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Sainsburys accidentally puts motivational staff poster that customers were never meant to see in shop window

Smee [Edit] [Delete] 93 replies 12:50, 30 September '14

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/sep/30/sainsburys-puts-poster-in-window-that-customers-were-never-meant-to-see-?CMP=twt_gu

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  • :D

    supermarket chains really are the worst, aren't they?

    guntrip | 30 Sep '14, 12:52 | X
    PinkyBrain, ma0sm, meths, and incandenza_ this'd this
  • some proper embarrassing shit going down at the moment

    Elaina_Casoolare | 30 Sep '14, 12:57 | X
  • it's a lol from me

    chris-budget | 30 Sep '14, 12:57 | X
    littlebirds, PinkyBrain, monoshono, Royter-Hatfood, and Smee this'd this
  • Brilliant

    But it did make me think. Most businesses it is a given that the staff try and encourage shoppers to spend. Some do little else, and have twat pressure sales staff. Supermarkets however the offers are just displayed for us to pick and choose, and the staff have to be reminded to try and get people to spend money. But what are they supposed to do? Walk up to people and suggest they get the organic apples instead of value?

    steinbolt | 30 Sep '14, 12:57 | X
    • .

      Surreptitiously drop a 50p item in their trolley and hope they can't be arsed to do anything about it at the tills.

      Pegfeet @steinbolt | 30 Sep '14, 13:01 | X
  • Shocked and appalled that shops are trying to up-sell to us

    Shocked and appalled.

    Kind though of the guardian inviting us to get involved too: "What do you think about the mistake? Are you surprised retailers have such motivational posters for their staff? Will it put you off shopping at Sainsbury’s? Share your comments in the thread."

    foppyish | 30 Sep '14, 13:05 | X
    • :D

      It's a clumsy and funny PR move, but yeah, trying to turn it into some kind of 'OH MY GOD SAINSBURY'S ARE TRYING TO EXPLOIT US' scandal is demented.

      Pegfeet @foppyish | 30 Sep '14, 13:07 | X
      littlebirds, UnicornPorn, shadyadie, badmanreturns, jontosh2001, ElthamsmateOwen, and Smee this'd this
      • "I always thought that the staff in clarks shoes were just being, y'know, friendly?!?!"

        foppyish @Pegfeet | 30 Sep '14, 13:09 | X
    • Won't be long before the end of every news article

      sounds like the start of an episode of Kilroy.

      Is beheading here to stay or is it just a phase we'll all grow out of? How will benefits cuts affect you - what about YOUR ELDERLY GRANNY? Is it right that paedophiles are allowed hands?

      umlaut_ampersand @foppyish | 30 Sep '14, 13:30 | X
    • people's reaction has made me want to shop there more

      foppyish @foppyish | 30 Sep '14, 13:35 | X
  • I think the recent real Microsoft Office ones are far worse

    Parsefone | 30 Sep '14, 13:07 | X
  • Every service job in the world ever

    will ask you to do a degree of this. Whether it is disguised as 'good customer service' or however they sugar coat it, it all comes down to wanting you to increase your ATV, and their profits.
    It's funny that this has clearly been put in the wrong place, but the backlash and tweets things I have seen like 'Disgusting! I'm going straight to the press' is laughably ignorant.

    ElthamsmateOwen | 30 Sep '14, 13:07 | X
    justanothersheeldz, plasticniki, and Smee this'd this
    • But capitalism sucks, man!

      Raanraals @ElthamsmateOwen | 30 Sep '14, 13:12 | X
      • nice try Raanrals, but even mr worldwide communist utopia over here (me)

        isn't that fussed

        actually, i feel sorry for the poor confused minimum wage plook who probably put this up unthinkingly. or that it was some dude troublemaking on their last day

        brusma @Raanraals | 30 Sep '14, 13:15 | X
        • As long as the lackey responsible

          gets fired forthwith, we'll all sleep well at night.

