Short version, in case you're in a hurry:Another retail attempt. Another bust.
Here's how it went down:
I ended up at Cost Plus with my mother, to look at some rugs. They have some nice wool ones with persian-esque designs, which had caught my eye some time ago. Fortunately, almost all were 25% off! Unfortunately, not the one I wanted. (The ones pictured are from another store, but I liked the image.)
I found a salesgirl walking the floor. She had rung up my purchases in the past and had always been friendly. I made my case.
"I noticed that all the rugs are on sale except for this one. Do you know if maybe it's a mistake?"
"It looks like just this series is full price, that's so weird," she said, checking the prices.
"Well, do you think I could get the sale price on this one, anyway? Even a smaller discount would be great."
"I don't... think you can do that." She looked doubtful, but in a way that gave me hope.
"I'd be willing to make it a final sale, or pay in cash?"
"Cash doesn't make a difference for us, I'm afraid."
"I mean, I could walk out with it today, like a clearance item, and never return it. If you could get the price down a little."
"I don't think we can do that."
"Argh, that's too bad! I love it. I would totally buy it if it were just a little cheaper. Is there any way the manager can come up with a discount? I've heard that sometimes they have special powers."
She smiled. "I can ask for you, but I can already tell you the answer will be no."
"Would you... mind asking?"
I got the feeling I was starting to waste her time. "I can, but he's almost definitely going to say no."
"That's ok. It would be worth a try. If you don't mind."
"I can. But I can already tell you he's going to say no." And then her eyes lit up. "If you open a charge card with us, you get a discount. Or, if you sign up for e-mail promotions! Or, it might go on sale later? They go on sale at random times."
"Thanks. I guess I'll wait to see if it goes on sale." Easy out. In a sense, I like that she offered alternatives -- she was an asset for her company by dissuading negotiation and quickly pointing me to their credit card. And at the end, she seemed to genuinely want to help me get the price down with all those options. Except by asking her manager.
I took her word that he'd say no. I think that was a mistake. Perhaps by asking her to ask, he would have come over and I could have gotten a different answer. Or perhaps by asking her to ask, she would have starting thinking that prices, even those printed in ink, are not set in stone. Could be good for her shoppers, and in her own life. Instead, I respected the status quo and rested my case as quickly as you can say "Loser."Gained: Practice, I guess? Practice at taking rejection? Arrrrgh. Practice at not persisting? AAAAK! Do any of you readers have ideas for retail bargaining? Is my approach all wrong, or is it just a lost cause?
Large chain retail stores like Cost Plus have little incentive to give discounts. They deal in volume, and their products are usually marked down as low as the store can accommodate. These retailers also often have fairly rigid rules that prevent them from wiggling on their prices.
ReplyDeleteHowever, these same rules can work in your favor, as many stores have price-match guarantees. If you can find another store that carries the rug for less, you might be able to get them to match the price. Sometimes the retailer will want to see the advertised price in print, but sometimes you can just "persuade" them on the spot. You can also use this tactic to play two neighboring stores off each other ("Rug Store #2 right next door is offering this product at the same price- can you beat it? No? Well I'll just have to see if they can compete with you."). Salespeople can sometimes become more flexible if they fear that you're going to walk out the door without buying something that they just tried to sell you on- especially if they think you will instead spend your money next door.
Most chain stores also offer discounts on damaged goods. See if you can find any defects in the product and point them out to the salesperson. It can help if you act like this is something that really bothers you and might prevent you from buying it. If you've already brought it up to the register, you might want to tell the salesperson that this is the last one in the store, and you really want to buy it, but you're concerned about X. A lot of places will give you a 10% discount on the spot.
At Cost Plus, you might have had more luck if you had spoken with the manager, but it's always a bit sketchy at chain stores because they keep their margins so low that it's hard to cut deals. Bargaining tends to be easier at smaller stores, though that's often offset by higher base prices.
In general, you want to find something you can offer in return for the discount. This makes the seller feel like they've "earned" giving you the deal. If you want to buy two items, for example, start by trying to get a lower price on just one of them. If that fails, see if you can get the discount for buying both. This makes the salesperson feel good for getting the upsell. You can also generally negotiate the best deals on slow days. Walk into a store when nobody else is around, and you have a much better chance of being able to name your price. If the store is packed, the salespeople probably just don't have time to bother with making special deals, even if they might be susceptible to them otherwise.
Ugh, I sound like such a textbook...
YOU, Atom, are no textbook, but rather, a retail deity. How did you learn all this?? Theories:
ReplyDelete--You have worked for a supplier for any of the following: Ammo-R-Us, Costco, Nordie's, Big 5, Woolworths, Small World Coffee, or Off the Record.
--You are a econo-ethnographer/anthropologist who has studied the manner, mode and mood of the shopping American
--You're some sort of enlightened filmmaker/writer/producer with deep experience in haggling down camera equipment from big box and mom-n-pop stores alike
--You're Suzy Orman
I will print your comment and bring it with me for guidance next time I buy anything haggle-able! Thanks!
As someone who has worked in retail for eight years (and was a bit of a tough cookie when it came to discounts), I can offer only a little advice. I've noticed that in other posts you have also used the "pay in cash" line. I don't see why, except in something like a Craigslist sale, this would be an advantage to any retailer, especially a major one like Cost Plus. I would skip that line altogether. Offering to buy it as-is isn't much help, as the retailer knows that someone will be perfectly willing to buy the rug at full price.
ReplyDeleteWith larger retailers and chain stores, the only thing you can really do to get a discount is to complain. The customers who got what they wanted in the various stores I work at either:
1. Were customers we recognized from shopping a lot, and loved because they were nice, so we let more things slide for them
2. Were going to put up such a fuss that it was easier to give in.
In both of these cases, the only people that could make a difference would be the manager. So you dropped the ball when you accepted the girl's excuse. Catch the manager on a good day, with the right attitude, and you're more likely to get what you want.
I realize your blog is not called "The Daily Complainer," so I don't necessarily advocate complaining to get your way. However, in stores like this, that is the ONLY way you will get your discount.
You don't have to be rude about it. In this case, you should have asked to see the manager, then told him that the sale was misleading and you thought all of the rugs were on sale. Suggest that you will call customer service to let them know that their promotions are misleading. It may have helped if you had brought the rug to the register to ring up, and then acted surprised when the sale price didn't come up. Then you are IN LINE and therefore IN THE WAY...they will want to move you out faster but they would rather move you out with a sale than empty-handed.
Hope this helps!
Duh, of course it's #4. Remember: people, money, things. ALWAYS.
ReplyDeleteNicole,
ReplyDeleteWeeks after your awesome advice, I wanted to finally write to say thanks.
I have no problem with complaining, especially if it's just for experimental purposes! =) Also, I'll keep in mind the idea of asking when I'm in line... I had toyed with the idea of inquiring at the checkout stand, but thought they'd want to dismiss me so they can get to the next customer. But it makes sense "they will want to move you out faster but they would rather move you out with a sale than empty-handed."
Thanks again for these expert strategies and valuable insider perspective!!