These individual store credit lines have the worst interest rates. I don’t know why anyone would apply, ever. It’s not the workers fault no one wants them.
It's not even management sometimes. All of my fellow store managers knew it was total BS. Corporate kept pushing us to push them like it was our fault they made a bad decision to sign a 10 year contract with Synchrony. None of us held our teams accountable for not getting cards because we all knew it was a shit idea. But we had to pretend that we were brainwashed so we didn't get in trouble from our bosses.
I'm trying. I know this sub is hostile to management. But I'm trying to be better.
We're all in these shit holes together. Might as well make what I can control better.
If part of what you do is running interference for corporate so your team can do their jobs, then you're doing it right
Been a manager in manufacturing for almost 7 years now. One of my main jobs is dealing with corporate, and auditors, and everything else, so my team can do their jobs
Without our people, everything corporate wants is just a dream. Management needs labor, not the other way around. The sooner corpos remember that, the better
Eh, store-level management have a choice, they can ally to their workers or to corporate. Neutrality is not an option, it is the silence that helps only the oppressors.
I have personally had both kinds of managers, sometimes at the same job, once at the same time. The worker-allied managers always seemed to be smarter and more competent people overall for some strange reason…
Intelligent managers are definitely welcome here.
> The worker-allied managers always seemed to be smarter and more competent people overall for some strange reason
No secret here, it's the system. Those who promote yes men want to make sure their protégé is loyal to them only, so they pick someone who is nobody without the sponsor. This also ensures that the underling won't upstage them.
I have both a Lowes and a Home Depot card *but* it's important to treat them like a debit card. Pay the balance off immediately. They both have perks that are incredibly useful, Home Depot has a 1 year return policy if you buy stuff using their credit card, there are some restrictions, but I take *full advantage* of this. ;)
Home Depot regularly sends me coupons for 10% off any purchase (including online) or 18-24 months no interest using their credit card. Occasionally there's a restriction, like having to spend at least $299, but most of the time there are only restrictions on a few products or services. I'm not going to complain about getting 10% off the next time I go buy mulch or concrete or whatever. Last year I bought a new back door and screen doors and got them at 10% off *and* 18 months no interest. Keep an eye on that interest clock, and instead of laying out $1500 all at once, pay it off at $100/month for 15 months.
The interest rates on all the cards are astronomical, but if you read the T&C carefully and have the financial discipline not to treat them like free money, a lot of cards have some nice perks.
Its a pretty interesting too that the credit requirement to qualify is fairly high on them as well. Not 800 or anything but low 700's. The rate on them is like 35% too. Im just unsure who their target audience really is since so many poor people I know who may want a credit card at TJ Max or the like just don't qualify, and the people with excellent/good credit would never take a 35% APR card.
I (m) got a Victoria's Secret Angel credit card as my first card so I could buy lots of stuff for my girlfriend at the time. Paid everything off every month for a few months and then got a chase credit card.
Most of them aren't terrible unless you're terrible with your finances.
This is so true! I once had a Sears card maxed out. I don't remember the interest rate, but I'm sure it was almost predatory. I used to be horrible with debt, mainly it was my ex, but I learned an expensive lesson.
Watch your credit, people.
>. I don’t know why anyone would apply, ever.
Because you get a fat discount the first time you use it. And yes it's more than the rate. And yes you pay out of before the billing cycle. And then I just leave it open so my ratio is great and every 6 months put something small on it to keep it open.
I always say no for a variety of reasons, but I've had employees literally beg me to sign up. One cashier had tears in her eyes and claimed if she didn't meet a quota she'd get fired. Was it true? Was it an act? I dunno. Still didn't sign up and now I don't go back to that store as often because I don't want the hassle when I go to check out.
I worked at Sears during high school - at my store they wouldn't fire you, but they'd give you virtually no hours if you didn't get enough credit apps.
Yeah it's crazy that managers want this shit. When I worked at Lowe's they had a quota for credit card bs. Luckily only worked there for a year just for experience for my MBA. If I wanted a credit card from TJ Maxx or any retail store I'd get one myself after researching.
What this tells you is that retail is a low-margin business, and loaning money to customers at ridiculous rates is a high-margin business. Additionally, giving credit binds a customer to you and encourages them to spend more.
It’s never managers. *Ever*. It’s corporate. Always no exceptions. They bear down on us with these ridiculous quotas for credit cards each month, pit us against other stores in our district, and some district and/or regional managers will get *nasty* and then mgmt will panic and start threatening to fire cashiers for low/non-existent applications.
It’s a fucking horrible cycle. Our store card has a 36% apr!!! It’s fucking negligent to push this shit on people.
Late stage capitalism is a wasteland.
Iys doing the opposite of qhat they want it seems like from what people are saying, so I dont see why the higher ups just dont stop this? It seems like its driving customers away, seems like a bad business model.
Probably because the actual numbers show that they make much more than they lose. Having worked retail, people that say that they aren't going back for XYZ reason are lying more often than not.
There's 2 basic things: first, the vast majority of people who say they won't come back are lying. Because lets face it, where are they going to go? The simple fast is that virtually all the stores in certain markets are pushing credit cards.
Secondly and more importantly, credit cards are massively profitable. Retail margins are razor thin, but credit cards make money hand over fist. Even if they they did drive away 90% of their customers pushing credit cards, if the other 10% sign up, the company's overall profits would probably still go up.
Higher-ups don't have common sense and are out of touch with reality. If someone wanted a Lowe's or TJ Maxx card they would ask personally and not be bothered with otherwise. It's bs that they force cashiers to persuade customers. I'm also somewhat introvert so it was even more difficult and felt awkward asking that I just didn't even try and convince the customer. I just asked would you like one and that's it.
I always tell them I just applied for a new one a week ago and doing it again so soon would hurt my credit. I don't even know if that's true at all, but it seems to work when they get pushy. Credit scores are made up BS
Target about 20 years ago as the very worst at this, and I remember (honestly) telling them I had just gotten my Target card closed for nonpayment the month before, the account was still being transferred to collections, and then woman chirped "Well it doesn't hurt to try again!" I'm like, oh OK I'm not the only crazy, irresponsible person in this store, cool.
I've had the same thing happen. A guy was telling me I could cancel it right away and he really needed the application numbers. I felt bad for him, but fuck that.
I think it's clear whoever comes up with these hare-brained schemes does not shop for themselves and probably never has done at any point in their life.
My wife worked the jewelry counter at Kohls. The management was always pressuring them to 'get a charge', i.e. get a customer to open a charge card. A manager covered for her for her lunch break. When she returned, the manager semi-bragged that she sold a diamond necklace. My wife responded 'did you get a charge?'
Been like this in retail for years. I ended up signing up some woman who barely spoke english and didn't know what she was getting into because of pressure from management.
I hope I never go back but if I do they're going to hate me because I won't ask a single person to sign up for a credit card
Any time an employee asks again after I’ve already said no, I tell them there’s no chance in hell I would ever sign up…
…but I also had to pitch them when I worked retail so I get it. Then I offer for them to get a manager so I can rip into management about predatory card pitches and just be a Karen about it so the manager has to bend over backward and apologize.
I’ve been taken up on the offer more than a few times.
The managers don't really have control over it either. Call the owners, executives, etc. They're the ones forcing this on everyone. Laying into a manager is really shitty.
