Sales Assistants approaching customers in shops

I hate that too. Yesterday morning I was in a little boutique on Middle Abbey St and I actually walked out of the shop without buying anything even though I really wanted to buy this top. The sales assistant was really annoying. She asked me if I needed any help twice even though I made it clear I didn't need or want any help the first time. Then she stood about a foot behind me hovering over me. I hate being watched. She just made me feel so uncomfortable that I just dumped all the stuff I was holding on the nearest rail and walked out. I was the only customer in the store at the time but surely the sales assistant must have had better things to do than harass her sole customer.

LiamN wrote: »

Going to another shop instead (if there's the option) would've made more of an impact, IMO. Especially if they work on commission.

it was too late the cash was handed over at that stage. couldnt believe it. it costs nothing to be polite.

Most large shops/chain stores employ a secret/mystery shopper to analyse staff performance. One of the key metrics is to approach and introduce yourself to browsers within a certain timeframe.

Don't be pissed off with them for being so bold as to try keep their job.

The Christmas season is the worst, with all those extra staff coming at you from all sides, and you have to run screaming from the shop to get away from them.:(

Still, it saves you the cost of buying anything.

veryangryman wrote: »

Are companies really that stupid that they think people in to browse the store want to be bothered?

Nothing gets me out of a store im iffy about quicker than a "Hello my friend" from a gimp in a shirt. Even the chick in the short skirt in <insert high end clothes shop name here> doesnt fool me with her "Is there anything i can do for you" remark.

I know theyre on commission/made to do it by the company so fair enough. My question is...Do any of you actually part with more of your cash because of the "rapport" you got from the stranger with the plastic smile?

If i need to ask something, i can do it myself. I think most people are the same.

I work in sales, and (*AND*) I know how you feel, because that's usually how I feel about salespeople, especially pushy salespeople.

Fact is though: a lot of sales staff aren't on commission. Or at least I am not. That could be seen as both a good and a bad thing based on how the economy is going.

Secondly, it's poor sales staff that use "can I help you?" - gosh. f*ck off. F*ck right off if you use this zombie line. Same thing with boring hello's or other robotic greetings best left for McDonalds employees. Thank you for choosing McDonalds today wouldyoulike to try an Ice Mocha. You can tell they've said it 200 other times that day. Imagine how they must feel after a month. Poor bastards. I try to be polite with them. Sympathy.

Most good sales people aren't there to 'sell' you on sh*t. Obviously we make a customer feel welcome and yes the goal is to turn a shopper into a buyer but the good associate knows if you sell someone crap it's going to end up as a return or exchange the next day. That's not what we really want. I'll happily let people do their own damn thing, but I have a job that does require me to welcome everyone and get a feel for if they need help finding a solution. If they got it pretty much figured out, I'm not there to waste their time - or more importantly: mine. I'm not going to try and force someone who is not willing to buy, into a buyer. Someone on the edge of buying something, who wants or needs something? Yeah my job is to feel you out and see if you're just holding back because of X Y Z. Most of the time it's because you don't know enough about the product or are concerned about buyers remorse. Thats where my knowledge and my store's return policy comes into play.

All I can say OP is be careful about being pissy with anyone in sales please. It's a bit like pissing off your waitress or mechanic. Eventually you'll want their input and if you're a d*ck they aren't going to want to give it to you.

I will say though it used to annoy me being greeted within a minute or two, as Im the guy that likes to get a feel for everything first, but understand that the majority of customers (and this is my personal experience) are not like you and me: they have jobs they have bills they have kids they have errands and they aren't just drifting into your store to kill time they need help and then they want to get on to the next thing. So on behalf of everyone in sales we apologize for making sure you feel welcome. And I mean seriously I don't mind just bull****ting with anybody if they are just their to browse either. I'm a people too. Having fun on the job is part of that so don't mind me if I wanna small talk or show you something we have for sale for no other reason than I happen to think its cool.

I promise I am never there to sell you something I think you won't ultimately see good value in. I don't sell 3DTVs to the blind. I don't sell Wheelchairs to athletes. I don't sell Gaming laptops to grannies.

/rant?

To any store managers reading this, please give us at least 5 minutes of aimless browsing before you stick the sales assistants on us.

Thats how I feel but theres realworld studies that have analyzed this: if customers arent greeted properly within 2 minutes of entering the store they are extremely likely to leave. This would indicate to the researcher that they are there trying to find help for something. If they don't find it or the help they need they leave. Additionally if greeted and asked to wait for appropriate help they are more inclined to stay than leave for up to an additional 15-17 minutes.

This being aside from true browsers who either don't like to ask for directions or are really just looking. I like the guys who are like "**** off just looking" then you see them go from one corner of the store - to the other - back around again - and finally they're like, "where would I find this thing?".


Oh another thing if I show you where something is, please dismiss me, unless you have some question about it. I like to be sure I'm not running off before leaving someone clueless about whatever they were looking for. Just be like "Thanks, that's all I needed". If you sit there scrawling the package I just assume you have a question about it - usually one that I could answer for you.

If you're a sales assistant, don't you learn anything about body language? Surely you can tell if a customer needs assistance or not? If I'm focused on the product, thinking, then leave me alone. If I'm looking around for assistance, that's your cue to come forward. It's that simple.

I have particular trouble in computer or other high-tech stores, since I invariably know more about the products in question than the sales assistants. Not because I'm particularly geeky, but because the sales assistants are generally clueless about anything beyond the specifications on the box. Maybe they'd leave me alone if I looked more geeky ...

Other times, when I get sales assistants pestering me, I can't help but think that they think I'm going to steal something. Trust me, people, I can afford to pay for that pair of socks ...

I worked in River Island for a few years and before every single shift, and I am not kidding, we were told to approach every customer, ask open ended questions so a conversation would have to ensue etc. We really did get in trouble if it was seen that we weren't greeting everyone on the shop floor, asking them what they were buying for or whatever.

On one hand, I felt absolutely awful 'cause I am the sort of shopper who likes to be left alone but on the other, I was so grateful to the people who would have a little chat with me 'cause it helped make my day go by faster!

Sticky_Fingers wrote: »

To any store managers reading this, please give us at least 5 minutes of aimless browsing before you stick the sales assistants on us.

Where I work each customer must be acknowledged within 2 minutes of walking in the door. On busy periods someone stands on the door smiling at and greeting everyone who walks in. I hate it myself but it has to be done.

Approaching people if they pick up anything is in a separate category. A checklist is carried out on every member of staff on a monthly basis to assure high level of customer service. I don't agree with most of it but thats the way it is unfortunately.

Shops with sales assistants who approach me without my asking them for assistance don't get my custom. If more people voted with their wallet, the practice would end soon enough. Customers don't like it and neither do the sales assistants by the sounds of things. So don't put up with it.
In fact, in future I might also tell the assistant WHY I'm leaving the shop, making clear to them that it's not their fault but the fault of the story policy, since I had not sought to be interrupted while shopping.

Wertz wrote: »

It's funny judging by many replies in the thread, this practice annoys more people than it pleases...which begs the question who is it that comes up with the policy? Is it that at this stage it's just accepted practice?

It's intended to pressurise the customer into buying something just to be left alone. That's the underlying psychology of it, and that's why I refuse to entertain it at all.