Price matching toys

[dirge]

by my count i was a member of ozformers at least 9 years ago... maybe more....

About that. I remember you from waaay back in the day. From memory, you were invited to (but had to skip) what was pretty much the first ever Melbourne meet (organised by myself & Gok), which was back in 2003.

[Krayt]

First ever organised by a Gok, You or Griffin....

There were meets when i first came to uni in 2001

[jaydisc]

tell me how you think we should do this, and i'll tell you what's happening instore right now....

If another store is currently advertising the item at a lower price, match it. You can even keep your silly little extra 10% [of the difference]. The whole must-be-in-stock game is silly. Here's a few reasons why:

1. Which store do you call? Does it have to be in stock at the one you randomly choose?

2. How many stores do you call? Does it have to be in stock at the first one you call?

3. How qualified are you in asking the store if they have a specific item?

4. How qualified is the person that answers in identifying whether they do? Do you actually use computers? What if someone moved the stock?

5. Can we trust their answer?

6. Do they know you're a competitor?

7. Do they really want you to price match?

I could probably come up with plenty more holes in the concept.

[Krayt]

The whole must-be-in-stock game is silly. Here's a few reasons why:

1. Which store do you call? Does it have to be in stock at the one you randomly choose?

You walk in with catalouge, we match no Q asked... you say it's online in a store (not ebay), we check on the computer and all is fine and dandy

2. How many stores do you call? Does it have to be in stock at the first one you call?

Never had to call a second store.... and most websites (such as DSE and JBhifi) say if it's instock then and there

3. How qualified are you in asking the store if they have a specific item?

Qualified?? "Hello, i was wondering if you have this.... you do? how much is it? Thankyou"

4. How qualified is the person that answers in identifying whether they do? Do you actually use computers? What if someone moved the stock?

Most people have the printed ad, or the person at the other end actually checks while you talk to them.

5. Can we trust their answer?

we do...

6. Do they know you're a competitor?

depends what i feel like saying....

7. Do they really want you to price match?

Do my bosses??... HELL YES!!! all the way to the CEO!



Every Price match, and now beat, has a comment inserted in the receipt who they are matching. ANd the mark down goes in as "Match competitor" as well, and comes up on a report.

We get daily emails saying "price is now this at (insert storename here) and we have to start selling it at that price, with a manual adjustment. At midnight-ish, the computers update and then the registers have the new price. (stock levels at each store update then also)

They are about to role out a new POS system, which will update Prices and store stock levels automatically, australia wide every 15 minutes...

We are also now NEVER having "sales".... and no more "your buying 200, here's 5% off" the price is the LOWEST.... if not, we will make it the lowest!!! never again will my stores cataloge have "was $69, now $59 save $10".... cost is always going to be 59, unless you find it cheaper somewhere

[jaydisc]

Based on your answer, I'm not sure I understood your question. Again, some context would be helpful. What store are you talking about? Kmart?

If all Kmart's responded as you say, there'd be no complaints or issues from me. But what you're dictating is not the reality (again, are we talking about Kmart?)

Point 3. "Do you have Transformer Ratchet?" Uhhh, Animated/Movie/Voyager/Deluxe/Legend?

Point 4. I mean the person at the other end of the phone. Kmart asks: "Do you have Transformer Animated Deluxe Class Ratchet?" Big W Answer: "Uh, yeah, we have a box that says Autobot Ratchet on it."

Point 7. Again, I mean the person at the other end of the phone. Does Big W want you to match their prices? Since it would result in them losing a sale, seemingly not.

Again though, this conversation is meaningless without context, of which you're giving me none. You brag about a Coles Myer staff card. Are you a Kmart employee? Are you talking about Kmart policy and practices? Is this further than you'd like to admit/announce?

[Krayt]

I'm an Officework-er

Leaves out the possibility of having to define which version of ratchet you were after.... but we know enough at both ends of the phone to know that we are both talking about the Canon IP4500 and a Twin pack of the canon #5 ink cartridge...

ALL officeworks do this.... have to do this.... will do this.... but this police started on 1st-7-08, so give the guy on holidays a break his first shift back before he gets told about it...

It doesn't make a difference if they will lose the sale or not.... saying "i'm calling from officeworks" first gets the same answer as "hi, i was wonder what the price of this is..." they say it and we reduce it.... or find out how to tell the customer the price they are trying to match is 3 years old

[jaydisc]

OK, that makes sense, but alas, Kmart ≠ OfficeWorks (that's a not-equals sign in case it doesn't come out)

I just don't see how anything reliable can come out of a conversation between a Kmart employee and a Big W employee having a conversation about whether or not "Transformers Animated Deluxe Ratchet" is in stock, ESPECIALLY during these sales where stock is all over the store.

I was at Kmart today and my boy found a Winnie the Pooh that took his fancy randomly located on top of some detergent somewhere. It was a bit beaten so I found the nearest staff and asked where I could find a non-damaged one. Three staff later, three misdirected attempts, I just bought the slightly damaged one.

Now, in specific relation to Kmart, they hire lowest common denominator. My source of this comes from the formerly full time employed lady that managed my local's toy section. She was immensely qualified. Knew everything that was in stock, where it was, if it wasn't in stock, when it had last been in stock. They let her go and only hire her on contract because they didn't want to pay her. I'm sure someone up high got a bonus for the cost savings. So, now, I rely on uncaring, unqualified, sixteen year olds.

Now, based on what you way, I'm sure this isn't from the top down, but it seems that many of the staff who insist on calling to check stock actually don't want to price match, and I wonder why... Do they feel they're losing some unknown battle by lowering the price for me? Is this a competition? This is what I estimate is the case with the manager that Mel got, and the one that I got, and unfortunately for the adversary in my case, I love these situations. I'm happy to go to the proverbial mat, and I'm even happier when I win.

[Krayt]

Now, based on what you way, I'm sure this isn't from the top down, but it seems that many of the staff who insist on calling to check stock actually don't want to price match, and I wonder why... Do they feel they're losing some unknown battle by lowering the price for me? Is this a competition? This is what I estimate is the case with the manager that Mel got, and the one that I got, and unfortunately for the adversary in my case, I love these situations. I'm happy to go to the proverbial mat, and I'm even happier when I win.

So you enjoy battling someone you KNOW is gonna fold??

The reason we have to check/call/confirm is because as soon as we Pricematch, the ball will be rolling to get it implimented Australia wide asap.... Therefore if if it was an old sale or something, we're losing money.... but if it's the price, we need to be the lowest

[jaydisc]

So you enjoy battling someone you KNOW is gonna fold??

The reason we have to check/call/confirm is because as soon as we Pricematch, the ball will be rolling to get it implimented Australia wide asap.... Therefore if if it was an old sale or something, we're losing money.... but if it's the price, we need to be the lowest

No, I just like the arisen opportunity when someone tries to unjustly assert their false authority over me.

Are you talking about checking/calling/confirming stock or price? I thought we were discussing my objection to A. the requirement that the item must be in stock and B. my belief that the process to do this is useless. I've got no issue with them confirming the price in the Big W catalog that I just handed them.

I think we're going in circles. In the immortal words of the curiously absent Pulse, "Let's agree to disagree"

[liegeprime]

Goodness! I only read this thread a few times before and when I opened it again 5 pages of new talkbacks and controversies have exploded in my face..... it was a very interesting read, although gives me a headache with all the analytical discussion going on... me thinks only simply heheheh sorry brain froze....