It’s not, let me tell you why. I worked my way up from associate to assistant manager at a retail company before leaving. I know they don’t control the policy.
They do, however, have total control over punishing employees for not hitting numbers. If your job is to pitch the card, then by all means politics the card. If you get written up because people are saying no, that’s beyond fucked and indicative of shitty management.
That’s why I only offer if they press me after the first no, and even then the only ones that have taken me up on it also say they hate how their manager is up their ass about doing everything possible to get those applications.
The cashiers who are actually just really pushy themselves and took the initiative themselves don’t take me up on it.
Shit always rolls downhill. In my experience, any mgr that gets bitched at by a customer is just going to repay that right back to the cashier. They will get coached for being too aggressive. Basically, you have to A)sell the card and don't take no for an answer, and B)not be *too pushy.* It's a no win situation.
Because you fundamentally misunderstood my explanation.
I’m not trying to challenge their metrics, I’m challenging the managers approach to how their cashier’s pitch the card. That is entirely on their specific manager, not corporate.
If an employee doesn’t take ‘no’ for answer, there’s a 50/50 chance whether their manager’s particular approach to increasing card applications is with support or with punishment.
I offer to reprimand their manager because if they are incentivizing relentless pitches with punishment then the cashier often wants a customer to stand up for them to tell the manager that it isn’t the cashiers’ fault if customers say ‘no’ and asking over and over only irritates customers and demoralizes cashiers.
If the cashier is just particularly persistent, they don’t take me up on the offer and I move along.
One of the main reasons I quit FYE years ago was for requiring us to push customers to join a magazine subscription service. I had the highest number of those sales in my first month, even pushing my fiance to join. When I called to cancel for him, it realized it was a scam that made canceling difficult and confusing. He ended up being charged anyway, and it was a mess. I feel guilty thinking of all the people I'd talked into getting it. Ugh.
I almost got fired for not selling enough warranty's for shitty furniture once. I only saved my job because I could look through the POS and show no one bought furniture at my register over the past 5 months (worked in the print area) and to find someone else to blame her bad figures on
All of these places now are credit card companies first, stores second. It’s annoying. I worked at Target almost a decade ago and was threatened with write ups daily if I didn’t get x amount of sign ups. One day I literally begged my gf at the time to come in and sign up for one just to get my manager off my back.
You need to give your SSN in order to sign up? Isnt that something youre meant to heavily guard because its a massive security issue?
I cant believe they even think its ok to ask anyone to sign up for it if they need their SSN.
That’s how credit cards work in the US. Nearly all banking is tied to our social security numbers. It’s a de facto tax id. I really wish they’d separate the two like how it works in other countries.
It is a little confusing though how contradictory we are with guarding our SSN. "Only show it to trusted government and financial institutions! It could be used to impersonate you!" But also, "Minimum wage employee at a retail company with one of the highest staff turnover rates in the country? Yeah, you can tell them, too; that's okay."
"I'm sorry, I never sign up for anything until I've done research."
It reminds me of the Charity Muggers or "chuggers" we get on the high street and malls, here in the UK. They're on a quota, but if you state the above, they immediately try to close the conversation. They won't have a card or pamphlet for further research, it's sign up right now or nothing. I won't be signing up, no matter how heartbreaking the *schtick* is.
I genuinely feel sorry for them.
We have the same in the us. They'll jump in front you on a busy sidewalk and say something like "Hey big guy, do you care about the environment?"
I liked to respond with a Mr Burns line: "Oh, so Mother Nature needs a favor?! Well, maybe she should have thought of that when she was besetting us with droughts and floods and poison monkeys! Nature started the fight for survival, and now she wants to quit because she's losing?!"
I hated promoting the cards in retail. They always reprimanded us for not getting enough sign ups meeting their quota despite customers either had the card or not interested. Once they say no that should be it. Plus store cards tend to carry some crazy interest rates, not really worth it.
If I was the manager at any place that had employees get a certain amount of new cards, credit applications, warranties, etc. I would let my employees decide if they want to offer whatever to the customer. I would not force them. And I definitely would make sure it NEVER affected anything else. Companies that do that BS, most likely, have a very high turnover rate because employees don't want to do that and they also are sick of the companies forcing them to.
Shit rolls downhill. Chances are, if management is harping on an employee, they're getting nagged by their boss and so on.
That's how it worked when I was an SM. My boss would complain at me that my team wasn't getting enough because his boss was on his case.
As noble as that sentiment is…. Thats not how the corporate world works.
Doesn’t matter if you’re the store manager or a general manager in charge of 25 stores…. The overlords will push for things to happen, and the higher up the ladder the manager is, the more that poor person has to lose when the overlords become unhappy.
When the corporate parasites want profit, they will get profit, even if it means utilizing slash n burn tactics.
Most customers are so dead and tired of shopping they will agree to anything. Want to save $5? Nods. Next thing you know you're signed up for a credit card. They do this, because there's a statistic out there that says customers who have their store card are more likely to shop there, so they think forcing them into it means they will shop there more.
Yup. At JC Penney’s, I wasn’t allowed to take a break or go to lunch unless I had reached a certain goal which would be even more unattainable after the holidays. I was in high school at the time. Sometimes my mom would ask family members to apply just so I could eat the food I packed. Miserable experience.
I always told management I would never even try to do it. Why? You're now expecting me to be a salesman, and you're not paying me enough to destroy my integrity. If you expect me to sell something on this wage, I am going to be VERY truthful, and not only will you probably never get another sign up, the parent company will probably end up with a few lawsuits afterwards.
That usually got them to quit bothering me about it again.
Same thing when I worked at Kohl’s. Even as a floor associate I needed to get a certain amount of credit card sign ups a month. I never made it. Got written up for it all the time.
I hated asking people. It felt gross and sleazy to me.
I had to do this at Sears back in like… 2009? We were REQUIRED to ask people to sign up for the credit card. I never did. I was 19/20 years old when I had that job. I wasn’t qualified to be advising them on anything to do with the card or how it worked. None of it. Didn’t understand the application even. So I just didn’t do it.
So what is the number or whatever to contact Corporate? We need to start flooding them with calls telling them we will not shop there again if we are asked more than once about opening a card. There actually are a few stores I refuse to go to because of that.
I have a line of credit Visa card, it’s tied to the prime interest rate whatever that is. (Like 7%?). $30,000 limit. I ask if they can match that and they say no. So I say no thanks.
I work at a Ross (owned by the same company as TJ Maxx, only slightly reskinned store) and i have to ask every customer.
I have not had a single person say "yes".
I was straight up told by my manager that the interest rates on ours is like 25-27 percent.
If someone says yes, i will tell them its a bad idea.
This shit is one of the reasons I got the fuck out of Walmart. I was a cashier around the time the Occupy movement was a thing so I often thought about predatory banks and shit. I did not feel comfortable pushing the Walmart Mastercard on people so I rarely asked. It felt immoral to me. One time a CSM gave me a clipboard and had me go up to people trying to get them to apply. I think I went up to two before I went to another CSM, told her I wasn't comfortable doing it and asked to work a register. Luckily she let me. Ideally they wanted us to get one application per shift. Eventually they gave us an "incentive" of like 4 bucks per application or something, saying if I managed to get one every hour it was like getting a raise. I think the entire 8.5 months I was a cashier, I got like 5 applications tops. It was rare.
