the warranty. In the end I got the phone/fax, but I never went into that store again - as a genuine customer.

Hmm71

barbiedoll wrote: »

My first "proper" full-time job, back in the 80's, was in a shoe shop. We were told to flog the shoe whitener, polish, insoles, heel grips ("Sorry, we don't have a size 6 but how about a size 7 with insoles and heel grips?")

I was always really surprised at how many people actually bought the stuff. OP is absolutely correct about the tippex-like shoe whitener, it used to set hard and flake off! And you wouldn't believe the amount of women who were quite happy to buy shoes that were too big, or worse, too small, rather than leave the shop empy-handed.

We did sell loads of matching handbags though, we used to display them in the window and it was rare that we sold a shoe in a new colour, without flogging the matching bag with it. I must admit, I was as bad, most of my wages went back into the store, I had matching shoes and bags in every colour. It certainly cured me of any shoe obsession, I really can't be bothered buying shoes now!

Oh, I feel so embarrassed now but I used to fall for that "size 7 with heel grips" line so many times when I was a gullible teenager in the 80s. I'm not really sure now why I even wanted bright pink or green or yellow shoes in the first place.

jackieb

PlutoinCapricorn wrote: »

The Post Office and banks do it too.

I avoid these places as much as possible: street markets, farmers' markets, charity shops, independent shops, online shopping ... places such as Aldi, Lidl, Wilkinsons get my money now.

I hate going into the local branch of my bank. I'm always being asked if I want a review. In my experience a review is just an excuse for them to shut you in a room and try and sell you stuff. They also phoned me at home on a Saturday afternoon to arrange one. I keep telling them, no thanks, but they just go on and on. I've managed to keep them at bay for over 2 years so far.

barbiedoll

I've just bought my car insurance and ever since, I've been bombarded with "courtesy calls" from the company, trying to sell me legal protection, breakdown cover, hire car cover, etc etc.

I refused all of these "optional" extras at the point of sale, why do they think that I'm going to change my mind a week later? I've just got off the phone again, and although I hate doing it, I had to be quite rude to the call centre worker and I told them that if I had any further calls, I would be cancelling the insurance. (I won't, they were the cheapest by far!)

:mad::mad::mad:

Hmm71, you weren't the only one. I wear a size 3, which were really hard to come by in the 80's. I had a wardrobe full of size 4's most of which had heel grips and newspaper stuffed in the toes! :rotfl:

bluenoseam

I generally just tell them that I'm not an idiot, if I wanted X product I would have lifted it along with the product I've brought to the till before they start ringing it up.

Mindless_Clone

PlutoinCapricorn wrote: »

The Post Office and banks do it too.

Post offices do my head in when they do it. My local one always has a queue five deep and I don't appreciate being made to wait even longer while they roll through the spiel of whatever it is they have to sell this month with every single customer. Grr!


I've just been to buy new shoes today (school shoes for DS) and, although I got a "would you like any blah blah" I said no thank you and that was it. One question, no hard sell. Funnily enough, it's a smallish local chain of shoe shops I use.

s_b

barbiedoll wrote: »

I've just bought my car insurance and ever since, I've been bombarded with "courtesy calls" from the company, trying to sell me legal protection, breakdown cover, hire car cover, etc etc.

I refused all of these "optional" extras at the point of sale, why do they think that I'm going to change my mind a week later? I've just got off the phone again, and although I hate doing it, I had to be quite rude to the call centre worker and I told them that if I had any further calls, I would be cancelling the insurance. (I won't, they were the cheapest by far!)

:mad::mad::mad:

Hmm71, you weren't the only one. I wear a size 3, which were really hard to come by in the 80's. I had a wardrobe full of size 4's most of which had heel grips and newspaper stuffed in the toes! :rotfl:

i always recommend legal protection it could be the best 50 pence a week you might spend:)