Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by martyb on Wednesday February 06 2019, @04:29PM   Printer-friendly
from the Only-the-true-believers-may-worship-here dept.

An Apple store found a new low recently when a Sydney, Australia father was not able to purchase an item because the Apple staffer would only process his payment using Apple pay. In a move the buyer recounts as being 'stupidity', a staff member repeatedly tried to get the customer onto Apple pay instead of just processing the payment for the item. Things went downhill after the staffer asked the customer if he had an iPhone. The customer got the impression that he would need to use the Apple Pay app to buy what he wanted, when what he really needed was to pay and leave. After trying, and failing, to find a staff member who would just process his payment, the customer left the store, walked across the street, and purchased the same item from a JB Hi Fi store.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Knowledge Troll on Wednesday February 06 2019, @05:31PM (16 children)

    by Knowledge Troll (5948) on Wednesday February 06 2019, @05:31PM (#797254) Homepage Journal

    With the way that some salespeople act I can only assume the average person has the constitution of a wet rag and most people cave to the most outlandish shit. I was helping a friend buy his first car. We wanted to look at the cheapest Kia that existed as a baseline but the sales guy didn't like the commission from that. He tried to push us off into anything else and I just got tired of it after a minute.

    "Look this is really easy. Your cheapest Rio. We are paying cash. That's it. Nothing else."

    That didn't get the point across at all. So I looked at my friend, nodded at my car, we turned around at the same time and walked off. We must have shocked the guy because nothing happened for 30 seconds. Then he yelled out "Hey! Get back here!!!!"

    I kept walking towards my car but gave him the bird. Then we left.

    Greedy idiot.

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +3  
       Insightful=3, Total=3
    Extra 'Insightful' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   5  
  • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Wednesday February 06 2019, @06:00PM (1 child)

    by Gaaark (41) on Wednesday February 06 2019, @06:00PM (#797266) Journal

    I did that:
    had a salesman following me asking "Can i help you find something?" "Are you looking for a car or a truck?" "What price range?" etc etc.

    I kept telling him i was just looking.
    Finally i said "I'm just looking...if you don't stop following me i'm leaving." He stood in one spot for a while watching me walk away to look at more vehicles, then finally went inside.
    I looked around a while, saw what i wanted to see and then left.

    --
    --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
    • (Score: 3, Informative) by Immerman on Wednesday February 06 2019, @07:45PM

      by Immerman (3985) on Wednesday February 06 2019, @07:45PM (#797339)

      I remember reading somewhere that car salesmen typically have a very poor income, and work on rotation - someone comes on the lot, the next salesman in line gets to deal with them. Then they're back to waiting in line until their turn comes up again.

      Strong motivation to hound the customer - the salesman doesn't actually care if you buy anything unless they're the one to sell it, and the moment you walked on the lot they lost the chance to try to sell to anyone else for a while. So if there's any chance of selling anything to you, they're probably going to chase it as hard as they can.

  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday February 06 2019, @06:39PM (3 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday February 06 2019, @06:39PM (#797303) Journal

    Maybe I'm getting old. Most of my life, I delighted in doing outrageous shit. Stuff so far off-the-wall that there was no appropriate answer. I often left salespeople with insults, or left purchases on the counter after they pissed me off. (Pizza Hut zombie couldn't sell me a pizza if I didn't give her a phone number - which translated into KFC for the family that evening.) It's been a good long while since I left the house, intent on shocking someone/anyone.

    • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 06 2019, @06:51PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 06 2019, @06:51PM (#797313)

      It's been a good long while since I left the house, intent on shocking someone/anyone.

      So you come here? What's the matter, Runaway, they still won't unlock the door? Do you know the difference between "the house" and "The House"? As in the Big House for the criminally insane? I thought they banned shock therapy. You are projecting, not irrational for someone in your situation.

