Ask a Sears Salesman

[Fro]

I usually enjoy reading these threads so I decided to make my own. Go ahead and ask me anything about my job. That's right, finally get to understand why the annoying salesman attacks you every time you walk into the store.

More info: I work in home improvement department such as sporting goods, lawn and garden, and hardware. It's hard finding good work in our area so I'm actually spread across all three departments. I work full time, 40 hours a week, and I've been working there for about a year.

I also have a question to you as the customer as well.

Why do you say you don't need help and as soon as we start walking away you ask us questions?

[Autokrator]

why hasn't sears gone bankrupt yet

[Fro]

At 10/13/11 11:00 AM, Autokrator wrote: why hasn't sears gone bankrupt yet

Credit card debt.

Sears is the leading retailer in customers having credit cards. In economies like this when people need to buy something and they don't have the money they use a credit card. A sears card is extremely easy to get and people end up paying the company thousands of dollars more then they ever would have. I believe if all the stores closed their doors right now we would still be receiving income for the next 10+ years on people paying interest on their cards.

[Me-Patch]

At 10/13/11 10:59 AM, Fro wrote: I also have a question to you as the customer as well.

Why do you say you don't need help and as soon as we start walking away you ask us questions?

We do it so we can check out your buttcheeks.

[Autokrator]

At 10/13/11 11:06 AM, Fro wrote:

At 10/13/11 11:00 AM, Autokrator wrote: why hasn't sears gone bankrupt yet

Credit card debt.

Sears is the leading retailer in customers having credit cards. In economies like this when people need to buy something and they don't have the money they use a credit card. A sears card is extremely easy to get and people end up paying the company thousands of dollars more then they ever would have. I believe if all the stores closed their doors right now we would still be receiving income for the next 10+ years on people paying interest on their cards.

except they sold their credit card ops to citibank in '03 (who was ran "sears cards" ever since, check it out if you don't believe me)

sears holdings has nothing to do it and their stock prices reflect it

seriously, why are they not bankrupt yet

[Fro]

At 10/13/11 11:12 AM, Autokrator wrote:

except they sold their credit card ops to citibank in '03 (who was ran "sears cards" ever since, check it out if you don't believe me)

You're almost right.

sears holdings has nothing to do it and their stock prices reflect it

seriously, why are they not bankrupt yet

We actually have 5 different sears cards. Two of them are run directly through sears. The regular sears card made for purchases at sears and kmart, the sears charge plus which is only for large purchases such as appliances, treadmills, and tractors. Citibank has nothing to do with these two.

The sears mastercard, which runs through citibank, two other sears cards run through HSBC one having a 60 dollar annual fee and the other being just like the mastercard, and a sears discover card.

If someone uses the regular sears or charge plus card then all of the profit comes to us. If they use a Mastercard (which can be used anywhere) citibank pays us 5% of all their purchases, and same with the HSBC and discover cards.

[Narusegawa]

Was it really impossible to keep " Willis Tower " as Sears Tower?

Cheers
- naru

[Fro]

At 10/13/11 11:20 AM, Narusegawa wrote: Was it really impossible to keep " Willis Tower " as Sears Tower?

Cheers
- naru

The corporation became more cautious with how they were spending money. A nice way of saying money was short and they were slowly starting to go down hill from there. That's well before my time though.

[Halberd]

How would you are any other salesman react if you went up to somebody and asked if they needed help and they said 'Fuck off'

[Fro]

At 10/13/11 11:45 AM, Halberd wrote: How would you are any other salesman react if you went up to somebody and asked if they needed help and they said 'Fuck off'

In theory we should walk away without saying anything. I on the other hand have the problem getting really sarcastic with customers. "Fuck off" would turn into me saying, "I would love to, but I may lose my job if I do it at work." or "That's weird I was about to say the same to you."

To be a prick I would immediately call loss prevention and say that the customer was swearing loudly, turning customers off from buying in that location. This I have done and it's fun watching people get taken to the back for questioning.

[Lorkas]

What are your opinions on lobbyism and the war in Afghanistan?

