sorry, we don't give military discounts

[depechemodefan]

The short version of my rant: military guys can suck when not given any discount since we don't offer military discount. One guy gave me the 2-finger salute, probably thinking I'm not familiar with, after commenting about us not giving military discounts. Stay Classy

Long version
Besides memberships, we give Educator's discounts. Now the Educator's discount is meant only for teachers to use the discount on items for the classroom. Not meant to be used on stuff you use for home. Also, only the educator uses it. But of course the educator uses the discount for son/boyfriend/best friend. ugh. Also doesn't count University educators.

The idea is they can purchase only select items. The computer can't tell that "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is different from "How to have the best sex ever!" since both are books. But there are no discount on magazines. I did have one woman comment that she teaches crocheting from the crocheting magazines, but the system is not perfect.

So the point is this Educator's discount would only be applied to certain stuff that won't put the store in a financial hole with giving discounts to teachers.

Imagine if we gave discounts to AARP members or Military/Retired military?

So I get a lot of Military (retired military too) wanting discounts. One time we had a coupon for the weekend for 20% off an item. Your suppose to get the coupon from an email, but we had a copy of the coupon in case people left them at home. So one time I use the coupon for a guy, even though I'm not suppose to offer it without a customer prompt.

Though the other day these guys came in in uniform (or really fatigues, I guess that's the proper name), and one tried to use his girlfriend's account but couldn't, so I used someone else's account to give him a member discount.

But in general people are butt hurt that we don't offer military discounts. People with AARP or other type of discounts that don't apply at the bookstore usually aren't this butthurt.

I do appreciate people being in the military, but no reason to be rude.

[notalwaysright]

Interesting. I wonder if this would come up more if I lived closer to any military bases? The company I work for does offer a military discount, but I haven't had very many people ask for it. However, I have so much trouble with the people wanting to sign up for the teacher card. It's not a scanable discount, like the military one is. It's a card, it gets renewed once a year, and requires proof that they are a teacher. It's not at all hard to sign up for, and you know perfectly well they are just going to use it on all their purchases, not just for items used in classrooms. Not that I care, it's just aggravating when they throw a fit because they have no proof they are a teacher, and are only buying one item anyway.

The ones that are even worse are the people that complain because we don't have an everyday senior discount. Think about it, that's a huge percentage of the shoppers at a fabric store. Plus there are already so many discounts that everyone can get. Or some swear up and down that we always give a senior discount on Tuesday. I'm like, I think that's Fred Meyers?

[Slave to the Phone]

I was in the Air Force, my sweetie is an inactive Marine. (Any Marine will tell you that there is no such thing as an ex-Marine, so even though they were discharged a hundred years ago, they are still Marines, just inactive.)

We have a bunch of friends who also served. None of us ever ask for military discounts, although some of them will ask for old fart discounts, but if they are told "No", they just move on.

It always kinda shocks me when I hear about military people demanding discounts or upgraded service just because they served in the military.

[Bright_Star]

I'm retired Air Force & most of the time it doesn't occur to me to ask for a military discount. But when I do happen to ask if they offer a military discount I don't get bent out of shape if they don't have one. To insist that they do puts a blemish on that service members' military service.

[Slave to the Phone]

Raises fist in solidarity! AIR SUPPORT!!!

Sorry, I ride with a bunch of Marines. They like to give me the required inter-service s***, but I give it right back to them.

[dalesys]

... no such thing as an ex-Marine...

A friend/customer found one of those in an abandoned mine in AZ in the 70's. He'd been there since the '60s... Civil War, that is...

[Rosco the Iroc]

I didn't do 20 years for a 10% off. I would light them up if I was there.

[wolfie]

Never been in either the military or retail, but from what I've heard people "on the sharp end" tend to accept a military discount if offered, but don't go around demanding one. It's the REMFs who are extremely vocal about demanding the discount.

