Can I help you? No thanks

Anthony Walsh

fluorescence wrote: »

It's a bit annoying alright. I found it irritating when I used to play Warhammer, that any time I walked into the Games Workshop the staff assumed I needed help or that I was in there buying for my boyfriend or brother or whatever. Aaaagh!

Oh good lord I repressed them memories, they are the most annoying staff ever. In every single shop that sells warhammer i've been to, doesn't matter if it's an official games workshop or not. I used to go into random ones when I was younger with my long hair and overall scuffy look and they knew I knew everything about it. Now I'm 21 and I have short have and dress in clothes you usually wouldn't association with there usual customers and when I go into a random shop for a browse they swear I'm lost or never heard of this stuff before and jump at me trying to tell me to buy Space Marine stuff or Tau for some reason. I'll stick to Eldar and Tyranids thank you very much Games Workshop!

df1985

as mentioned stores in the states are 100 times worse, all of them say hello the minute you come through the door and then follow you everywhere.

I cant remember what it is but abercrombie and fitch even have a certain phrase they have to say when you walk in.

Fluorescence

Anthony Walsh wrote: »

Oh good lord I repressed them memories, they are the most annoying staff ever. In every single shop that sells warhammer i've been to, doesn't matter if it's an official games workshop or not. I used to go into random ones when I was younger with my long hair and overall scuffy look and they knew I knew everything about it. Now I'm 21 and I have short have and dress in clothes you usually wouldn't association with there usual customers and when I go into a random shop for a browse they swear I'm lost or never heard of this stuff before and jump at me trying to tell me to buy Space Marine stuff or Tau for some reason. I'll stick to Eldar and Tyranids thank you very much Games Workshop!

Ugh that too! Whenever I told them I was buying for myself (WHFB) they'd assume I was a Lizardmen or Wood Elves player :rolleyes: I was actually collecting a Beasts of Chaos army at the time

Wagon

I worked for an hour in Lush. You know the place, smells like crap and it sells soap. I was told to sell sell sell and bully people into buying soap using a really friendly sales manner and push other products onto them, even if they had chosen something.

I was told i didn't have what it takes. I've never been so happy to hear that in my life.

ordinary_girl

Wagon wrote: »

I worked for an hour in Lush. You know the place, smells like crap and it sells soap. I was told to sell sell sell and bully people into buying soap using a really friendly sales manner and push other products onto them, even if they had chosen something.

I was told i didn't have what it takes. I've never been so happy to hear that in my life.

You have my sympathy. Even five minutes working in Lush would probably drive me insane. The vast majority of the customers can see through that 'friendly sales manner' the staff have. It's just irritating a lot of the time, always pressuring people into buying stuff. No, I don't want soap that costs a tenner, but somehow that's usually what I end up with.

Anyone ever went shopping in China?

In many of the shops I was in, the sales assistants LITERALLY follow you around the shop, standing no more than 3 foot away from you at all times. Annoying at first, but you get used to it. Chalk it down to cultural differences. (or I look dodgy)

+1 on the lush thing, I find the staff there so fake and phoney, the whole 'hey, I'm your friend and I'm so kooky as well' sales approach drives me nuts

Wagon

Rest_Energy wrote: »

You have my sympathy. Even five minutes working in Lush would probably drive me insane. The vast majority of the customers can see through that 'friendly sales manner' the staff have. It's just irritating a lot of the time, always pressuring people into buying stuff. No, I don't want soap that costs a tenner, but somehow that's usually what I end up with.

That't not the worst part actually. After the hour, i smelled like a flowerbed. The smell sticks to you like you would not believe.

but thanks for the sympathies. If there is one thing i love, it's sympathy

Cunning Stunt

am living abroad, where every shop on the high street is a 'can I help you?' shop.
It really puts me off going in. If I see a nice shop but there is no one else browsing around inside, I won't go in, because I KNOW they will not even give me a chance to get my other foot in the door before they pounce.:(

Seriously, woould they not give their customers a chance to see what's on offer first? How the hell otherwise are they gonna know if they need help or not :mad:

Roomic Cube

I work in retail, theres policies on everything, from dealing with customers just browsing, to what to say at the till, its actually written that when serving a customer I have to say hello, make a positive comment about the item they are buying and then smile......

easyeason3

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Or maybe they are just trying to be friendly and polite? Or they are simply doing what they've been trained to do?

When I worked in retail my manager was forever drumming into us the importance of approaching every customer and making them feel welcome and letting them see that you were ready and willing to help them.

