I currently work for Circuit City, and I have been lucky. For the past year, I've had fantastic managers who actually care about taking care of issues. My store director does a great job in actually caring about the customer.

Wow, that's shocking. Hertz is encouraging its employees to, gasp, _sell more stuff_! Wow!

Back when I worked for Dell the managers use to quiz us, "What does M stand for?" (Referring to any model Inspiron laptop with an M at the end of the model number... to which we'd have to reply "Margin."

This year, working for side holiday cash, a manager at a big box electronics store came up to me and asked what he could do to inspire me (after seeing a printer sold without a USB cable, extra ink, or paper). I asked if they sold knee pads.... thus ending my working retail for the holidays.

Well, having cut my teeth working for EB GameStop, I feel lucky to have not had the "Holiday Sales Pitch" mottos. No, we got them year round. "you're only as good as your numbers(subs/reserves/used/trades)"

Working in a GS in a mall over the holidays cemented my hatred for humankind for the rest of eternity, and probably the afterlife as well.

@JustThatGuy3:

We have located the conspiratorial levers of the black machine - stores want you to buy stuff!

I got year-round "inspiration".

It was a musical instrument store and the company wasn't too bad, actually. However, we did have "UPSELL!" and frequent reminders that accessories were more profitable than large purchases, so a $200 guitar for a beginner could net $200 worth of accessories (case, strings, picks, stand, books, CDs, polish, etc).

I worked at a clothing store for 5 years, and one of our managers (who was eventually forced out) encouraged us to "lose" gift receipts while people were shopping. She said to just deny that it was ever in the bag so that they would get the post-holiday price on the exchange. I made a point of handing receipts and gift receipts back to my customers while they looked around so I wouldn't have to deal with either a ticked off manager or ticked off customers.

Oh, have I got a bunch for you.

Manager:"Its all about the money. I don't care if they go home happy."

Manager:"Try to upsell to older people." Me: "Why?" Manager, realizing the trap, "Just because thats what HQ says!"

Manager:"Why didn't you sell that customer cables and add-ons?" Me: "Because she didn't have the money." Manager: "So? Get her on the credit card."

Manager: in response to me pointing out that the lady probably would never be able to pay off the card, "Doesn't matter to me. Its free money for the company!" Me: *under my breath* Not for her...

Manager: "Don't you want to make more money? If you do all this, you'll make more money."
Me: "Yes, now. But what about when they realize we scammed them? Word of mouth is powerful."
Manager: "Oh, don't worry, marketing will take care of that."

Manager: "Why aren't you dedicated to the company?"
Me: "I'll be dedicated when they prove they're worth the loyalty. Just because they sign my paychecks doesn't buy my loyalty."

Pretty much one of the most corrupt people I've ever met. The worst was that if we did our sales goals during Christmas, we'd make at most 300-400 extra dollars on top of the wages+overtime. The manager would make about $3000 extra if we all reached our sales goals. Simply disgusting behavior on the part of the company. Oh, and they're owned by Circuit City.

OMG, you had to cross and up sell? How dare they try to profit using known business practices. lol

I wanna hear some shocking holiday sacrilege... not these panzy references to how retail makes money.

Although I do like Angry Sicilian's story, I would have laughed and given you credit, before firing you.

In my job there is not an excuse as to why someone didn't buy something. If they didn't have the money or are just looking than we should take them and open a credit card. I find it incredibly depressing to see people who obviously don't have the money and then opening a credit card for them.

ok, I didn't see Tyler's story when I posted earlier. Targeting old people is pretty crappy.

But I'm not with you on the bonuses, managers are supposed to make more than you, that's why they manage you.

is the OP really that naive about christmas. This seems a bit too sanctimonious, even for the consumerist.

at one point i was basically told to ring up greeting cards incorrectly on mother's day so we could make more money ( that was a big box store that now is out of business... yeah, for obvious reasons )

Certain stores take advantage of certain people... it's just how it is and it's crappy, but it comes down to losing your job and keeping your moral balance because you refuse to stoop so low for a sale. Feeling good about yourself won't pay the bills, though, so most people just suck it up and do it or they try not to, and inevitably do anyway because the manager's hovering nearby.

When I worked in retail, men would come in and not have a clue what to get their wives or girlfriends. Did the salespeople descend on them like vultures on a fresh carcass? You betcha. Upsell them on the merchandise, then offer a credit card, tell them they'll get coupons and voila. I didn't mind upselling the merchandise...if you find out later it's not what you wanted, you can return it, and I wouldn't care at all. But you can't return a credit card, and once the line of credit is opened, there it is on your report and there was no explanation of the APR or anything that went along with actually having a credit card, only the promise of coupons.

@Darascon: Funny, working at a Barnes & Noble in a mall did the same thing to my view of humankind. It's been 7.5 years since I quit, and I still hate everybody. Of course, it doesn't help that I now work in advertising...which has pretty much destroyed any remaining faith I had in humanity.

I was a Manager at Target for awhile and we really didn't have issues like this. We were never pressured by upper management to do anything like that. I'm sure there was greed somewhere in the organization but it didn't trickle down to the department managers.

