Just bought a 2m section of flexible tube for a gas stove, and the sales clerk asked first for my phone number, to which I replied “I don’t have one”. Then she asked me for my name, to which I replied “I’ll pay in cash”. She then insisted it was so “the cashier will call you by name”, to which I replied “I’m not giving you my name, I’ll pay in cash”. [Edit: she apparently got a bit upset when I refused to give info, but ended up entering “no name” according to the receipt]
Am I wrong for not wanting to give personal data for an item paid in cash, in person? No other hardware store ever asks me for my personal info.
That’s part of the system, though. Corporate doesn’t telegraph that they’ll do that as you walk into the store because that gives you a chance to take your business elsewhere, and they’re banking on basic human decency during the checkout phase to get that sweet, sweet fraction of a penny a fake name and phone number will gain them. I’ve read the stories about people being fired for not signing enough shoppers up for credit cards, so I don’t put anything past the corporations.