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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be so tired of 'upselling'

290 replies

scaryclown · 02/08/2017 10:01

It's just bloody relentless! I took a bike into a nice independent bike shop today. It's a £45 fix, yet all the conversation was about 'time to buy a new bike', every day I say 'single espresso' to be met with 'double?'
I swear I'm going to punch someone!.

Throwing away a perfectly good bike to meet some oily dickhead sales target!?

Jesus

OP posts:

WellThisIsShit · 03/08/2017 12:33

WhatToDo I think it's the U.K. that became more Americanized, rather than the shop less so :)

Elphame · 03/08/2017 12:49

I've just abandoned an online shopping trolley as it flashed up with a "why don't you buy this bit of tat as well - only £xxx" as I went to check out.

It was a mad impulse purchase which I can well do without so they've indirectly done me a favour but it's cost the £52 sale.

TikiWaikiki · 03/08/2017 12:54

I work in fashion retail and upselling is something we get scored on during our mystery shopper and whilst we all hate doing it we do have to try, the way we do it is if something is on promotion like 2 for £10 we highlight it or say oh we have a scarf that matches with that jumper.

WhatToDoAboutThis2017 · 03/08/2017 15:25

WhatToDo I think it's the U.K. that became more Americanized, rather than the shop less so

What are you on about? McDonalds is an American company

superchocolatedigestive · 03/08/2017 16:58

I hate it. I hate being forced to have convo with retail assistants full stop. So much so that I often shop with headphones in. That said I DID used to be one myself (hated upselling then too as knew how much it annoyed most people), so I remind myself that often they are only doing it because there's a beady eyed manager watching.

unlucky83 · 03/08/2017 17:12

Oh using children ...I think it is really nasty, horrible thing to do.
Does anyone remember that episode of the apprentice a couple of years ago - I only have vague memories but I think they were selling lollipops - or maybe balloons -at a zoo? What I do remember was a contestant (woman) put the item in children's hands and then said to the parents that will be £X please...iirc she wasn't really pulled up on it in the boardroom - which I was incensed by (if nothing else she had made an enemy of a lot of parents - would never get repeat business in RL )
I remember thinking if someone did that to me with tricky, very tantrumy toddler DD1 (diagnosed with ADHD as a teen which explained a lot) I would have taken it off DD on principle, hating being blackmailed (would have made it up to DD1 later). Then I would have followed the contestant around warning the parents she approached what she was about to do. ... and if it had set DD1 off she would have been accompanied by a screaming. hysterical toddler...

DriveInSaturday · 03/08/2017 17:22

I remember that too, unlucky. She was selling very sugary lollies and parents complained, but she wasn't really penalised for it. Who wants their small child overloaded with sugar on a day out? What if they are diabetic but think that because an adult has given them something to eat, it must be OK? I was appalled.

Piewraith · 04/08/2017 03:53

I used to find it annoying but these days I actually enjoy politely but firming declining. The "better the deal" or more obvious the upsell the more I enjoy it.

For example if a shop assistant says it's two to shirts for $20 and one for $18, but I only need one shirt, I will still say no. I enjoy the confused looks.

My favourite is when I buy something for say $5.99, and they ask if I want to make it $6 and donate the one cent to charity. Obviously relying on you being to embarrassed to say no. But I just reply firmly "no" and am not embarrassed. Nice try!

belmontian · 04/08/2017 07:47

I got a phone call from my bank recently trying to upgrade my account, to which I politely said no to. She then explained that as I was such a good customer (I'm not) I was being awarded a loan of up to £16k. I politely declined. She then started to go through a list of things that surely I must need, such as home improvements, a new car, cosmetic surgery I politely declined yet again. She got quite irate at this stage and not very calmly said "SURELY YOU MUST NEED SOMETHING?!" Eh, no, I don't thanks.

TipTopTipTopClop · 04/08/2017 07:49

So fucking annoying.

