The nerve of some people....

Beware of people in malls or grocery stores who would try to sell you stuff you don't need. They will if you let them. For them, silence actually means yes.

Yesterday, I was on my way out of Puregold along Commonwealth Avenue after shopping for some grocery items with my son, when I was suddenly approached by this lady from one of the stalls near the entrance. She took the receipt which I was holding, and blabbered away that my receipt entitled me to receive a free pen. Not one to turn down a free item (even if it was just a pen), she led me to her stall, and proceeded to make a sales pitch regarding a special promo that the receipt I had made me eligible for. I was told that I had the opportunity to purchase a cleaver (yeah, you heard me right...a cleaver) that she was selling for only P199.00, plus an additional seven items of my choice from among the knick knacks she had on display absolutely free. There were can openers, nightlights, knives, pens, miscellaneous tools, and all sorts of doodads that I really didn't need, but I politely let her continue making her pitch.

What happened next infuriated me. She took seven random items from her display, placed them along with the cleaver in a plastic bag, handed the bag to me, and proceeded to write me a receipt. Without me saying I was interested, she was actually writing me a receipt right then and there.

I gave her a stern look, and I asked her if she heard me say anything that would indicate that I was accepting her offer. She tried making her pitch again, but this time, I cut her off.

In front of her colleagues, and everyone else within earshot, I berated her for her attempt to force me into a sale by shoving me a bag of items and writing me a receipt without me in any way agreeing to her offer. She started to apologize, saying that she was only doing her job, to which I countered by asking her if it was her job to ambush customers into buying items they don't need by not even giving them a chance to refuse. Talk about unethical sales practices - engaging in ambush marketing. This incident reminded me of one of Bing's previous posts about marketing strategies that stink. They seem to be getting more and more prevalent.

I left the store somewhat fuming, with my son in tow. The lady could have burst into tears after I left, but I didn't give a flying rat's ass anymore. After what she did? Attempting to sucker me into a sale? What did she think I was? Stupid? And to think that I was just trying to be polite.

The point of this story, for me anyway, is that I find it very irritating that some salespeople would try to take advantage of other people only trying to be polite by listening to their sales pitches. To actually write me a receipt without me agreeing to buy anything really ticked me off, and for that I gave her a piece of my mind.

Let this experience of mine be a warning to you people. Don't be afraid to refuse goods or services you don't need. If you're too polite to refuse, some unscrupulous people would only try to take advantage of you by forcing you into a sale that you didn't even want in the first place. Don't let yourself be backed into a corner, and just say NO.

The nerve of some people...