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

[WorriedBetty]

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'.

[Bertrude]

YANBU

I know these people are only doing their jobs but it irritates the shit out of me too. The other day I rang Burger King delivery and the girl on the phone asked me if I wanted apple pie with that for only 6dhs.i said no thank you. She said itll put your bill to a round figure so it'll be easier for me. I said no thanks. She starts with how about I add another BBQ sauce on for only 1dhs so that the bill is 55dhs and the delivery driver doesnt have o have change. I may have been slightly unreasonable when I said the driver is to bring me what i ordered, only what I ordered and wouldn't be paid any more than 54dhs because that's all I want, and I expect my change in full. Guess what. It turned up with a fucking apple pie and a 60dhs bill. I sent him away with all the food and gave them hell down the phone.

I thought I'd won. Until I realised I was therefore still hungry and needed to get food from somewhere. I'm a dick at times when people piss me off.

[TiAAAAARGHo]

I don't mind them asking once. And once only.

However, if they were ever as aggressive as described in the op, they would find themselves being asked whether they had a hearing problem.

[FolkGhoul]

My friend and I stopped going to our previous restaurant of choice because of this.

They started only providing you with the 'specials' menu (where the meals were all twice as much as the meals on the standard menu) and only begrudgingly gave you the standard menu if you asked.

If you asked for a small glass of wine you always got a big one unless you asked for it by ml instead of size. But now 175ml is their small glass.

Amongst other things where they hover around you and approached you during the meal offering extra sides and running through every 'upgrade' or more expensive 'special' option...

It should be obvious that if you've said "no" to the first 2 or 3 offers that you're not going to bite!

Of course they are businesses trying to make money, but I know other people who've stopped going to this restaurant for the same reason. Which is counterproductive surely!

[BalloonSlayer]

Where do you live Bertrude?


< ponders the utopia where Burger King deliver, even if they do try to con you >

[FredFredGeorge]

girlsyearapart I think the brewery knew exactly what the old guys wanted when you asked that - flirtatious staff also increase sales...

Also never had any mishearing going on, and aren't too bothered - also some of them veer between the polite and upselling (asking if there's anything else you want / drink with a meal). Chocolate in Smiths not though, that's more annoying.

[BikeRunSki]

Annoys me too. Bought DD shoes (and wellies) yesterday. The sales girl put a tube of polish in the bag and scanned it into the till before she mentioned it too me! When I realised I said I didn't want it, she said "Not many people have red polish". As it happened, I was wearing red boots too, so looked pretty credible when I told her that I did!

[zebrafinch]

company irritating customers and treating their staff badly , customers go elsewhere -SHOCK

[Itsnotahoover]

YABVU to get mad at the staff as, having worked in retail for a lot of years, I know it's a case of upsell and meet targets or lose your job to someone who is prepared to do it. If all the staff took a stand against upselling and were sacked, you'd be on here complaining about high levels of unemployment! Just smile sweetly and say no politely. It used to really bother me when people like you we're arsey with me for doing the job I was forced to do, and I'm sure you'd hate the thought of the assistant you just barked at going home in tears at the end of his/her shift because you've upset them with your attitude.

However, YANBU to dislike this process as I hate being upsold to, hate having to do it and hate how shopping has become about what the retailer needs to meet their targets as opposed to what the consumer actually wants.

[Queenofsiburbia]

YANBU I love a good rant and get very irritated in similar situations!

I do feel for retail staff though, it's the mill workers industry of 21st century....
Lots of young people on lower min wage, Not really any career prospects in it, very little 'useful' training, on feet all day, implementing shitty policies as you've described & taking flak for it, most people on very low salary topped up with hard to reach commission, very little union representation, and antisocial working expectations; working Christmas eve & boxing day for eg.

It makes me abit when people use the 'tescos creates jobs' argument. Large retailers create unskilled, poorly paid jobs & often force small shops to shut down where people actually might get a skill, like butchers for e.g. Not to mention draining towns of cash to add to their enormous profit take which they invest in opening overseas etc.

I worked for a luxury fashion house (which obv a far cry from tescos!) and people were paid relatively well but it was almost impossible for shop staff to make jump to head office & I did feel very sorry for them.

Large high street retailers have definitively benefitted from state schools poor education levels & people feeling like they have no other options.

[girlsyearapart]

Yep fredfred we also had to wear white grandad type shirts which became immediately see through upon any contact with liquids so by the end of a shift pouring real ale they were rather..

[MortaIWombat]

And that's why I always wear a vest.

[Durab]

Imagine, a business wanting to make profits! That's kind of the point and how they get to provide jobs.

Just say no with a smile. You'll feel much better for it.

[McKayz]

Really you are annoyed by this? Wow.