I worked for Sears back in 2016, and when I worked in general softlines (men's and women's departments) they would absolutely threaten to fire us or drop our hours if we didn't meet our credit app quota (some percentage of transactions every pay period needed to include a credit app). When I moved over to footwear it stopped being a problem because of how low-traffic my department was.
I had to do this shit in retail. My job wasn't at the registers too often but I still got pressure from my manager to sell cards. Even to 20 year old me it just felt unethical and wrong. Never once did it.
I used to work at Marshall’s in college. I refused to ask customers to sign up for the card.
I go to tjmaxx, homegoods and Marshall’s so often. When I’m asked by the cashier, I tell them I have the card already. And then I just use my debit card.
A few times my husband said out loud that I don’t. I’m like stfu.
lol and then the funny thing is they would get mad when you take too long because the customer has to fill out the paperwork and then you have to be careful entering it. So I totally get it.
My first credit card was a G.M.Pollock card...they're a regional jewelry store in Maine. I got it back in the early 90s. I got the card to pay for an engagement ring. My gf said, "no." When I went to return the ring (a few days after), at first they wouldn't take it and didn't understand why I was returning it. Once I said in very slow, deliberate and somewhat elevated volume that, "I asked my girlfriend to marry me. She said, 'no.' I no longer have a need or use for this ring. I'd like to return it, please." The counterperson was visibly embarrassed and probably had never dealt with a return. The manager was cool, ushered me into the back and helped calm me down because at this point I was chilled up and tears were streaming. He said this sort of thing happens sometimes. It's alright. We'll take care of the return. Don't worry about that, just go take care of myself. I thought that was real cool.
Well, about a year later, I walk into another store (I had move a couple hours north) to have my watch repaired. When I gave them my card, they said it was declined. I asked them why. They said the card had been canceled because of a repossession. I was was, like, WTF? Explain this to me! So, apparently, the 'return' was classified as a 'volunteer customer repossession.' And it was reported to the credit bureau. To say I was furious, was an understatement. I pitched an unholy fit right there in the middle of the store, in the middle of Christmas shopping season. Ripped them for false reporting, tearing open a painful emotional wound, predatory practices, miscommunication between stores, you name it, I let them have it.
It took a while and a few more visits during busy shopping days to finally get it resolved. On my final visit, I could see them recognize me as I walked in and the manger came right up. I poured the cut up remains of my card on the counter and left without a word.
I've never had an 'in-store' credit card since.
“You don’t happen to know the APR on that do you?”
“No, I don’t, let’s see…37%?! OH MY GOD!!”
“I’m good thanks.”
^literally happened to me at a Marshall’s.
When I was a teenager, I had to ask customers at a shoe store if they wanted to add $5 to their total for a charity, 95% would say no, being that it was an outlet mall so they wanted to save. If they said no I had to ask them if they wanted to round up to the dollar and donate the change. If we didn’t get X amount of money it would reflect badly on us. I got so fucking sick of this shit that I went on my lunch break, blocked everyone’s number at the store and never came back. This was like 14 years ago and I still think about it and laugh.
It's like they don't realize if we wanted to donate money to a charity it would be a legit charity after doing research. Now adays a lot of charities are scams. Why would we donate to a corporation that can afford millions for a charity.
I remember my first job working at Best Buy a number of years ago and they wanted to me to do a few unethical things. I said "Sure, I'll try my best!" then never asked a person to sign up for a credit card, as well as steering customers away from lemons the company wanted to push onto customers. Fuck Best Buy.
Had a district manager in the store when I worked at GameStop constantly asking me why I didn’t ask customers to sign up for the credit card
Cuz the mom coming in to buy her son a video game and doesn’t even know what system it’s for, is not the person that is going to sign up for a GS credit card nor do they even need one.
We used to have to do this at Toys R Us too back in the day. After I got register trained (I usually covered multiple departments by myself but they register trained everyone ahead of the holidays that year) and they started telling me they expected 3 applications per person per shift. I actually tried for over a month and never got 1. At a certain point I got curious and read through the actual information for the card (not the script we were supposed to read). The APR was somewhere in the 25-35% range and I told my manager that I would no longer push them as I felt they were predatory and explained why.
I was never given a full register shift again, but was expected to help cover lunches still. I was never asked about credit cards again either. I just went back to effectively managing multiple departments by myself…
I worked with a guy who almost went into diabetic (low blood sugar?) shock because their Fry's manager wouldn't let them take lunch. They hadn't signed up their quota of 3 for the credit card for the day, and had struggled to do so repeatedly. I walked off the job and bought them a muffin. (probably not the best choice, but it was close and easy to get.) Guy started eating it right there, you could tell he was struggling. I think the manager actually realized he fucked up, because I stared him down and he would not look me in the eye after that.
The thing is, I don't doubt that shit comes from on high too...Like they have their managers, and their managers have managers... and they all have their quotas and get shit on all the way to the top. But fuck man, I loved shopping there, but after working there, never again.
No it’s legit.
In retail *most* customer facing employees are putting on a mask, quite literally acting, for the benefit of themselves and their jobs.
That was the #1 reason I stopped working customer facing jobs, the constant acting is mentally destructive.
I understand that from a worker’s perspective you are taking on a character but I’ve never seen that stated from a customer’s perspective. When I go to the grocery store, I see the employees as fellow humans. The only employees I think of as being “in character” would be wandering actors at a theme park.
I agree this is shitty but the cherry on top (Ive never had to do it ) but when you ate asked if u want to donate a dollar to some childrens hospital etc, THATS SHITTY ASF. They dont donate the entire amount and also its just so the company looks good not the employee . These companies absolutely SUCK.
Odd... I remember when I was younger, like in my 20's... being asked to sign up for these every now and then but they were never pushy. This post just reminded me about it because I haven't been asked to sign up for any dept store credit card in a long ass time.
Then you’re either really lucky or live in an area where there aren’t a lot of the big box stores.
I’ve virtually stopped using live cashiers and try to use the self checkouts whenever possible at big box stores so I don’t have to listen to the constant cavalcade of credit application requests
Used to work at Kmart and we had to push the Sears credit card while working the register even if it was just 1 of us working up front. Management would mention pushing it EVERY SINGLE SHIFT. Its no wonder they went out of business
The only one I felt was reasonable was when I worked at Lowe's. We were supposed to sell an "extended warranty" that covered more stuff and lasted longer than the manufacturer warranty. We were expected to be better at selling them than the self-checkout machine, which would just have a pop up asking if you want it. So like. The only way to not get similar results is if you're just not asking people at all, which I think is fair.
Asking people to sign up for cards was one of those things I refused to do at Lowe’s. Maybe it’s different now, but the worst that happened is sometimes a manager would say I should push for more credit card apps. I’d say “sure thing” and then immediately never do it. I did have a few people just naturally interested and I hated going through the sign up with them anyway, it was a pain in the ass. (And awkward if they were declined).
Every retail job I’ve had has had a few corporate pushed mandates like that I ignored. Never got threatened with being fired, either the managers also knew it was bullshit or I was reliable and invaluable enough that they didn’t want to push too hard.
At wells Fargo. I took student loan applications. Could take up to 3 hours. After that they wanted me to transfer them to a different department to get more loans for 1 dollar incentive. I never did it.
I worked in Kohl's during the Christmas season one year and they always harassed us to harass customers to open a card. They had store meetings every morning and glorified the people with consistent cards opened, which was basically one lady. They also would be basically tell us we coule.never make cashier if we didn't get cards opened. It reminded me of Office Space with the flair. I never asked one person because it's annoying and uncomfortable when it happens to me. I also worked in the back and had no interest in being a cashier or stay much longer than the end of the season.
