The Rewards-Card Interrogation

by Arthur Vidro
WHAT IT’S WORTH
By Arthur Vidro

At some point after I grew up, we consumers were trained to happily slap our identity-confirming cards on the counter every time we make a purchase. Why? Because behind each purchase an electronic entity exists whose sole purpose is to learn every last little spending detail of your life and then use that data to market merchandise to you more effectively.

The stores claim the consumer is helped by getting good deals and speedier checkouts.

I disagree. I say these cards aren’t necessary, slow down the checkout process, invade our privacy, and don’t always lead to savings.

Yet they’re hard to get around.

The employees behind the counter have been trained to steer you toward the company’s rewards card. Personally, I wish they were trained instead to make change properly.

Do these cards save you money? Yes, often enough. But that’s because the stores have a two-price system — one price for members of the club, and a higher price for non-members. I’d prefer the stores do away with such programs and instead give everyone the same lower price so you don’t have to be a member of the privileged club to get the good deal.

Occasionally you’ll get a reward of money off for future purchases, based on the amount of money you have already spent. That’s nice to receive. But it, too, shouldn’t be predicated on belonging to a club.

And you don’t always save money. You might clap yourself on the back for having used your drugstore rewards card to save a dollar or two on an item, but as often as not you’re getting that on-sale item for the price normally charged in a supermarket. In my book, that’s not a savings.

The point is, you shouldn’t assume a card will magically lead to automatic savings. Savings do happen, but on a case-by-case basis.

Beyond dollars and cents, there’s the time factor. Sometimes I’m in a hurry. I wait my turn in a store, item or items in one hand, money in the other, hoping to avoid being asked time-wasting questions.

What usually happens at the checkout counter? First the cashier asks if the customer has a rewards card. If the customer says yes, the cashier will ask her to produce it. At this point many a customer starts fumbling through her handbag searching in vain for the card. While I’m waiting in line, wishing the customer would just produce some cash and be done with the card hunt, which was happening only because the cashier had asked about it.

If you say no, you don’t have a rewards card, they’ll ask if you want one. If you say yes, you want one, they will work with you right there — no matter how long the line of customers building behind you — to get you that rewards card.

If you do have a card but it’s not on you, the cashier will start a laborious process of trying to find your information in their system through some other means, such as your telephone number.

This saves time? I think not.

Plenty of times all I’m buying is one item. For example, if I’m buying a newspaper in a chain drugstore and attempt to place the item and the payment on the counter, the cashier stops me and — thanks to her training — begins grilling me about the rewards card.

Yet there is no discount or reward from the card for buying a newspaper. From my viewpoint, there’s no benefit in producing it. Plus it takes extra time to get the card out of my wallet and then put it back in. And of course the computerized cash register needs time to process the card and access my account. I’d rather just lay the money — usually exact change — on the counter and be on my way. The presenting of a card costs me time. The needless barrage of questions costs me more time.

But the employees behind the counter have been trained to coax that card out of you, no matter what. So rather than say yes, I have a card but I’d rather not use it, and then squander yet more time explaining myself, I just say: “No card for me. Here’s the money.” Sometimes they insist on promoting the card anyway, but sometimes they take the money and let me get on with my life.

Occasionally I’ll answer “Do you have a rewards card?” with “No, but I have a punishments card.”

With just one exception, without even batting an eyelash, they continue their spiel with, “Then would you like to sign up for our rewards program?” They don’t react to what I have just said. It’s like conversing with an automaton.

The exception was a new worker at Big Lots. He looked up, laughed at my remark, and asked me about it. He had listened to my full sentence, not just the first word. But within a month he was gone. Guess management didn’t appreciate his human-being qualities.

Is there an option where the store will merely take your money without grilling you? Yes. That option is called a non-chain store. Which is why I prefer buying my newspapers now at Leo’s Market.

Solely to avoid the rewards-card interrogation.

If you have consumerism questions, send them to Arthur Vidro care of this newspaper, which publishes his column every weekend.