          Raanraals @brusma | 30 Sep '14, 13:20 | X
          • what if he gets fired into the side of your house

            and started decaying and the smell
            just
            won't
            go
            away

            that might disturb your sleep

            this is a weird post and i should get back to work

            brusma @Raanraals | 30 Sep '14, 13:24 | X
            • Fucking hell

              Can we all just take a minute to look at this^^ post in disgust?

              Hello_Sadness @brusma | 30 Sep '14, 13:32 | X
              brusma, Pegfeet, and ElthamsmateOwen this'd this
    • so much this.

      it's funny they stuck it in the window. but they're a supermarket filled with things they want you to buy - what do people think is their relationship to this place?!

      powerfulmellow @ElthamsmateOwen | 30 Sep '14, 13:17 | X
    • ?

      http://uncrate.com/p/2011/04/king-cobra-atv-xl.jpg

      noise_ramones @ElthamsmateOwen | 30 Sep '14, 13:22 | X
      badmanreturns this'd this
      • That would be more fun.

        Average Transaction Value

        ElthamsmateOwen @noise_ramones | 30 Sep '14, 14:18 | X
  • Supermarket in wanting its customers to spend more money shocker!

    This is hardly despicable, although having a few posters knocking about it hardly going to encourage staff to do it. Supermarkets, remember. 90% of your frontline staff don't give two twelfths of a shit about you. Possibly even less.

    Exception to this rule is Waitrose, who of course have a partnership system and are thus naturally incentivised, and rewarded, for good and profitable customer service.

    Shows Sainsbury's to be strategically moronic, more than anything.

    GetOffMyLawn | 30 Sep '14, 13:16 | X
  • I like to think a disgruntled worker did it intentionally.

    ChintzyLacroix | 30 Sep '14, 13:17 | X
    Royter-Hatfood and badmanreturns this'd this
  • it's probably a bit OTT to have much of a reaction beyond "lol, twats" I guess

    SUBTHREAD: What have you been forced to upsell?

    Anywhere I've ever worked has been too disorganised to properly put the squeeze on. The best was working at Blockbuster when they did 2 haagen-dazs for a fiver. We'd desperately not mention it, obscure the signs etc so people wouldn't notice and we could get ourselves £1 tubs. God we were hopeless.

    fidel_catstro | 30 Sep '14, 13:25 | X
    • Worked in a bakers when a teenager

      The only upselling I had to do was ask if they wanted their bread sliced which cost an extra 5p to run it through the slicing machine. Seeing as the machine only had one setting and it was extra extra thin and provided you with a transparent tissue of bread, no one went for it.

      I've been fortunate not to work in any sales roles since.

      jontosh2001 @fidel_catstro | 30 Sep '14, 13:34 | X
    • Already been there mate.

      http://drownedinsound.com/community/boards/social/4445388

      Chairman_LMAO's Forint anecdote in here is one for the ages.

      GetOffMyLawn @fidel_catstro | 30 Sep '14, 13:35 | X
      • =')

        that. is. sublime.

        fidel_catstro @GetOffMyLawn | 30 Sep '14, 13:37 | X
    • Everything at Cineworld.

      If someone just wanted a drink we'd HAVE to upsell them a drink/popcorn deal. If someone wanted a small deal, we'd HAVE to upsell them a medium one. And so on.

      If the supervisors ever caught you NOT upselling, you got a right talking to. Absolute cunts.

      plasticniki @fidel_catstro | 30 Sep '14, 13:36 | X
      • i was well good at me

        wanna make it large for 50p mate

        TheKennedyCurse @plasticniki | 30 Sep '14, 14:30 | X
    • when I worked at a Virgin Megastore

      the counter staff were expected to upsell Virgin credit cards to anyone over 18. Thankfully I never worked out front.

      guntrip @fidel_catstro | 30 Sep '14, 17:24 | X
  • didn't one of you get "sainsburys" on ello the other day?

    foppyish | 30 Sep '14, 13:26 | X
    • if it wasn't a joke

      there's definitely #bantstobehad

      ethricdouble @foppyish | 30 Sep '14, 13:34 | X
      umlaut_ampersand and foppyish this'd this
  • Kind of feel that the most shocking thing is they're trying to aim for 50p extra per shop

    horrifyingly low target.

