It’s Not Free So Quit Asking
by If you work in retail you most likely hate the phrase “Is it free?”. Why do retail workers hate this expression so much? Read further and find out why.
I work in a retail gift store and daily I am asked all manner of questions about the products. Some of these questions are valid and some are ridiculous. People will ask if something that is quite apparently not meant to go outside can be left outside over winter. People ask for discounts on items that are clearly marked “No further discounts will be applied”. One time a person came back with a puzzle that they already solved, told me they solved it, and asked if they could exchange it for the demo puzzle from the same product line that had a different picture. Thus being able to solve two puzzles for the price of one. The most tedious question that I am asked working in retail is the dreaded “Is it free?”, that is always followed by an idiotic laugh, if a customer can not find the price of the item.
It seems that this matter of folks assuming something is free because it lacks a price tag is a universal problem faced by many retail employees as a local radio station asked the question “what is the most annoying thing people say to you at your workplace” and two back to back callers responded “Is it free?”. This question might not be as annoying as it is if it were not followed by the same stupid giggle by everyone who poses it. Does it not occur to them that if something were actually being give away for free that it would have a sign on it that says “Take one they’re free!”. After all when people are giving away things for free they usually put it out there in a grander way than when they are selling them. Price tags are usually small and discreet. Signs saying something is being given away for free are usually big and gaudy as they are meant to be noticed so that the thing can be gotten rid of quickly.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Durian_customer.jpg
Now that we have established that if something is really being given away for free it will have a large sign saying it is free no one ever needs to bother another retail employee with the ridiculous question “Is it free” if they can not find a price tag. But that will not happen because as soon as someone finds an item where they can not find the price tag they get this feeling deep at the core of their being that drives them to think they have to rush to the nearest retail sales staff to make a funny. They will rush to ask that question “Is it free?” even if they have no intention of buying the product that they can not find the price tag on. They just want to find that sales person as fast as they can to make their little funny as if no one else in the world had ever thought of saying “Is it free?” to a sales person before in the history of man or woman kind. I find that in my personal experience that customers are in such a rush to make this tedious little funny to the store’s sales staff that they fail to see the price tag on the corner of the item and I end up having to rain on their little comedic parade by pointing to the price tag and saying “It’s $19.99.”.
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Post Commentnobert soloria bermosa
On August 21, 2010 at 6:26 am
i don’t think i can last for a week working in a retail store…
BRENDAKSHELTON
On August 21, 2010 at 7:52 am
great article
Anuradha Ramkumar
On August 21, 2010 at 8:29 am
Gr8 share. It is definitely difficult to work in a retail store.
babygirl3605
On August 21, 2010 at 8:30 am
I understand. I hated being asked that same question but then again it is awful not being able to find prices. That is why I like the price boxes they have in stores now.
thresiapaulose
On August 21, 2010 at 9:19 am
nice work, Mark
Dana11
On August 21, 2010 at 10:32 am
I disagree with this article. I’m a customer and I’ve never asked that question to someone because usually there’s no one to help out anyways. I guess it all depends on where you live and the management but I think everything in the store should have a price tag or a lot more of those Price checkers thingys that actually work. Because it doesn’t count if you scan the item and can’t see the price. Many people like to know how much something costs before they buy it.
postpunkpixie
On August 21, 2010 at 10:41 am
Ah the curse of people who think they’re oh-so witty and spouting the very same thing that everyone else says. It’s like people at the theatre asking me “do you act as well?” when I’m running the box office, or, when it gets near Halloween, someone suggesting “hey you should dress as a normal person!” They don’t realise that they’re “joke” is nowhere near as original as they think.
That’s assuming that the people asking “is it free?” don’t honestly think it’s free… then again in this day and age you can never tell quite how thick people really are.
Brenda Nelson
On August 21, 2010 at 11:23 am
I work in the same store as Mark.. we hear this comment regularly, and it is annoying when people think they are being witty or original….
Mark is going to make a sign “Anything with out a price tag is $50,000″
Jimmy Shilaho
On August 21, 2010 at 1:01 pm
A very interesting entry. I couldn’t help but laugh though I know consumers can be so nagging at times.
Michael Eboh
On August 21, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Glad to read your post once again. Thanks for sharing.
Ruby Hawk
On August 22, 2010 at 2:03 pm
I worked in retail but I never had anyone ask me if anything was free. I have had folks ask for further discounts and they often got it by going to the manager. I found that you can get great discounts by going to the manager and making an offer. It surprised even me and now I do it all the time.
irenen1
On August 26, 2010 at 1:06 am
When hiring for retail salespeople, it always amused me when applicants stated, “I enjoy working with the public. I’m a people person.” Clearly they had no experience. If I could have, I’d hire them just to change their minds!