mizChartreuse!

“Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong.” -Donald Porter, British Airways.

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It’s true. When I worked at the customer service desk at Sam Ash Music in Buffalo Grove, we made exceptions to our strict “rules” and “policies” every day. People would get steep discounts (sometimes even BELOW COST) on gear, return items way past the 30-day mark, and have basically whatever they wanted if they simply asked. In the right way.

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London Calling: Fierce First Class Fabulousness

The last time I traveled from London back to the States, I had a six-hour layover at Heathrow and spent some time reading at a Borders. I made small talk with a man who was passing through; not really paying him much mind but being friendly enough.

As I approached my gate four hours later, we happened to cross paths again. Turns out he worked for British Airways, and he insisted on calling the airline to have me upgraded to first class, telling the people I was his cousin. It was done with a 30-second radio call.

The experience was AH-mazing; especially considering it’s a seven-hour flight. They served champagne before takeoff, a four-course gourmet meal, and the seats reclined into beds with nice headphones for movie-watching or music-listening.

I got all this just because I was MARGINALLY NICE to a complete stranger. I didn’t even have to flirt! I must be quite charming.

Let’s just say that to this day, I have problems flying coach.

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Easy Deals: You’re Missing Out!

Other than complaints of poor service and broken promises, I also think that we miss out on great opportunities to save money because we simply don’t ask for them.

Women are the greatest victims of this!

I recently stumbled across a column in Time.com’s Cheapskate Blog section entitled A Blogger’s Year of Asking. La Roxy, a graduate student from San Diego, had the idea of asking “shopkeepers, waiters, flight attendants, and pretty much anyone else she ran across if they could give her discounts, perks, upgrades, freebies, or any other sort of extra.”

After reading Women Don’t Ask, a book about how women are much more likely to miss out on opportunities and salary advances because they’re afraid to ask and negotiate, Roxy decided to start her blog, The Daily Asker, and track her results for an entire year.

“My very first post explained my goals, which were basically not just to save or gain money, but to explore asking and negotiation in all their glory. Would it make me more daring? more assertive? more adventurous? more generous?”

Her findings were spectacular. States La Roxy in the Time.com interview:

All situations are ripe for discounts. Even those you doubt would be. So the first suggestion is to make a habit out of asking. You’ll probably be surprised by the results, in the long run …

Be nice! In fact, I have the numbers to back it up: I analyzed my results and determined how successful I was, based on different attitudes I adopted while asking. I found out that when I was meek or apologetic, I had a 58 percent success rate. When I was neutral, I had a 67 percent success rate. When I was hostile, I had a 71 percent success rate. When I was nice, that rate jumped to 80 percent, and when I was really, really nice or flirty, the rate was 85 percent.

Since it’s been a year since she started her Ask-o-logy endeavor, Roxy has posted a series of updates with her findings and organized a number of very interesting (and funny) charts and graphs of her data.

So, does it hurt to ask? I think not. You might not get a DVD at Best Buy for half off, but La Roxy proved you could get that great summer item in the department store for a fraction of the tag price—simply by asking!

For more adventures in the Daily Asker’s year, visit Roxy’s blog. The findings were astonishing and the stories are priceless (pun intended).

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A Walgreens Lesson in Asking

A couple weeks ago, I was frantically putting together the finishing touches on a book I was making for my boyfriend’s 29th birthday.

At 11:30 p.m., I uploaded all my digital photos to Walgreens.com, which showed me which locations were open 24 hours for in-store pickup. The confirmation email for my order told me what time my photos would be ready (1:30 a.m.). I’d also found a coupon code which offered 25 free 4×6 prints when you purchased 25 (score!), so I ordered 52 prints.

[That's another thing. Use coupons and coupon codes AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE. They're even easier to find when shopping online.]

“Hm…we don’t have your photos,” the girl told me when I arrived at the counter and gave my order information. “Was it an online order?” Uh, yeah. The manager came over and explained that they shut the machines down at 9 p.m.  My confirmation number and pick-up time meant nothing.

Disappointed and annoyed that I’d walked miles risking my safety at an ungodly hour of the morning for NOTHING, I walked back home.

The next morning, I called the 800 customer service number on the Walgreens website and spoke to a representative, explaining my situation. She quickly assured me that she’d give me 20 free prints for my troubles, and I would see the credit on my Walgreens.com account. Sweet! Easy enough! You just have to ask! Right?

Well, the credit wasn’t showing up on my account right away, but I needed the photos immediately (since I leave everything to the last minute). To the store I went. I was polite and cordial, explaining the inconvenience to the sales clerk in the photo department. The clerk called his manager. “We shut down the machines at 9 p.m. every day,” the manager tried to tell me. Again.

“I realize that,” I responded, smiling, “but it is misleading that the website shows your store as a 24-hour location, furthermore giving me a guaranteed time that my prints would be ready. I walked three miles after 1 in the morning because of your promise. The woman I spoke to in customer service promised me 20 free prints; you can check with them.”

The manager made a phone call, and although he couldn’t locate my alleged promise from the representative, he approved my 20 free prints (on top of my initial 25 free).

I walked out of the store with my 52 photos for which I paid just over a dollar.

[*whispers* and the best part is, I still have the 20 free 4x6 credits on my Walgreens account, which showed up later!]

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SAY Something.

Really, a lot of the time, you just have to ask. As Donald Porter’s quote indicates above, the ultimate goal of people and companies who provide goods and services is to appease the customer. We, the consumers, essentially sign their paychecks. Without our satisfaction and patronage, businesses have nothing. [And even though I didn't ask BA specifically for my first class upgrade, I rave about their exceptional service to everybody who flies internationally and will definitely use them again. First class, of course.]

A lot of the time, we miss out on opportunities because we don’t speak up. You can call your credit card company to ask for a lower interest rate. Problems with Comcast, DirecTV, or AT&T? Let them know! They can give you the retention rate (an amount they’ll give you to prevent you from switching to their competitors) or even discount your bill for the next several months.

A friend of mine emailed the presidents of major health food manufacturers, diplomatically explaining her disappointment that coupons abound for junk food but are sparse for health foods. It’s probably safe to assume she’ll be receiving many special offers and discounts for her concerns and willingness to voice her opinion.

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A Not-So-Funny Comedy Outing

Last month Sean and I went on a triple date to Zanies, a comedy club in Vernon Hills. We sat in the front row.

Even though there’s a 2-item minimum purchase per person, and each item is grossly overpriced (a soda is $5; shitty burgers are $8; the “Kickin’ Combo” of a chicken salad + Corona was $12), we were ready to have a good time.

The service was terrible (and I’m not one to complain easily—I’m very empathetic as an occasional server/bartender myself), my “chicken salad” was more akin to minced cat food, and my Corona was the temperature of fresh piss. I’m not even exaggerating.

And our $60 bill (with an automatic gratuity cleverly hidden in the charges) quickly served to erase any smiles I may have had on my face from the hilarious comedian that preceeded the check presentation.

Sean wrote a letter to the General Manager of Zanies and received a quick response and a promise of a $50 gift certificate. I would have liked full compensation for the shitty evening (and then some, for the emotional distress), but I do appreciate the GM trying to rectify the situation. We will compose another email in gratitude, but also explain that we paid much more for the food and drink that evening, not to mention the admission price.

***

Ask. Whether it be for an upgrade on your car rental, a discount on a flute, or an extra $10,000 in salary. ESPECIALLY if you’re a woman.

You have nothing to lose and, most of the time, something to gain.

Try it.