    Hello_Sadness | 30 Sep '14, 13:34 | X
    • across the board that probably works out at hundreds of billions or sth

      (I'm not a finance guy)

      fidel_catstro @Hello_Sadness | 30 Sep '14, 13:35 | X
    • no it's 50p extra per sales transaction per customer

      the target for the day isn't one 50p

      CrispinAlexander @Hello_Sadness | 30 Sep '14, 13:37 | X
      • per shop as in per customer's shop

        dingbat

        Hello_Sadness @CrispinAlexander | 30 Sep '14, 13:58 | X
        • then that makes even less sense doesn't it

          why is trying to upsell 50p per customer at the checkout a horrifyingly low target? it's completely standard, newspaper, polos, chocolate, bottled water etc...

          CrispinAlexander @Hello_Sadness | 30 Sep '14, 14:51 | X
    • For staff on the tills, it amounts to a chocolate bar, I guess.

      marckee @Hello_Sadness | 30 Sep '14, 13:40 | X
      • Or one 2nd class stamp

        Assuming Sainsbos sell them at the tills. I don't know. Who posts stuff these days?

        Raanraals @marckee | 30 Sep '14, 17:17 | X
        • On DiS?

          Social or Music?

          TheWza @Raanraals | 1 Oct '14, 10:00 | X
        • I do

          I love posting things
          I sometimes use stamps but sometimes get them franked at work if i'm sending enclosures as that's more reliable than sticking on two stamps and hoping for the best.

          UnicornPorn @Raanraals | 1 Oct '14, 10:05 | X
  • is this why you get asked at the till

    'have you found everything you intended to buy today?'

    Has anyone ever said no? What happens?

    jontosh2001 | 30 Sep '14, 13:36 | X
    • new staff have a look for it for you

      older staff just let it go

      foppyish @jontosh2001 | 30 Sep '14, 13:41 | X
  • I don't understand why anyone is angry at this.

    I mean, it's quite funny, but it's not something to go into a rage about, surely?

    marckee | 30 Sep '14, 13:41 | X
    monoshono and justanothersheeldz this'd this
    • It is and it isn't, really, isn't it?

      it's not unusual or out of the ordinary, but it's kind of enraging in that if-I-actually-thought-about-all-this-I-would-have-to-go-live-in-a-hole-in-the-woods way.

      fidel_catstro @marckee | 30 Sep '14, 13:43 | X
  • all this boils down to is making customers aware

    Of promotions such as multibuys when asked about certain productss

    Yesiamaduck | 30 Sep '14, 13:49 | X
  • I'm curious as to what the staff are supposed to sell for an additional 50p?

    The cheapest chocolate bar at the till is like 60p. What else are they supposed to say?
    "Can I interest you in a pack of cigarettes, lighter or a painkillers"

    msmonipenni | 30 Sep '14, 13:50 | X
    • chocolate bars are too expensive

      but a deck of fags is about 50p?

      aggressively_passive @msmonipenni | 30 Sep '14, 13:55 | X
      • No idea

        It was more of an after thought as to what on earth they're supposed to upsell at the till?

        msmonipenni @aggressively_passive | 30 Sep '14, 13:59 | X
  • If you saw this it would be funny

    you might even take a photo to show your mum. That would be it.

    Balonz | 30 Sep '14, 13:51 | X
    • alright, kik

      TheWza @Balonz | 1 Oct '14, 10:02 | X
  • i suspect it's been planted by a rogue Tesco employee

    no-class | 30 Sep '14, 13:56 | X
  • Don't understand the upselling is just part of life deal with it comments

    Super cool for not caring though, I mean if we all don't care companies can do whatever they want, so that's cool.

