Have you ever been in one of these stores where the salespeople descend on you like hawks the instant that you step into the store? They are trained to do this of course but a high strung, nervous type like myself can often be "spooked" by this kind of thing. I had it at a Rite Aid one time. I wanted to take my time shopping, but the instant I stepped inside a "helpful" clerk jumped on me, then another, and another. By that time, I was flying through the store! I likely missed some of things I was looking for. Does this bother others, even when they are trying to be "helpful"?
It grinds on me. Most of these employers don't know how to sell products properly or know when to approach a customer at the right time through observing body language. Most people walking into a store know what they want, they're there to buy and don't need someone trying force a sale on them. Someone pushing a product on me or too keen to sell me something, makes me think there's something wrong with the product or it's not popular with customers. They obviously get a commission from each sale they make, so even though you've made your mind up when you walk in and know what you want to buy, they want to make it out it was them who convinced you to buy it so they receive their bonus.
It really irritates me when you go to the mall and there is a stand set up selling some kind of hand cream or nail stuff. They hound you as you walk by and I come up with off the wall excuses why I don't want to be bothered, but yet they come up with a comeback lol! I just keep walking tho. Macy's used to irritate me because they would have people that actually walked up and sprayed you with perfume years ago. If I wanted perfume on, I would spray it on before I left. If I was already wearing perfume, you just made me smell horrifying!!
I think it's a sign of the slow economy. You're a potential customer and they don't want lose a sale. I do admit that it's a bit irritating because I like to shop in peace. If I need help, I will seek out a customer service.
Ughhh...this irks me to no end. Specially when they try to push stuff on you that you don't want or doesn't really match you as a person or your personality, but all they see if a big fat commission check, so they'd rather you walk around like a complete moron or acquire products that you really had no need or desire for in the first place. You would think they'd feel a little guilty about such, but I'm sure any guilt would dissolve as soon as they got their paycheck.
I hate when sales people attack you. I want sales people to be around if I have a question and be easily accessible but I hate when I walk in the store and they immediately start asking if they can help.
This is always an interesting conversation. I used to work in a retail store where we were supposed to greet the customer as soon as we saw them and ask them if they needed any assistance. Now, this was not a secret to the customer, so if this really bothered people, they could always shop somewhere else. In fact, a few of them said they preferred the competition because they didn't approach them. However, I encountered many customers that ran from the other store because they wanted someone to help them, but couldn't get one of them to even acknowledge them. I think it's best for the store to err on the annoyance of happily greeting someone, as the word on the street could easily be "they have employees, they just won't help anyone!"
I agree with dconklin. At the mall is the worst. I understand the kiosk people need to make a sale, but they can be pushy. A few times I have said No thank you, but they keep asking you to come over in a different way. I get uncomfortable walking by them, because I will have to say no thanks over and over. The problem is, they are selling things I'll never need. Who needs dead sea scrub or a mini helicopter? Really, that is the only time I have seen pushy salesmanship.
I know exactly what you mean. I have the same problem at our mall. There are a group of people that have a stall in one of the courtyards selling cosmetics. Each time that I walk past this stall one of them will call out that they have a free sample or would like a word. They are very persistent and don't seem to understand what the word 'no thank you' means. It has become so irritating that I have avoided going to certain shops if it meant that I would have to walk past them. The problem is that their stall seems to move from one area in the mall to another so you are never sure where they will be next time you go shopping.
I also hate this type of 'service.' One day, when a cosmetic sales assistant tried to sell me a very expensive body lotion, and told me it would guarantee me great skin. I said in a loud voice, 'Will it even cure my herpes, then?' Everyone around realised I was joking, but she just scuttled off. She never bothered me again, and neither did the other assistants on the counter, so I guess she must have spread the word that I wasn't worth bothering with.
Now, I totally appreciate being greeted and gently asked if you want assistance. However, in some cases...this is simply not the case. It is how they approach you, some can be outright pushy...and outright invade your space. There are some salespeople that are very aggressive and this is not appreciated by anyone. The way I get around it is by putting on my earphones and creating a 'do not disturb' space around me. If someone still asks, I appreciate it and say I am just looking, thank you. Many are in a catch 22 as they are told to 'stay on top of the client'. Earphones are the solution for me.