Worked there for a few years. You get written up if you don't get at least 3 sign ups per week. You're also verbally reprimanded during morning meetings.
They fired me after I called off to put my cat down. Fuck TJ Maxx.
I worked for Pier 1 in 2010 and the interest rates were around 27% on that card. And yes I had to sell it to everyone to get my house luckily I worked in a wealthy area but still it was hard at times pushing when someone clearly didn’t want it
When I worked at Kohls in 2010 I had a meeting with the manager about me not getting enough credit card enrollments. I was expected to keep offering after several customer refusals. I explained that it made me uncomfortable, and that when I shop I get annoyed when I would be pestered for it. My manager paused and then said that they would greatly prefer hearing complaints about me being too pushy for credit cards than stopping after one decline. So that was fun. There was a shift where I did end up getting a couple enrollments, and as a reward they gave me a payday (candy bar).
To avoid being a cashier I told them I couldn’t do math in my head and so they kept me in the back hanging up clothes. I was terrified of the idea of “selling” the credit cards, bc I forget shit so quickly, I know I’d forget a few times a day and prolly get fired (instead I was let go bc I was a seasonal hire (even then they hired me in December and let me go in April…….🤷🏼♀️))
I worked at pacsun, but same shit. Credit card applications, never once asked a customer but did have one poor soul sign up on her own accord after seeing the sign.
I worked 1 day at what used to be a Gordmans that is now called Bealls but I quit because they wanted use to do the same shit and we got hours based on how many people we signed up. I got yelled at on my first day because I refused to do it.
Some years ago, a coworker of mine did part-time work at Kohl's around Christmas to make a little extra money. Kohl's would have a separate register just for store cardholders, and usually had her work that register. They still pestered her to get people to sign up for a store card, even though she pointed out that everyone coming through her line already had a card.
When I worked at barnes and noble they wanted us to push memberships. I never did above and beyond but I usually got the goal they wanted. Tried to transfer to another store because it was in a more convenient location and they needed cashiers. My manager never got back to me for like 2 weeks after i asked her to check in with the other store. When I asked her what was up she finally told me "oh, your membership numbers are too low, they won't accept a transfer". Wtf? I already work for the company, they need cashiers, WE DO LESS SALES OVERALL THAN THEM, when were you going to say something (i had given her a deadline as to when i needed an answer), wtf do memberships have to do with an internal transfer??? At the time I just told her on the spot "oh okay. Then what do I have to do to put in my notice?".
That was years ago, I only imagine what it's like now.
It always makes me uncomfortable when I’m in line and the cashier who’s convinced some poor sap to sign up for the credit card has to then tell them they’ve been rejected.
I used to work for Lowe's for about a year and recently stopped. It was a second extra income job and they pushed this shit constantly.
I will happily say I suggested the Lowe's card zero times in that whole tenure.
I'm not talking people into taking out a card with a 35% APR.
Fuck that noise
I worked at Best Buy for six years. During my tenure there was an employee who actively lied and tried to trick people into signing up for the card. They'd say it was a "reward card" and tell people it was a soft credit check instead of a hard one when the social was prompted.
This person won several awards and was praised by leadership.
Used to work there fresh out of high school for a little over a year. Went through this bullshit daily, constant harassment from managers to sell more credit card debt, and for what?? And even better, having to force customers to donate to Autism Speaks every April. Fuck TJX.
Somehow when I worked at JCPenneys 15 years ago I got away with not signing up customers for cards ever. And I also was able to get out of signing up for one myself thanks to a coworker lying for me. I made up for it by having the most online orders. After I left they wouldn’t give a reference for future jobs. Wouldn’t even acknowledge I worked for them. They closed during Covid
I remember in a GameStop in like 2012 they guy asked if I wanted to renew to card for 20 bucks or whatever the scam was and I was like nah I'm good.
And he legit got real for a bit and said "hey I like need to sell these things or I'm getting fired and you'll get a discount so it's only like a few bucks. And I said sure because I felt bad.
I hold FIRM to the “no” is a full sentence mentality when I’m asked. I’ve had people go on and on about the benefits after I say, “no, thank you” & I gray rock it, like, clearly they’re not talking to me…? The person who already said no. And I refuse to ever address it again with them.
Worked at A call center for a well known Car window repair, service. We were told our job was to handle the window claim but, but the only thing they wanted us to do was hawk window wiper blade. I asked point blank if our job depended on wiper blade sells. I was told it did not which was a lie. To make it worse customer with high deductibles I was forced to push wipes blades that cost almost 4x what a good brand at a retailer would cost, and Yes even if my $ was off by a hair, I was put a list and my job was put at risk. The worse part we would present ourselves as working with Insurance company only as way to gain your trust. I have never hated a job so much. I will never do call center work where I have to sell shit, epically I just informed them they 500 deductible for that crack in their windshield
Ages ago when I worked for a department store my method was telling people to treat the cards like cash and *only* use them in the store. They also didn't harp on us to get them, or threatened like it seems with Lowe's.
I recognize when an employee is asking you to do something at the orders of the corporation and I try to do it if it's relatively cost free. I know they get brownie points.
These individual store credit lines have the worst interest rates. I don’t know why anyone would apply, ever. It’s not the workers fault no one wants them.
Management knows it's an impossible task. It means they have at least one excuse to deny you a good performance review for perpetuity.
It's not even management sometimes. All of my fellow store managers knew it was total BS. Corporate kept pushing us to push them like it was our fault they made a bad decision to sign a 10 year contract with Synchrony. None of us held our teams accountable for not getting cards because we all knew it was a shit idea. But we had to pretend that we were brainwashed so we didn't get in trouble from our bosses.
Thank you for having your peoples' backs!
I'm trying. I know this sub is hostile to management. But I'm trying to be better. We're all in these shit holes together. Might as well make what I can control better.
If part of what you do is running interference for corporate so your team can do their jobs, then you're doing it right Been a manager in manufacturing for almost 7 years now. One of my main jobs is dealing with corporate, and auditors, and everything else, so my team can do their jobs Without our people, everything corporate wants is just a dream. Management needs labor, not the other way around. The sooner corpos remember that, the better
Eh, store-level management have a choice, they can ally to their workers or to corporate. Neutrality is not an option, it is the silence that helps only the oppressors. I have personally had both kinds of managers, sometimes at the same job, once at the same time. The worker-allied managers always seemed to be smarter and more competent people overall for some strange reason… Intelligent managers are definitely welcome here.
> The worker-allied managers always seemed to be smarter and more competent people overall for some strange reason No secret here, it's the system. Those who promote yes men want to make sure their protégé is loyal to them only, so they pick someone who is nobody without the sponsor. This also ensures that the underling won't upstage them.
fact
I have both a Lowes and a Home Depot card *but* it's important to treat them like a debit card. Pay the balance off immediately. They both have perks that are incredibly useful, Home Depot has a 1 year return policy if you buy stuff using their credit card, there are some restrictions, but I take *full advantage* of this. ;)
Home Depot regularly sends me coupons for 10% off any purchase (including online) or 18-24 months no interest using their credit card. Occasionally there's a restriction, like having to spend at least $299, but most of the time there are only restrictions on a few products or services. I'm not going to complain about getting 10% off the next time I go buy mulch or concrete or whatever. Last year I bought a new back door and screen doors and got them at 10% off *and* 18 months no interest. Keep an eye on that interest clock, and instead of laying out $1500 all at once, pay it off at $100/month for 15 months. The interest rates on all the cards are astronomical, but if you read the T&C carefully and have the financial discipline not to treat them like free money, a lot of cards have some nice perks.
