tonyc3742

I don't get rude to the clerks unless/until they're rude to me, I know they're just 'doing their job'.
But I do usually say 'I don't give it [my phone number] out' or 'I don't have one.'
Have to try giving 555-1212, see what that comes up as.
That magazine shilling is annoying to; the RZ card at least is relevant to my shopping at Best Buy, and can be a useful add on if you shop there a lot.
If you pay with a credit card, they should be able to track it with that--and you're probably less likely to change credit card numbers than phone numbers.
Isn't that fridge with the tv just sad? First, if you have to watch that much tv, you're kind of pathetic. Secondly, if you do want to watch tv in the kitchen [my wife does, while shes cooking] shouldnt it be on the counter or somewhere? Are you going to stand there and stare at the fridge all night? I'm waiting for the useful fridge technology, the thing that keeps an inventory of what's in your fridge and prints out or sends a grocery list to your email, I could go for that.

Dead

I just make up a date when they ask for these things. I figure that they'll never know the difference anyway.

hotaru_san

that would be a pretty different situation

When I had lame jobs that made me run through a lists like that I was fine with being interrupted by people who knew what I was going to say (as long as they didn't get ticked later about what I left out after being interrupted).

The Edit King

We do!

Apart from a Debit here or there...we use cash ALL the time and we LIKE it! &

THEEK!

fumanstan

Yeah, its no big deal except the man made a big stink out of it (which was completely unnecessary).

I know its a different situation, like i said, it just reminds me of it. If its that bothersome, just make up a number rather then stand there with your arms folded and a scowl in your face trying to be defiant.

DaveNinja

Radio shack now asks "what phone plan do you have?" or "what cell phone are you using?". I always say "I dont know, something, i'm fine with it" and they do a snotty huff and say "you dont KNOW what your phone plan is?" I respond, "Look, its a feaking phone, no one ever calls me on it, Let me buy my resistors in peace!"

Roto

You should tell them , "What do you think I'm buying these for? I'm building my own damn phone!"

Mad Dawg

I work with every consumer electronics chain on some level, and I can tell you that I pity the Best Buy employee more than anyone else. I'm not asking anyone else to, as I know that there are other jobs available to them, but it really is a shame what they have to go through.

I looked on during a printer sale a couple of months ago. The salesperson was being "graded" by his supervisor. He sold the printer, then had to press for a USB cable (gold-plated, of course), ink (attempted to sell several of each), paper, and the service plan. He then had to make sure the customer knew that all of this would be much easier to swallow with financing through Best Buy. Then came the Rewards program, Rhapsody, and NetFlix. This was prior to the customer going to the register for service plan attempt #2, Best Buy card attempt #2, and the magazine subscriptions.

Best Buy has long become a parody of itself. The sad thing is that with the success of Best Buy comes the chains that wish to emulate them and their profits. Commission sales people will pressure you, but usually to the point at which they know where to stop. This isn't true in the non-commission big boxes, and I expect to see more of it as time goes on.

Walter Neff

That should raise all kinds of red flags. Everyone knows the area code for 90210 is 310, not 919...

msdmoney

I hate when best buy always offers me the magazines, but they have never asked me for my phone number. Whats that number that says you have been dumped? I'll give that from now on.

eau

The "what's your phone number" question popped up a few times when I checked out at BB. What's up with it? Why the heck did they want my number for when I was only buying a couple of DVDs? I usually give the answer "I don't have one".

shill66

Every time I go to buy something at Radio Shack - ANY Radio Shack - without fail, the salesperson jokes, "You want a projection TV with that?" or "You want a satellite dish with that?" or some other big ticket item, followed by a laugh.

It wasn't funny the first time.

At Best Buy, when they ask if I'll be putting it on my Best Buy credit card, I tell them the truth: "No, I can't, they closed my account." The clerk is usually so surprised at such an answer they don't say anything else during the rest of the transaction.

Otto

Hey, I do what I can.

Otto

I know. I worked at Best Buy once upon a time. Nobody was nice then, I see no reason to be nice now. And frankly, there are better jobs elsewhere. My advice to the BB drones: Go to Circuit City or something. Really. Selling on commission is better than having to put up with the wacky BB corporate craziness.

Breakfast with Girls

That's just unacceptable. Whenever I get some item like that, I just immediately walk away to the register if they start asking that crap.

Funk

We're on page 2 and Tarantino hasn't stepped in to 'spin' how this really means that Best Buy is the best. store. evar.? For shame....

devynal

I find it funny BB near me has their best looking female associate walking around giving out credit card applications.

I also say NO NO NO to those stupid Entertainment Weekly/Sports Illustrated they give out at the registers - yet a few weeks after my last purchase I began to get EW with a bill attached - unreal.

Breakfast with Girls

I just tell them, "Sorry, I don't like entertainment or sports."

scarredgod

regarding CASH at Best Buy. on Black Friday last year i bought a new computer at BB and i took out my cash and everyone looked stunned. the funny part is they had NO CASH in their registers to give me change. NO CASH ON BLACK FRIDAY??? i had to wait 10 minutes while they got money to stock the drawer.

eau

I simply tell them that I don't read magazines. I just can't stand those "what's your phone number" questions.

silentbob007

Why don't you just tell them that you are illiterate, and that is why you always do all of your shopping right there in K-Mart?

ViewAskewbian

I've worked a few chain stores in the past (mainly ones that sell/rent video/DVD and music etc.) as well as a very short stint at a movie theatre. Each of these places usually had some upsell shit that I didn't agree with knowing how much it bugs me as a customer. For example, one of the places I worked for had this three step plan for selling they wanted their employees to follow:

1) Just say "Hi": Wander up to each person who walks in the store and just say hello...sometimes do it more then once.

2) Buy or die: Notice what they are looking at and get them to buy it or...ummm....die.

3) Stack 'em High: Get them to purchase as much crap as you can before they leave

Lordy, I hated that shit as, to me, if I walk into a store I usually know what I am there for.

The movie theatre was the worse because you were graded on how much UPSELL you did. The Video store was all about getting them to get gift passes or snack combos.

I was good at flying under the rader when it came to this stuff, generally, as I hate pushing stuff onto people who just want to get their shit and get out of there. I tend to go to smaller places now, indy rental stores and used book stores to avoid the stuff from the larger chain stores.

One of the best ones was when I registered once at Blockbuster they asked me if I rented at a Rogers Video. When I told them that was none of their business they told me they needed it for a survey. Needless to say, I was very polite about saying "Yes, I do rent there and, in fact, I think I will go there right now."

I certainly don't like treating CSRs badly because I know it is their job but certain things get me so irate I generally just leave.

Dabaomb

diesteldorf

I really don't believe that you would have actaully said that. IMO, using profanity toward either party is not appropriate. I'll assume you were joking.

In regards to your other post about
having them go to Circuit City, I am
pretty sure they eliminated their commission structure in order to try and compete with BB.

Someone please correct me if I am mistaken, but I believe there is little difference between BB and Circuit City
at this point.

fumanstan

In all fairness, using cash to buy a new computer does sound weird.