Fed up of Clarks pushing extra products

[C33P0]

Went to buy DS some new school shoes today. Picked a pair, that was fine, but then the sales attendant opened another box with some trainers in and asked if we needed any trainers too! After that it was some paint for scuff marks on leather, and then some shoe polish.

I'm used to them trying to sell me shoe polish, but trying to push three extra things onto me today was excessive!

They probably have been told by head office that they must push push push as they were closed for so long and don’t have a decent online offering

That’s not new, they used to make us do that when I worked there about 18 years ago. I used to hate it as people had asked for shoes not trainers but I’d get into trouble for not taking them out. We also had a leader board in the staff room of who had sold the most polish etc. If we didn’t perform, we wouldn’t get many hours.

I’m not sure if that’s company policy but happened at the branch I worked in.

@voxnihili I remember that happening over 20 years ago when I used to buy my children's shoes in Clark's, so it's certainly not a new tactic.

Interesting, exactly the same thing with the trainers happened at our Clarks fitting the other day! They must have been told to do it. I would just politely decline as sales staff generally hate having to push things like that but get told off if they don't.

Wow they've never done that to me before. Most they've tried to sell is scuff thing

I really hate it, much like the shops that make the staff jump on customers as soon as they walk through the door.

Last time they offered me the spray to make them more hard wearing and waterproof. I asked if the shoes were not hard wearing then as I'd expect them to be for £45 and what the guarantee is. They stopped offering products at that point.

It's hardly a hard sell. Do you want this? Or this? No thank you. Ok.

Last time they offered me the spray to make them more hard wearing and waterproof. I asked if the shoes were not hard wearing then as I'd expect them to be for £45 and what the guarantee is. They stopped offering products at that point.

I feel like constantly pushing products makes them disingenuous. If they were to occasionally offer a product that had some particular benefit for the shoes you were buying then fine, but I don't even listen to what they are saying anymore as I'm so used to them offering the polish or whatever it is.

DS is lucky if I wipe his shoes with a damp cloth every now and again anyway!

It’s annoying, but they don’t have a choice. I used to work for a major department store chain and we had to offer everyone a store card. There were secret shoppers who would report us if we didn’t, I’m sure there still are. I hated having to try and push a credit card on people but not doing it once was a warning and twice was dismissal so I had to do it. They’re probably the same.

That's it isn't it? I bet there are actually some good products but because you get the same spiel every time you just become cynical. It needs to be fed back to head office because it's a rubbish strategy.

I used to work for Clarks 20 odd years ago - this was commonplace. You would be set a daily target and it wasn’t enough just to hit it, you had to make a certain % on shoes, a certain % on sundries and so forth. You would be unceremoniously bollocked if you didn’t reach it. Please be assured @C33P0 we all hated doing it.

I bought school shoes today, was offered-no actually told-to buy the anti scuff stuff. I just said no - it’s not hard! Didn’t like to say that the shoes are grown out of before they get worn out so no point!!

I can't let things like this bother me either way to be honest. I always just say no thanks everyone accepts it so that's it