AIBU to think that 'up selling' has got out of hand since the economic down turn

[helloclitty]

I was out at a high street restaurant today and ended up feeling worn out dodging the barrage of up selling throughout the meal.

"Would you like some sides?" "extra of this?" "something to nibble while you wait for your starter?" "more drinks?" "Oh! we don't have that wine but I can recommend this more expensive one" and so on and so forth.

It's not just restaurants, I have noticed it in shops too.

AIBU or have shops and restaurants gone overboard with the up selling since the down turn? And aren't they just going to make customers run for the hills.

WH Smith are the worst for this. Buying some stamps? Have a huge chocolate bar with them

Have also noticed the 'we're out of this wine, have this more expensive one', at our local Pizza Express several times!

I have no objection to a more expensive bottle of wine providing they are charging for the one requested!

They do it in Superdrug also. Would you like stamps or mobile phone top ups?

It's even happening in the pound shops too. Do you want any sweets, batteries etc etc

I was also recently in a clothes shop and the sales assistant literally had me in the changing room with items I had no interest in whatsoever, telling me that I really wanted them. I am not a push over at all, but I closed the door took stock of the situation and thought how the hell did I end up in here with 3 pairs of £170 a pop jeans and a top which I didn't even like on the hanger!
I felt nervous about how I was going to be able to leave the shop without buying anything. I haven't been back!

No way they up sell in the pound shops? I've heard it all!

They are doing it to make the profit. Since the down turn most people are buying only what they need, even when having treats like a meal out. Restaurant/shops etc are selling at as low a price as they can to get people through the doors so the staff are being told to up sell. More drinks - a pint of coke costs only a couple of pence but sells for a couple of pounds. Sauces with your steak the same.

I find it so annoying but I understand why they do it. I do think the knock on effect may well be that it will put people off going back though.

Oh, yes. The pound shop. 'Would you like to buy some biscuits?' 'No, thank you.' 'But they are on offer. Would you like to buy a few packets?' 'No, thank you.' 'What about one packet?'

Lady sybil
How can anything be on offer in the pound shop? I am a bit confused thought everything was a £1?

Christ knows! The bloody lad wouldn't shut up though. The other cashier had to tell him to stop asking me.

Boots always ask me if I want to top up my mobile phone.

Pay as you go? Am I 16?

Never noticed

But there again I hardly shop and Dh pays for the meals out and does most of the shopping so I may be oblivious to it all.

oh yes at the pound shop too. i was in there the other day and they had chocolate bars at the counter. 'would you like one of these?'

The Post Office always asks if I want a mobile top-up.

I've not noticed it that much in restaurants. But definitely Smiths always ask you if you want chocolate. If I wanted chocolate I would have bought chocolate. Grrr! I've not been asked to buy more stuff in Superdrug yet. It's the phonecalls that get to me most though.

I suppose the staff are told to do it. But I feel like sayng, "If I wanted stamps/top ups/chocolate I would have bought it in the first place.!" But I don't though, it must be boring for them too having to ask every customer teh same questions.

I avoid making payments at the bank counter as they always suggest I could upgrade my account for just £12.95 a month.
Now I've looked at the supposed benefits myself, in my own time. None of them would suit me. And I don't want to pay for something that I could get for free. They know this...and yet, it's the hard bloody sell every damn time.

Also, the Post Office.
'Can I send this second class please?'
'Certainly. Do you have Life Insurance?'
Does my head in. Just let me get on with my business.

Oh, and Pizza Express haven't had the cheapest wine in the last 3 times I've been. Sneaky bastards.

Another thing that gets my goat is those corridor style queue channels in M&S stacked full of sweets crisps etc just at the height for my DC's to pester me for the entire wait for a cashier. Just so they can squeeze an extra £1.50 from my wallet through temptation. Drives me nuts!

Kayano

When the pound shop people ask me if I want the huge bars of chocolate I look down at myself and say "Why, do I look starved and waiflike?" in a hopeful tone. Since I am literally as big around as I am tall, they tend to sort of gulp and shut up

pombear
funny. I will have to think of some funny retorts!

Oh and in M&S food they have obviously trained their staff that if a customer asks you where an item is they have to first show them where the said item is then say "is there anything else you were looking for?"
It just seems so patronising to the poor staff and customers. Do they really think that a member of staff can't use their own mind to sense whether the customer needs to be asked this question.

I find stamp up selling a bonus tbh, you'd only set foot in our local'ish PO if you were in the market for some Leonardo china clown/puppy figurines, or fancied perusing some other best of China's plastic exports attractively arranged on dusty shelves.

Kayano I LOATHE mobile phones, and would be hard pressed to locate my -battery dead as a doorknob swanky (last but one of DH's contract - he works abroad so gets off with a metaphorical Luddite thrashing for succumbing to the lure of however many free?! minutes and texts etc) mobile phone if my life depended on it.) Use the phone as an alarm clock at best...and reeled at MN'ers calling for updates on a very long ago thread as it appeared some Luddite'aphobes couldn't quite get their head around my non MN instant response Internet access at work and/or no smart phone ownership. Contract schmontract.

Up selling simply the retailer's response to a crap market economy.

Oh, this thread makes me because I work in one of the aforementioned retail outlets... And if you don't force unwanted crap on every single customer upsell, you don't hit their targets for each item being pushed, and you lose your job

So please, for the love of nougat just say "No thanks!" cheerily and then forget about it and go about your day... While the poor bastards employees in the shop will have to repeat that exact pointless question to EVERY SINGLE PERSON they deal with. Every shift.... And keep getting the shitty replies and negative responses..Ugh selling at its worst, apart from cold callers/ tele sales.

TwoPeas... I don't consider the shop assistants in any way the same as the cold sales people. I don't mind being asked, I always just decline with a smile; I think most people realise that it's something that been pushed on the sales assistant.