Do Your Corporate Goals Consider Your Customers’ Feelings?

If retailers had their way, everyone’s wallet would look like a mall
directory. Every time I check out at Banana Republic, Victoria’s Secret or
J. Crew, the salesperson asks if I want to sign up for a credit card with
that store. For retailers, pushing credit cards seems like a no-brainer.
Instead of major credit cards reaping the benefit of usurious interest
rates, these stores can profit even more from reckless spending at their
stores. The problem is that since store credit cards are offered to
virtually everyone, they lower customers’ credit scores. Also, some people—ok, me—prefer the rewards programs of their own card and want to keep their wallets as light as possible. After having said no to every store offering me a credit card, I’m sick of sales clerks asking. I’m sure sales clerks are sick of it too, but telling customers about the credit cards is part of their job.

The goal is higher profits, but the result is unhappy customers. Are you
making sacrifices in customer relationships for quick profits? Read more
about salespeople doing a little extra for their clients here.

Comments

[Ron Hayes]

It seems pretty obvious to me that if a store were to post some signage (which they all do) about their in-store credit card offer, that should be enough for most people. But, it seems to be the way of our world today for many big companies to focus on the short-term bottom line and dismiss the long-term benefits of great customer relationships.

[Jacqueline Durett]

I've actually limited my shopping at Victoria's Secret because of the harassment I felt in the store. I would be solicited by 4 or 5 clerks to open an account before I had even picked something up to purchase. I complained to the company, but was dismissed. Some companies clearly cross the line between marketing and terrorizing.