I don't know, you know? Sometimes I'm not in the mood and other times it annoys me. I completely understand they are just doing their jobs and want to make a living. However, there are salespeople that are completely overbearing. For some reason, stores that are offering free samples have employees that push you to have a sample, like tea. I don't mind someone saying, "If you need any help just ask."
I don't mind a little help every now and then, but don't stalk me through the store. This happens to me all the time, and when I say no the first time don't keep asking me again and again. The sales people are paid based on commission and they see you as a cash cow. They know most people are in the store to buy something and they want to profit from your purchase. It's just like a car salesman they're always looking for a sucker.
I hate that when the sales clerk just follow you around like you come there to steal something. I feel they are watching to see what you are going to try to put in your purse or whatever and that makes me very uncomfortable to be watched and a lot of times I just walk out the store and don't buy anything if that is happening. I will let you know if I need help in finding anything if I can't find it myself. A lot of people go there to just look around and that's find but me, myself I am not a browser so I go there and get whatever I went for and I am gone.
I don't care because I generally get tailed around stores anyway. At least this way I have a witness to me not stealing. Besides it is literally a part of their job description, everyone has to hustle.
This is one of my pet peeves. I hate it when the salesperson follows me around stands so close that he/she is already invading my personal space. I like going to the store and comparing items first to see which is the best choice, and I really hate it when they follow me around and offer every product in the vicinity. I like shops where the salespeople greet you when you enter and just "watch" you to see if you look like you need something, then approach if you look like you need help. This is the middle ground between inattentive employees and overly pushy ones. I hope more stores train their employees to behave like that.
I feel like I should take a moment to put in a good word to clarify this for everyone. I feel bad a lot of the time for most of those sales floor clerks. Maybe because now that I have done it I sympathize a bit more. To be honest, we hate it as much as the customer does as well. Half of us feel like we're violating the customer's shopping experience and personal space when we have to jump in and seem proactive for our managers. (Which usually just comes off as aggressive or creepy for the poor customers.) Like many of you have said, you know what you want and plan to look for, so getting interrupted or pushed towards something you have no desire, much less money for is irritating. Yes, that is reasonable. However, I would like to implore people to have some patience and keep in mind that they have jobs like the rest of us. Where I worked in retail we were considered not working hard enough if we didn't descend on customers like vultures or something. It was really frustrating and irritating. Imagine if you're scared you'll lose your job in an economy where you're a dime a dozen but you need to pay rent, eat, feed children, or pay tuition to move forward in life! I've seen retail positions where they will toss you if they don't think you try hard enough to sale. It's a bad economy all right. So, I've learned to temper my attitude towards it a lot more having experienced the other side and hearing all the horror stories of good considerable people losing out on a job because they weren't obnoxiously pushy enough. Now every time I go into a store I am just honest with the other person when they start to get pushy. I let them know I understand they have a job to do, but since they've already asked me once I don't need them to go over the details of some item because I'm still not interested, thank them for their time and effort, then move on.
I understand your point quite well. Most stores tend to have a happy medium where they are not extremely pushy but at least they are helpful. I don't mind a quick greeting when I enter a store. It is only when it gets out of hand that I get edgy. I am a nervous, obsessive type anyway it it does not take much to set me off and get me nervous. I am ok generally with most stores. I try to control my impulses as much as I can.
OMG, a couple of weeks ago I went to our local mall to buy some sandals. I walked in a store and the guy was all over me. Do you like this? Do you like this? Do you like this? How about this? None of the shores in the store were really my style and I just wanted to run out of there, but I didn't want to be rude because he was trying so hard. I finally got out of there, and walked about 5 stores down into another shoe store, and a few minutes later, I will be darned that the guy followed me in the other store asking if I liked yet one more pair of shoes! WTH???? I went straight to SEARS after that and bought the first pair I saw so I could get out of there.
I hate those kind of clerks and sellers. When walking into a store, I always want to have a look myself before buying something; if I need their help, I'll ask them for it.
