No, I do not want to be part of your program!

Statikk HDM · #1 11-22-2004, 01:58 PM

What is with stores these days and their silly little cards, special promotional offers, discount cards, etc. Yeah, all you have to do is pay money or ten percent of the cost of the products you are buying and you can be a special member. What a screw job. First off, these companies make their already overworked and underpayed staff whore themselves for these stupid things. It takes up a lot of time. If you shop a lot during the holidays get prepared to piss away a few hours of your life when every single customer has to go "No thanks, I just want to buy these." Not only that you have to pay money to be a member and you have to shop at a certain place to get any real money off it. Not to mention the hassles . This ishe sweetest racket in all of the reatil biz. Not only do the companies make money on the products the discounts entice people to shop more at the store even though it will take them many purchase to recoup start-up and continuing costs. Also, free info on the schmuck who took the card! While we're at it, gift cards suck. If you're going to be that lazy just give me the friggin' money already. Take that Shopko/Starbucks/Wal-Mart gift card and shove it!

OANST · #2 11-22-2004, 03:33 PM

Whoring yourself is what a job is all about. These companies are paying you and from where I stand you damn well better be doing what you're getting paid for. A lot of people have the misconception that their jobs exist to provide them with money. Not true. Your position exists to provide the company with money. The gift cards are actually pretty smart. If you have a Walmart card you are far less likely to go to kmart. It's just marketing. I understand how it can be annoying but these places exist to turn a profit. The less money they make the less money you make as an employee.

Statikk HDM · #3 11-23-2004, 09:23 AM

It sickens me though, to see company cards take over clothing and money as the dominant gifts. The cards limit the person to buying products from only 1 store and that isn't right. Money is good because its flexible. Maybe I'll buy a CD and a book with the the money, maybe I'll pay back a loan, go to the movies, etc. A card is just that, a card telling you to go to a specific place and I think that sucks. Plus, with money and clothing you don't have to pay sign up fees, inactivity fees, etc. Its just there. You can wear it or spend it whenever and wherever you want.

Esus · #4 11-23-2004, 09:30 AM

This soooo annoys the hell out of me when a shop is really busy, quite small, with enormous queues. Especially if the people in front of me say yes! They take ages signing up.

Majic · #5 11-23-2004, 09:38 AM

Store discount cards were one of the most ingenius marketing strategies ever created. It isn't the personal information that matters. By using something like a Kroger Plus card, Krogers can track all purchases made at their store. This opens up a ton of demographics for an area, allowing the company to know when and where to put what on sale.

On gift cards... I don't much like them. Hard to forget the birthday I got $45 in Blockbuster gift cards.

***Nate*** · #6 11-23-2004, 01:10 PM

In general I agree with you but I've had one case where it was actually good.

I got a card for my uni bookshop that cost $10 and gave me 10% off all my books. I had made my money back on that first day. I'm not sure why they do it cos you're not likely to buy your textbooks from anywhere else.

I think there may be some semi-shonky tax stuff behind this. Technically I was actually buying some shares in the business. But I end up ahead in the end so alls good.

***Cloverfield*** · #7 11-24-2004, 12:48 AM

I don't care that companies want to do stuff like that, they have to make their profits, cause that's what they are all about. But what I do hate is if you want to go to a store to just "buy" something and they offer you all this extra crap. Or you are walking through a mall and some guy stops you trying to sell you crap like that.

I'm very much a person who makes my own shopping decisions, and I don't like when people annoy me about it. It's like when I'm browsing around a store and someone says "can I help you". I hate that because if I needed help, I'd be asking for it [mind you, then when I do want help, you can never find anyone]. I feel uncomfortable looking at stuff when I know that someone is hovering around having a look at what I'm looking at. About 6 months ago I was looking for a new bed and this guy was constantly annoying me, even though I told him I was just looking. I left that store very quickly due to how uncomfortable he made me feel.

We don't really have too much in the way of stores offering discount cards over here though thankfully. It's mainly done by just advertising. One store I went to in Sydney, a huge bookstore, actually gives you a 10% discount card after you have spent a certain amount. Then you can use it any time you return. Which is good marketing, because you don't have to pay for the card in the first place, but it makes you think that you want to return instead of go to another store as you are getting a discount.

Abe Babe...

oddguy · #8 11-24-2004, 09:45 AM

The coolest thing ever, which I'm not sure is with Visa or American Express, is a gift card that you can use anywhere credit cards are accepted. Now that is awesome.

-oddguy

OANST · #9 11-24-2004, 09:51 AM

The problem with what abebabe said is that there a lot of people out there that are not as intelligent as her and can be easily swayed into buying something they didn't come for. Like me. As long as people can be convinced they will do this. Just don't take it personally.