By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
Once when I needed to order some ink cartridges for my printer—the kind I can only buy directly from the vendor. There was a problem with the website, so I picked up the phone to place my order.
I told the agent I wanted to order two black ink cartridges.
Not surprisingly, she suggested I buy a package that included two color cartridges as well. “No thank you, just black.”
Upon discovering the age of my printer, she tried to sell me a new printer. “No thank you—I just need ink.”
When I acknowledged that I own several computers from her company, she asked if they were working okay and did I… “No, I just want to buy ink.”
Then she offered me a special price on anti-virus software for only…, “No, I only want ink!”
Next, she inquired if I was interested in a maintenance plan to… “NO, just ink!”
Perhaps she was supposed to try to upsell me five times or maybe she was on commission. I don’t know. What I do know is when the call took twice as long as it needed to, I became irritated, and the likelihood of me buying another printer from them is highly unlikely.
Read more in Peter Lyle DeHaan’s Sticky Series books, including Sticky Customer Service, Sticky Sales and Marketing, and Sticky Leadership and Management featuring his compelling story-driven insights and tips.
Peter Lyle DeHaan is an entrepreneur and businessman who has managed, owned, and started multiple businesses over his career. Common themes at every turn have included customer service, sales and marketing, and leadership and management.
He shares his lifetime of business experience and personal insights through his books to encourage, inspire, and occasionally entertain.
