Basically, this post is an all inclusive word that might just be the most important thing you've seen all day:
ASK!
People expect us to look for bargains. It's built into our nature as a human being, and nobody's immune. Why be the full-price payer when you don't have to? So what do I mean by "ask"? Basically, this word should infuse you with enough confidence to feel the world is yours. Stores exist because of you, the buyer. Believe me, if you weren't shopping, they wouldn't be open. They want you. And they'll do (almost) anything to make sure you stay a happy buyer at their place. So now that we've established how valuable you are, read ahead to see what you can do with your special powers as a customer.
Manufacturers, companies and stores all have stashes of funds and leeway for special circumstances. I'll give you an example. Last night I bought an item on Amazon and used my Amazon Prime Student to get myself free 2-day shipping. Being that the order was transmitted after midnight, the date was May 9. Two-day shipping, for anyone who can add, is the 11th. I check my order status today and see that the estimated ship date is May 13! Why? So I engage Raj from India in a livechat discussion and he says that it's because the item was out of stock. Um, it was not OOS when I bought it. So I told him that and he bored me with useless info that didn't help one bit. I innocently ask whether he can upgrade my shipping to 1-day (which normally costs an extra $3.99) to compensate. Of course he said "Yes" (well, not exactly yes but "I have changed your order to reflect 1-day shipping, at no cost"). See, that's the thing. Amazon will NOT go broke if they "wasted" their $3.99 on me. In fact, Raj encouraged me to come back soon! How do you like that?
What does this teach us? We ASK ASK ASK! Don't be afraid to ask for stuff like shipping upgrades, free samples, free shipping, free anything, replacement products (you heard about that already!), longer return periods, warranties, bigger refunds (remember the Ralph Lauren nightshirt story?), etc. Remember, the stores WANT you and their sole function is to serve you! Hopefully that's enough of an ego boost to combat any embarrassment you might experience while begging your way through buying.
Very informative post. As usual, I would not have thought of asking for any upgrades and so I have learned something new.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
That's the thing. When you don't know your limits, you don't know how far you can go. So I'm telling you that there are NO limits! Ask away. The worst thing that can happen is that they won't agree to your terms -- but who cares, you just leave them!
ReplyDeleteThat's such a good piece of advice!
ReplyDeleteThese stores are SO out to help you, it's pretty cool! I also just had a positive experience with Amazon's customer service. Just by picking up the phone and asking about a policy that I wasn't happy about(I wonder if I also spoke to the same guy from India you spoke to LOL!) they gave me a $10 promotional credit towards my next purchase! It's too detailed to explain here but suffice it to say that I was pretty happy when I put the phone down!
I'll keep this in mind in the future. Thanks for another great post!
Awesome, itsagift! I also asked about a policy the other night and didn't get any credit :(
ReplyDeleteJust a FYI: if you order a Subscribe & Save item on Amazon, and you have an Amazon Prime membership, you will only receive free 2-day shipping with your first shipment. All ensuing shipments will only be delivered via free 3-5 day shipping.