I Already Donated

[purplecat41877]

The other day, I asked a customer if she wanted to donate a hunger bag. She ranted about how she already donated and she gets asked every time she comes in. I got the front end manager who explained that we have a goal to reach. She also told the customer that the employee might not know that she already donated (especially if she checks out with a different employee each time).

[Monterey Jack]

I really hate that phrase...yes, you may have already donated, but that doesn't preclude you from donating again, does it? And we see HUNDREDS of people every day...do you honestly expect us to recognize that, oh yes, you donated to [charity] last week, and thus we don't need to ask you again? Just give us a polite but firm "No" and leave it at that.

[bainsidhe]

I personally wouldn't care if you said you'd already donated, or whatever. Still, the best reply is always "No thank you" and we'll both move on with our day. No ranting, no cussing, it really just takes a simple "no" and that's it.

I'm surprised the manager would mention that the store has a goal to hit. Not because it isn't true, but because this customer was already upset and making this sound like just another sales goal is...yucky.

[Slave to the Phone]

At the food stamp office, we have to ask our customers in they want to register to vote every interview. Usually, this isn't a problem, they say no or they are already registered and then we move on.

Currently, I hate that part of the interview because everyone takes that as their cue to rant about Trump or 205 losing or anything political.

[Pixelated]

What, you mean you don't have a photographic memory that allows you to immediately recall every single face that passed through your store (even if they didn't get into your checkout line)? Pretty dang sad, if you ask me.

[Aragarthiel]

At the food stamp office, we have to ask our customers in they want to register to vote every interview.

I've encountered at least one government form that asked me if I wanted to register to vote (I think it was at the DMV or some such thing), but didn't give me an option for "already registered" so I checked "no." When I handed the papers to the clerk, she tried lecturing me on how important it was that I register to vote and such. It took a couple of tries to get it through to her that I was already registered.

[chimera]

I'm with the customers on this one. Companies ask employees to corner customers at the register to ask them for email addresses, credit card sign-ups, donations. What a bunch of crap. Let them pay for their stuff and GO. It's just a bunch of unnecessary added on stress to have to worry about not looking like a miser or rude to the employee or other people in line when you turn that stuff down. I don't think customers should snap at employees who are made to ask these things, but I understand it must get very old to have your transaction taken hostage almost everywhere you go with these tactics.

[Food Lady]

I personally wouldn't care if you said you'd already donated, or whatever. Still, the best reply is always "No thank you" and we'll both move on with our day. No ranting, no cussing, it really just takes a simple "no" and that's it.

Exactly. [filler]

[Slave to the Phone]

Food Lady, none of our forms have "already registered" either. Quite frankly, while I do think that its important to vote, I don't really care if you (generic you) exercise your right or now. I don't care what party you vote and why you are opposed to the other party. I don't want to know your political opinions or if you don't vote, why you don't vote.

All I care about is checking either the yes or no box.

I've actually learned to hide that question in a way. I've been doing this long enough to know what the "hot" buttons are because I have to ask a lot of personal questions. People don't seem to react nearly as strongly when I ask about drug related felonies or recent jail stays as they do to being asked if anyone is pregnant.

So, it kinda goes something like this "are you or anyone you are applying for pregnant?" "Oh god, I sure hope not!" or just NO!!!. "OK, do you want to register to vote?" "Um, what? Oh, no thank you." "OK, who's going to school and where?"...

[rvdammit]

LAst time I was in the US and bought something with the phone number question I started with +44, which got a look of confusion. Followed it up with saying I'm not a US resident so you'll need the international dialling code if you really need the number.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I'm with the customers on this one. Companies ask employees to corner customers at the register to ask them for email addresses, credit card sign-ups, donations. What a bunch of crap. Let them pay for their stuff and GO. It's just a bunch of unnecessary added on stress to have to worry about not looking like a miser or rude to the employee or other people in line when you turn that stuff down. I don't think customers should snap at employees who are made to ask these things, but I understand it must get very old to have your transaction taken hostage almost everywhere you go with these tactics.

However, since all the crap that cashiers have to ask is not their choice, but the choice of head office, if a customer is rude and obnoxious to the cashier as a result, that automatically puts them in the wrong. If they have a problem with it, then they can complain to head office, rather than attack the poor cashier who has no choice but to do this or risk their job.

[XCashier]

However, since all the crap that cashiers have to ask is not their choice, but the choice of head office, if a customer is rude and obnoxious to the cashier as a result, that automatically puts them in the wrong. If they have a problem with it, then they can complain to head office, rather than attack the poor cashier who has no choice but to do this or risk their job.

SC: But that takes work! I don't wanna go through all that! It's so much easier and more therapeutic to yell at the cashier, then she can pass the message to Corporate!

Yes, they do think that way. I am so glad I'm out of retail and hope I never have to go back.

[nutraxfornerves]

A couple of weeks ago, I had to see a banker in person about some complicated stuff. The banker processed everything quickly & efficiently, but then got this sort deer-in-headlights look and said, very apologetically, "I'm sorry, but I am required to ask you a few questions to see if you are getting the most from your banking with us." "Sure. I understand," I replied

She proceeded to look at my account and ask if I had any plans to buy a car (no). Then she noted that she certainly wouldn't talk to me about a re-fi on my mortgage because there was no way I could get a lower rate. She finished by commenting that the credit card I had from them was the best possible deal for me, which I already knew.

The whole time, she looked rather scared and kept alternating comments with thanking me for my business.

It wasn't until I got home that I put it all together. Warren Buffett I am not, but I have enough business with the bank that I am sort of medium-high on the customer scale. The poor lady was stuck doing a sales pitch, was used to being yelled at for it, and was scared of having a medium-high customer file a complaint.

[Pixelated]

However, since all the crap that cashiers have to ask is not their choice, but the choice of head office, if a customer is rude and obnoxious to the cashier as a result, that automatically puts them in the wrong. If they have a problem with it, then they can complain to head office, rather than attack the poor cashier who has no choice but to do this or risk their job.

Agreed. Don't take it out on the poor wage slaves, who have no choice but to ask those questions (and no, they do NOT have a choice ... mystery shoppers and all that ....) Write a blistering email to Customer Service and anybody else you can find who is relatively high up on the food chain. These are the morons who come up with these idiotic ideas but aren't the ones who actually have to deal with the customers.

[Racket_Man]

but then got this sort deer-in-headlights look and said, very apologetically, "I'm sorry, but I am required to ask you a few questions to see if you are getting the most from your banking with us." "Sure. I understand," I replied

<snip>

The poor lady was stuck doing a sales pitch, was used to being yelled at for it, and was scared of having a medium-high customer file a complaint.

As I just applied for, got approved for and used/closed on a home mortgage I did have to go through some of the above stuff with the loan officer during the process and the teller when I withdrew $$$$'s for a cashiers check for closing costs.