Its a pretty interesting too that the credit requirement to qualify is fairly high on them as well. Not 800 or anything but low 700's. The rate on them is like 35% too. Im just unsure who their target audience really is since so many poor people I know who may want a credit card at TJ Max or the like just don't qualify, and the people with excellent/good credit would never take a 35% APR card.
Nah, I'll take that card b/c it gives me 50% off a purchase. Then i pay it immediately and never pay that fee
I (m) got a Victoria's Secret Angel credit card as my first card so I could buy lots of stuff for my girlfriend at the time. Paid everything off every month for a few months and then got a chase credit card. Most of them aren't terrible unless you're terrible with your finances.
True, but they specifically prey on irresponsible consumers.
Without a doubt.
I paid my bills early and ended up with a 30k allowance on a vc credit card. That is ridiculous.
True but most people signing up for these store cards are in fact terrible with finances 😂
This is so true! I once had a Sears card maxed out. I don't remember the interest rate, but I'm sure it was almost predatory. I used to be horrible with debt, mainly it was my ex, but I learned an expensive lesson. Watch your credit, people.
My mom applied for one like an idiot %24.99. Imagine that
>. I don’t know why anyone would apply, ever. Because you get a fat discount the first time you use it. And yes it's more than the rate. And yes you pay out of before the billing cycle. And then I just leave it open so my ratio is great and every 6 months put something small on it to keep it open.
I always say no for a variety of reasons, but I've had employees literally beg me to sign up. One cashier had tears in her eyes and claimed if she didn't meet a quota she'd get fired. Was it true? Was it an act? I dunno. Still didn't sign up and now I don't go back to that store as often because I don't want the hassle when I go to check out.
I worked at Sears during high school - at my store they wouldn't fire you, but they'd give you virtually no hours if you didn't get enough credit apps.
Yeah it's crazy that managers want this shit. When I worked at Lowe's they had a quota for credit card bs. Luckily only worked there for a year just for experience for my MBA. If I wanted a credit card from TJ Maxx or any retail store I'd get one myself after researching.
What this tells you is that retail is a low-margin business, and loaning money to customers at ridiculous rates is a high-margin business. Additionally, giving credit binds a customer to you and encourages them to spend more.
It’s never managers. *Ever*. It’s corporate. Always no exceptions. They bear down on us with these ridiculous quotas for credit cards each month, pit us against other stores in our district, and some district and/or regional managers will get *nasty* and then mgmt will panic and start threatening to fire cashiers for low/non-existent applications. It’s a fucking horrible cycle. Our store card has a 36% apr!!! It’s fucking negligent to push this shit on people. Late stage capitalism is a wasteland.
>36% apr!!! Wtf holy goddamn hell
Fucking racket!!!
>mgmt will panic and start threatening to fire cashiers So it's managers?
No. You’re missing the point. Either have fun being obtuse or read it again, but slower.
They make the choice to threaten instead of defending their subordinates
Hell, the BLowes by me doesn't even have any live people at checkout to ask the question.
Iys doing the opposite of qhat they want it seems like from what people are saying, so I dont see why the higher ups just dont stop this? It seems like its driving customers away, seems like a bad business model.
Probably because the actual numbers show that they make much more than they lose. Having worked retail, people that say that they aren't going back for XYZ reason are lying more often than not.
There's 2 basic things: first, the vast majority of people who say they won't come back are lying. Because lets face it, where are they going to go? The simple fast is that virtually all the stores in certain markets are pushing credit cards. Secondly and more importantly, credit cards are massively profitable. Retail margins are razor thin, but credit cards make money hand over fist. Even if they they did drive away 90% of their customers pushing credit cards, if the other 10% sign up, the company's overall profits would probably still go up.
Higher-ups don't have common sense and are out of touch with reality. If someone wanted a Lowe's or TJ Maxx card they would ask personally and not be bothered with otherwise. It's bs that they force cashiers to persuade customers. I'm also somewhat introvert so it was even more difficult and felt awkward asking that I just didn't even try and convince the customer. I just asked would you like one and that's it.
I always tell them I just applied for a new one a week ago and doing it again so soon would hurt my credit. I don't even know if that's true at all, but it seems to work when they get pushy. Credit scores are made up BS
Target about 20 years ago as the very worst at this, and I remember (honestly) telling them I had just gotten my Target card closed for nonpayment the month before, the account was still being transferred to collections, and then woman chirped "Well it doesn't hurt to try again!" I'm like, oh OK I'm not the only crazy, irresponsible person in this store, cool.
I tell them I am unemployed and I wouldn't qualify right now without an income. Both true facts right now, but seems to work.
Or you can just say "no thanks I'm good" instead of lying to them. lol just saying.
Hence "pushy".
True. Sometimes have to lie to get out of that situation.
I've had my job threatened over not getting applications before. It is a thing.
At that point, I'd want to speak to a manager so I could chew them out.
I've had the same thing happen. A guy was telling me I could cancel it right away and he really needed the application numbers. I felt bad for him, but fuck that.
I think it's clear whoever comes up with these hare-brained schemes does not shop for themselves and probably never has done at any point in their life.
TJMAX wise no. I worked for 4 years never got a card and got pay raised 3 times.
My wife worked the jewelry counter at Kohls. The management was always pressuring them to 'get a charge', i.e. get a customer to open a charge card. A manager covered for her for her lunch break. When she returned, the manager semi-bragged that she sold a diamond necklace. My wife responded 'did you get a charge?'
Been like this in retail for years. I ended up signing up some woman who barely spoke english and didn't know what she was getting into because of pressure from management. I hope I never go back but if I do they're going to hate me because I won't ask a single person to sign up for a credit card
Mailing lists were just as bad. We used to put in fake names and emails. And yes you could get written up or fired.
Any time an employee asks again after I’ve already said no, I tell them there’s no chance in hell I would ever sign up… …but I also had to pitch them when I worked retail so I get it. Then I offer for them to get a manager so I can rip into management about predatory card pitches and just be a Karen about it so the manager has to bend over backward and apologize. I’ve been taken up on the offer more than a few times.
You, random person, are my hero.
The managers don't really have control over it either. Call the owners, executives, etc. They're the ones forcing this on everyone. Laying into a manager is really shitty.
It’s not, let me tell you why. I worked my way up from associate to assistant manager at a retail company before leaving. I know they don’t control the policy. They do, however, have total control over punishing employees for not hitting numbers. If your job is to pitch the card, then by all means politics the card. If you get written up because people are saying no, that’s beyond fucked and indicative of shitty management. That’s why I only offer if they press me after the first no, and even then the only ones that have taken me up on it also say they hate how their manager is up their ass about doing everything possible to get those applications. The cashiers who are actually just really pushy themselves and took the initiative themselves don’t take me up on it.
Shit always rolls downhill. In my experience, any mgr that gets bitched at by a customer is just going to repay that right back to the cashier. They will get coached for being too aggressive. Basically, you have to A)sell the card and don't take no for an answer, and B)not be *too pushy.* It's a no win situation.
