'What they don't expect is that my wife...knows their tactics': Cell phone store managers try to upsell customer until he calls in backup

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Sep 8, 2024 11:00 AM EDT

Salesfolks know that people don't want to be upsold, but that only makes them try harder. For people who work on commission, getting some extra cash in their paycheck at the end of each month is irresistible. And all they have to do is sell their customers add-ons that they don't really need, like insurance for expensive electronics. 

Just anecdotally, there are two types of people: those who never break their devices, and people who can't go a month without cracking their iPad screen wide open. I don't know why it's like this. I bet you have someone in your life who keeps dropping their phone in the toilet, or has left their phone in the snow, or left their computer on the floor and stepped on it. If you are that destructive person, then you know what? Insurance is going to be your friend, and you should probably get it. Know thyself, right? But for many people, just getting a case and a screen protector will save you the hassle of a cracked screen, no additional upsells needed. Check out this person's full story below and see for yourself! 

After that, this entitled neighbor has been complaining about everyone with a dog because… it affects the grass growth? 

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  • 01
    O
    via Chris Adamus on Unsplash
  • 02
    The primary account holder (wife) must complete the transaction for security purposes, AKA complying with a made-up policy.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 03
    tl;dr: I go to buy a tablet at $Carrier with the wife on our family plan. Rep and Store Manager try to sell insurance with tablet a handful of times to which I decline. Rep and Store Manager attempt to force insurance onto me by saying she has to authorize the purchase and speak with them, hoping they can convince her to override my decision. What they don't expect is that my wife works sales, knows their tactics, and flips the
    via u/[deleted]
  • 04
    proverbial table in their face, causing their plan to backfire. EDIT: just to clarify, what I was doing in this post is definitely in the realm of things an authorized user can do on this carrier. I can finance devices and pay the bill and such, I just can't create or delete lines or change high level account things like billing cycles and stuff.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 05
    Also, this happened at a corporate store. Not a third party retailer. I wish it were a TPR because that'd be easier to wrap my head around, but alas.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 06
    This is more of a customer-deals- with-retail-idiots kinda story. Both my wife and I share the same cellular account because cheaper family plans. She's the primary line on the account, and thus has final say on whatever happens on the account, and I'm merely an authorized user. I can do most things myself without her needing to be physically. present.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 07
    This happens when both of us decide to take a jaunt to the mall and I decide after paying off a previous device on our account to grab a tablet seeing as I've been wanting one for a while.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 08
    Now, most would assume in a lot of cases here that the husband is the person who's savvy and will shut a salesperson down and the wife is the person that could potentially be talked into whatever. At least, I think that's what the rep we dealt with us thought.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 09
    Anyway, we roll into $CarrierStore, I tell them what I want, present my ID and they pull up the account. They haven't yet figured out that my wife is the woman that's with me and that's whose account we're dealing with.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 10
    Before they roll off to the back to grab the tablet, the rep asks me if I want to add the upgrade plan/insurance to this purchase. I decline. I don't have a need for insurance on a tablet of all things. He runs off to the back, grabs the tablet, comes back and tries to sell me on the insurance again, plus accessories. I decline, again.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 11
    This time, he cuts in with the "are you sure? It's a really good deal..." Yes. I'm sure. "But you can upgrade every 3 months!" No, I'm fine. That's when a neighboring rep senses that he can maybe help his buddy sell, and starts reiterating that I really should buy the insurance. NO. How many times do I have to tell you. After which the store manager notices, cuts in, and attempts to cancel the transaction unless I
    via u/[deleted]
  • 12
    buy the insurance. Normally, I should have walked, but this was at a time where I only had my two feet to get me places and this was the only store remotely close to me. I argued that they couldn't do that before the store manager looked at the account and noticed that this was my wife's account, not mine. (Here's the malicious compliance bit.)
    via u/[deleted]
  • 13
    SM and the rep came to the conclusion that my wife must be an idiot, and they could convince her to override my decision, because as per policy, the primary account holder has the final say, right? So they demand to speak to my wife. She tells them no, I'm the one paying for this, and she's not getting involved.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 14
    SM tries to say that my wife needs to finish the transaction for security purposes. I protest, but at this point, I'm just like...okay, you really want to speak to my wife and let her finish the transaction so badly? Fine. Have fun. I tried to save you guys from getting massacred. I know that the whole "the PAH has to finish the transaction for security purposes" is a made up on the spot policy. But you know what? Fine. I'll roll with
    via u/[deleted]
  • 15
    it. Because my wife is going to verbally asskick you so hard you'll kiss the moon. She immediately flips the proverbial table in their faces, telling them that if they don't drop the predatory sales tactics, back off, and sell the tablet without insurance, to call care from their in-store phones so she can cancel her account and switch to $OtherTelecom, because she won't stand for being treated like this. Further,
    via u/[deleted]
  • 16
    she'll be sending an email with every known exec email cc'd detailing the horrible experience we had today. It doesn't sound like much when I type this, but trust me when I say that I can count on half a hand in my 6 years with this woman that I have ever heard her speak with such disgust and anger but in a calm and collected manner. They immediately processed everything and apologized profusely, because they didn't
    via u/[deleted]
  • 17
    anticipate that my wife works in sales and is very savvy to this type of They probably expected to have it easy once they got past me, but...nope. True to her word, she emailed corporate, and we got some huge bill credits for our trouble and that store manager and rep were never seen again. Not sure if they got fired or shuffled off to another store, but we never saw them again at our local store.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 18
    cersei01lannister I hate pushy salesmen but my god to get three different employees, including the store manager, absolutely berating you like that - I would have walked and moved to the other company. Glad you managed to get some credit back for the trouble, and you go Mrs. u/Kolbentine !!
    via u/cersei01lannister
  • 19
    luv... I had a car salesman tell me "shouldn't be looking for a car" because I refused to go one cent over my monthly payment Max. I got so | I almost cried. I had to reiterate that I had TOLD THEM my budget and my maximum monthly payment, and it wasn't my fault that they only showed me cars that were above
    via u/luv3horse
  • 20
    what I wanted to pay. In retrospect I should have walked, but I got a pretty new car with heated seats and really nice stereo system for exactly what I wanted to pay. And now I know I have the confidence to say no to stupid sales tactics.
    via u/luv3horse
  • 21
    PosieDoodler My spouse has an androgynous name. I alternately use his name when having to conduct business in which he is the "authorized" user. Saves major PITA.
    via u/P***sieDoodler

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malicious compliance malicious-compliance-reddit malicious compliance reddit salesman electronics tablet sale electronic sales
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