If you have a cellphone, you've probably had or heard of Zagg screen protectors. The popular $30-40 glass screen protector with free replacements.
Well, when I worked in Victoria Gardens Mall, in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.. I got hired at their kiosk by a nice guy about 5 years older than me that had bought franchise rights to open up shop and sell Zagg products.
One of the large selling points of Zagg screen protectors, whether glass or otherwise, is that you can get them replaced for free – as long as you return the old one. We honored this at the kiosk, though we charged a $5 install fee to have us professionally install it for you. (New purchases got free installation and we had a no returns policy, only exchanges.)
This was all well and good, other than Victoria Gardens being an outdoor mall. We were upfront about the install fee for replacements when we sold any new product. Some people cared, some didn't, and some wanted to install it themselves. I was new and easily made top sales of the 2 other employees, 3 if you include the owner. There is an apple store literally about 200 feet away so business was good. I didn't even have to try and harass people as they walked by. I didn't want to. And so I didn't, still made top sales.
The owner was moving with his wife to another state and selling his franchise. He found a buyer, Paul. Another youngish guy. About 28 or so at the time I think.
Paul liked me. He recognized I was his top salesmen. Had me train him on installing screens as I was really good at it. He almost immediately fired one of the other employees, a guy about my age, for “under performing”. Paul wanted to watch how I sold and worked to see why I did so well. He HATED that I didn't harass people walking by, asking them if they wanted a screen protector. And I say harass, but it's really just asking them if they want a screen protector unprovoked, which I feel is annoying to do and to be on the receiving end. I only ever greeted people, saying hi if we happened to lock eyes as they walked by.
He also hated that I told them about the $5 replacement/install fee. “Tell them the replacement is free. Don't tell them about the install fee,” he would tell me. “If they have questions about it, you can direct them to me when I'm here during the day shifts.”
I told him I wouldn't. I wasn't going to lie and ruin trust with potential repeat customers just to try and push through a quick sell in the moment. I, in my limited business experience, felt like being honest, and forward about things was the best way to go. Would build repour and save face. Too many times did the guy who got fired leave out our install fee and I had to get the backlash from customers for it. And I told him all this. There was a reason I did so well.
But no, he wouldn't hear it. He installed cameras so he would watch and listen in whenever he wanted. And confronted me about still not lying to people the same week. He'd call me by the guy-he-fired's name, I think intentionally to try and upset me or rattle me or something. I just thought he was dumb, had to be if he thought lying about things was good for business. He also upped the install fee to $10 and had it included on new purchases as well.
I stopped showing up and responding to texts from him after that week. Eventually he got the memo and stopped scheduling me.
Oh,and the replacements are free as long as you pay postage regardless where you buy. The replaced screens we took back and charged $5, then $10, were literally just sent back for a replacement product for free under their warranty. we made more money off people replacing their screens than selling a new product..