Thursday, December 15, 2005
The Alarming Trend of Customer Alienation
The other day I was at a supermarket picking up a few items and I paid for my purchase with a $50 bill. The clerk took out one of those anti-counterfeiting pens and marked my bill. My "Grant" apparently passed the test because she took it and made change.
I asked her if she got many bogus fifties and she said she'd never seen one. So I asked her why she bothered to check MY bill. She said her boss told her to—that it was company policy.
Let's look at what this really means.
When she checked my $50 bill, she overtly implied that I was a crook. The unspoken communication is, "We don't trust you, Bub!"
Maybe because of the 9/11 incidents no one trusts anyone anymore. I don't know, but I sure don't like being suspected of passing a bogus bill for no good reason.
But here are the facts...
According to the Federal Reserve, less than 5/100th of a percent of US currency is fake. That's one bill out of every 2000. And industry sources say that the overwhelming majority of counterfeit money is in circulation *OUTSIDE* the US!
I guess it's better to hold up the check out line and inconvenience 1999 customers just because of the statistically low chance you may catch the 2000th person trying to rip you off.
I guess it's okay to insult the dignity of 1999 customers because of the one customer that may try to pass a bad bill.
This is Mindless Marketing at its finest!
By the way, I bought myself one of those anti-counterfeiting pens and I carry it when I plan to pay with a large bill.
When a sales clerk has the audacity to check one of my bills, I reciprocate. I check ALL the bills I get in return. I mark them. I hold them up to the light. I rub them. In other words, I give the store a massive dose of its own medicine!
It's amazing, but the reaction of people in back of me in the checkout line has generally been supportive. I've even had a few people cheer me on! It's usually only the cashier who gets bent out of shape at my act of retaliation.
Call me, Nick Nichols, at 702-227-5877 and I'll show you how to turn your customers into raving fans of your business!
"NOT hiring Nick Nichols will cost you a LOT more than hiring him!"
(0) comments
I asked her if she got many bogus fifties and she said she'd never seen one. So I asked her why she bothered to check MY bill. She said her boss told her to—that it was company policy.
Let's look at what this really means.
When she checked my $50 bill, she overtly implied that I was a crook. The unspoken communication is, "We don't trust you, Bub!"
Maybe because of the 9/11 incidents no one trusts anyone anymore. I don't know, but I sure don't like being suspected of passing a bogus bill for no good reason.
But here are the facts...
According to the Federal Reserve, less than 5/100th of a percent of US currency is fake. That's one bill out of every 2000. And industry sources say that the overwhelming majority of counterfeit money is in circulation *OUTSIDE* the US!
I guess it's better to hold up the check out line and inconvenience 1999 customers just because of the statistically low chance you may catch the 2000th person trying to rip you off.
I guess it's okay to insult the dignity of 1999 customers because of the one customer that may try to pass a bad bill.
This is Mindless Marketing at its finest!
By the way, I bought myself one of those anti-counterfeiting pens and I carry it when I plan to pay with a large bill.
When a sales clerk has the audacity to check one of my bills, I reciprocate. I check ALL the bills I get in return. I mark them. I hold them up to the light. I rub them. In other words, I give the store a massive dose of its own medicine!
It's amazing, but the reaction of people in back of me in the checkout line has generally been supportive. I've even had a few people cheer me on! It's usually only the cashier who gets bent out of shape at my act of retaliation.
Call me, Nick Nichols, at 702-227-5877 and I'll show you how to turn your customers into raving fans of your business!
"NOT hiring Nick Nichols will cost you a LOT more than hiring him!"
(0) comments