[Deserted]

Jesus wept. I served my time, and the only place that I use the discount is International Burger Chain With The Star, and that's only because they have enormous signs advertising the discount.

[Sliceanddice]

It's not a scanable discount, like the military one is. It's a card, it gets renewed nonce a year, and requires proof that they are a teacher. It's not at all hard to sign up for, and you know perfectly well they are just going to use it on all their purchases, not just for items used in classrooms. Not that I care, it's just aggravating when they throw a fit because they have no proof they are a teacher, and are only buying one item anyway.

I just have to ask, what kind of proof? Finger print clearance card? Proof of employment? Teaching Certificate? Teaching License? Cause a charter school teacher wouldn't necessarily have the last two or even the first one all the time, and most proof of employment for school would look the same for any job at a school.

Just curious.

Oh and Deserted Jack also has it, I use to just plop it in wherever someone in uni showed up when I worked there. Which was a lot since we were 3/4 of a mile from the main gate of the base (not really that close but pretty darn close)

[notalwaysright]

They just need their teacher's ID and state issued photo ID, usually driver's license. MOD's will okay a card for various other forms, of course. Homeschool teachers get some sort of documentation, I can't remember what, but that's fine too. It's really not that hard, but they have to have something.

The people I'm complaining about are the ones who just say "I'm a teacher, and your store has a discount. What do you mean sign up for a card? I'm a teacher!" Yes I've had a woman say that to me, and no she didn't want to fill out the card, and no she had nothing which showed she was a teacher.

[Captain Neon]

My retail gig offers a military discount. We have signs at the register and they post big signs in May, July, and November. They have to present military ID and then a manager has to authourise the discount. Manager I usually work with is retired Navy, and is esp. sensitive to stolen valour. If you don't have an ID, he's not gonna authourise the discount.

We have one brat that comes a lot that expects us to just know that he's national guard and if we don't ask for ID at the beginning of the transaction will ask for his military discount when we ask for payment; requiring us to back all the way up and start over. It's his way of trying to punish us for not offering the discount rather than him having to ask.

[Mamochan]

In the navy we occasionally had people like this. Except what they did not know is that everywhere around the base knew to get the sailors name that was acting unmilitary like while representing the military and let the base command know. They would then let the captain of the ship or boat know would then let the department officer know, etc. In the end they got taken in to the office and explained in a way corporate offices would love to be able to do on how to act as a sailor representing the united states military and not like a asshat.

Long story short, if you know what base they are serving at, it may not hurt to let them know how the military members are acting. The base likely has a public relations officer who handles that type of interaction.

[Jay 2K Winger]

In the navy we occasionally had people like this. Except what they did not know is that everywhere around the base knew to get the sailors name that was acting unmilitary like while representing the military and let the base command know. They would then let the captain of the ship or boat know would then let the department officer know, etc. In the end they got taken in to the office and explained in a way corporate offices would love to be able to do on how to act as a sailor representing the united states military and not like a asshat.

Long story short, if you know what base they are serving at, it may not hurt to let them know how the military members are acting. The base likely has a public relations officer who handles that type of interaction.

And you can always dream that they'll get smacked down royally, like this guy on Not Always Right.

[AnaKhouri]

I work at an independent specialty bookstore. No, we don't have military, senior or AAA discounts. We do have a teacher discount but they also fill out a form and they only get it on things meant for the classroom, and I doubt that fancy $25 lotion you are buying is really for your third-graders.

People just don't seem to get it. We're not Wal-mart, we can't afford to give discounts to every other person.

I just have to ask, what kind of proof? Finger print clearance card? Proof of employment? Teaching Certificate? Teaching License? Cause a charter school teacher wouldn't necessarily have the last two or even the first one all the time, and most proof of employment for school would look the same for any job at a school.

We ask for a paycheck stub or school ID, which every school employee should have. Homeschool families can present their letter from the state confirming that they are homeschoolers. It's pretty lenient.