Work that requires to ask for credit.

[klhanson]

Does anyone here work for Kohls? I started their recently as a POS (cashier) associate and i'm really struggling with getting credit. I only work 4 hours a day maybe 3-4 if not less.. and i'm expected to get two credit apps a day. Just not sure how to go about getting it. I guess I need to be more proactive and ask without worrying about the customers reaction.. but at the same time they want us to make the customer happy!

Grr..

Just more of a rant then anything.

[EricKei]

It's the same anywhere else, unfortunately. They want you to do something that annoys the vast majority of customers, but still keep them happy.

Ya wanna know the reallyscary thing? Most big corp's treat credit (card) app solicitation as something the customers should LOVE to get on a regular basis, as if there is absolutely zero potential downside to it whatsoever.

[Trixie]

I worked there over the holidays. I never bothered asking for credit because I knew have the first day on the register I wasn't going to try to stay on. If they still do it you can try to get people to apply by offering some kind of discount. Besides that it didn't seem like a bad company to work for. They always seemed to have some kind of food brought in for everyone. The weekly paycheck would've been nice but I just didn't really want to work two jobs.

[Sapphire Silk]

Retail companies love pushing their credit cards because it's a pure profit center for them.

Customers hate getting credit cards pushed on them because they slow down the check out process.

[Kiwi]

Most companies are not in the credit business, not in the retail business. Ask every customer, it's a numbers game. If you ask everyone once then you might find it easier to get your apps. Get two, then you can stop asking.

At BBB I had to get over 40 sign ups a day for our stupid email coupons of threaten a write up, I would just come in with 40 made up emails already on our slips to get my manager off my back (the ASM told me it was a trick the other cashiers used). It's SO stupid.

[mjr]

I seriously dislike the whole "Would you like to apply for a <store> credit card?" I always politely decline, but I hate the fact that companies make people do this.

I look at this a lot like "upselling" at a fast food place. If I wanted the ExtraLargeJumbo fries, I'd ask for them. If I want an apple pie, I'll ask for one. I know what I want. I can see your menu.

It's the same with most "Big Box" stores. I know you offer a card. I know I can apply for it. I know there are "discounts" I can get if I use your store card. I choose not to use it. I've done the math in my head.

[EricKei]

mjr - Ditto. I have heard tell of places that mandate not giving up on card apps until after a bare minimum of two refusals, if not three.

[mjr]

mjr - Ditto. I have heard tell of places that mandate not giving up on card apps until after a bare minimum of two refusals, if not three.

Something seems very wrong about that. If a customer has made up their minds that they don't want BigBoxCard, asking again isn't going to change their minds.

Additionally, it's annoying. I've been asked at Bullseye a few times, as well as "one off" places (i.e. places I might visit once every six months), and both big box home improvement places.

I do have to wonder what the "conversion" rate is (i.e. a customer says "yes"). I ask because I don't think I've ever known anyone who's whipped out a "Big Box" credit card and used it in said Big Box store. Of course, I don't know a whole lot of people, but still. And I also have to wonder how many people apply for and get the card, and how many people actually use said card after receiving it.

It's obviously high enough that they continue to force (i.e. threaten) employees, and badger customers. I'm just curious what the numbers are.

[Food Lady]

I might cancel mine. The discounts don't offset the interest, and CCs get me in trouble. I can't be trusted with a charge card.

[mjr]

The discounts don't offset the interest,

That's the whole plan. A large number of people don't pay off their CC bill in full every month, and so they end up paying interest.

[Food Lady]

I got 2 apps in one day early this week, but all I'm hearing about from Boss Lady is that I didn't get any last week, so sad face. Yeah, I actually didn't work as hard this week as last, which exemplifies the fact that I rarely get them on my own power, but on customers' perogative (they ask me). Whatever; it's never, ever good enough and it's really out of my control. I asked all day yesterday and nothing. It's now a simple question I have to ask, like "Do you have coupons?" "Driving sales" doesn't make a difference.

[EricKei]

Something seems very wrong about that. If a customer has made up their minds that they don't want BigBoxCard, asking again isn't going to change their minds.

That's the really scary part. In my experience (GameStore, in this case), the top brass at most large corporations would call you a liar for saying that. They cling to the delusion that the one and ONLY factor in whether customers sign up for a discount/credit card or pre-order a product is "employee effort." Customer wariness, bad experiences, etc mean nothing whatsoever, in their eyes. An employee who points this out will generally either get treated with condescension (because "He doesn't know any better") or disdain ("That is one lazy Mo-Fo. Might wanna look into replacing him"). Either way, future promotional opportunities will suddenly vanish, simply because the worker refuses to drink the Korporate Kool-Aid.

[Food Lady]

Eric, I couldn't agree with you more. I often say my boss drank the KoolAid a long time ago.

[cindybubbles]

Can't companies have a booth just for credit card applications? Then have someone patrol the lines asking if customers want to apply, and if so, direct them to the booth?

[mjr]

That's the really scary part. In my experience (GameStore, in this case), the top brass at most large corporations would call you a liar for saying that.

Top brass almost always has a certain level of delusion, though. Because most of them have not done the "lower level" jobs. Some of them (like MBA types) have only done what they've been taught in school and/or "management training" classes. There was a "King of the Hill" episode like that, where Buck Strickland hired an MBA-type who almost wrecked everything at Strickland Propane. I know it's a fictional cartoon, but there was a larger point to the episode.

http://kingofthehill.wikia.com/wiki/Snow_Job

When I was an assistant manager at King of Burgers, I always told my crew members "I'm not going to ask you to do anything I haven't already done." And I meant it.

I wasn't one of those managers who hid in the office, either.

A lot of "top brass" either haven't been in those positions, or they don't care.