@Tyler Laing:
"Manager: "Why aren't you dedicated to the company?"
Me: "I'll be dedicated when they prove they're worth the loyalty. Just because they sign my paychecks doesn't buy my loyalty.""

supprised that dident git you fired..

Ah, I love my PT retail job. Sure, they want us to sell- but more importantly they want us to make sure that the customer ends up with the product that fits their needs and/or wants and that the customer is happy with their purchase. If it means spending half an hour with a customer showing them how it works, that's awesome.

Sales people sell. A lot of the time the more they sell the more they make. No secret there. I couldn't/wouldn't do the hard upsell (mostly because I hate it when I'm the buyer) so I am not a salesman. But I don't begrudge them for it.

@drb023: Heh I'm 60 years old. Try and target me, minimum wage butthead. I bet your salary I forgot more than you'll ever learn! hehehe

@brandymb: I meant that for the kid in the store...

@Darascon: Ah the joys of retail...

@angryhippo: I agree. I used to work at a Payless Shoe Source and we had to literally follow the customer around and show them what accessories matched the shoes they were looking at...I hated doing it because I hate being followed around when I'M the customer. But you're right, there's people who are just good at that..doesn't mean it's enjoyable for the customer all the time though..

When I worked for RadioShack, I wasn't allowed to say that cheap versions of the same thing would work fine. Seriously. If you came in and asked for the most basic TV antenna, I'd have to tell you that the $20 antenna was a piece of crap even though we sell it, and demand that you buy the $50 one with useless bells and whistles. I've worked retail all through college and have never had a problem selling well, but the blatant lies I had to tell at RadioShack made me quit after only two months.

On an amusing note, one of the online training guides explicitly states that "You're required to comply with all federal, state, local, and foreign laws." Really? All foreign laws? Well, sure, then RadioShack, but I hope you don't mind me wearing this burqa and button of Kim Jong Il with my uniform.

@angryhippo: There is an ever decreasing number of sales people who make more money, the more they sell.
Sadly in many places it has been reduced to the management of the sales people making more money, the more their employees sell, and the only thing the sales people work hard in their upselling practices for is to not lose their jobs.

Retail employees are facing downsizing and layoffs just like everyone else. More so after the dismal end to F'08. People are buying less and that means maximizing every customer every time. In many cases it is now about survival and keeping your job. Stores that don't achieve goals don't need to keep a full staff. Our job is to take your money with a sale that wears well...you'll make more... it is not our responsibility to judge whether or not you can afford it.

I worked part time last summer in a ladies' clothing store with its own credit card. We were leaned on heavily to get everyone to open a credit account, and had weekly and monthly goals for the number of credit accounts opened.

One Saturday, the last day of the month, we were still two or three credits short. I heard one of the managers, ringing up a lady's purchases, get her to sign up for the credit card by telling her it was a "discount card" - no mention that it was a credit account. Of course, I know the lady should be an informed consumer, all that jazz, but I thought it was pretty low for the manager to do that. The woman seemed a bit confused as to what she was signing up for, but she did it anyway because she got 15% off her purchase for opening the card.

I quit pretty shortly after that and will never work at another store where they make you push credit on people like that, if I can help it.

@Tyler Laing: Just ask Target what happens when you try to force people onto your store's credit card...

@glinters: It certainly is the sales person's responsibility to meet the needs of their customers. Bad ones of course won't care about that.

I just like seeing how all these companies seem to think they're the first to come up with slogans like 'upsell!'

At the bookstore, we would be told to gush about the 3rd or 4th book in a series. That would require someone to buy the 1st and 2nd to get to that 3rd book. I also jokingly asked a customer once whether she would rather buy her teenage son books or drugs. She laughed it off, but seemed to really think it over.

And don't forget the discount card! You can sign your wife up for the card and the gift of savings will last all year!!!

I don't begrudge an upsell attempt at something like a car rental company. It is quick and over with in a moment, and has occasionally led to a nice deal.

I dislike salespeople who don't back off after being shot down. They simply aren't recognizing that they are costing themselves money, both short-term and long-term. I am more likely to leave the store buying nothing when they push too hard, and I am less likely to return to that store to buy it.

Never worked retail.

But, as a consumer, I've had people seriously in my personal space while I'm shopping for clothes. I rarely ever buy anything in those situation. When I'm left alone, able to think about if I should buy anything, I buy tons.

Just today, at Casual Male, the guy left me alone, and I wound up buying a hundred dollar coat and gloves. At teh Men's Warehouse where they hounded me, and hounded me- I didn't get anything. I know in their minds, they were thinking I'd never buy anything anyway, so no loss I guess.

@Tyler Laing: Is it called "The Source"?

@Quatre707: Where I work we are encouraged to upsell everything and anything we can, BUT we get absolutely ZERO commission for any of the added revenue we bring in.

So I am forced to wonder where my big motivation is to upsell?

Some would say it's so that I keep my job, but I hate the negative connotations there. It should be more "upsell and you'll earn more" instead of "upsell or you're fired."

@brandymb: Made me laugh. Nice.

