The purpose of the suggestive sell is to make sure the customer buys more than 100% of what they are willing to buy. I know this because I used to work in a sporting goods store and so when someone wanted a hockey stick you also tried to sell them a practice puck. Or if a person wanted goaltender pads you always sell them the expensive ones, as well as try to get them to go for a goaltender’s stick. When I sold them these things I had a clear conscience because everything I sold them was high quality and higher price meant better.
But I am thinking of in fast food restaurants where “make it bacon” and “supersize” are too common of terms. What they are doing is asking you to buy more of something that is bad for you or add something bad to your sandwich. One time a friend of mine ordered the Veggy Burger and was asked “would you like to make it bacon.”
Now low quantities of things that are bad for you, will not hurt you. If a person ate a cheeseburger a day they would not have any health problems. But when you get this suggestively selling that consistently adds more to a person’s dining menu that isn’t good for them such a diet it adds up.
My question is whether it is immoral or not to maintain such a practice that sells a person something that could potentially kill them. I am thinking as a metaphor a person taking small doses of arsenic (very small doses) and a person suggests they double their dosage.
Personal Philosophy
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Absolutely28% Voted for by Etaina, CrazyRebel.
but it depends on what you're selling them. People are making informed decisions, but there are very few of those people. Morbidly obese people, for instance, know they need to lose weight, but either don't or can't. Have you noticed that many people standing in front of a McDonald's menu are of average weight? But that's beside the point. I'm not here to argue about the weight problem in America. But how can you sit there and say that selling sporting goods is completely different from a restaraunt? If you are practically telling the customer to buy ANOTHER product on top of what they are there to get, which you are, isn't it the exact same thing? I mean, all those "buy two get one free" sales and "get a free basketball when you buy two pairs of sneakers" ads are doing exactly that. Goading the customer into getting more than what they bargained for. Please excuse me for bringing in this topic, but couldn't this general theme be included when talking about cigarrettes and alchohol? All these things are connected in a way: sales men and women. One more thing... who cares if the products are quality? People didn't come in there to buy everything you suggest to them, and I don't see how you can say that those two subjects are entirely different. Just my opinion though... if I've offended anyone, so sorry, but this is what I think.
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Stop blaming others.Voted for by konshu.
Look it does not depend on what your selling suggestive selling is not wrong, i don't agree with it but that does not make it wrong. I don not work in the resturant industry or in Sales. They are not making us by this stuff, it is upto the individual to say no. In my opinion a lot of the problems with society is that its so easy to blame some else and say 'its not my fault I'm overweight cause they kept giving me 'two burgers for the price of one'' it is high time we started taking responsiblity for our own actions. Look I'm a smoker, I can't help it i'm addicted, and like most smokers i find it hard to quite but let me make one thing clear it is my fault and nobody elses. Its my habit and i'll take the consequences one day, but we have to stop blameing other people.
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suggestive sellingVoted for by Beena.
Asking a person to double their dose of medicine say, is NOT suggestive selling, it is simply advice or suggestion. Suggestion is NOT suggestive selling. I think we all know what suggestive selling is and it cannot cause harm unless the product itself was harmful in the first place.
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If you knowVoted for by MantisKid.
it is bad, then yes it is wrong. If you don’t know, then it is negligence, and at least partially responsible. Caveat emptor (buyer beware) should be a priority for anyone buying anything, however. But you should always help people make informed decisions when you can. Find out what purpose they need those pads and sticks for. Weekends? Year-round? How often they play, how hard they play, just friendly games, serious competition etc.
Though it might be kind of difficult to tell someone that they are obviously grossly obese and in serious danger if they keep eating those super-size fast food meals. I guess you can't really be expected to help people make life-changing decisions at a McDonalds counter. Then again, their doctor probably already told them, and they've seen the television reports, and read the articles, and so on. -
I have been in salesVoted for by frndofyaweh.
I sold encyclopedias/vacuums/hardware dept at Sears also. In all three cases; I was eventually fired or laid-off. WHy; because I sold the customer exactly what they asked for. If they said they were on a budget, I showed them the most economical product and or how to get quality and a lower price. even directed them to the competition in some cases. They fired me? Now I am in publishing and 11 years have passed. Now I see commercials by progressive auto Ins. and they have adopted my philosophy on selling, which is. Make the customer happy, not the employer.
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Of Course!!Voted for by Mystic maiden.
Yes, but why would you want to cause anyone harm in the first place? just something to think about.
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