[ZJ]

At 10/13/11 10:59 AM, Fro wrote:

Why do you say you don't need help and as soon as we start walking away you ask us questions?

Because we think we can do things on our own and have a lot of pride in ourselves, but are often times too lazy to find the answers ourselves. By refusing your help and then asking questions, we maintain our pride.

My question to you would be: How much career growth can a typical Sears Salesman expect to see during their time at the company? Do you see yourself becoming a major right now?

[Fro]

At 10/13/11 11:55 AM, Lorkas wrote: What are your opinions on lobbyism and the war in Afghanistan?

I don't get into politics. So I have no opinions on the subject matter.

At 10/13/11 12:07 PM, ZJ wrote:

At 10/13/11 10:59 AM, Fro wrote:

Why do you say you don't need help and as soon as we start walking away you ask us questions?

Because we think we can do things on our own and have a lot of pride in ourselves, but are often times too lazy to find the answers ourselves. By refusing your help and then asking questions, we maintain our pride.

It actually does make sense when you put it that way.

My question to you would be: How much career growth can a typical Sears Salesman expect to see during their time at the company? Do you see yourself becoming a major right now?

In one year I've went from being a cashier to a salesman to a full time salesman. That probably means nothing to you, but every time I went up my paychecks just about doubled. I also had an interview for a managers position a week or so ago, but another employee who had been there for many years received the job instead of me based on experience with the company.

I was told the next time a managers job opens that I would be next in line. A store like that usually has somewhere around 10 managers so you never know when someone is going to get fired, move, quit, etc... It's an easy company to move up in.

[Gunner-D]

Are you prepared to lose your job when Sears losses the exclusivity of their major brands, which are the cornerstone of their sales, to other retailers?

[Fro]

At 10/13/11 12:26 PM, Gunner-D wrote: Are you prepared to lose your job when Sears losses the exclusivity of their major brands, which are the cornerstone of their sales, to other retailers?

Yes, actually I am prepared. I have a teaching degree and several other jobs that I could start working at right now at the same or increased pay. I only continue to work at sears because it's honestly the easiest and funnest job that I've ever had in my life.

Bad thing about not having any customers - No sales
Good thing about not having any customers - No work

[Fro]

At 10/13/11 01:01 PM, Fro wrote:

Bad thing about not having any customers - No sales
Good thing about not having any customers - No work

And when I say no work, I actually mean no work while I'm technically working.

[NekoMika]

Worst customer(s) you've dealt with so far?

[SouthAsian]

What are the busy times in a given day/week?

[Love]

At 10/13/11 10:59 AM, Fro wrote: I also have a question to you as the customer as well.

Why do you say you don't need help and as soon as we start walking away you ask us questions?

Because usually we know what we want, but, when we find it, we have a question that is only thought of when we actually get to the product

(At least, that's what happens for me. Most of my time is spent at the mall though, so I actually understand a lot of the sale tricks lol)

[NekoMika]

At 10/13/11 10:59 AM, Fro wrote: I also have a question to you as the customer as well.

Why do you say you don't need help and as soon as we start walking away you ask us questions?

Usually I don't need help looking for something but I do have those rare times where I have to ask an employee where to find something if the people running the store decided to move things to another part of the store.

[Fro]

At 10/13/11 01:57 PM, SCTE3 wrote: Worst customer(s) you've dealt with so far?

That's really hard to answer. There have been customers that have been down right stupid and screaming at me for something that sears did to them years ago, the people who have literally tried stealing money out of my register, the people who try to steal, and the people who get mad because a product broke and/or we never told them how to use the product when they told us that they didn't need help.

The worst is the people who don't know how to put gas/oil into a chainsaw or gas blower correctly, won't let us teach them at the point of sale because they think they know everything, bring back the product the next day because it won't start, and leave the store swearing up a storm when I can start it within seconds.

At 10/13/11 02:03 PM, SouthAsian wrote: What are the busy times in a given day/week?

Around 2:00 - 4:00 P.M. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

At 10/13/11 02:08 PM, Hybridization wrote:

Because usually we know what we want, but, when we find it, we have a question that is only thought of when we actually get to the product

I only approach a customer if they've been staring at a product with a confused look on their face and half of the time they still tell me they don't need help. Then literally I turn away and they ask me a question when I start to walk away.

