Irv sells snake oil!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Well, this is an accomplishment to me....

On Friday when we picked up our paychecks, we all got a nice motivational letter saying "We need to increase the number of extended protection plans we sell and we need to do it now!" Translation: the corporate suits are pissing and moaning because our conversion rate isn't high enough to sustain their massive bonuses. They want 8% of all customers purchasing eligible items to purchase the EPP--not quite so easy when you sell more electronics and appliances than any other store in the district.

So today I was covering a break for the electronics guy when I noticed a lady carrying around this DVD projector she was going to buy. She was looking at some other items that I would have to get the key and unlock. WHile I was getting her stuff, I figured why not try and sell one of these EPPs and make myself look good?

So I chatted her up, and told her the EPP would cover her projector for a year after the manufacturer's warranty expired. Guess what? She bought the EPP!

Go Irv, go Irv, it's your birthday!

Had I checked her out, I would've gotten a 50-cent bonus on my next check for selling an EPP, but I'm not register trained. But I think it was good for me to try the up-selling thing when I don't normally do that.

[JustADude]

Sweet. That's not snake-oil though, if the EPP covers things like bulb replacement. I know, for example, that the extra coverage I got on my projection-LCD TV (not huge, but it's nice enough for me) does. It's a 3-year coverage and the expected bulb-life is about 2 years, with each bulb being MORE than the cost of the warranty, so I KNOW I'm going to get my money's worth out of it, even if nothing else goes wrong.

[volatile]

Well, this is an accomplishment to me....

On Friday when we picked up our paychecks, we all got a nice motivational letter saying "We need to increase the number of extended protection plans we sell and we need to do it now!" Translation: the corporate suits are pissing and moaning because our conversion rate isn't high enough to sustain their massive bonuses. They want 8% of all customers purchasing eligible items to purchase the EPP--not quite so easy when you sell more electronics and appliances than any other store in the district.

So today I was covering a break for the electronics guy when I noticed a lady carrying around this DVD projector she was going to buy. She was looking at some other items that I would have to get the key and unlock. WHile I was getting her stuff, I figured why not try and sell one of these EPPs and make myself look good?

So I chatted her up, and told her the EPP would cover her projector for a year after the manufacturer's warranty expired. Guess what? She bought the EPP!

Go Irv, go Irv, it's your birthday!

Had I checked her out, I would've gotten a 50-cent bonus on my next check for selling an EPP, but I'm not register trained. But I think it was good for me to try the up-selling thing when I don't normally do that.

They are only giving you a 50 CENT bonus for an EPP? Dude, the company you work for are cheapskates. Our sales people get 10% or 15% (can't remember which) of the cost of the EPP on top of their cut from the sale. I guess the bigwigs can't figure out that if you don't give enough of an incentive to push a product that no one will willingly do it.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

They are only giving you a 50 CENT bonus for an EPP? Dude, the company you work for are cheapskates. Our sales people get 10% or 15% (can't remember which) of the cost of the EPP on top of their cut from the sale. I guess the bigwigs can't figure out that if you don't give enough of an incentive to push a product that no one will willingly do it.

Duh, we're cheapskates!

Yeah, corporate isn't big on opening up the pocketbook to motivate you to push those damn things. But they are great at handing down the veiled threats

[JustADude]

I never did understand that. Companies specifically screen AGAINST drive, intelligence, and creativity, they refuse to dish out any worthwhile $$$, lean on the people they do get, and they wonder why their stores don't perform up to their unrealistic demands. You get what you pay for.

[Food Lady]

I totally agree. IPF, good job. At our store, if we don't get enough customers to sign up for credit cards, our managers get written up. Hopefully it's not like that where you work.