I know it can be annoying but would you honestly rather you were completely ignored walking in? I wager half the people complaining now would pitch a fit if no-one spoke to them.

I worked as a sales assistant & as a manager in retail so believe me I know what I am talking about.
You can make a person feel welcome by saying ' Hello, isn't it a nice day out/ desperate day out, if you need any help give me a shout '.
You don't need to sit on someones shoulder. You need someone to be friendly but to keep a distance until they are needed.

ordinary_girl

easyeason3 wrote: »

You can make a person feel welcome by saying ' Hello, isn't it a nice day out/ desperate day out, if you need any help give me a shout '.
You don't need to sit on someones shoulder. You need someone to be friendly but to keep a distance until they are needed.

This is definitely the correct way to approach a consumer, friendly and non-abrasive with no pressure. Definitely makes me more likely to purchase something.

Overheal

trishasaffron wrote: »

Is the art of sales not all about understanding the needs of customers? My need is not to be repeating "no thanks - I'm fine" over and over. And so I take my business to places that seem to be able to understand that if I need help I'LL ASK FOR IT.

Just sayin........

This is a fine attitude in a Plaza or a Shopping Mall where theres a high volume of stores and traffic: you can safely assume the vast majority of people are browsing.

When you work in a Niche Retail in an Industrial Park its pretty easy to assume the customer is coming to you having an idea of what they want. Its not really that rude to ask them when they come in "is there anything I can help you find?"

For me most customers will say "yea do you have any Bruce hardwood?" and a few times they'll be standing right in front of the Ginormous 30ft BRUCE display and would be oblivious.

There is also of course the customer that asks "How much is this hardwood?" and you have to go "Actually, that's a Laminate, not a Hardwood."

So to allow my customer to browse around and confuse themselves - It's not something we like to have done. I like to point out what is what. Very few people come in understanding the difference between solid hardwood, engineered hardwood and laminate.

Do I feel like an ass saying hello to customers at the door? no.

although,

Chorcai wrote: »

Ya'll haven't lived till you go shopping in the USofA, overly happy, how can I/we help you today, welcome to "X" store have a nice time ! So false and tacky.

Best Buy greeters are terribly annoying. Mainly because all they do is say Welcome or Goodbye. Thats it. It's rubber-room treatment for high school kids.

To be completely fair, it takes little effort to say "No thanks, I'm just browsing/I've got it."

The scummiest of the scummy jobs though has to be the Walmart Greeter/Receipt checker - they are paid a meager minimum wage and forcibly trained to treat exiting customers as a potential thief:

http://consumerist.com/2010/01/walmart-manager-takes-customers-dvd-away-because-he-wont-show-receipt.html

Deleted User wrote: »

I don't particularly mind it in regular shops.. I want to punch every butcher who asks me tho.
I will have a look at everything and then ask the butcher who is no more than two metres away when i'm ready.

Thats understandable. Most people go into a butcher knowing what they want. Butchers know where that something is. Ask, receive, buy, leave. Quick and easy. I miss Irish butchers though man. Ads you prefer the Canadamerica way, stroll into Publix/Walmart, all there is is a pile of crappy cuts on a cold shelf and you just pick and choose? puhlease. I miss Clarecastle and I miss my butcher and I miss asking for fresh cuts

tatabubbly

As a shop assistant, i've been told if i don't do it my "customer service" isn't up to scratch and that i have to talk to every single person the minute they come in the door..

I hate it, i know exactly how annoying it is when someone does it to me in a shop but i don't want to seem to be rude and lose my job, therefore i have to do it.

It's a vicious cycle

ordinary_girl

Actually, just found a good article about this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/blog/2010/jul/09/sales-assistants-happy-to-help

DerekDGoldfish

Roomic Cube wrote: »

I work in retail, theres policies on everything, from dealing with customers just browsing, to what to say at the till, its actually written that when serving a customer I have to say hello, make a positive comment about the item they are buying and then smile......

So that shirt doesnt suit me :eek:

Overheal

Overheal wrote: »

Thats understandable. Most people go into a butcher knowing what they want. Butchers know where that something is. Ask, receive, buy, leave. Quick and easy. I miss Irish butchers though man. Ads you prefer the Canadamerica way, stroll into Publix/Walmart, all there is is a pile of crappy cuts on a cold shelf and you just pick and choose? puhlease. I miss Clarecastle and I miss my butcher and I miss asking for fresh cuts

As Mr. Timberlake would say, Cry me a river.