    RFWare | 30 Sep '14, 13:59 | X
    • yes

      not being particularly bothered by this is the same as letting companies do whatever they want

      fidel_catstro @RFWare | 30 Sep '14, 14:03 | X
      • There's a difference between not being bothered by this one thing

        And the sort of 'it's just capitalism, whatever' attitudes I'm reading

        RFWare @fidel_catstro | 30 Sep '14, 14:11 | X
        • It just shows a naivety from people who are shocked.

          Of course that's how these businesses work. It also helps to keep everything cheaper.

          moousee @RFWare | 30 Sep '14, 14:21 | X
          ElthamsmateOwen this'd this
          • Yeah it's almost as if people want to think things like working conditions

            might improve a bit

            RFWare @moousee | 30 Sep '14, 15:03 | X
            • Only ever worked at two Tescos, not a Sainsburys.

              Was treated better there then in most jobs since (not including this one). Decent benefits, pay wasn't so bad, subsidised canteen, decent HR department. Yeah, the job itself was shitty, but that's the nature of the beast. Unless things have drastically changed in the last few years, or Sainsburys has inexplicably decided to treat its staff worse than it's main competitors, I don't think that the working conditions need improving that much.

              moousee @RFWare | 30 Sep '14, 15:12 | X
              ElthamsmateOwen and andyvine this'd this
              • I just don't like the idea of pressure on them to sell

                RFWare @moousee | 30 Sep '14, 15:23 | X
              • I used to work at Sainsburys

                and apart from the early start (which was basically my choice) and the tedium of the work, it was fucking brilliant- loads of overtime available, fairly easy on the holidays, cheap canteen, a free samples lady who used to give me buckets of food. Best job ever.

                Hello_Sadness @moousee | 30 Sep '14, 17:13 | X
  • Crying with laughter #50pChallenge "Would Sir like some more biscuits?"

    umlaut_ampersand | 30 Sep '14, 13:59 | X
    harru and fappable this'd this
  • I used to work at a Clarks in Mothercare World.

    Served Victoria Beckham. Told her that Brooklyn's mini pretend trainers needed protection from the rain (he was a baby, barely walking). Sold her a can of this stuff. Later realised that it was shoe polish. Doubt she cared.

    moousee | 30 Sep '14, 14:14 | X
  • Used to work in Clarks well,

    and our daily targets were to sell 3% handbags and 7% shoe care (the percentages being 3% and 7% of our total transactions for the day).

    We were fairly pressured into up-selling to every single customer, especially when I worked in a Central London store, where they seemed to be insanely neurotic about pushing handbags and shoe trees at every poor customer that walked through the door. Felt sorry for them sometimes and some got arsey, which I don’t blame them for tbh.

    Starstripe | 30 Sep '14, 14:33 | X
    moousee this'd this
    • yeah, it was pretty maddening.

      The main problem in my store was that the managers were two middle aged women and practically everyone else who worked in the store was 16 and couldn't give a flying fuck about the job. It was so sad that these women cared so much about it.

      Obviously now I can see that they just didn't want to lose their job, but at the time I just thought that they were a couple of jerks.

      moousee @Starstripe | 30 Sep '14, 14:41 | X
      • They were jerks man.

        wilykit @moousee | 30 Sep '14, 14:47 | X
      • yeah I worked in Clarkes too

        Was good getting to use the foot measure thing but I fucking hated that job. Constantly running up and down stairs, having to touch things that had touched people's feet :(

        DarwinDude @moousee | 2 Oct '14, 07:54 | X
        • once when out store didn't make targets

          the supervisor had a massive go at us saying she had wanted a new computer but couldn't afford one without her bonus and we should be ashamed of ourselves. Pure pure shit company to work for. Contract was for like 4 hours a week as well. Manager once tried to get me to come in for 2 hours, obviously told her to fuck off.