Just say no thank you. Not hard is it.

[Emandlu]

I find it vaguely irritating, but just say no whenever asked. I buy what I have gone into the shop for. Asking me to buy other things is not going to make me suddenly powerless to resist the chocolate at the till/pastry with my coffee/etc.
I find it all a bit pointless really.

[BlueberryHill]

The upselling by banks I find really annoying, I called Northern Rock, back when it was an up and coming bank to apply for a loan. The guy at the other end kept asking if I wanted PPI on that, I kept saying no, honestly I was really nice at first. Once we got to the fourth or fifth time and after I had explained that Which / Moneysaving etc had said that PPI was a rip off I did get really cross, to point where I said if he asked me again I was going to hang up. This wasn't a quick question but seriously pushing PPI, wonder which product the bank makes the most money on??

In shops, I've never come across the 'mishearing' thing, just say no politely. We know why they are doing it, decide before hand what you want and stick to it.

[Cahoots]

Preemptive action is what is required.

I have got into the the habit of saying thats all or just this when I am paying or ordering before the shop assistant or waiter has a chance to up sell. It works most of the time and if it doesn't I just repeat it with an icy stare

[Sabriel]

This has gone on for many many years. I worked in a bank call centre back in the 80s and 90s and we always had to push PPI and similar, with dire threats if we didn't meet our targets. I remember going to buy a computer in the 90s and being kept there for over 1/2 an hour while they desperately tried to flog us the insurance, until we said we'd had enough and got up to leave.

I started a thread recently about the performance I had trying to get car insurance and people didn't seem to think that was unreasonable . They'd added an extra £50 which was all sorts of extras I didn't want. Got them taken off and she still tried to add it back on at the end "it's only an extra £3.99 a month".

A couple of weeks later the insurance company rings me back to say did I realise I hadn't taken out XYZ and how vital it was. I got really annoyed at that point having had exactly the same conversation with the first person and explained to him in words of one syllable that it might be the best thing since sliced bread but I have no money and I'm desperately trying to cut my expenses.

It isn't the fault of the staff at all but it is so frustrating. Trouble is it must work sometimes or they wouldn't waste time doing it.

[Goodadvice1980]

YANBU.

Even the Toby carvery are in on the act now! Despite saying what I would like and making it quite clear nothing else was required, they still try to push the "upgrade" on the fecking carvery!

[WorriedBetty]

I was in a bank once and I overheard someone at the next table trying to sell someone a loan that was more expensive than her credit card, and a savings account she didn't want over and over with loads of pressure techniques. Customer was clearly not wanting them but was polite and in a sort of trance.

I was at the desk I was at to use the phone and I banged it down and it broke the selling 'trance' and the customer went 'hang on, these are all terrible deals! If you mention them again I am closing my account and naming you as the reason (reads namebadge) 'Tracey'.

The 'sales' person got really angry and vindictive and said 'thanks very much you fool' then tried to complain that I had been aggressive, then smiled and said 'have you reviewed your account recently?' gotta admire banks, they really don't give a shit when it comes to grabbing money and shafting their customers do they!

[notsofrownieface]

I hate aggressive up selling. I walk out of shops if when I say no doesn't work, and the assistant keeps trying to sell me stuff.

It happened recently in a well known phone shop, I went in to buy a charger as I broke mine and the person serving me was trying to get me onto a contract with a new phone, they would not accept no as an answer so I left.

If it is aggressive then complain, vote with your feet.

[GoSakuramachi]

How can a pint of coke still be a pint with ice in it? Do you want them to serve it in a bucket?

[DebbieTitsMcGee]

YANBU at all. As others have said, it's not the fault of individual staff so I say no politely to up selling but if its aggressive I blacklist the shop. WHSmiths, Starbucks etc. Interestingly you barely get a grunt never mind an upsell in Greggs but they seem to be doing alright.

I rarely went there anyway but the Body Shop have lost my custom forever as the last twice they were so busy being pushy on the sales floor there was nobody serving at the actual till so I left the stuff and walked out. Neither time did they notice...

I count asking if you'd like cash back, stamps or top ups as helpful though, I like that!

[TheLightPassenger]

yabu to be irked by upselling, but yanbu to be so cross about it, it's the staff I feel sorry for having to demean themselves and irritate customers.

Debbie - there's one local branch of Body Shop I avoid for similar reasons.

[WorriedBetty]

I would be happy with a pint of coke up to the line and then a little take to the table packet of ice that I can add to taste.

[TobyLerone]

YABU. It isn't the company's responsibility to make sure you don't eat the 'high-calorie junk' they're trying to upsell you. It's a business. It may come as a shock to you, but they're there to make money.