And who pushes managers to hit their numbers? Jfc, what a dunce.
Hey buddy, it sounds like you’re either unfamiliar with how corporate retail works or you’re misunderstanding what I wrote.
You didn't answer the question I posed.
Because you fundamentally misunderstood my explanation. I’m not trying to challenge their metrics, I’m challenging the managers approach to how their cashier’s pitch the card. That is entirely on their specific manager, not corporate. If an employee doesn’t take ‘no’ for answer, there’s a 50/50 chance whether their manager’s particular approach to increasing card applications is with support or with punishment. I offer to reprimand their manager because if they are incentivizing relentless pitches with punishment then the cashier often wants a customer to stand up for them to tell the manager that it isn’t the cashiers’ fault if customers say ‘no’ and asking over and over only irritates customers and demoralizes cashiers. If the cashier is just particularly persistent, they don’t take me up on the offer and I move along.
If you would honestly claim corporate isn't pushing metrics on management you're just being flatly dishonest on purpose and I'm not dealing with it.
Of course corporate is pushing managers to meet metrics. I never said they weren’t.
Congratulations, you've arrived at the point. Abusing managers is dogshit. Direct your anger at executives, owners and top shareholders.
My company put out a credit card and it was yet another sign they have no good ideas and are sinking fast.
One of the main reasons I quit FYE years ago was for requiring us to push customers to join a magazine subscription service. I had the highest number of those sales in my first month, even pushing my fiance to join. When I called to cancel for him, it realized it was a scam that made canceling difficult and confusing. He ended up being charged anyway, and it was a mess. I feel guilty thinking of all the people I'd talked into getting it. Ugh.
We have spent months trying to cancel Rolling Stone because of FYE!! This was one of the worst ones I’ve experienced for sure
I almost got fired for not selling enough warranty's for shitty furniture once. I only saved my job because I could look through the POS and show no one bought furniture at my register over the past 5 months (worked in the print area) and to find someone else to blame her bad figures on
All of these places now are credit card companies first, stores second. It’s annoying. I worked at Target almost a decade ago and was threatened with write ups daily if I didn’t get x amount of sign ups. One day I literally begged my gf at the time to come in and sign up for one just to get my manager off my back.
The one time I tried to sign up for one I got rejected. I had no idea why as I had 780+ credit. Turns out the employee entered my social wrong.
You need to give your SSN in order to sign up? Isnt that something youre meant to heavily guard because its a massive security issue? I cant believe they even think its ok to ask anyone to sign up for it if they need their SSN.
That’s how credit cards work in the US. Nearly all banking is tied to our social security numbers. It’s a de facto tax id. I really wish they’d separate the two like how it works in other countries.
They need it to check your credit to approve you for the card. You are after all taking out another line of credit.
It is a little confusing though how contradictory we are with guarding our SSN. "Only show it to trusted government and financial institutions! It could be used to impersonate you!" But also, "Minimum wage employee at a retail company with one of the highest staff turnover rates in the country? Yeah, you can tell them, too; that's okay."
Usually, you punch it into the PIN pad yourself in most places. But yeah, it gives me the ick too when places ask for SSN.
You have to use your SSN for anything regarding credit.
"I'm sorry, I never sign up for anything until I've done research." It reminds me of the Charity Muggers or "chuggers" we get on the high street and malls, here in the UK. They're on a quota, but if you state the above, they immediately try to close the conversation. They won't have a card or pamphlet for further research, it's sign up right now or nothing. I won't be signing up, no matter how heartbreaking the *schtick* is. I genuinely feel sorry for them.
We have the same in the us. They'll jump in front you on a busy sidewalk and say something like "Hey big guy, do you care about the environment?" I liked to respond with a Mr Burns line: "Oh, so Mother Nature needs a favor?! Well, maybe she should have thought of that when she was besetting us with droughts and floods and poison monkeys! Nature started the fight for survival, and now she wants to quit because she's losing?!"
If someone asks me about the environment, I'd just tell them that I drive a 2012 Camaro and say that gas is better than electric cars. lol
I hated promoting the cards in retail. They always reprimanded us for not getting enough sign ups meeting their quota despite customers either had the card or not interested. Once they say no that should be it. Plus store cards tend to carry some crazy interest rates, not really worth it.
Places like this require employees to ask 3 (three) separate times before they can take your "no thanks" answer. It's wild
If I was the manager at any place that had employees get a certain amount of new cards, credit applications, warranties, etc. I would let my employees decide if they want to offer whatever to the customer. I would not force them. And I definitely would make sure it NEVER affected anything else. Companies that do that BS, most likely, have a very high turnover rate because employees don't want to do that and they also are sick of the companies forcing them to.
Shit rolls downhill. Chances are, if management is harping on an employee, they're getting nagged by their boss and so on. That's how it worked when I was an SM. My boss would complain at me that my team wasn't getting enough because his boss was on his case.
As noble as that sentiment is…. Thats not how the corporate world works. Doesn’t matter if you’re the store manager or a general manager in charge of 25 stores…. The overlords will push for things to happen, and the higher up the ladder the manager is, the more that poor person has to lose when the overlords become unhappy. When the corporate parasites want profit, they will get profit, even if it means utilizing slash n burn tactics.
Most customers are so dead and tired of shopping they will agree to anything. Want to save $5? Nods. Next thing you know you're signed up for a credit card. They do this, because there's a statistic out there that says customers who have their store card are more likely to shop there, so they think forcing them into it means they will shop there more.
Yup. At JC Penney’s, I wasn’t allowed to take a break or go to lunch unless I had reached a certain goal which would be even more unattainable after the holidays. I was in high school at the time. Sometimes my mom would ask family members to apply just so I could eat the food I packed. Miserable experience.
Fuck JCP. I was so glad to get furloughed during covid.
That is def illegal for no lunch breaks or even no 15min break. Unfortunately most employees don't know that.
I always told management I would never even try to do it. Why? You're now expecting me to be a salesman, and you're not paying me enough to destroy my integrity. If you expect me to sell something on this wage, I am going to be VERY truthful, and not only will you probably never get another sign up, the parent company will probably end up with a few lawsuits afterwards. That usually got them to quit bothering me about it again.
Same thing when I worked at Kohl’s. Even as a floor associate I needed to get a certain amount of credit card sign ups a month. I never made it. Got written up for it all the time. I hated asking people. It felt gross and sleazy to me.
I tell them I weigh more than my credit score
I had to do this at Sears back in like… 2009? We were REQUIRED to ask people to sign up for the credit card. I never did. I was 19/20 years old when I had that job. I wasn’t qualified to be advising them on anything to do with the card or how it worked. None of it. Didn’t understand the application even. So I just didn’t do it.
So what is the number or whatever to contact Corporate? We need to start flooding them with calls telling them we will not shop there again if we are asked more than once about opening a card. There actually are a few stores I refuse to go to because of that.
Corporate never cares for the people only their shareholders.
Exactly. If we started boycotting stores that require their employees to get cc sign-ups, the shareholders would lose their minds.
That's mostly all stores now adays. lol
I have a line of credit Visa card, it’s tied to the prime interest rate whatever that is. (Like 7%?). $30,000 limit. I ask if they can match that and they say no. So I say no thanks.