          DarwinDude @DarwinDude | 2 Oct '14, 07:59 | X
  • I definitely didn't let some guy off because he was 5p short yesterday

    definitely didn't just silently nod and let him have the goods anyway.

    incandenza_ | 30 Sep '14, 14:47 | X
    • Give me free stuff

      moousee @incandenza_ | 30 Sep '14, 14:49 | X
    • Seconded. You jerk.

      wilykit @incandenza_ | 30 Sep '14, 14:49 | X
      • you can have a Nectar pen each

        it has a pull-out thing that tells you how to Nectar.

        also feel free to raid our bins!

        incandenza_ @wilykit | 30 Sep '14, 17:08 | X
  • Everyone moaning about how this isn't that bad is stupid.

    It's a tired, pathetic attempt by someone somewhere to motivate staff into making the company more money. Some chump has come up with this idea in a very boring meeting. It's the kind of thing people learn on away days. It's a shit solution to making the company more money - "er, let's just sell more yeah?". Crap. We should fighting against things like this ever needing to happen.

    It's so, so lame.

    meths | 30 Sep '14, 14:54 | X
    RFWare and Gorkys_Forever this'd this
    • Stop shopping in any supermarket ever then?

      ElthamsmateOwen @meths | 30 Sep '14, 15:13 | X
      • Nothing wrong with them selling me stuff

        and I couldn't give two shits about seeing that in a supermarket. I just don't like thinking outside the box type management that is dreadful and unimaginative.

        If you want your staff to work better, treat them better and create a better culture.

        meths @ElthamsmateOwen | 30 Sep '14, 15:17 | X
        • Yeah, obviously this sign is unimaginative and shit

          but I would have imagined there would have been something more than just
          FatCat: Guys! You need to get everyone to spend an extra 50p
          MinimumWageJoe: how?
          FatCat: [shrugs] I 'unno

          ElthamsmateOwen @meths | 30 Sep '14, 15:25 | X
          • that's exactly what it says and implies.

            "Oh we'll make it a competition for the staff".
            "The staff will only hate us more, they're not that stupid."
            "Have you left for the printers yet? I'm marketeering here!"

            meths @ElthamsmateOwen | 30 Sep '14, 15:27 | X
            • uh huh.

              When I worked in Habitat they decided they were doing a big drive on getting people to sign up to the mailing list and offered a prize for the employee who bagged the most signups.

              I went at it with gusto. "Free catalogue, usually £2", "Invites to preview evenings with free wine", "discounts via post", etc. All legit true stuff. Some employees gave me a run for my money by getting loads of friends and family to sign up. I still topped the chart. And that was just doing weekends rather than full time.

              The person running the thing then decided that I must have cheated in some way to have done so well, so I was robbed of my prize. Can't remember what it was, but it had a decent value.

              And now habitat is a lesbian*.

              *bankrupt (except for one shop in London maybe?)

              TheWza @meths | 1 Oct '14, 10:14 | X
              • I used to work in Habitat!

                In Leicester. I loved it there for some reason.

                It's closed down and is now a massive camping shop.

                boydungud @TheWza | 1 Oct '14, 16:06 | X
          • Can't really believe I'm defending that which I don't care about

            but there you go.

            Hopefully there will be other incentives and bonuses for stores that hit target ATV's etc, which is what has always happened at places I have worked at before. I don't work at Sainsbury's so I honestly have no idea.

            ElthamsmateOwen @ElthamsmateOwen | 30 Sep '14, 15:28 | X
            • Double pay on a Sunday.

              Well, one a three quarters anyway.

              meths @ElthamsmateOwen | 30 Sep '14, 15:28 | X
        • ^ check out Che Guavara over here

          Royter-Hatfood @meths | 30 Sep '14, 15:35 | X
      • I really really *really* wish I could stop shopping in supermarkets

        but it's largely not practical for a lot of reasons.

        guntrip @ElthamsmateOwen | 30 Sep '14, 17:25 | X
    • so you're a Tesco's man these days, meths?

      fidel_catstro @meths | 30 Sep '14, 15:16 | X
      ElthamsmateOwen this'd this
      • :(

        RFWare @fidel_catstro | 30 Sep '14, 15:25 | X
    • Yep, it is definitely a corporate bullshit idea

      trickled down from a boardroom somewhere to the poor chumps who actually have to do it. The worst is when it inevitably doesn't work, either as the staff or customers hate it, then the managers get grief and they take it out on the staff and they hate it even more. Ugh.

      steinbolt @meths | 30 Sep '14, 15:24 | X
      • It's a pretty shit situation all round

        But if you shop in a supermarket you're not allowed to know it.

