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Old 03-03-2008, 03:39 PM   #1
Ivelliis
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Join Date: August 6, 2004
Location: North East England
Age: 34
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Default Work Woes (Maybe you can help?)

Again I've came here to moan about work, and get advice.

At work the new big thing is the Mastercard we do. It's a normal mastercard/credit card, but if you spend it in store you get 1point for every pound. (other stores every £10 is a point) 100 points = £5 voucher. Get a five pound voucher for opening the card, got 3 weeks after the end of the month to pay it off without getting charged interest. We've had training, but for the life of me I cannot offer them. It's like some sort of mental block, I am about to say it then I concede defeat, and it's getting me in trouble. I won't get sacked for it, but it looks like I'm not helping the team, and it's not because I don't want to, it's just that I simply can't offer.

It's not a confidence thing either, I'll talk to anyone about anything, I haven't got a clue why...any ideas or advice guys?
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Old 03-03-2008, 04:20 PM   #2
wellard
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Default Re: Work Woes (Maybe you can help?)

If your heart is not in it, thankfully in this case, then this may be the reason. Credit is a curse and you know that being a pusher is wrong.

Don't think of this as a problem think of this as a sign that you are one of the good guys
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Old 03-03-2008, 04:51 PM   #3
Ivelliis
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Default Re: Work Woes (Maybe you can help?)

Yeah, but to work I'm not acting like part of the team and I'm one of the bad guys. I'm not helping us open our required 13 a week.
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Old 03-03-2008, 04:52 PM   #4
Unglaublich Verwustung
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Default Re: Work Woes (Maybe you can help?)

I'm going to be no help at all with your dilemma and agree with Wellard. It's because you know it is fundamentally wrong - £5 back to spend in your store per £100 already spent is 5% of crap.
Most people won't pay back the full amount; if they could afford to do so they wouldn't be using it for purchases in the first place. If it is like most store-based credit cards you must have a rate in the region of 26% APR so the poor punter is stuffed! They borrow £500, get £25 in vouchers towards more purchases with you and then start to pay back their minimum 5% monthly - that's interest in the region of £400 over the time that they pay back the original spend. So Mastercard and your company manage to rake back at least £375 for the privilege of £25 worth of vouchers which they are better off not using, as they will probably only go towards more purchases, rather than pay outright. As a result they may well increase the amount owed and thus the interest.
Selling that stuff as an add-on to the original purchase just cannot be good for your soul.
Sod the corporate, save yourself and the little guy!
If they won't sack you for not selling it, don't sell it. If they do, they're not worth working for.
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Old 03-03-2008, 05:03 PM   #5
Ivelliis
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Default Re: Work Woes (Maybe you can help?)

I know it doesn't make much of a difference, but it's £5 per £50 spent (you get back 5p for every £1) and APR is 18.9/24.9% depending on credit rating. It's a legit mastercard, not a storecard, but yeah it's still shocking.

One of my coworkers is the head bike tech, and he hates credit and hates selling it but basically they said to him (after he refused for a year) it's your job.

Another technique he uses is by saying buy something on it, get the vouchers, pay it off and then cut up the card, so you get the vouchers and then that's it.

I totally agree with it being a scam, so to speak, and a sneaky tactic to get customers back, but there's not much I can do.
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Old 03-03-2008, 05:41 PM   #6
Unglaublich Verwustung
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Default Re: Work Woes (Maybe you can help?)

The other problem which you have is, I guess, that this is simply your job until you go to Uni.

I used to work for one of the big retail groups so I know how much pressure is put on the guys on the sales floor to sell the 'value-added' stuff. I assume that they also throw this at you during the morning pep-talk or equivalent, including tips/techniques for selling it. If so, you are in a hard place. Your co-worker is dealing with it in one way, but that is to salve his conscience as much as anything else, I suspect. He knows, as well as you or I, that irrespective of people's good intentions for taking it home and cutting it up it will be tempting to them to have it set to one side 'just in case'. It will be a rare person who doesn't use it again.

If it is any help, there is a very simple way in which you can justify selling this card, whilst retaining your integrity, remaining morally correct and on the right side of your own conscience. Remember that, by your action/inaction in not offering a customer the opportunity to apply for this credit card, you are actually depriving them of the right to make their own decisions. Whether you, or I, agree with the selling of this card is irrelevant.Everybody has that right to make a decision for themselves, providing they have been properly informed.

If you don't provide them with clear, accurate and easily understood information, or you deliberately mis-sell then that is fundamentally wrong. If you provide them with the correct information and make it clear that it is entirely their choice, with no pressure from you whether to apply or not, then you will have taken a morally acceptable stance. Note also that underselling the credit card as a product is also a means of mis-selling and is no better than overselling it's benefits.

