As you wish sir...

[Ahbugger]

Me = Me
TINP = Totally imaginary normal person
SC = Totally real sucky customer

How I thought it would go:

TINP: No thanks I wouldn't like an extended warranty I'd just like the fridge.

Me: No problems but to be honest my sales figures are really low on white goods so it makes more sense for me to give you the warranty and knock 20% off the cost for humoring me than to sell it without a warranty at all. I'm still well within my weekly targets for giving discounts and it will look as though I have sold more warranties than I actually have.

TINP: You serious?

Me: I know it's wierd but that's one of the nice things about our company policy, it's rigid, inflexible and thoroughly stupid so I get to do odd stuff like this for people once in a blue moon. So here's your free warranty card, here's a courtesy £10 voucher for one of our other services and 20% off £99 brings the total down to £79, would you like me to ask our warehouse guy to take it to your van?

How it went:

SC: No thanks I wouldn't like an extended warranty I'd just like the fridge.

Me: No problems but...

SC: Huh! God's sake I just want my fridge. Get me my fridge.

Me: If you insist, that's £99 then. Hope you parked close, they're heavy.

[cono1717]

Ah man that sounds all to familiar. The morning meetings where you were told to fudge the figures. Gotta hit that target, whatever happens...

[Aethian]

I would have so taken the percentage off!

[ADeMartino]

I would have so taken the percentage off!

the customer might have, also, if he had just shut his mouth for a moment to listen. Personally, I'd have been thrilled to get a deal like that.

But, to be honest, I understand the customer's pain. Some places I've been to really, REALLY push extended warranties, to the point of being annoying about it. At a computer/electronics store nearby, they actually try to get you to buy an extended warranty on something that costs $20 and has a one-year manufacturer's warranty. Extending that warranty to two years costs another $7.50.And you have to tell them 'NO' like four times if you don't want the extended warranty.

[Sapphire Silk]

Agreed; the SC could have at least listened and been less exasperated about the warranty.

But I never buy extended warranties. They are worthless in almost every case, and overpriced as well.

[Ryooshi]

I understand both sides of this. Really, it's part of the job to offer the warranties, and i always let them do the shpeal first. Clerks get cut off so much I know they appreciate it. But when I bought my last cell phone, I had said 'no' four times and he still kept pushing and acted like I was an idiot for not taking it. I was so angry i ended up getting the wrong SIM card for it in my rush to leave. had to drag my husband back after he got off work because I refused to talk to the clerk.

[PepperElf]

Kinda like the call I got today. I was hoping for a job interview but it was some group trying to get me to apply for college. So I interrupted the sales pitch with "No thank you". Or rather pitches since they tried to sell me something more than once.


Although with warranties... I use to work for a company that sold them. So if I feel the warranty is worth it, I'll ask before they even offer.

[ADeMartino]

Kinda like the call I got today. I was hoping for a job interview but it was some group trying to get me to apply for college. So I interrupted the sales pitch with "No thank you". Or rather pitches since they tried to sell me something more than once.

I've gotten calls like this, though in my case the callers pretended to be recruiters. The first one, the 'recruiter' asked me a couple of fluff questions and then 'have you thought about continuing your education?'. Seemed like an innocent enough question, and answered no, not at this time. But the plot was exposed with the next question - 'would you be interested in a free cell phone?'.

My response was something along the lines of:

"Unless you're recruiting for a company that manufactures cell phones (which is highly doubtful since I'm pretty sure those are all overseas), allow me to suggest what you can do with that free cell phone."

[Ahbugger]

I understand both sides of this. Really, it's part of the job to offer the warranties, and i always let them do the shpeal first. Clerks get cut off so much I know they appreciate it.

We really do appreciate it but I know in balance not everybody has the time or inclination to talk about warranties, especially if they've been 'pressure sold' before and are worried I might do the same (I don't do the hard sell but they don't know that). It doesn't bother me when people don't want to know about warranties but it's annoying how many people are unable to handle a basic social interaction like talking to somebody.

Waiting for a natural pause in conversation to say "Sorry dude but I can save us the time it'll take for you to explain; I'd rather not take one out, yes even a free one, no honestly I want to pay more than that." is a fine, normal and adult way to handle being offered something you don't want. Drowning someone out with a lot of imperious snorting, shouting or other semi-tantrum behaviour is not. I guess that's the line where I stop doing favours and just belt-feed white goods out of the warehouse with a 'you're no longer my problem' attitude.

[MelindaJoy77]

We did donations last month for the Children's Miracle Network and even then get interrupted. It's like, I have to ask, so don't be rude for me doing my job. I had one lady who interrupted me and started going off about how she already donates and if our store wants donations we should just do it ourselves and blah blah blah she hates being asked and hates going to *other store across town* because they're always asking for donations. Her attitude didn't sound very charitable to me