Yeah, you don’t sound too snarky, but I work retail. I can promise you that the cashiers are trying to do their job and get through their shift. I doubt they’d take much notice unless everybody started telling them that. It’s pointless telling them, but if it makes you feel better, whatever.
You can pry mine from my cold, dead hands. Mine usually give discoutns ont he Price Chopper merchandise, which already is cheaper than the other crap. And often I get discounts on stuff I love and won’t settle - for example, I simply luuuurve Mrs. T’s Pierogies and now have a coupon to get so much off them. I plan on buying a whole bunch and stocking up.
I’ve always noticed I’m saving more, and have actually gone in with a calculator. I’m guessing it’s mainly our store though, judging from the stories in this thread!
A friend of mine is a checker at Tops. She says the magic words are, “Could I please use the Manager’s Card?” At least at her store.
She shops at Wegmans, incidentally. 
That’s funny. They ARE making you an offer, smeghead. They are offering you a discount on certain purchases if you give them your info. I’m not sure what else you’d want from them. A pony?
Note: I’m not defending the practice, nor am I calling you paranoid. I’m just saying that your argument here is totally invalid, because they already do what you are asking.
As I said,
I do not believe that I will save money using a card vs shopping at a store that does not have cards at all. IOW, the “discounted” prices you get with a card are equivalent to the normal prices at other stores. So it’s not that they’re offering me discounts to use the card - it’s that they’re going to charge me more if I refuse to use them.
That is, of course, entirely my own opinion.
- Bolding mine
Funny. I would expect that doing their job would include informing their supervisors that customers are complaining.
Telling them does make me feel better. I feel like I’m at least explaining to them why I rarely shop at their store. If my complaints are countered by many others singing the praises of their system then it is pointless. But from my perspective the store is creating a small following of loyal customers while losing a much larger group that simply doesn’t want to play their game.
I guess there’s a value issue here that I failed to point out. The store I am speaking about is a chain called HenHouse. I can go into the competitor Hy-Vee and buy the goods at the same price as the HenHouse “bonus card” prices but without the card game hassle.
Anaamika pointed out that the Price Chopper card is a good bargain. If that card let’s you buy at prices below the competitors than its a good deal. If, like the Henhouse card, you need the card to get the price down to the same price as the Hy-Vee price then its a plain old headache.
There came a point where I said, yes, they are making me an offer and I’m going to take them up on it. I will sell my demographics, Diet Coke and Luna Bar consumption for discount prices!!!
The folks who avoid cards as a corporate evil by shopping at Wal-Mart I don’t quite get. Way to be a rebel!
The only stores around here w/o cards are Winn-Dixie (not gonna do it!) and Whole Foods (I think, and definitely not cheaper!). My grocery needs are generally met the best by a place with good selection, which around here is either Harris Teeter or Lowes Foods. Occasionally I am looking for cheap staples, in which case it’s Food Lion, and once in a blue moon it’s triple coupons at Kroger. I have all of their keychain cards.
If there were a store without cards where I could find selection and save money, after the drive costs and time were factored in, I’d prefer it, but as far as I know that’s not an option around here.
How about a turkey? I just found out Tops has ne for me, for shopping there so much. I still don’t like 'em though. I like the simplicity of “this is our price, for everyone.”
[QUOTE=BubbaDog]
- Bolding mine
Funny. I would expect that doing their job would include informing their supervisors that customers are complaining.
[quote]
Customers, maybe. A single customer? Naah. Not unless you’re a longtime shopper and they know you. They are doing their job. Personally they probably don’t care if you don’t usually shop there, because a lot of other people do, so they stay employed. Presumably somebody would take notice if people started staying away in droves, citing the cards as their reason. But if it’s just the occasional customer…well, that’s too bad, have a nice day sir, there’s six people in line behind you.
Look, I know how this probably sounds, but if you’d ever worked retail (and I mean mass-market retail, not a little privately-owned shop or something) then you’d have a better chance at knowing where I’m coming from.
I always just use (area code)-867-5309 as my phone number.
Only once, in 5 area codes, was it not already on file. And in that case, I just filled out the form with the number, and threw the cards away.
[singing]
Jenny, I got your discount…
[/singing]
Mm. I see what you’re saying. OK, I’ve seen one store around here that does what you’re describing ($1.79 is the “normal” price for a 2-liter of pop? Not likely).
The one I actually shop at, though, has genuine bargains for the cardholders. The kind of savings I would expect to see on a coupon, except I don’t have to find, clip, and remember to bring the coupons ahead of time. I just shop and watch for the little tag.
Would the system I describe be acceptable to you, and be a valid reason for giving up demographic info?
That’s how Wegmans, king of all grocery stores and your future lord and master (and they will smite Wal-Mart, it’s only a matter of when), does it.