Sampling or Stealing? (Update p.5 #68)

[bah12]

Technically, I don't think you did anything wrong.  I'm positive the cost of the samples is built into their overhead.  We have a similar place near us and I know they are also very lax about the sampling.

That being said, I would personally have a hard time with trying 5 flavors and then walking out with nothing.  I think that if you're super picky about yogurt, then you need to just look for the 2 or 3 you like.  If they don't have it, then walk away.  At our local place, the flavors that are rotated pop up again and again.  And after going there often enough, I rarely come across something new.

Being that I love frozen yogurt, it's really hard to relate to not liking anything.  Could you not have even taken a small cup of vanilla and added a topping so it wouldn't be so "bland?"  I get the affordability part, but I think in that case, I wouldn't sample everything unless I want frozen yogurt so bad that  I could settle for one of the stables with a more interesting toppings if I didn't like anything else that I happened to sample.

[Shea]

I wouldn't sample 5 flavours and not buy anything. I view samples as a means to decide between two flavours, rather than between 5.

this!

I don't think it is stealing per se, but I also don't considering it sampling.  CakeEater described my idea of what sampling would be.  I also don't think I would have sampled all those flavors without buying anything, even if it was just chocolate or vanillla.

I agree. While I think it's true that sampling is built into the system, I think it's also assumed that (bratty middle school kids aside) if you go in and taste a bunch of flavors they're expecting that you'll buy, thus offsetting the cost of the samples. While you may not have technically done anything wrong, I do think it's a bit improper to go in, take 5 samples and then walk out without buying. If you're that picky about yogurt, wait until they have at least one flavor you know you like, then go in and buy some of that, while also sampling a few of the flavors you've never had before to see if you like any of them.

[Twik]

Cost of doing business.

They are not offering the samples out of the goodness of their hearts. They feel that such a business model brings in more customers over the long run, even if sometimes a customer decides not to buy.

[artk2002]

I don't think it's rude to go in and sample stuff as long as you are there with the possibility of purchasing. Samples are the cost of doing business and as long as you aren't going in with the intent to do nothing but sample, you're fine. I don't think it matters how many samples you try, or whether you liked anything the previous time or not.

[HohumHo]

I don't think its rude, but it does feel like its a bit taking advantage

[Aeris]

There's a difference between samples that are actively hawked to passersby and samples that are embedded in the experience of purchasing.

Hawked samples: Dude standing outside a store with a platter of whatever, trying to entice you to try one. They want people to try them, they figure if you get a taste you'll come in for more. It's a calculated risk, there's no reason not to take the sample they are waving at you. You don't need to have even the most remote intent to buy. They WANT you to take the sample anyway - they are gambling that they can change your mind.

Samples embedded in the process of purchasing: This is more analogous to trying on clothes. I think it's rude to take advantage if you know you have absolutely no intention of purchasing. But you're not *required* to buy something. You just need to have a reasonable likelihood of buying something. If the chances are really, really tiny that you'll buy, then you're knowingly taking samples with almost no intention to buy, and that crosses a line.

If I go into a store willing and able to buy a shirt if it fits my parameters and looks good, but just don't happen to find any that fit right - that's fine. If I go into a store whose shirts are way out of my budget, where I'm extremely unlikely to buy anything and I know it, I think that starts to take advantage.

Exactly where you hit 'reasonably likely to buy' is just a line drawing exercise.

[Winterlight]

Cost of doing business.

They are not offering the samples out of the goodness of their hearts. They feel that such a business model brings in more customers over the long run, even if sometimes a customer decides not to buy.

Agreed. They could do the tiny spoon method, or not offer samples at all if this was a problem for them.

[Sharnita]

It also strikes me that the numbr of flavors they offer and the frequencty with which they change them will play in to how many samples people (not just OP) wii take.  The more falvors they have and the more often they change them the more sampling they can expect from customers. If the flavors stay the same for a while OP won't feel any desire to sample again.  OTOH, if there are 5 or 6 new flavors each time she goes she will be want to samlple at least some.  And she might find 2-3 flavors she likes.  She might even find 4 or 5 total.  the problem is with them coming in and out  there is no way of knowing if she will find them on any given day.  One day she might sample and find nothing, another she might like 3.

