Torture at Bealls Dept Store

[mtdjed]

I went into Bealls with my wife today. What an experience at checkout! Torture may be banned for terrorists but not for Bealls customers.

Hello, how are you today? I am glad to hear that. Have you had the opportunity to obtain a Bealls credit card. No? Well I can help you get that right now. OK . do you have any coupons? Oh isn't this pretty and at such a good discount and with your coupon, it's a steal. You know, if you apply for a Bealls credit card you can even get a better price. By the way, can I Have your EMAIL address so that we can send you more coupons. Thanks. Will this be all today? That will be $5.48. How would you like to pay for that?

Thank you for shopping at Bealls. Here is another coupon that will be good on February 16.

[skip0358]

So what was the Torture ? An employee just doing their job.
:BigApplause:

[claricecolin]

The way most retail works either they knew they were about to get a "shop" or they just had one and the score wasn't good. Doing bad on one of these can be a warning in your file or sometimes a termination. FYI most retail companies hire a company to send people to go in, shop and grade their stores. Some companies have certain things they expect to be said to a customer during various interactions and if that is not done it lowers the grade.

[Allegiance]

I feel sorry for retail workers. Good jobs are hard to find. Just smile and say "thank you,no."

[spring_chicken]

What gets me is all these stores that want your name, address, phone, and email to make a purchase. This has happened to me at Radio Shack and at outlet malls (Ralph Lauren Polo store was the worst).
Nobody is required to give their personal information to make a purchase and it amazes me how many naive people do this.

[manaboutown]

This sounds so typical of the retail experience these days. I hate it!

[graciegirl]

I think that my high school English teacher would have taken points off for too dramatic a title.

[PattyCakes]

Publix has, or at least did have, "Secret Shoppers" and if you did not respond in a certain way, reminding the customer of other items on sale, etc., your department, like the Deli or Bakery, got a bad mark. People who have never worked in retail have no idea how difficult it is to please very grumpy, cranky people. Please be nice to sales people. At least, don't be angry because of conversations like this. It's their job, and they can lose it if they don't follow through and do their best. Just smile and say No Thanks. Please!

[rhood]

When I shop, either at Bealls or anywhere, all I want to do is check out without any delay. I know the clerks are doing what they are told but it is irritating when the line doesn't move.

[claricecolin]

I can appreciate that it may be irritating but they are doing their job. "Secret Shops" are taken very seriously by corporate offices and people can lose their jobs over bad ones. So as an earlier poster said just smile and say no. Trust me in most cases they don't want to go through that spiel either but they know they have to.

[DonH57]

I never worked retail but I worked for service companies that contracted mechanical equipment work for them. It's sad what these corporate minds expect out of retail workers and the rewards for when they do right is pretty slim.

[Sandtrap328]

I went into Bealls with my wife today. What an experience at checkout! Torture may be banned for terrorists but not for Bealls customers.

Hello, how are you today? I am glad to hear that. Have you had the opportunity to obtain a Bealls credit card. No? Well I can help you get that right now. OK . do you have any coupons? Oh isn't this pretty and at such a good discount and with your coupon, it's a steal. You know, if you apply for a Bealls credit card you can even get a better price. By the way, can I Have your EMAIL address so that we can send you more coupons. Thanks. Will this be all to day? That will be $5.48. How would you like to pay for that?

Thank you for shopping at Bealls. Here is another coupon that will be good on February 16.

It sounds perfectly nice to me. If you do not want the credit card or to give your email address, just smile and say, "no, thank you".

It is lots better than having a clerk frown, ring up the sale, and just tell you what the total is.

This is The Villages. Be friendly. We are retired. The clerks have a job. Make it easy for them and be pleasant!

[HoosierPa]

Another reason I do 95% of my shopping at Amazon.com from the comfort of my sofa. Click, click, place order !

[Steve9930]

Here is my conclusion. Putting 100K Plus Seniors in one geographic area is a bad experiment.

[justjim]

If I was "Emperor" the first thing I would do is eliminate all coupons! What a nuisance.

[jancap27]

I'd MUCH rather have to go through that than deal with a miserable employee!!!

[Cajulian]

What you people don't like all the great savings coupons at Bealls!! They have the best deals of any local stores.

[bagboy]

I went into Bealls with my wife today. What an experience at checkout! Torture may be banned for terrorists but not for Bealls customers.

Hello, how are you today? I am glad to hear that. Have you had the opportunity to obtain a Bealls credit card. No? Well I can help you get that right now. OK . do you have any coupons? Oh isn't this pretty and at such a good discount and with your coupon, it's a steal. You know, if you apply for a Bealls credit card you can even get a better price. By the way, can I Have your EMAIL address so that we can send you more coupons. Thanks. Will this be all today? That will be $5.48. How would you like to pay for that?

Thank you for shopping at Bealls. Here is another coupon that will be good on February 16.

You should have stayed the car.

[gerryann]

Here is my conclusion. Putting 100K Plus Seniors in one geographic area is a bad experiment.

I agree, especially when they have a problem with friendly sales clerks who are doing their job.

[kcrazorbackfan]

What you experienced OP, is what the retail salesperson is told to do from a corporate office; they do it or they are out of work. The clerks have to "touch" as many customers as they can with offers or specials. I don't like it either, but I do treat them with respect and just say "no thank you".

[Medtrans]

Torture? Seriously? A clerk st Bealls told me when we were joking about the e-mail that they get dinged for not asking. I just politely said no. How hard is that?