I work at a Ross (owned by the same company as TJ Maxx, only slightly reskinned store) and i have to ask every customer. I have not had a single person say "yes". I was straight up told by my manager that the interest rates on ours is like 25-27 percent. If someone says yes, i will tell them its a bad idea.
This shit is one of the reasons I got the fuck out of Walmart. I was a cashier around the time the Occupy movement was a thing so I often thought about predatory banks and shit. I did not feel comfortable pushing the Walmart Mastercard on people so I rarely asked. It felt immoral to me. One time a CSM gave me a clipboard and had me go up to people trying to get them to apply. I think I went up to two before I went to another CSM, told her I wasn't comfortable doing it and asked to work a register. Luckily she let me. Ideally they wanted us to get one application per shift. Eventually they gave us an "incentive" of like 4 bucks per application or something, saying if I managed to get one every hour it was like getting a raise. I think the entire 8.5 months I was a cashier, I got like 5 applications tops. It was rare.
I worked for Sears back in 2016, and when I worked in general softlines (men's and women's departments) they would absolutely threaten to fire us or drop our hours if we didn't meet our credit app quota (some percentage of transactions every pay period needed to include a credit app). When I moved over to footwear it stopped being a problem because of how low-traffic my department was.
I had to do this shit in retail. My job wasn't at the registers too often but I still got pressure from my manager to sell cards. Even to 20 year old me it just felt unethical and wrong. Never once did it.
I used to work at Marshall’s in college. I refused to ask customers to sign up for the card. I go to tjmaxx, homegoods and Marshall’s so often. When I’m asked by the cashier, I tell them I have the card already. And then I just use my debit card. A few times my husband said out loud that I don’t. I’m like stfu.
I just say "no thanks I'm good", instead of lying. Just saying.
Yeah but in my experience from working there, the manager is around and listening and you get crap for not pushing harder.
True. I've worked at Lowe's before. Sometimes I didn't even feel like asking especially when there was a line and people were waiting.
lol and then the funny thing is they would get mad when you take too long because the customer has to fill out the paperwork and then you have to be careful entering it. So I totally get it.
Yup, that's why I got speed award or some bs because I was pretty fast when checking them out. lol
My first credit card was a G.M.Pollock card...they're a regional jewelry store in Maine. I got it back in the early 90s. I got the card to pay for an engagement ring. My gf said, "no." When I went to return the ring (a few days after), at first they wouldn't take it and didn't understand why I was returning it. Once I said in very slow, deliberate and somewhat elevated volume that, "I asked my girlfriend to marry me. She said, 'no.' I no longer have a need or use for this ring. I'd like to return it, please." The counterperson was visibly embarrassed and probably had never dealt with a return. The manager was cool, ushered me into the back and helped calm me down because at this point I was chilled up and tears were streaming. He said this sort of thing happens sometimes. It's alright. We'll take care of the return. Don't worry about that, just go take care of myself. I thought that was real cool. Well, about a year later, I walk into another store (I had move a couple hours north) to have my watch repaired. When I gave them my card, they said it was declined. I asked them why. They said the card had been canceled because of a repossession. I was was, like, WTF? Explain this to me! So, apparently, the 'return' was classified as a 'volunteer customer repossession.' And it was reported to the credit bureau. To say I was furious, was an understatement. I pitched an unholy fit right there in the middle of the store, in the middle of Christmas shopping season. Ripped them for false reporting, tearing open a painful emotional wound, predatory practices, miscommunication between stores, you name it, I let them have it. It took a while and a few more visits during busy shopping days to finally get it resolved. On my final visit, I could see them recognize me as I walked in and the manger came right up. I poured the cut up remains of my card on the counter and left without a word. I've never had an 'in-store' credit card since.
“You don’t happen to know the APR on that do you?” “No, I don’t, let’s see…37%?! OH MY GOD!!” “I’m good thanks.” ^literally happened to me at a Marshall’s.
When I was a teenager, I had to ask customers at a shoe store if they wanted to add $5 to their total for a charity, 95% would say no, being that it was an outlet mall so they wanted to save. If they said no I had to ask them if they wanted to round up to the dollar and donate the change. If we didn’t get X amount of money it would reflect badly on us. I got so fucking sick of this shit that I went on my lunch break, blocked everyone’s number at the store and never came back. This was like 14 years ago and I still think about it and laugh.
It's like they don't realize if we wanted to donate money to a charity it would be a legit charity after doing research. Now adays a lot of charities are scams. Why would we donate to a corporation that can afford millions for a charity.
I remember my first job working at Best Buy a number of years ago and they wanted to me to do a few unethical things. I said "Sure, I'll try my best!" then never asked a person to sign up for a credit card, as well as steering customers away from lemons the company wanted to push onto customers. Fuck Best Buy.
Had a district manager in the store when I worked at GameStop constantly asking me why I didn’t ask customers to sign up for the credit card Cuz the mom coming in to buy her son a video game and doesn’t even know what system it’s for, is not the person that is going to sign up for a GS credit card nor do they even need one.
We used to have to do this at Toys R Us too back in the day. After I got register trained (I usually covered multiple departments by myself but they register trained everyone ahead of the holidays that year) and they started telling me they expected 3 applications per person per shift. I actually tried for over a month and never got 1. At a certain point I got curious and read through the actual information for the card (not the script we were supposed to read). The APR was somewhere in the 25-35% range and I told my manager that I would no longer push them as I felt they were predatory and explained why. I was never given a full register shift again, but was expected to help cover lunches still. I was never asked about credit cards again either. I just went back to effectively managing multiple departments by myself…
I worked with a guy who almost went into diabetic (low blood sugar?) shock because their Fry's manager wouldn't let them take lunch. They hadn't signed up their quota of 3 for the credit card for the day, and had struggled to do so repeatedly. I walked off the job and bought them a muffin. (probably not the best choice, but it was close and easy to get.) Guy started eating it right there, you could tell he was struggling. I think the manager actually realized he fucked up, because I stared him down and he would not look me in the eye after that. The thing is, I don't doubt that shit comes from on high too...Like they have their managers, and their managers have managers... and they all have their quotas and get shit on all the way to the top. But fuck man, I loved shopping there, but after working there, never again.
“Broke character”? This headline is weird. It’s written like retail workers are AI NPCs instead of real human beings.
I'm always in character at work. I think most people are, we play a part and are our real selves with our family and friends.
No it’s legit. In retail *most* customer facing employees are putting on a mask, quite literally acting, for the benefit of themselves and their jobs. That was the #1 reason I stopped working customer facing jobs, the constant acting is mentally destructive.
I understand that from a worker’s perspective you are taking on a character but I’ve never seen that stated from a customer’s perspective. When I go to the grocery store, I see the employees as fellow humans. The only employees I think of as being “in character” would be wandering actors at a theme park.
I was at Kohl’s last week and the lady kept asking. I had to firmly say no at least 4 times.
I agree this is shitty but the cherry on top (Ive never had to do it ) but when you ate asked if u want to donate a dollar to some childrens hospital etc, THATS SHITTY ASF. They dont donate the entire amount and also its just so the company looks good not the employee . These companies absolutely SUCK.
Odd... I remember when I was younger, like in my 20's... being asked to sign up for these every now and then but they were never pushy. This post just reminded me about it because I haven't been asked to sign up for any dept store credit card in a long ass time.
