Do you give your phone # to stores???

[Bob_Skurka]

Well I went on a search for a new string trimmer for the lovely Mrs_Bob. After some research I had narrowed it down to either a Stihl or an Echo. Both have an easy start system, both have lightweight units, both are competitive on the price.

So I go to the local family owned for at least 2 generations lawn mower/trimmer/chain saw store that is inconvenient to get to with short hours . . . but I like to support local folks, and I like to buy from people who will repair my broken whatever. So I drive past 3 of the big box home centers, past 3 other big box discount retailers, to get to the little shop. I walk in and the sales guy comes up and I say I want to buy this model trimmer . . . point to it on the wall . . . pull out <font color="green"> genuine gummint issued official legal tender style CA$H green money printed right here in the good old U.S. of A.</font> and lay it on the counter.

First words out of the sales guy's mouth are: "what is your phone number?"

I tell him: "It is "unlisted" and I won't give it out because it is a matter of my privacy.

He says: Then I can't sell you the trimmer.

I say: "you need my phone number to sell me something? Just write up a cash ticket, because I don't give out my number"

He says: Can't do it, need a phone number for a cash ticket, says so right here on my computer screen.

I say: What is YOUR phone number? Just put that in there.

He says: I don't give out MY phone number!

I say: "Neither do I!" So I pick up the <font color="green"> 4 brand new, crisp as a dried leaf U.S. treasury printed official $50.00 bills </font> that were laying on the counter shove them back into my wallet, turn around and start toward the door.

I get all the way across the showroom floor and he shouts out: "Hey wait, I can figure this out, it won't be a problem!"

So I turn around and walk back to the counter where I now pry open my wallet and skeptically remove the quartet of bills that had previously been laying within reach of the sales guy. He says he can just set me up as a corporate account and give me an account number! He needs my name, address, but no phone number for that. I rattle off the name and address, he types the address in wrong, I don't bother to correct him. I lay the money on the counter, get my change, he gives me the manuals, some "complimentary" 2 cycle oil, and then sends out "the kid" to carry the trimmer to my car and give me a lesson on how to use it.

I will say I did like the lesson, it is one of the advantages of dealing with a local shop owner over the big box stores. It was nice that I got a free tank of gas too. And enough extra bottles of 2 cycle oil to mix with gas for probably 2 seasons worth of weed wacking was also a nice touch. But why did they have to make it so hard for me to buy something??? It is becoming harder and harder to <font color="green"> PAY WITH CA$H </font> in America and NOT feel like you are a criminal. Pardon me, but I don't like to use checks, and I don't like credit cards, my general policy in life is that if I can't afford it I just don't buy it and I don't want to finance it either. Why can't people just accept CA$H as payment, last time I check it was marked "legal tender."

 

[Junkman]

Just a wild guess... it might be a requirement of the manufacturer for recall purposes. The other reason that I can think of is that some retail stores use software that tracks customers purchases for warranty purposes by telephone number. I usually just give them my fax number or make one up. Either way, it is a nuisance, but he was just doing as instructed by the owner. No different than you giving instructions to your employees. It is their job to follow the rules, not to question them, unless they are totally unreasonable.

 

[DocHeb]

I always give my home phone number: 1-248-555-1212. I haven't had a clerk call me on it yet. I use the same number on websites that don't let you submit an order without a phone number. They don't need my number, that's what the email address is for.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="red"> but he was just doing as instructed by the owner. </font>


Junkman, I would have PROBABLY had some sympathy on the guy, but the name on his shirt was the same name as on the sign hanging outside the store. He was roughly 10 years older than me. So I'm just guessing here, but I think HE IS THE OWNER!!!

Regardless, I NEVER give out my phone number. And since he gave me the warrenty card for me to fill out, he obviously didn't need my phone number for the warrenty information. He needed it because his computer said so.

 

[slowrev]

Ah well, cash will be gone soon enough...too hard to trace and monitor properly for taxes, drug trade, terrorism, etc...just a matter of time.

 

[DaveNay]

I would say that it has nothing to do with the warrantee. I believe that it is not even a requirement to fill out the warantee card and send it in, that is only for marketing purposes. All you need is your proof of purchase.

Most likely, this is simply a case of fitting the mans method of doing business into the tool at hand (the computer software). As DocHeb stated, just providing any phone number "unlocks" the purchasing process, and allows the transaction to complete. A classic case of the programmer telling the customer what they need, instead of the customer telling the programmer.

Dave

 

[MicroPilot]

As other have said, I just lie!! Sometimes about my address, name, and social security number too!!! They really don't need all that info.

My guess is his POS system uses cutomer phone numbers as cutomer numbers to track sales, generate reports, etc. He just didn't know, or think about, how to overcome this for people who don't want to reveal their information.

 

[Bird]

Maybe I give out my phone number too freely, but mine's in the phone book, so I don't much care who has it. HOWEVER, I do tend to prank with folks occasionally. We spent 6 years full time RVing in the days before we had a cell phone. So, whenever anyone had a need for our phone number, I used the phone number of our mail forwarding service, but most of the time when a store clerk asked for my phone number, I just answered truthfully and said, "I don't have one." It usually startled them, but I never had any problem buying whatever I wanted.

However, in your situation, I'm afraid that store would have just lost a sale because I'd have walked out the minute he said, </font><font color="blue" class="small">( Then I can't sell you the trimmer. )</font> And I'd have never looked back.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="blue"> I would say that it has nothing to do with the warrantee. I believe that it is not even a requirement to fill out the warantee card and send it in, that is only for marketing purposes. All you need is your proof of purchase.

Most likely, this is simply a case of fitting the mans method of doing business into the tool at hand (the computer software). As DocHeb stated, just providing any phone number "unlocks" the purchasing process, and allows the transaction to complete. A classic case of the programmer telling the customer what they need, instead of the customer telling the programmer.
</font>


Dave, you are EXACTLY CORRECT and that is my gripe!

If I want to buy something, I should not be required to recieve your telephone solicitations or mailings or whatever it is that you, Mr Storeowner, want to stuff in my voice mailbox, email box or postal mailbox that I really don't care to get!

And last time I checked, businesses could use their computers to make life easier and faster to process sales to customers. They can also use the same computers for lots of other purposes. But the reality is that customer service should rank pretty high on the list of things that computers can help with.

 

[buckle97]

I too pay cash at a lot of places that require a telephone number. I love going into Sears to buy anything. When they ring me up, they ask for my phone number and I spout off a different number everytime. Then they read off the name they have in the system for that number and I say "Yep, that's me" and hand them my cash /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif.

Lawrence