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County of Los Angeles |
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Accurate Pricing: It’s The Law
Good Pricing Practices – Sales Procedures Customer Complaint Procedures – Scanner Accuracy and Registration
State and county law prohibits charging a customer more than the price that is advertised, posted, or quoted.
Good pricing practices are not only required by law. They also maintain the confidence and trust of your customers.
The following are a number of best practices. Use them. Accurate pricing is a good indicator of quality service.
Top-Down Pricing Policy
Good company ethics come from the top. Communicate clearly that accurate pricing, customer service, and fair dealing are top priorities of the company. Emphasize that it is your policy to charge the lawful and current sales price.
Create a system of employee incentives and rewards to encourage compliance.
Encourage employees to improve and comment on pricing and complaint procedures.
Appoint a sales or pricing manager who can see that each cash register is accurately programmed to charge the current sale price.
Update Your Sales Procedures
Write procedures to promptly notify staff of special sales and price changes.
Frequently check to make sure that employees are complying with your procedures.
Good sales procedures include the following:
- Use cash registers that display prices so that customers can see what they are being charged.
- Post notices of special sales prices at each cash register to remind customers and your employees of the correct price.
- Promptly remove promotional signs and prices as soon as a sale ends.
- Make sure that advertising and in-store signs clearly indicate which items are on sale and those that are not.
Update Your Complaint Procedures
Create clear procedures for handling customer complaints. Good complaint procedures include the following:
- Resolve pricing disputes and other customer complaints “on the spot.”
- Welcome complaints as an opportunity to improve customer service and build customer loyalty.
- Make amends to customers who have been incorrectly charged or treated discourteously. Offer them free items or future discounts.
- Conduct in-house, undercover audits to assure that pricing policies are followed.
- Keep records of complaints to learn where improvement is needed.
- Reward and publicly commend employees who serve customers especially well.
- Designate a local or regional contact to work with consumer protection agencies that may receive complaints involving your business.
Scanners
Los Angeles County is strongly committed to accuracy in pricing and the fair and lawful treatment of consumers.
In 2002, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors created a system to register and inspect scanners and other point-of-sale devices.
As many as 17 inspectors work full-time as undercover shopping investigators. They insure that retailers using scanners are registered and are charging the advertised, posted, or quoted price.
The Board enacted this ordinance because surveys by inspectors found unlawful scanner overcharges on more than one out of ten items purchased.
Following the best practices described in this tip sheet will help you comply with the law. They will also build a loyal customer base.
For more information on scanner registration and enforcement, contact the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner / Director of Weights and Measures at (800) 665-2900 or online at: acwm.co.la.ca.us.
Contact us for more information or speak with one of our counselors at (800) 593-8222. If you live outside of Southern California, call us at (213) 974-1452.
For more information:
County of Los Angeles Department of Consumer Affairs
B-96 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 W. Temple Street *
Los Angeles, CA 90012-2706
Telephone (800) 593-8222 (within LA County)
web site: dca.lacounty.gov