[Cisco Kid]

I had a young lady ask for my phone number once at check out.
I told her not now my wife is come.
She turned beet red.

[graciegirl]

Dumby me. I typed " I agree with all the posters above" and then I see somehow the posts changed or more were inserted. What I agree with is that OP is a tad dramatic and probably should have waited on the bench.


The Bealls person was doing as directed. A no thank you and a smile would have sufficed.


We have issues in this world that require words like "torture". AND that is what we need to reserve that word's use for.


I am sorry Mrs. B. I just dangled a participle and started that sentence with an and.

[BobnBev]

It sounds perfectly nice to me. If you do not want the credit card or to give your email address, just smile and say, "no, thank you".

It is lots better than having a clerk frown, ring up the sale, and just tell you what the total is.

This is The Villages. Be friendly. We are retired. The clerks have a job. Make it easy for them and be pleasant!

My thoughts exactly. Don't be a :rant-rave: shopper.

[PNaughton]

Good advice to stay in the car and let the wife do the shopping and be tortured.
Or you could wander around the parking lot at Bealls and look for the "Q tip"that parked her Grand Marquis in two spaces. This photo will appear on line under the title "Tortured parking at Beall's" don't shop there.

[Taltarzac725]

I love coupons. And do not mind getting a lot of e-mails. I believe I have around 45,000 in my queue. Most of these I just go through and delete in groups of a few thousand when I have a few spare hours.

I like talking to the various retail clerks. I really miss the people at the Villages Blockbuster --Charlotte, Mimi and John and others-- as they often had good recommendations about movies. The Blockbusters used to be where the First Watch now is in the Spanish Plaines Shopping Center.

[Boomer]

I just finished reading Coconut Cowboy by Tim Dorsey.

I decided to give Dorsey a try because my favorite Florida writer Carl Hiaasen does not write his books fast enough. But I learned that Tim Dorsey seems to be writing his books too fast. It was my first Tim Dorsey and might be my last.

Tim is no Carl. Serge is no Skink. And Dorsey can't begin to turn a phrase like Hiaasen can. And Dorsey's humor might be a little too noir for a sweetheart like me......But I digress........

The point of this post is that while this thread and the other one about Colony Publix have been running and I was reading Coconut Cowboy, one of Dorsey's miscreant (though insightful) characters says, "In Florida, a lot of people need to be mad to be happy. They're just looking for a reason, any reason."

Coincidence.

Boomer :read:

[dewilson58]

I enjoy the place.

I keep personal data, personal. No need to give out.

The coupons, discounts and deals bring people back.

My bride will pull out her smart phone and display an electronic couple (from God knows where) and BAM, another 20% off.

Enjoy the Journey.

[graciegirl]

I enjoy the place.

I keep personal data, personal. No need to give out.

The coupons, discounts and deals bring people back.

My bride will pull out her smart phone and display an electronic couple (from God knows where) and BAM, another 20% off.

Enjoy the Journey.


You are a good person, Mr. Wilson.

[blueeagle65]

I think that my high school English teacher would have taken points off for too dramatic a title.

Good one, Gracie! :clap2:

[NotGolfer]

Torture....really??? Torture is what the talaban does with it's prisoners! Discomfort would be a better way but you must not get out much as this is the way most checkers do in stores. They're required to. They always/always ask those questions. With personal info, I just tell them they already have it or say "politely" no thank you!!

I was at Beall's myself, yesterday and the checker was waiting for folks to walk up---NO lines!!! It was busy through-out the store too!! It was a pleasant day of shopping!

[gatherer47]

I understand the person's frustration but go with it ! I always take a book and read while the wife does her thing .

[Retiring]

I feel your pain. When asked personal questions I simply say “I’m unlisted,” or “I’d rather not.” Seems to work ok.

I’m afraid playing 21 questions with the cashier will never change. One on those things we deal with being part of a society.

[Sandtrap328]

I understand the person's frustration but go with it ! I always take a book and read while the wife does her thing .

It takes two people to go shopping?

If Mrs. Trap is going clothing shopping for herself, she doesn't want me along! Same with me. If I need a new pair of shorts for golf, I go by myself.

With grocery shopping, I will go along to help carry bags - sometimes.

[manaboutown]

Somebody gave me a plastic device which broadcasts "NO" in various voices. Perhaps the next time I go into a retail store I will bring it along and put it to good use. All I want to do is get in, buy what I want and get out. I do not want to waste my time listening to upsales, credit card pitches, ad nauseum...

[rubicon]

I think that my high school English teacher would have taken points off for too dramatic a title.

Yep, that's just the type of customer a clerk needs when your feet are hurting and your employer is making more demands on you and not even with a salary increase. The OP's description of his conversation with the clerk makes me want to say to the clerk "Oh you poor thing, can I buy you a pizza."

[Boomer]

Publix has, or at least did have, "Secret Shoppers" and if you did not respond in a certain way, reminding the customer of other items on sale, etc., your department, like the Deli or Bakery, got a bad mark. People who have never worked in retail have no idea how difficult it is to please very grumpy, cranky people. Please be nice to sales people. At least, don't be angry because of conversations like this. It's their job, and they can lose it if they don't follow through and do their best. Just smile and say No Thanks. Please!

Exactly!

There is an old and classic piece of dating advice that says you can tell a lot about a man by how he treats the server.........Maybe that advice should be extended to include how he treats sales people........but I guess people do not usually go to Beall's or Publix on dates. Maybe they should........

Women could conduct experiments early in the game and possibly save a lot of time.