High Pressure Sales Situations
 

Who else hates these? Mind you, what I have might not exactly be "high pressure," but keep in mind that I'm very shy, and when people try to push stuff on me I give in to make them happy.

Tonight, my dad and I went into town and picked up some movies and snacks, and beside the movie place, there's this independent second hand place that was still open. Now, I don't usually go in because the prices are ridiculously high, but I though... "What the hey?" So I go in and check out the stuff, and immediately the man who runs the place is telling me about everything, from the hats to the CD's to the shoes. So, in an effort to seem interested, I checked out some coats. I picked up a leather one, that looked kind of like a sport coat, but more worn in and less sport, more coat.

Anyways, he goes on about the coat, and I start to walk out. He begins to drop the price, going from $100 to $50. I give in. It's late, I wanna go home and start drinking my whiskey, and I'm tired. So I give in. Now, I have a new leather coat. It's a nice one, but it needs some tailoring. (>>)

I was also pressured to buy socks. A few years ago, I was at the airport, about to go to a family reunion. My sister had appendicitis the day before we were scheduled to leave, so she couldn't come for a week or so. I wanted to pick her up some stuff along the way, as we were doing a road trip to this thing once we got off Vancouver Island. Anyways, back to the airport. There were some nice kiosks, with pretty jewelery, and I stopped to take a look. On the other side of the kiosk was socks. This guy was selling socks and jewelery from an airport kiosk.

Just as I decided to pass on, the guy began to follow me around and point out the finer points of his wares. After about twenty minutes of going around the kiosk, I didn't want to disappoint the guy, so I bought socks. Socks that I gave to my sister a week later. I'm a terrible person.

Man you're just like my mother.

I ended up with a leather vest this way, actually. I am, frankly, more than a couple steps beyond shy these days. :shifty:

Recently, when I've wandered into the main tourist/shopping regions of Manhattan, I've found that I tend to get ignored in favor of the crowd who genuinely look able and eager to drop ridiculous amounts of cash. It's surreal, but it's also kind of a relief.

Don't ever go to Mexico then. They be beasts down there and you'll have so many ceramic oranges you'll have your head spinning.

I'm a master of this kind of thing, side effect of holidaying in Asia a lot is you learn how to barter and how to deal with high pressure sales tactics. So I don't mind them basically cause I don't have any inhibitions about wasting their time and not buying anything if they don't offer a good deal, and I'm good at getting pretty good deals. I just wish more places ran on the barter system. Curse modern commercialism.

Now you guys made me feel like a bad person...

You see, i'm sorta of a jackass on this matter... like, in any situation of pressure when i'm buying something, if the salesperson pushes it just a little too far, i drop the sale right there and now. Even when i WANT the stuff.

I mean, i try to be nice and everything, i ask about who late will the store be open, if they have an item in stock, if the item's price is the final price, and stuff like that. But so help me god, if i hear just a little "But you should really consider taking it today!" in my mind i go "in THAT case i WONT take it from YOU" by instinct.

If i wanna buy the shit i'll buy the shit, if im just looking at it because i might want to buy it 6 months from now ( i dot that ) then i'll just do that. that goes extra for bad salespersons who think that pushing stuff on the customer is negotiation, it's almost genetic, i just wont have it.

All this talk of pushy salespeople brings to mind the image of a sleazy looking guy with greasy, slicked-back hair and one of those straight mustaches that he twists and curls every five seconds, like one of those bad guys from old movies.

I can't say I've ever run into one of these forceful types, though I also suffer from the shyness. I've been breaking out of that shell more and more though, and I've recently tried the bartering thang. My first attempt failed, sadly, but it was at a local hobby shop that I enjoy visiting. I had my sights on a Tau Battleforce which was beyond my price range (goddamn GW), so I thought I'd try to maybe possibly get it for a lower price. It's one of those small specialty shops, so I figured I'd have a good chance. No such luck though, i was hoping to get it for $80 at most but the best she could give me was $118. Ah well.

It's too bad that you can't just haul off and slap these people who get in your face about their merch.

It sucks for me because I realize people feel this way sometimes, but I'm forced to do it anyway at my work. Like, a guy comes in only wanting a DS forhis 23 year-old daughter. So he get's one, but my general manager is there, and he's a master at this kind of thing. So, the guy ends up buying a game a a little "pack" that carries a bit of accessories. If it had just been me, I wouldn't even think to reccomend something else.

I'm a good wingman in these situations. If I have a friend who is getting pressured and its something they want, I can talk it down, if it is a deal they're getting pressured on, I'll get the sales person to walk off. If it is me and it isn't a car, I'm good. If it is a car that I want, I can't help but grin like a moron a little. That grin is like the kiss of death when you're dealing with a salesman! Stupid cars...

Are you referring to the street vendors who sell knockoff Rolexes and Guchi bags? I always end up getting hassled by them until my dad cuts in and does some negotiating for me. You can get a $50 fake Rolex for under $20 if you just outright refuse their opening prices.

I am an absolute sucker for the high pressure sale. Just last month I was walking through a mall near me and was literally pulled aside by a vendor selling perfumes and home cosmetics. She grabbed me by the wrist and immediately started giving my right hand a manicure, just to show me how awesome the solution works (which, frankly, it did). I refused the $120 gift package she presented me with and settled for a $20 perfume for my mom. It wasn't near her birthday or anything, I just felt bad to walk away with nothing.