You will find that, by providing all the information they need to make their own decision, and by you not providing a bias in either direction, some people will choose to take this credit card, others will not. It will be, and should be, their own decision, based on their own evaluation of their needs, and ability to repay, which you cannot and should not do for them.

Selling this particular product in a rational manner does not mean giving up your integrity, selling it only with regard to your subjective whims, does.
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Last edited by Unglaublich Verwustung; 03-03-2008 at 05:48 PM.
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Old 03-03-2008, 05:55 PM   #7
pritchke
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Join Date: September 5, 2001
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Default Re: Work Woes (Maybe you can help?)

It sounds like you either don't support the product, or don't think the people you are offering it too should have it as it may cause them more harm than good. If this is the case than good on you mate. My wife used to work with Telus and part of her job required her to pushing people into buying products they didn't need like little old grannies and there dog. If the product sucked or the customer didn't really need it she would tell them and offer the best product for them which was often a cheeper product. The manager hated her for it because it was supposidly making the team look bad but overall I would say doing the opposite would have made the company look bad and even cost them customers. Which is what usually happens to communication companies due to the way they operate in conning yes conning the customers. This is my two cents and I don't know it helps or not.
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Old 03-03-2008, 08:04 PM   #8
Bungleau
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Default Re: Work Woes (Maybe you can help?)

Speaking as a sales guy...

First, the most important thing is that you have to believe in your product. If you don't (and you now don't), then it will show.

Second, remember that you don't know *that* much about your customers. Do you know their personal financial position? How well they manage their credit? Their finances? What their current financial situation is?

I suspect the answer is no, and while *many* people have challenges with credit, *not all* get overrun by it. I personally pay my cards off every month... I might or might not be interested in yours. For you to decide that for me is a bit presumptuous on your part, isn't it?

Third, and one of the hardest things to understand in sales: when a prospect says No, they are not rejecting you personally; they are simply rejecting the current business proposition.

You don't know enough to know whether or not it would be a good idea for them... only they know that. So why don't you let them decide?

My suggestion for a closing question would be like this:

Your total is £55. If you open a store Mastercard today, you would get £5 back and be more than halfway to another £5. Would you be interested in opening one today?

They can answer four things:

1. Yes. Okay, fill out the paperwork.

2. No. Okay, move on to "how would you like to pay?". Note that any generally negative response, including comments about your parentage, is still "no"

3. I've already got one. "Super! You just moved 55 points closer to your next £5 certificate!"

4. I don't know. What's involved? (or some variation)... "It's a regular mastercard, and every £1 charged earns you a point. Earn 100 points, you get a £5 certificate. You also earn another £5 certificate just for signing up today. Would you like to sign up?"

You can't live their lives for them... they must do that. So let them make up their minds and take advantage if it makes sense for them.

All right... the non-sales folks can take their shots now...
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Old 03-03-2008, 09:21 PM   #9
Kakero
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Join Date: March 24, 2002
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Default Re: Work Woes (Maybe you can help?)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivelliis View Post
I won't get sacked for it
How sure are you about this? Is there some sort of guarantee such as word of mouth from your superiors/upper management or is it written in black and white on your contract? It is nice when you have your own thoughts of things and refuse to "dance with the music". Your superior/upper management also don't have to accept your "hoo-haa" and may cut their losses and fire you. Remember, there are many people out there that is looking for a job and your superior/upper management certainly will not hesistate to look for someone who will do as what is told.
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Old 03-03-2008, 09:27 PM   #10
Sir Goulum
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Join Date: February 7, 2002
Location: Edmonton, Canada
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Default Re: Work Woes (Maybe you can help?)

Maybe some of the Best Buy techniques they taught me could help you out. Much of it is similar to Bungleau's suggestions, so my bad if it sounds like I'm just rewording what he says.

Offer it to every customer. Regardless of your personal feelings on the Mastercard, it isn't up to you to decide whether they want to buy it or not. Lots of people will sign up for it because of the $5 coupons you get just for spending money that they probably were going to spend anyways. It's hardly going to tear apart your conscience to do your job, is it? If they're going to end up in financial trouble because of the card you signed them up for, they're probably already in financial trouble.

Be excited about it. Usually customers won't be too keen on purchasing or signing up for something if the salesman seems bored by it.

Always point out how it benefits them. Obviously in this case, it would be the $5 gift cards they get A. for signing up, and B. for spending money they were probably going to spend there anyways.

Don't push it! I dunno if you're on commission or not or how the management at your store want you to present things, but I *never* push customers into buying anything. In my experience, if you do, they end up walking away from it.

Kakero: At most it will probably just bring down his marks on his reviews. The Mastercard signups don't directly bring money into the store, and don't directly impact their numbers.

Last edited by Sir Goulum; 03-03-2008 at 09:30 PM.
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