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Original poster

Pushy sales assistants asking you to take out "loyalty" or "points" cards

87 replies

nutelladreams · 12/01/2022 19:32

This has happened to me a couple of times recently. Each time in a shop just buying something really mundane like shampoo or tea.
Today I was buying a coffee gift set for a friend and got to the till.. Assistant asked if I had one of their "points" cards and would I like one. Thinking it would be something quick and painless I said "ok", expecting it would be the kind of thing where your card just gets stamps each time you shop there or something.
Assistant wanted my name (fair enough), but then also my address, email, phone number and DOB.
It was a busy shop and I'm uneasy about giving out so much personal data just for the sake of saving a few pence off my next purchase.
I asked the assistant to stop processing my "points" card and just let me pay for the item and leave in the end as she was faffing around asking for so much and struggling to spell my name, address and email. Sigh.
Other people get frustrated by this kind of stuff in a shop?

OP posts:
elelel · 12/01/2022 21:05

You can say no thank you, or in your situation just tell them you will do it on one when you are home.

Triplecheeseplease · 12/01/2022 21:12

I’m sure the majority of shop staff hate asking this type of stuff. And it’s absolutely no good complaining to them either. They may be the face of the organisation but the policies are usually set from head office and not even the managers have any power to change it.

I work for a company who force products at the checkout. Thankfully I have a mainly off till role but I don’t ask on the times where I’m on the checkout. I’ve been in trouble once or twice but It doesn’t bother me, I don’t agree with it and I like to feel like I’m doing my bit in fighting against itGrin.

I’d always encourage any customer who isn’t happy with the policy to complain to head office. Email/phone numbers are easy to find usually on receipts and just a polite no thanks to the assistant is all that’s needed.

greenlynx · 12/01/2022 21:17

I usually say no thank you and then again no thank you about promotions items, pay for things and that’s it. I was in your situation once and learned my lesson.
However I’ve got a card at a Hotel chocolate shop recently and it’s surprisingly quick and painless, but the shop was empty and DD looked very interested in their products Smile that’s why I went for it.

Offmyfence · 12/01/2022 21:38

[quote 100problems]@Offmyfence I was being sarcastic.[/quote]
🤦‍♀️ sorry hectic day in the office, has frazzled my mind!!

DerAlteMann · 12/01/2022 21:39

Personally, I reckon this was one of the major causes of Debenhams going down the pan.

GirlInACountrySong · 12/01/2022 21:50

@TooManyPJs

I always find the responses to these questions bizarre on MN. They have to do it so we just have to accept it?!? Yes they are required to ask BUT their employer won't know that customers are unhappy with it unless you complain (Or just say no so the policy is ineffectual). And the only person you have to complain to is the shop assistant as they are the face of that organisation in that moment. You can't ask for the CEO or Jenny from marketing. They have delegated the responsibility for asking if customers want the cards and handling customer complaints to the shop assistant. Dealing with both is part of their job.

Doesn't mean you need to be arsy about it though. A polite complaint to say you don't like the policy, can you feed that back, or you don't like being asked for personal details in a public area, or just saying no thank you is sufficient.

they will just forget about you the minute you've left the store!!!

no store asisstant will waste their time 'feeding back' about a pissed off customer not wanting a card!!

phoenixrosehere · 12/01/2022 21:51

Argos was the business I was talking about, I worked there before I went to uni, so they've had the card since at least 2011/12. It's definitely not new, and the rates we're just as crap then, it's definitely a store credit card and unless they've changed things you don't collect points or get any reduced costs.

I’ve been going to Argos for just as long and never been offered one nor has my DH who has been going longer than me and have never been asked about the Argos card. Wonder if it’s by certain locations?

BlinkingBananas · 12/01/2022 21:59

@Ohshittt

I find Superdrug really bad for this at the minute, do you have a loyalty card? Would you like one? You will get your points from your shopping today? Are you interested in our perfumes with 20% off? No? We also have make up wipes on 3 for 2? Do you need any top ups or stamps? It's actually put me off shopping there now. Totally appreciate the asking if you have/would like a loyalty card but a no should be taken as no in the first instance. The hard sell on other products after just adds to the irritation!
Was just about to say Superdrug!

I've stopped shopping in store because of this. I do order online but had the hump last time as 2/3 of the products I wanted were out of stock including the packet of ibuprofen that necessitated me filling out a form. Tell me it's out of stock before I fill in the form!!!

elelel · 12/01/2022 22:00

I had an Argos store card in 2001 so they are definitely not new. Remember it vividly as I used it to buy things for DS first Christmas.