@Tyler Laing

Didn't your manager realizer that happy customers come back and spend more? One in 10 dissatified customers complain (that's us.) The other nine just don't come back. This was a lesson from my district manager when I worked in retail. That was 20 years ago, but I can't imagine that things are drastically different now. Your ex-manager was a short-sighted, short-goaled idiot. Not to put too fine a point on it or anything.

@Foibles and Weebles: If people come into a store asking what to buy their wife or girlfriend then they are fair game for upsells IMO. At some point we have to take responsibility for what we buy and ultimately the shopper is making the decision to buy or not to buy. You are just there to offer advice. They could easily say no thanks I don't want that and walk out. Besides if you help them out and the giftee actually liked what you picked out then you have done good and they may even come back to thank you or become a repeat customer.

Some people want or need the upsell, imagine selling someone a Playstation 2 without the memory cards then having them come back unhappy because their son is unable to play the game they bought them properly. Sometimes a customer actually wants or needs an upsell and most certainly not every customer is an informed one. Its no fun if a customer brings home a new TV but cannot set it up because they don't have the necessary cables, then they come back to you the salesperson and get angry because they had to make the extra trip to get what they needed.

Now if a customer specifically states they don't want something and you continue to upsell them that is badgering and is something totally different and IMO is completely uncalled for. Especially if they say they have the item you are trying to sell at home already or something along those lines. But even in this situation of badgering again the customer always has the option to walk away.

My point is the customer even amongst the worst upseller always has the choice not to buy or not to use that companies service. Even with the credit cards as you mentioned, they have the choice not to sign up and the choice to walk. If you don't tell them the terms of it then its their responsibility to ask before signing up.

If can avoid working in retail by all means please do. Retail banking is just as horrible as well. If you're not driven by the profit-motive I'd suggest looking for work at a non-profit &c.

Maybe I'm missing the point of this post, but to me it seems like its a little disingenuous to accuse businesses of (god forbid!) selling people stuff. I can understand the problem with trying to screw older folks or children, but ultimately this is about personal responsibility. Last I checked, stores don't put a gun to your head and MAKE you purchase things. Go in informed, know what you want to spend, and don't get a store credit card. It's that simple. Blaming companies for up selling or having a sales culture is like blaming a lion for being a carnivore.

@Outrun1986: Some people want or need the upsell

While I usually find the upsell annoying (but often easy to brush away), I think you're right. A bit of upsell would have avoided the IKEA Big Girl Bed disaster - [consumerist.com]

If upselling was actually offering helpful information or guiding someone through all the components they might need for a successful purchase, it would be great. Too often it's the badgering you mentioned, and overpriced nonsense.

@Bush2008: Yes, I'm sure Mr./Mrs. Circuit City Public Relations Operative, I'll just bet they do.

@Outrun1986: There are different kinds of "upsell." If there is something not included with the base purchase, and that is genuinely NEEDED by the customer in order for the product to work as advertised, that's one thing. Example: if I buy a flashlight that runs on batteries, and the batteries are not included with the flashlight, then yes, I'd appreciated the salesperson letting me know that so I don't have to make an extra trip.

Then there's the kind of upselling where the more-knowledgeable salesperson convinces the less-knowledgeable customer that he/she "really needs this" accessory/add-on/Monster cable/whatever, when they don't. Technically their job is to offer advice, but I don't think it's unreasonable to expect them to offer GOOD advice.

Another kind of "upsell" that's not OK is when they sell something additional that is needed, but ridiculously overpriced, like Monster cables. Other cables will do the same thing for much less money, but if the salesperson tells you that Monster is "better" or even "worth the money," then they lied.

So, upselling in and of itself? Not necessarily bad. Upselling at any cost, even when the things you're selling have no value to the customer, or you have to lie or take advantage of them to get them to buy? Not OK.

@drb023: If you can't make money any other way than trying to convince your customers that what they want isn't what they want at all but something bigger and more expensive then your business model sucks and you're relying completely on the gullibility of rubes. Sure, it's a "known business practice" but it smacks of used-car-salesmanship and it drives people (like me, maybe not you) away. Pun not intended. It annoys me and I avoid places that do it.

I worked in a boutique that sold those sexy costumes, panty hose and club wear... our owner was this crazy North African who would literally CHASE women around the store, offering discounts on items they didn't even want. It bordered on harassment, seriously.

Then I, as manager, got yelled at for not conducting business that same way. Are you kidding me? 'The customer doesn't always know what they want, you have to SELL IT TO THEM!' he'd say. Okay, fair enough, but 'selling it to them' when they've said 'no, I don't like that' is absurd.

"If we don't do well this holiday season half the company will be laid off."

@Tyler Laing: This reminds me of my month in the car industry. Even if the economy recovers, if dealers don't shape up and keep acting like this guy they'll be out of business.

@Jackasimov: Circuit City has bigger things to worry about then trolling blogs to post about customer service.

Circuit City is so good to me! They just wuv their customers!!!
Golly gee, I am so very grateful to work for these wonderful, kind, gentle, caring people. In fact I am tearing up as I write this. LOL!! Puh-leeze!