Kyle just emailed us a recap of his successful haggling adventure at Target this past weekend. If you’re afraid to try haggling at a big chain store, check out his story for an example of how to make it pleasant for all parties involved; the goal is to approach it as a negotiation where everyone wins, not as a zero-sum competition.

This weekend I found I was in desperate need of four dining room chairs for game night. Running short on time (and cash) I went to Target to see if they had anything I could use. I picked out two black wooden chairs and had a sales associate grab two more from the back for me.

I found that nearly all the chairs had scratches and one of them had a substantial crack in one of the supports. I asked a manager if she “could give me any sort of consideration…” for the defects. She politely told me that Target policy was to return and destroy defective furniture, and she didn’t think she could offer me any discount.

I told her it would be a shame to destroy a chair rather than sell it, pointed out that I was purchasing four of them, and mentioned I still had enough time to shop around if I needed.

We went to the customer service manager, who agreed to give me 13% off the entire order! I spent an extra $15.00 on paint and wood glue, and now I have four perfect chairs in my dining room!

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