Tue 22nd Apr 2008 02:03AM
Can you go shopping without money? Yes, you can go shopping without money. It is hard to believe that someone can shop without cash or credit card, but it is being done all the time. Customers have always shopped before they bought a car, a house, or RV. People were shopping before any big purchases, but now customers are shopping before they even purchase small things. We are now looking for the best price for phone service, cell service, and Internet service. We shop for vacation packages and airlines tickets. We shop to see who has the best rates for hotels and car rentals. Seems like someone has what you need cheaper somewhere else but we have to shop for it. And yes, we can do that without money.
Competitors shop all the time without money. For instances, a department store owner may walk in to another department store and see what kind of prices they have on their merchandise. They look for their sale items and discounts. They look at the way they have their items display set up. If one department store has two thousands purple combs at five dollars a piece, and they are not selling any, but at their competitors store they have them for three dollars, then the one store with the higher cost may consider bring their cost down so they can sell them as well. They also look at how they are displayed. The store that is not selling any may have them in the back of the store on the bottom shelf. The store that is selling them may have them in front with a neon sign that draws attention to them. So, therefore the store that is not selling may try a different display or a sale sign.
A competitor may also be shopping by phone. They will call their competition down the street. It may be another hotel chain and see what type of rooms they have and what they cost. They will also look for any promotions they are offering. Different companies do this, it may be a chain of hotels or car repair shops, and it could be groceries stores. But the competitors are looking to get the edge on their competitors.
There are some services where they will shop not only for the cost, but also for the service and the knowledge of the company. They will see how friendly the rep was, was he or she respectful, did they know they service with confidence. Did they invite the potential customer in to their facility? Did they offer any discounts or specials? Anything to make that potential customer come in their location and be their new customer. Usually this type of investigating the one on the phone reports back to an owner or manager of the company they just shopped. The owner wants to see how their employee is representing his or her company.
Purchasing without cash or credit cards sounds crazy. It sounds like something we cannot do but it is being done all the time, and for different reasons as well. Whether it is for an individual for his or her own purchases or it is an owner of a company wanting to see how the competitors are selling or comparing prices. The owner also wants to see how his or her employees are doing with customer interaction.
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The original article is located at: Go Shopping Without Money!