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AIBU?

To be pissed off at all the upselling instructions obviously being given out to staff to try to get us to spend more than we need to

76 replies

WorriedBetty · 20/10/2012 04:34

So much 'is that a large one' (Wetherspoons) or 'would you like a drink with your meal' (everywhere) or 'curly fries for an extra 50p yes?' or 'any cakes or pastries?' ) nero's/starbucks etc.

I espcially hate the pretend mishearing:
'A small coffee please' 'Large coffee?' No small one please 'is that a large coffee today' 'NO ITS A FUCKING SMALL COFFEE AND IN A MINUTE I AM WALKING OUT' 'mug or a cup for your small coffee madam?' 'If its in mug is it a large coffee?' 'Yes..any cakes or pastries today?' 'No, just a small coffee.. in a cup please'. Angry

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ThreeWheelsGood · 20/10/2012 04:43

YABU - this really doesn't need to make you angry!

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ZombTEE · 20/10/2012 04:48

Up selling has always gone on, because it works.

And I have never been up sold as aggressively as you are describing. Go somewhere else for your coffee. Really do walk out.

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WorriedBetty · 20/10/2012 04:49

It does though! Also just realised that there is another thread about this - the WHSmith Chocolate one! It DOES make me angry - when consumption above need has shafted the economy, and forced people into debt, these companies are trying to use people's politeness and sense of decency to get them to spend more than they need or intended to - what will they do when they run out of money? Borrow - and we are back to the same old crap.

I put upselling in the same category as begging. If I say I want a small coffee I shouldn't have some fuck at the till trying to pretend I said something else to help them hit their targets - that's just conning people - its what put me off shopping at markets, and is what is going to make me start hating the people in Neros. Lets look at what actually happens - short term gain, then reduced visits as people think 'Oh god I hate going to the till at smiths' which acts as a brake on sales. Then more desparation on upselling, then fewer visits to tills.

Actually I think I will open a t-shirt shop that sells t-shirts with 'If you upsell to me, I will downbuy to you' or 'no I DON'T want any cakes or pastries today - the clue is in the FACT I HAVEN'T ASKED FOR ANY'.

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ThreeWheelsGood · 20/10/2012 04:52

I think you'd do your heart pressure the world of good of you just stayed in from now on Grin

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WorriedBetty · 20/10/2012 04:58

AND I was in a pub the other day and asked for a pint of coke, it was 'would you like ice in your coke?' I said yes and the fucker put so much ice in, there was about 150 ml of coke in there! I asked him to take most of the ice out and he stared at me like I was mental! Surely though chilling water to ice must have some cost, and soda is incredibly cheap anyway - its hardly boosting profits.. is it? All its doing is pissing customers off and making them feel conned. I would like weights and measures to specify that a pint of soft drink must be a pint BEFORE the ice is added. Its illegal to sell watered down drink, but not to water down quantities with ice??

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WorriedBetty · 20/10/2012 04:58

Would you like some cosmetic surgery with your angioplasty madam?

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CaptainKirksNipples · 20/10/2012 05:02

Yabu, "some fuck at the till" has been told to do it by their boss and probably hates it as much as you do! They do it because it works a few times out of the people passing through. Footfall is down in my work but people are spending more (which kind of balances things out) but customers are looking for more value for their money.

Also some people are just being nice, asking if you want a drink with your meal is not pushy surely, just good customer service, nothing worse than waiting when you actually want a drink you've finished...

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NamesKerry · 20/10/2012 05:37

Yabu. People are doing their job and they don't need you kicking off at them for doing it.
These companies employ mystery shoppers to make sure they're asking if you want to go large or if you want to include a pastry etc...
If they don't ask they could end up losing their job. I doubt they personally care how big your coffee is, it's just something they have to ask.

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Fairylea · 20/10/2012 05:50

Yabu. Staff often have incentives to upsell. When I worked at tiger tiger in London we had competitions to see who could sell the most of a particular dish from the menu (probably whatever they had most of) and the most large soft drinks / coffee as they make lots of money on those... winners would receive a cash bonus on that day.

When you're a single mum earning pennies every little helps !!

Smile and say no. It's easy.

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zebrafinch · 20/10/2012 06:05

I am always polite in refusing and do appreciate that staff have no option but to ask. But I do have a problem that the company in pushing high calorie laden junk at the till to increase their profit are just illustrating to me that they care nothing about their customers health. I don't matter to them its just my money they want. And yes I know I can say no, and I do politely but it does put me off the company. "would you like 20 fags with that or a bottle of alcohol....most people would see this as unacceptable? ??? I think offering crisps, chocolate or cake when I have already done my best to exercise my control in choosing is not good. So the company has made a sale but the population is continually getting fatter and fatter

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booksandchoc · 20/10/2012 06:08

I hate it!!! I worked in BP, and despised the upselling, asking for nectar cards. Customer hate it, yet we are disciplined if we don't do it. Got a new job so don't have to deal with that crap now tho Grin

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BlackSwan · 20/10/2012 06:16

Pre-empt the up-sell. "I would like a small coffee only. Not large, not medium. I am not hungry. I would not like a loyalty card. Thanks." If they revert to the script, be silent.

