TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: What Wal-Mart Knows About Customers' Habits

Re: What Wal-Mart Knows About Customers' Habits

DevilsPGD (devilspgd@crazyhat.net)
Wed, 24 Nov 2004 20:18:23 -0700

In message <telecom23.565.8@telecom-digest.org>
bonomi@host122.r-bonomi.com (Robert Bonomi) wrote:

>> Sure. However, since the customer can request cash back it's another
>> way to steal. The cashier fakes problems scanning an item, punches in
>> the amount manually as cash, and gives the customer the item.

>> The customer isn't over charged, so has no reason to complain.
>> The cashier's till is now over -- Now she just needs to grab the cash
>> at some point during the transaction.

> No, the till is _not_ over. Punching in the amount as 'cash due'
> instead of scanning the item, is no different than scanning the item
> itself, as far as the cash balance in the till goes. The *only*
> difference is in the store 'inventory', where the proper item was
> -not- deducted from the count.

I wasn't clear enough ... Not "Punches the amount as cash from the
customer", I meant "punches in a cash back request for the same
amount"

In essence a cash back request means the customer is purchasing cash
from the till. This gets the cash out of the till (and into the
cashier's pocket), plus of course it screws up inventory.

Another twist would be to activate a $20 gift card instead of ringing
up a purchase of just over $20. This would be more likely to get
caught though, since you then have to spend the gift card at some
point.

> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You make it sound as though local
> acceptance of local C of C gift certificates is going to be a major,
> massive processing operation in a small town like ours. You make it
> sound as though joining the local C of C in a small town to show
> support of other community merchants and share tips, ideas, etc is
> going to cause a major outlay for Walmart. You make it sound as though
> any modicum of customer service and goodwill is going to have an
> effect on their 'lower prices'.

Unfortunately doing anything unique / "local" will probably cost more
money in the bureaucracy of accounting for the C of C gift
certificates then they could possibly bring in.

> Walmart does have its own gift 'certificates' in the form of prepaid
> plastic credit cards, branded in their own name, in the 6011 series
> of numbers. Those are processed like credit card sales at the cash
> register, and must cost them something to process.

As a general rule those cards make money due to administration fees
that let Walmart keep the leftover money if a card gets lost or
destroyed, or otherwise goes unused. Plus, like all gift certificate
type programs, it gets the money out of the customer's hand sooner,
which means Walmart can invest the money now.

The cost to manage the cards shouldn't be substantial.

The cigarette does the smoking, you're just the sucker.

Post Followup Article Use your browser's quoting feature to quote article into reply
Go to Next message: DevilsPGD: "Re: How to Pronounce "Skype""
Go to Previous message: DevilsPGD: "Re: Anyone Having any Luck With Google Ads?"
May be in reply to: Monty Solomon: "What Wal-Mart Knows About Customers' Habits"
Next in thread: Robert Bonomi: "Re: What Wal-Mart Knows About Customers' Habits"
TELECOM Digest: Home Page