I know people usually don't have questions until they get there and I know that type of person when I see them, but it's the ones that do need help in which confuse me.

(At least, that's what happens for me. Most of my time is spent at the mall though, so I actually understand a lot of the sale tricks lol)

I have no tricks. I don't make enough money to trick people.

[yurgenburgen]

At 10/13/11 10:59 AM, Fro wrote: That's right, finally get to understand why the annoying salesman attacks you every time you walk into the store.

We already know why: Commission.

Why do you say you don't need help and as soon as we start walking away you ask us questions?

You don't give people a chance to think. As soon as they enter the building you're all over them like flies around shit. When people are confronted by salesmen types they're not thinking "this would be a perfect opportunity to ask him something", they are thinking "oh god get this fuckarse away from me."

[Fro]

At 10/13/11 03:34 PM, yurgenburgen wrote:

At 10/13/11 10:59 AM, Fro wrote: That's right, finally get to understand why the annoying salesman attacks you every time you walk into the store.

We already know why: Commission.

Do you think I make a lot of money if you buy something off of me instead of someone else in the store? The 10 cents you just helped me make doesn't make me go nuts and chase down customers.

Why do you say you don't need help and as soon as we start walking away you ask us questions?

You don't give people a chance to think. As soon as they enter the building you're all over them like flies around shit. When people are confronted by salesmen types they're not thinking "this would be a perfect opportunity to ask him something", they are thinking "oh god get this fuckarse away from me."

Yep, it's the few dickheads that ruin it for the good ones though. I only approach a customer when they look like they need help. I know it's true though because I could just be walking by a customer and say hello and I'll get the response of, "No thank you."

From my experience though, the majority of customers really don't know anything about the product they are buying. (I didn't say all, just most) We get tons of returns because a customer thought they could figure it by themselves.

[yurgenburgen]

At 10/13/11 04:02 PM, Fro wrote: Do you think I make a lot of money

Not remotely.

From my experience though, the majority of customers really don't know anything about the product they are buying. (I didn't say all, just most) We get tons of returns because a customer thought they could figure it by themselves.

Yeah that's a bi-product of consumerism; it's common knowledge that the average consumer is dumb.

[Fro]

At 10/13/11 04:08 PM, yurgenburgen wrote:

At 10/13/11 04:02 PM, Fro wrote: Do you think I make a lot of money

Not remotely.

Well I do, I just don't let the customer ever catch on to that. :P

Selling one treadmill could put $40 dollars into my pocket. Selling the treadmill with a 5 year warranty and the mat to go under it could put me at $60 dollars. Some days I only walk out with $100 on the day, but on others I can walk out with close to $1,000.

When Christmas and Black Friday come closer I could be averaging close to $500 a day for a couple of weeks. Not to mention I still make an hourly wage.

[MultiCanimefan]

At 10/13/11 10:59 AM, Fro wrote:

Why do you say you don't need help and as soon as we start walking away you ask us questions?

No one likes to be treated like they don't know something. Coming to you guys after you've backed off allows us to feel like we're adults.

[yurgenburgen]

At 10/13/11 04:13 PM, Fro wrote: Well I do, I just don't let the customer ever catch on to that. :P

First you said you don't make a lot of money on commission, then you said you do. Choose one.

[Lorkas]

Have any of your co-workers ever had sex during work?

[Fro]

At 10/13/11 05:47 PM, yurgenburgen wrote:

At 10/13/11 04:13 PM, Fro wrote: Well I do, I just don't let the customer ever catch on to that. :P

First you said you don't make a lot of money on commission, then you said you do. Choose one.

Like I said, I like to make people think that we don't get much. Some don't even realize we're on commission and I rather them think that. We do get quite a bit of money. Some people can make well up to $75,000 a year depending on location. I don't make nearly as much as that because we don't get much business though.

At 10/13/11 05:53 PM, Lorkas wrote: Have any of your co-workers ever had sex during work?

Yes. Many times.

[Lorkas]

Dude what?