From fast food to high finance, just about anyone involved in any sort of sales to consumers has been trained to upsell the customer on add-ons. And whether it’s the right way to push a super-sized meal or convincing a new car buyer he really wants that TruCoat undercoating for $500, there really is an art to doing it correctly. That’s why we’d like to hear from people who have been taught this special skill. [More]
art of the upsell
This Supermarket Poster Was Not Meant To Be Seen By The Public
By 9.30.14
We all know that businesses have motivational signs and slogans that managers use out of sight of the public. But someone at this supermarket is probably going to get the boot after posting a sign on the front window encouraging employees to wring more cash out of customers. [More]
Dish Hard-Sells Customers At Blockbusters
By 10.20.11
Dish Network is making use of its new toy, Blockbuster, by coaxing customers at the rental stores into a lounge in an attempt to sign them up for service. Those who sit through the pitch receive a free month of Blockbuster By Mail and a free game or movie rental that day. [More]
Slash Your Restaurant Bill By Keeping An Eye Out For Upsells
By 1.12.11
If restaurant checks always seem to be a bit higher than you envision, it’s because the industry thrives on ways to trick you into giving up extra cash at every turn. Waiters can be upsell-happy con artists, and you are the mark. [More]
Time Warner Cable Keeps Bugging Me, Brags It's Immune To Do Not Call Registry
By 12.8.10
Julius thought he was protected against telemarketers by signing up for the National Do Not Call Registry, but a gleefully irritating Time Warner Cable rep informed him that this isn’t so. Because he’s a subscriber, TWC is allowed to toss telephonic sales pitches his way. Businesses with an established relationship with customers can phone them up to 18 months after their last transaction. [More]
Microsoft, Sony Pay GameStop To Upsell You Downloadable Add-On Codes
By 11.12.10
GameStop employees now have more than just pre-orders, strategy guides and loyalty cards to pressure unsuspecting customers into buying. The game dealer has moved into selling downloadable content cards, and revealed it’s getting a cut of the action, given it more incentive to convince players their games aren’t complete without an extra map pack. [More]
GameStop Pushed Me Out Because I Refused To Upsell
By 10.29.10
You can’t walk into a GameStop without having to fend off requests to sign up for a membership and preorder games. A former manager says he refused to take part in the often irritating environment, faced a demotion due to poor upselling numbers and lost his house as a result. [More]
Confessions Of A Department Store Credit Card Upseller
By 10.12.10
J works at JC Penney and isn’t comfortable with what he describes as the company’s conniving ways of convincing customers to apply for awful credit cards they don’t need. [More]
