Every retail store seems to have its own credit card these days. While it may feel annoying getting to the checkout counter and hearing another sale pitch for that plastic money, retail workers are just as exhausted, one TikToker claims.
In response to a video where another TikTok claims their hours got cut after failing to sell credit cards, a former Ulta employee (@todohoekiii) claims that managers force employees to peddle credit cards under any circumstance. The employee recalls when her store manager became irritated after @todohoekiii failed to ask a customer who purchased a $12 eye shadow palette with quarters to sign up for a credit card.
“If you feel like the employee is sitting there like pushing credit cards on you like drugs or something, I 100% [assure] you that they’re doing that against their will. I promise you they don’t want to do that,” @todohoekiii says in a video that has been viewed over 17,900 times. “I promise you, they literally dead ass have a gun loaded to their head.”
@todohoekiii #stitch with @oxcarxavier whatever storage hear about alter best believe that they are 100% true ##exultaemployee##ultabeauty##ultacreditcard ♬ original sound – Space Cowgirl
In a follow-up video, @todohoekiii explains that she needed to hear a customer decline a credit card three times before a transaction ended. This torrent of credit card sign-up requests annoyed customers, she says. However, @todohoekiii says if she didn’t press customers to get credit cards, her manager would threaten to cut her hours. The situation became unbearable, and @todohoekii says her only choice was to quit.
“It becomes so draining because it’s just like … your manager’s over here saying if you don’t get credit card sign-ups, we’re gonna cut your hours. And you’re sitting here trying to fucking get these credit cards out, and these people bitching at you,” @todohoekiii says. “So it’s literally no way for you to go but fucking quit.”
The TikToker also says employees like her often don’t see any benefits from successfully selling credit cards. She says managers got bonuses instead of regular employees.
@todohoekiii Replying to @julianacheriza I promise you employees dont wanna have to coerce you into get a credit card they literally being forced to do so #storecreditcards #ultacreditcard #exemployee #retailworker #exretailworker ♬ original sound – Space Cowgirl
According to CNBC, experts said retail store cards should almost always be avoided. A mixture of low credit limits, high interest rates, and a limited number of places you can use the credit card make for a potentially bad deal.
Ulta’s Ultamate Rewards Credit Card’s annual percentage interest rate clocks in at 30.49 percent. The average APR for non-retail credit cards stands at around 19.92 percent.
In the comments section of @todohoekiii’s video, many viewers who worked in retail discussed bosses forcing them to sell credit cards.
“I quit Lane Bryant because they would put me in calls with the district manager and force me to explain why I didn’t sell any credit cards,” one user recalled.
“I worked at the Gap, and because they kept forcing me to push credit cards, I had to quit,” another added. “Sometimes it doesn’t even make sense.”
“I worked at American Eagle, and I 100% agree,” a third chimed in. “They even made us watch training videos to learn CREDIT VOCAB to sell it to people.”
The Daily Dot contacted @todohoekiii via TikTok comment and Ulta via email for further information.