    • (Score: 5, Interesting) by Knowledge Troll on Wednesday February 06 2019, @09:15PM

      by Knowledge Troll (5948) on Wednesday February 06 2019, @09:15PM (#797408) Homepage Journal

      Long long time ago when I was around 22 or 23 I bought my first set of floor standing speakers. I went to the store and I listened to every single set of speakers on display to find the ones with the characteristics I liked. This did not make the salesdroid happy as I was quite thorough and it was time consuming.

      I found a set I liked, asked the droid to grab a set, he came back with them then started talking extended warranty. You see, these are outstanding speakers, very good choice sir, but they are just going to fall apart in 3 years. Especially those surrounds - fall apart. Just total garbage. Definitely need to get the extended warranty or you'll just get ripped off and very much regret it.

      I looked him square in the eyes and said "BUDDY! If I thought there was a grain of truth to anything that you said I wouldn't want anything to do with these speakers. Now are you going to ring them up or continue to talk yourself out out of a sale?" I could have walked off but then I'd have to go to a different store and spend more time. I thought it was worth it with the look of shock on his face.

      I haven't had much tolerance for sales shit ever.

  • (Score: 3, Informative) by realDonaldTrump on Wednesday February 06 2019, @07:38PM (1 child)

    by realDonaldTrump (6614) on Wednesday February 06 2019, @07:38PM (#797337) Homepage Journal

    It's called the Up Sell. And that guy did it perfectly. He didn't want to sell the Rio. That's the one that brings folks in. Then he sells them the other one. The one that makes the money. He didn't sell to you. And that's O. K. He has it on the lot. So he can put it in next week's ad. Bring in a bunch more buyers. Up sell them. And make himself a good living.

    I'll tell you, I'm the master of the Up Sell. Trump University, we had that one down PERFECTO. We'd bring folks in for the Free Seminar. And nobody dozed off during those. Because we set the thermostat below 69 (beautiful number). We showed them a little of the magic. Put our table by the door -- with the brochures and the sexy young people. And said, we'll give you a discount on the big league courses. The best being Trump Gold Elite. And that one, with the discount, was $34,995.👍

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 07 2019, @04:24PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 07 2019, @04:24PM (#797825)

      How did he do it "perfectly" when he lost the sale? I spend many years in the service sector. You have no idea what an "up sell" is.

  • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday February 06 2019, @08:06PM

    by Phoenix666 (552) on Wednesday February 06 2019, @08:06PM (#797351) Journal

    You're my hero. Well done.

    --
    Washington DC delenda est.
  • (Score: 1) by nitehawk214 on Wednesday February 06 2019, @08:41PM

    by nitehawk214 (1304) on Wednesday February 06 2019, @08:41PM (#797382)

    Never underestimate the power of being able to simply walk away from a store.

    --
    "Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by progo on Wednesday February 06 2019, @09:30PM (1 child)

    by progo (6356) on Wednesday February 06 2019, @09:30PM (#797417) Homepage

    most people cave to the most outlandish shit.

    I remember one time in recent years I bought shoes, with a bank card at a store in person. The cashier asked "may I have your phone number?" Calmly, confidently and without hesitation I said "no", and something about my delivery derailed her mental script where the next lines was "okay, move on..."

    She obviously wasn't used to buyers of shoes refusing to give their phone number. That was strange.

    • (Score: 3, Funny) by Knowledge Troll on Wednesday February 06 2019, @11:00PM

      by Knowledge Troll (5948) on Wednesday February 06 2019, @11:00PM (#797469) Homepage Journal

      Radioshack wanted to collect name, address and phone number for all sales. Since Radioshack was usually the easiest place to buy a transistor with out any warning I got very used to saying no. Not everyone behind the register understood that not every customer wants to provide such information though.

      One time I told the guy it's a cash sale. He kept asking my last name. I kept saying cash. He kept asking. Then I finally said Cash. My name is Johnny Cash.