[eee]

I'd say it looks tacky. If after you've eaten 5 sample cups of frozen yoghurt, no more sounds appealing, I'd wonder if it's more to do with having satisfied the craving (for free) than about the yoghurt being unfit for purchase. I mean, if it's so crummy it's not worth buying, why keep going back to try all the samples?

[MommyPenguin]

I am very interested in this conversation and opinions...

Saturday I went into a froyo store looking to buy a sugar free flavor - they didn't have any so I had a tiny sample of Cake Batter flavor. 

Now I knew I wasn't going to buy a sugared yogurt but just wanted a taste -wasn't I stealing?

Ooh!  Is Cake Batter good?  I'd probably go to one of those stores just to try a flavor like that.

[jaxsue]

I am very interested in this conversation and opinions...

Saturday I went into a froyo store looking to buy a sugar free flavor - they didn't have any so I had a tiny sample of Cake Batter flavor. 

Now I knew I wasn't going to buy a sugared yogurt but just wanted a taste -wasn't I stealing?

Ooh!  Is Cake Batter good?  I'd probably go to one of those stores just to try a flavor like that.

I am only speaking for myself, but it is good - to a point. It was sweet, really sweet. YMMV.

[Dazi]

We have a terrific place like this near where I work.

My two favorite flavors are cheesecake and the plain vanilla.  One day, I went in and vanilla was broken.  The lady let me sample several other flavors, but I didn't like any of them. 

I apologised for wasting her time and taking so many samples, but she told me not to worry about it as I'm a regular and normally make a purchase.  I later ran into the owner and told him how nice his employee was about the ton of samples and no purchase.  He also told me not to worry as those sample costs are built in and they more often than not result in a purchase.

He said the only time it bothers him is when someone is obviously making a habit of only trying samples...which he said happens very rarely and even the teenagers in the area are good at not abusing the free samples.

[Shea]

I am very interested in this conversation and opinions...

Saturday I went into a froyo store looking to buy a sugar free flavor - they didn't have any so I had a tiny sample of Cake Batter flavor. 

Now I knew I wasn't going to buy a sugared yogurt but just wanted a taste -wasn't I stealing?

Ooh!  Is Cake Batter good?  I'd probably go to one of those stores just to try a flavor like that.

I've never had Cake Batter frozen yogurt, but there's a gelato place in the last city I lived that had Cake Batter gelato. That stuff was heaven in a little plastic cup. It even had chocolate swirl and sprinkles in it!

[Hmmmmm]

We have a terrific place like this near where I work.

My two favorite flavors are cheesecake and the plain vanilla.  One day, I went in and vanilla was broken.  The lady let me sample several other flavors, but I didn't like any of them. 

I apologised for wasting her time and taking so many samples, but she told me not to worry about it as I'm a regular and normally make a purchase.  I later ran into the owner and told him how nice his employee was about the ton of samples and no purchase.  He also told me not to worry as those sample costs are built in and they more often than not result in a purchase.He said the only time it bothers him is when someone is obviously making a habit of only trying samples...which he said happens very rarely and even the teenagers in the area are good at not abusing the free samples.

This. My yogurt place would much rather I came in and did some sampling to find a flavor I liked and most likely get a sale vs walk and and not see a flavor I knew I liked and left without sampling because then they know for sure they aren't going to get a sale.

[siamesecat2965]

While I don't think sampling itself is bad, I know i will limit myself to one or two, even if there are more than that I think I might like to try. There's an ice cream place near my office, and I bought a groupon for it. It's homemade, and they have a bunch of unusual flavors. while there were a whole bunch I was curious about, I only asked for samples of two, the couple times I went.  And I did end up buying.

Slightly OT: I caught a few minutes of "Extreme Cheapskates" the other night, and one guy went for fro yo, took 14 samples, and unashamed, walked away without buying. that was his ploy all along; take the samples so its all free. His wife was mortified and I woudln't be surprised if he was banned or the owner limited how many samples one could try, after that. So while the OP didn't do this, it IS the intention of some people.