Mary46 · 12/01/2022 22:10

Very pushy in Superdrug! I find I end up holding up queue with all the questions to sign up. Sigh

ilovepixie · 12/01/2022 22:23

Management don't care if it upsets the customer, their theory is ask 10 people and 2 will take it up.
And the sales assistant is way down the bottom of the food chain, they have no power or input, if they complain to the management and say customers don't like it they are just told to suck it up

BlinkingBananas · 12/01/2022 22:28

@ilovepixie

Management don't care if it upsets the customer, their theory is ask 10 people and 2 will take it up. And the sales assistant is way down the bottom of the food chain, they have no power or input, if they complain to the management and say customers don't like it they are just told to suck it up
Vote with your feet...... Vote with your feet.......
FinallyHere · 12/01/2022 23:02

No. Thank you.

Simples.

supersop60 · 12/01/2022 23:06

@fairylightsandwaxmelts

It's frustrating but having been on the other end of it - they don't have a choice.

If they don't sign up enough people or have enough "registered" customers go through the till, they get pulled up on it. In the shop I used to work in, you would automatically fail a mystery shop if you didn't ask a customer if they wanted to register/sign up to the loyalty system - no matter how perfect the rest of their experience had been.

I do appreciate it's annoying but please remember it's not their fault and they really don't want to be asking you either!

Yes. My dd works in retail and they HAVE to ask.
supersop60 · 12/01/2022 23:08

Complain to head office, not in store. Sales assistants have no power to change anything.

GrolliffetheDragon · 12/01/2022 23:17

Bittercloudylemonade Debenhams was the same, a lot of pressure to say whatever it took to get people to sign up - from certain managers at least. They got a bonus, we got hassled to open accounts.

People saying about feeding back that customers don't like it, we did, but the managers we were feeding back to had no say over company policy, and generally just wanted their bonus. When you look at a large retail company as a whole, department managers aren't that high up the ladder.

Bittercloudylemonade · 13/01/2022 04:48

That makes sense. I had a feeling my friend had mentioned bonuses but I couldn't fully remember the conversation. I think it's awful to lie to people about opening credit accounts.Perhaps it is just certain stores that do the hard sell. I rarely shop there now anyway.

Most other places are ok. I understand they have to ask and I just say no. Boots are good at telling me I have enough points to pay for an item. If they didn't remind me I would never spend them.

LadyPropane · 13/01/2022 04:59

She will be told to always check if the customer has a loyalty card, so that they don't lose out on points. Then if the customer says no, they will be told to always ask them if they would like a loyalty card.

If you hate faffing about then just say no thanks. It's very simple.

ThinWomansBrain · 13/01/2022 05:53

never have a problem with saying no
"I've got one but I can;t be bothered to use it" works well if I'm mildly irritated.
Superdrug - the response is usually "No, I shop here as little as possible, given that the queues are too long because you spend so much time asking every customer about special offers and loyalty cards" If I've gone in to buy a 50p packet of paracetamol, am I really likely to spend £30 on a random bottle of crap perfume FFS?

UnsuitableHat · 13/01/2022 06:09

Even reading this thread is stressful! I just say a straight no thank you every time. Feel for the retail assistants though. constantly having to ask.

Simonjt · 13/01/2022 06:13

I say no and it usually works, the only place it didn’t a few months ago was matalan, the member of staff said I couldn’t make my purchase without signing up to their card. So I said in that case I don’t want to buy them, and started walking off, she then decided I could buy them without signing up.

KiloWhat · 13/01/2022 06:18

Just say no. Or ask next time, is it just stamps or do you need my details.

KiloWhat · 13/01/2022 06:20

And yes, superdrug is awful for this - like WHSmiths was (is?) With their upselling of random chocolate by the tills. But it's not the staffs fault, it's whoever decided it was a good idea.

KatherineJaneway · 13/01/2022 06:23

One major retailer has a reminder to the sales assistant on the till system. They can't get to the payment screen without tapping 'Yes' in answer to whether they have asked if they have a loyalty card or not.

camelfinger · 13/01/2022 06:30

Head office should care about this. The high street is dying. One of the key advantages of high street shopping should be to quickly go in and see what you want in person and possibly get some advice from the staff. If they can’t make it a vaguely pleasant experience for customers then they will vote with their feet.

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