      God damn.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 07 2019, @07:52AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 07 2019, @07:52AM (#797656)

    I needed a car, wanted a hyundai, liked the price, liked the car type, good warranty, so I just needed to buy one. I went to the local yard to find that the model I liked back then was retired. Okay. In the lot they had the next model up, for a bit more, and it was a year old. I did know about cars being cheaper the older they were on the lot. The ticket price was 15K. I would have paid that or bargained down to 13.5 or 14. Given 15 was the original price, I thought there would be room to bargain. Last one of its line left.

    After sitting in the car, asking questions, and thinking about it I decide I would buy it. The moment the salesguy knew I had decided he started in on me. I was thinking to negotiate the price down. He told me the paint, yes the nice paint job on the car, was going to cost an extra $400.

    I could not get rid of him. I tried going into the office to talk to someone else but he blocked the way physically. Eventually I walked off the lot, skeg a few minutes thinking, and walked back on. He came almost running out to meet me.

    I went around the car again and then left. It just was not worth it. I just wanted my first new car. I finally had money.

    In the end I purchased the type of car I wanted second hand. For 5K less. The new car would have been better.

    asshats. All of them.

    • (Score: 2) by kazzie on Thursday February 07 2019, @01:33PM

      by kazzie (5309) Subscriber Badge on Thursday February 07 2019, @01:33PM (#797744)

      When a friend moved out after a family split, she wanted to buy a brand new car (for cash), so she'd know it's service history, and wouldn't have to worry about buying a second-hand lemon. The salesperson tried to talk her out of her choice of colour (electric blue isn't very popular in Canada, but that makes it easy to find in a car park) and the fact that she wanted a manual transmission. She'd been driving manuals for the last decade, and would prefer to spend $400 on fitting air-con instead. But the salesperson kept going on about how a conventional colour and an automatic gearbox would "increase the resale value" of the car, instead of listening to what the customer wanted. After all, she'd be driving the thing for years before she'd be thinking of selling it!

  • (Score: 1) by SomeGuyOnTheInterwebs on Friday February 08 2019, @07:36PM (1 child)

    by SomeGuyOnTheInterwebs (6936) on Friday February 08 2019, @07:36PM (#798498)

    Well, two things there. One is that you wanted the cheapest car. And the other "problem" was that you wanted to pay cash. Interest on the car company's car loans is no small amount of their revenue. I once bought a new Honda CR-V with cash. The finance guy was just this side of hostile about the deal, since Honda wasn't going to make dollar #1 off a car loan on the sale.

    --
    -- Just SomeGuyOnTheInterwebs
    • (Score: 2) by Knowledge Troll on Saturday February 09 2019, @12:42AM

      by Knowledge Troll (5948) on Saturday February 09 2019, @12:42AM (#798619) Homepage Journal

      I don't think it's really that different than buying a car with a loan already secured from your bank which is how I bought my last truck. Let them get near hostile about it - who cares? The worst they can do is make you wait really.

      When I bought my truck I traded in my car. This was all relatively low hassle and low bullshit to this point (means I didn't try hard enough to get some money off but what ever, buying cars takes a lot of practice). I'm in the finance office and I get handed the stack of paperwork for signing. That's when I told him the really bad news: I read every word of things before I sign them. That means we are about to settle in for around an hour while he watches me read things.

      He was to say the least not pleased. First sheet in the stack of paperwork was the form to sign ownership of my trade in over to them. I took it off the top, set it aside, and said this is in the wrong order - that gives you control of my trade in before I can validate all the rest of the terms we've agreed to. Yeah I have no respect for them.

      The absolutely choice part though was when I saw a discrepancy in the odometer value stated on the paperwork they provided and the reading I saw on the truck at the end of my test drive. I told them the value was wrong and they needed to go read the odometer and get the right value before I would sign it. The finance guy started to rant. There is no way that value is wrong. If that value was wrong it would be an extremely big deal and very bad for us. Well turns out that just because it is really bad for your business if you are incompetent it doesn't mean you are not blatantly so in a way where it is absolutely trivial to validate. So we take a walk out to the truck and there it is. I think the guy decided to stop digging himself into holes because he was just silent the whole time after that while he watched me patiently digest every word.

      Fuck em.