        RFWare @steinbolt | 30 Sep '14, 15:28 | X
  • sainsburys being cunts. Shock Horror

    PinkyBrain | 1 Oct '14, 10:04 | X
    • I tohught sainsbury's were leaders

      in the retail field when it came to coprorate social responbility?

      this is such a non story. it's a pure embarrassment for the people at the coal face (till) to have to say 'did you know you can get a slab of dairy milk for a puond this week', etc, and I'm sure there are more clever ways to cross or upsell, but it's hardly a barbaric practice. Sheesh.

      UnicornPorn @PinkyBrain | 1 Oct '14, 10:14 | X
      ElthamsmateOwen and funkycow this'd this
      • Either way.

        For Sainsbury's to be leaders in the retail field when it comes to corporate social responbility would be about as impressive as a claim from Barclays that they regularly donate to food banks.

        (And, no, it's not barbaric, but no-one said it was. And upselling as a concept is understood and acknowledged. But crushingly unimaginative ploys a la "would you like a one kg bat of dairy milk with your newspaper" are really rather risible and pretty demeaning to both the employee and the customer, though.)

        TheWza @UnicornPorn | 1 Oct '14, 10:22 | X
        • At least they're not WH Smith

          their self-checkouts try and upsell you junk food.

          guntrip @TheWza | 1 Oct '14, 18:56 | X
          TheWza this'd this
  • When I used to work there about 7 years back

    They decided that if they could *just* get every customer in every store across the country to spend an extra £1.17, they'd meet some crazily high multi-million pound profit target. So every month, there'd be a different product that had its price reduced to £1.17, which we were supposed to hawk around to customers. I.e. "How about this lemon drizzle cake, madam? Just £1.17 this week."

    It was weird actually. That was just part of this monthly meeting we had to go to, where we all had to sit around and watch this corporate video of Justin King (ceo at the time, who did do brilliantly for them tbf) visiting a branch and being treated like the messiah. And sometimes Justin would introduce "a sneak peak of Jamie's new advert" as if anyone gave a shit. Was the sort of video I imagine you get shown on your lunch break in North Korea.

    BobRickerton | 1 Oct '14, 14:50 | X
    • Yes!!!!

      I knew we had been asked to sell some sort of arbitrary amount when I worked there. Why the fuck was it £1.17?!

      The Sainsburys magazine used to treat justin as the fucking messiah.

      Hello_Sadness @BobRickerton | 1 Oct '14, 16:10 | X
  • When I worked at Halfords as a lad...

    ...we had 'The Halfords Pledge™" printed on blue perspex which was mounted on the door to the shop floor. Think there we 4 points - can't remember what they are now - that were supposed to motivate you when you entered the retail environment.

    One day, someone unscrewed it and put it back the wrong way up. Andy Wiggins (senior manager) went BALLISTIC as you can imagine!

    "What if top brass from Head Office decide to wander in for a store visit? Huh? Not so funny then".

    He also used to smash coffee cups against the wall outside if people didn't do the washing up in the staffroom.

    CHAIRMAN_LMAO | 1 Oct '14, 15:55 | X
  • We had to start doing this at HMV

    Selling shit DVDs for £2 when someone spent £10 or more. Told them I wasn't doing it, the manager told me it was my job, so I just walked out. I don't care about the idea of it (although the greed is pretty sickening), but its crazily demeaning to the staff

    Songs_about_ducking | 2 Oct '14, 08:22 | X
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