Vets are on my current hit-list, they are so mercenary that I wind up exhaustively googling whatever issue my dog might be having to avoid a trip.

RevRichardWayneGaryWayne · 04/08/2017 08:32

I remember that episode unlucky - I remember thinking I'd either refuse to pay and tell the woman she could take it off the child since she gave it to them. Then have walked away loudly saying what a horrible woman she was and gotten the kid a treat from the shop. Or asked her to hold my bottle of water, so i could get my wallet out then when it was in her hands say "that's £50 please!" I admin though - much easier to say sat at home than when you're put on the spot!

My worst example was HSBC. I went to Canada and they messed up a transfer that would have meant I would have had no money out there. I managed to sort it but when I got back I went to close my account. They asked why I was closing to try to convince me to stay and I made it clear I defiantly wanted to leave. but as we were going through the procedure the poor woman had to keep trying to sell me insurance/loans etc! It was so awkward, I was patient and polite as I could tell she HAD to ask and hated it as much as I did, but it got old fast!

WhatToDoAboutThis2017 · 04/08/2017 08:50

So much so that I often shop with headphones in.

That's really rude.

woodhill · 04/08/2017 08:59

It's what they are told to do.

woodhill · 04/08/2017 09:03

size that is awful and totally inappropriate of him.

woodhill · 04/08/2017 09:11

Hate the post office now when they have closed all the counters and you have to use the self service and do the work yourself - great not

Original poster

scaryclown · 04/08/2017 09:13

The most frightening act of rebellion now is not to pay for anything, it will scare the banks, the council, the government and your employer if they can't tie you in to debt and dependancy. . Look at the extreme naked rage at the homeless and the poor for not helping others get wealthy.

OP posts:

Original poster

scaryclown · 04/08/2017 09:16

Even the law helps. I read a 'poor pay more' report about all the mechanisms and laws used to try to force vulnerable people to pay more for basic services because the private companies are LIVID that some people don't contribute enough to their bottom line..

OP posts:

The80sweregreat · 04/08/2017 09:19

i use a sub post office which is now part of Costcutter.
The woman in there is so miserable - she barely wants to take my parcel and seems to make it her lifes work to stop me sending it.
I have to brace myself before i go in there and have steam coming out my ears when i do, finally, get out.

Original poster

scaryclown · 04/08/2017 09:20

The government are even trying to force upselling equivalent prices on alcohol and sugar drinks to stop poor folk daring to get good deals..

OP posts:

Baalam · 04/08/2017 09:20

I mortify my children by saying 'no, if I'd wanted a large I would have asked for a large' to the macdonalds robot window in the drive thru.

WhatToDoAboutThis2017 · 04/08/2017 09:25

I mortify my children by saying 'no, if I'd wanted a large I would have asked for a large' to the macdonalds robot window in the drive thru.

Then if you want medium, say medium.

If you don't specify, we can't put your order through. If we don't ask if they want large (as in they didn't specify a size), a big percentage of customers will complain they wanted a large... despite not asking for it.

So we have to ask, because customers don't ask for what they actually want.

Oysterbabe · 04/08/2017 09:26

WH Smith is the worst.
Do you want a chocolate orange to go with that pen?
No......?

Eve · 04/08/2017 09:33

I was stood in a short queue in crew recently where they were spending ages taking address, email address and every other bliknig detail to give out a loyalty card with 10 % off in the next week.

Was so fed up when I got to the till I said I just want to pay, no email, no address, no card - just let me pay and go.

Baalam · 04/08/2017 10:00

"f you don't specify, we can't put your order through. If we don't ask if they want large (as in they didn't specify a size), a big percentage of customers will complain they wanted a large... despite not asking for it.

So we have to ask, because customers don't ask for what they actually want."

So why don't you ask if I wanted a medium?

Baalam · 04/08/2017 10:01

And why is it called a medium. That implies that there is a large AND small

This stuff bothers me

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