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thepigflu · 20/10/2012 06:16

How about "I'll pay you for a small coffee and you can give me whatever the fuck you decide I need" Grin

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zebrafinch · 20/10/2012 06:17

I think it is really horrible that staff in companies that push this junk are disciplined for not meeting their targets, That makes it doubly wrong for me . Now I am to be made to feel guilty when I refuse?, why not just pay the staff enough money to live on and stop this target, commission, disciplining upselling marlarkey. The retail policy makers should put more effort into finding out what their customers really want and not focus on short term profit

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gettingeasier · 20/10/2012 06:23

I dont find it a problem in retail outlets but more so in the bank when I want to nip in quickly and then get asked if I have home insurance or am I interested in their latest mortgage deal

People are set quite punishing sales targets in this sector and yes in retail you have mystery customers so YANBU to feel annoyed but really you should focus your ire on those in charge of these kind of policies

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Redline · 20/10/2012 06:36

OP? YANBU about this at all - I've had it Loads of times where I live when I go to the town centre & I've seen it from the other side to though nearly 13/14 years ago now? When I worked in something that had part of the retail industry attached a couple of times (bars/cinemas with cafes/sweet shops/drinks booths etc)? If I had shifts on said retail areas? The managers/supervisors were Always bloody reminding us to "try & upsell this/upsell that/first one to sell so many XL drinks of xx type can clock off early/get a bonus etc" Back then they were polite most of the time mind & Asked if we were OK doing it.

However gradually towards the end of my time in such places & (clearly) Far more since? It's become a bloody essential Necessity (i.e. staff are Ordered to do it which is one of the reasons I left that field) for such clearly deliberate underhandedness, deceit & outright lying to be used to shift as many L/XL products as possible & like You? I bloody hate it - I hated it then & I utterly Despise it now & I've told some staff so & had more than one battle argument over it both when working & as a customer. They never seem to get the message mind. I doubt they ever will...........Hmm

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merlottits · 20/10/2012 06:56

It's annoying but there is a recession on so I see why they do it - it works.
The sales assistant is not responsible! Have you ever replied with "how many times have you had to say that today?" They audibly sigh with relief and usually roll their eyes.

It puts me off shops/cafes personally, but in a recession I don't see they have an alternative to use any strategy they have to get our money.

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LadyFlumpalot · 20/10/2012 07:02

I worked in a large high street department store at weekends when I was younger. We had to ask every single customer if they would like to open a store credit card.

Every single customer.

Even if they only spent £2.99.

Luckily I was born with a tendency to talk far too much and tended to find that I was quite good at it, as people would open one just to stop me rambling on.

We also had large fluffy toys by the till to sell to all customers at Christmas as well, again, you were penalised if you didn't sell 10 a day.

Sometimes you got a really shitty customer in who kicked off at you for asking. I used to think "Why can't they just say no nicely, instead of shouting at me." Sad

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Slainte · 20/10/2012 07:06

Slightly different but in Monsoon today I was asked, while paying for goods, if I'd like to donate to the Monsoon charity. It feels uncomfortable saying no to a charity, which I'm sure is how they get donations.

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Redline · 20/10/2012 07:09

LadyFlumpalot? I know the ones (like me admittedly......Sometimes) who open up with Both barrels when upselled/ambush upselled can be bad but imagine if you will about 10 different shops all with staff doing that to one person yes? Then I think you'll see where the anger comes from sometimes.

Also you say you were penalised for not doing it correc upselling a set amount each day? Do you mean in term of your wages? Because if so they were breaking the law by not paying you what they are/were obliged to in your contract & using upselling as an excuse to change that amount; You might then have had an excuse to go after them legally in such case. Not sure if that's what they were doing mind but if so? It's just a thought...........

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girlsyearapart · 20/10/2012 07:10

I worked in a pub about 15 years ago now and even then we had to ask customers if they wanted 'BECKS? Or mcewans?' loud voice for more expensive lager..

Also 'would you like anything else with that?' when an old bloke orders a pint didn't quite get the responses the brewery hoped for... Hmm

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LadyFlumpalot · 20/10/2012 07:17

Redline Please remember I was a teenager at the time, so the sanctions imposed, while seeming trivial now, felt dire at the time.

Firstly, way back then in the mists of time, the minimum wage was £3.28 (I think, it was a long time ago). We got an extra £1 in our weekly pay for every card we opened. It could rack up quickly.

Also, the managers would do monthly treats, a bowling night, or go for pizza. But only for the top up sellers. As I said, for a bunch of 16-18 year olds, being missed out was serious!

Oh, I can quite understand the rage, don't worry, as an adult now, I often avoid that particular store as I know some hapless teenager is going to have to ask me.

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exoticfruits · 20/10/2012 07:20

I find it irritating- if I wanted to buy cake or chocolate I would say so - however I know they have been told to so I just say 'no thank you' . I think it would be better to write to the management but can't be bothered- life is too short to get steamed up about trivialities so I stick to 'no thank you'.

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Panzee · 20/10/2012 07:23

Company in trying to make money shock.

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lightrain · 20/10/2012 07:29

I've never had the mishearing thing. Are you sure they're not actually just mishearing you?!

Just say no thank you if they offer you anything else, and smile. Job done.

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