I hear you on that one, it is so irritating and bothersome for them clerks to do that while they could be doing something else that needs to be done in the store. But they choose to follow behind you like an old puppy dog getting there sniff on. I hate them clerks and will be doing my shopping at stores that don't do that.
I wouldn't mind if they would watch me and stay behind me within a reasonable distance, but if they were to hover around me like a hawk then I'd definitely get annoyed by that.
I had the exact opposite thing happen to me one time at Circuit City. My employer sent me there to pick up 5 computers - complete systems, monitors, keyboards, mice, etc... and battery backups for all of them too. I was asking an employee some questions, and this obnoxious impatient lady walks right up to us, and just starts asking him questions and pretending like I'm not even there. Then he walks away with her and just leaves me standing there, and never comes back. I complained to the customer service desk and told them they just lost out on several thousand dollars in sales over that. They offered to get me someone else to help me, and I told them no thanks, I was going somewhere else...
It seems like such behavior would be counterproductive. I know that in internet marketing, the best strategy is to let the customers find you rather than the other way around. That's why pay-per-click advertising is so effective as opposed to, for instance, banner ads on a mildly related website. I mean, think about it, I understand the salesman wants to go in for the kill, but it's always better if the customer's mood is highly receptive to a sales pitch. Possibly, the OP had an experience where the salesman was targeting him when he was only mildly in the mood for buying.
I had always worked as a sales person and I always thought like you did, that we scare customers away if we are too pushy but our bosses never understood that. If we didn't go and watch or talk to the customer we would get in trouble. I was almost fired at one point for not doing so but I really wanted to give the customer their space because I didn't want them to leave. We are definitely trained to do this and it's our job to listen to the bosses and do what we are told. Unfortunately this really ruins the business sometimes and the bosses always blame us for not doing a good enough job. There is a difference between helping the customer and being too pushy but who will make the boss understand that. I myself hate being approached too much by employees but I can't do anything about it.
It depends on the store of course. If it's a hardware store, then that seldom happens, and in the supermarket, it never seems to happen. That only happens in department stores. As long as you tell them you're just browsing then they will leave you alone, I never encountered a sales clerk that was very "watchful" so far. They just look at you from a distance, possibly to guard you in case you shoplift, lol.