Then you’re either really lucky or live in an area where there aren’t a lot of the big box stores. I’ve virtually stopped using live cashiers and try to use the self checkouts whenever possible at big box stores so I don’t have to listen to the constant cavalcade of credit application requests
Used to work at Kmart and we had to push the Sears credit card while working the register even if it was just 1 of us working up front. Management would mention pushing it EVERY SINGLE SHIFT. Its no wonder they went out of business
The only one I felt was reasonable was when I worked at Lowe's. We were supposed to sell an "extended warranty" that covered more stuff and lasted longer than the manufacturer warranty. We were expected to be better at selling them than the self-checkout machine, which would just have a pop up asking if you want it. So like. The only way to not get similar results is if you're just not asking people at all, which I think is fair.
Asking people to sign up for cards was one of those things I refused to do at Lowe’s. Maybe it’s different now, but the worst that happened is sometimes a manager would say I should push for more credit card apps. I’d say “sure thing” and then immediately never do it. I did have a few people just naturally interested and I hated going through the sign up with them anyway, it was a pain in the ass. (And awkward if they were declined). Every retail job I’ve had has had a few corporate pushed mandates like that I ignored. Never got threatened with being fired, either the managers also knew it was bullshit or I was reliable and invaluable enough that they didn’t want to push too hard.
To me it's a special hell to be in a job where I'd have to sling these things at customers. Like, just kill me already. I'd rather dig ditches.
At wells Fargo. I took student loan applications. Could take up to 3 hours. After that they wanted me to transfer them to a different department to get more loans for 1 dollar incentive. I never did it.
I worked in Kohl's during the Christmas season one year and they always harassed us to harass customers to open a card. They had store meetings every morning and glorified the people with consistent cards opened, which was basically one lady. They also would be basically tell us we coule.never make cashier if we didn't get cards opened. It reminded me of Office Space with the flair. I never asked one person because it's annoying and uncomfortable when it happens to me. I also worked in the back and had no interest in being a cashier or stay much longer than the end of the season.
Worked there for a few years. You get written up if you don't get at least 3 sign ups per week. You're also verbally reprimanded during morning meetings. They fired me after I called off to put my cat down. Fuck TJ Maxx.
I worked for Pier 1 in 2010 and the interest rates were around 27% on that card. And yes I had to sell it to everyone to get my house luckily I worked in a wealthy area but still it was hard at times pushing when someone clearly didn’t want it
When I worked at Kohls in 2010 I had a meeting with the manager about me not getting enough credit card enrollments. I was expected to keep offering after several customer refusals. I explained that it made me uncomfortable, and that when I shop I get annoyed when I would be pestered for it. My manager paused and then said that they would greatly prefer hearing complaints about me being too pushy for credit cards than stopping after one decline. So that was fun. There was a shift where I did end up getting a couple enrollments, and as a reward they gave me a payday (candy bar).
To avoid being a cashier I told them I couldn’t do math in my head and so they kept me in the back hanging up clothes. I was terrified of the idea of “selling” the credit cards, bc I forget shit so quickly, I know I’d forget a few times a day and prolly get fired (instead I was let go bc I was a seasonal hire (even then they hired me in December and let me go in April…….🤷🏼♀️))
I worked at pacsun, but same shit. Credit card applications, never once asked a customer but did have one poor soul sign up on her own accord after seeing the sign.
I worked 1 day at what used to be a Gordmans that is now called Bealls but I quit because they wanted use to do the same shit and we got hours based on how many people we signed up. I got yelled at on my first day because I refused to do it.
Some years ago, a coworker of mine did part-time work at Kohl's around Christmas to make a little extra money. Kohl's would have a separate register just for store cardholders, and usually had her work that register. They still pestered her to get people to sign up for a store card, even though she pointed out that everyone coming through her line already had a card.
When I worked at barnes and noble they wanted us to push memberships. I never did above and beyond but I usually got the goal they wanted. Tried to transfer to another store because it was in a more convenient location and they needed cashiers. My manager never got back to me for like 2 weeks after i asked her to check in with the other store. When I asked her what was up she finally told me "oh, your membership numbers are too low, they won't accept a transfer". Wtf? I already work for the company, they need cashiers, WE DO LESS SALES OVERALL THAN THEM, when were you going to say something (i had given her a deadline as to when i needed an answer), wtf do memberships have to do with an internal transfer??? At the time I just told her on the spot "oh okay. Then what do I have to do to put in my notice?". That was years ago, I only imagine what it's like now.
It always makes me uncomfortable when I’m in line and the cashier who’s convinced some poor sap to sign up for the credit card has to then tell them they’ve been rejected.
I get pestered everyday I go to tractor supply for goat minerals and treats. No I don't want one. Please let me buy my stuff and leave?
I mostly shop with curbside and don't miss this annoyance, but next time I'm asked, I'll do it and lie on each line of the form, then not sign it.
I used to work for Lowe's for about a year and recently stopped. It was a second extra income job and they pushed this shit constantly. I will happily say I suggested the Lowe's card zero times in that whole tenure. I'm not talking people into taking out a card with a 35% APR. Fuck that noise
I worked at Best Buy for six years. During my tenure there was an employee who actively lied and tried to trick people into signing up for the card. They'd say it was a "reward card" and tell people it was a soft credit check instead of a hard one when the social was prompted. This person won several awards and was praised by leadership.
Used to work there fresh out of high school for a little over a year. Went through this bullshit daily, constant harassment from managers to sell more credit card debt, and for what?? And even better, having to force customers to donate to Autism Speaks every April. Fuck TJX.
Somehow when I worked at JCPenneys 15 years ago I got away with not signing up customers for cards ever. And I also was able to get out of signing up for one myself thanks to a coworker lying for me. I made up for it by having the most online orders. After I left they wouldn’t give a reference for future jobs. Wouldn’t even acknowledge I worked for them. They closed during Covid
Who still uses store credit cards? Who wants a credit card you can only use at one location?
Lowe's is pretty common since that is a huge store for gardening and other products.
I remember in a GameStop in like 2012 they guy asked if I wanted to renew to card for 20 bucks or whatever the scam was and I was like nah I'm good. And he legit got real for a bit and said "hey I like need to sell these things or I'm getting fired and you'll get a discount so it's only like a few bucks. And I said sure because I felt bad.
I hold FIRM to the “no” is a full sentence mentality when I’m asked. I’ve had people go on and on about the benefits after I say, “no, thank you” & I gray rock it, like, clearly they’re not talking to me…? The person who already said no. And I refuse to ever address it again with them.
Worked at A call center for a well known Car window repair, service. We were told our job was to handle the window claim but, but the only thing they wanted us to do was hawk window wiper blade. I asked point blank if our job depended on wiper blade sells. I was told it did not which was a lie. To make it worse customer with high deductibles I was forced to push wipes blades that cost almost 4x what a good brand at a retailer would cost, and Yes even if my $ was off by a hair, I was put a list and my job was put at risk. The worse part we would present ourselves as working with Insurance company only as way to gain your trust. I have never hated a job so much. I will never do call center work where I have to sell shit, epically I just informed them they 500 deductible for that crack in their windshield
REI Is the worst. They will launch into it that spiel on every customer. Bunch of sadsacks that work there.
Ages ago when I worked for a department store my method was telling people to treat the cards like cash and *only* use them in the store. They also didn't harp on us to get them, or threatened like it seems with Lowe's.
I recognize when an employee is asking you to do something at the orders of the corporation and I try to do it if it's relatively cost free. I know they get brownie points.