shop assistants, there is a recession going on, you know

xtradel

spookwoman wrote: »

Do what my Dad does goes up and asks them "sorry for interupting your private conversation but would you like to make a sale and take my money or should I go elsewhere". They are there to assist not to chat.

I'd happily tell your Dad to go elsewhere if he spoke to me like that.

spookwoman

And he'd happily go elsewhere with his business as I would. Especially if he's been standing there for 5 mins with a shoe in his hand looking at them while they are chatting about personal stuff.

xtradel

spookwoman wrote: »

And he'd happily go elsewhere with his business as I would. Especially if he's been standing there for 5 mins with a shoe in his hand looking at them while they are chatting about personal stuff.

As i would....but i wouldnt feel the need to go and get all high and mighty with the staff regardless how useless they are at their job. They are still people like you and me and dont deserve to be spoken to like that. A simple "hello...could i have a look at these shoes" or whatever, would probably get their attention rather than standing on the shop floor with a shoe in your hand :rolleyes:

Obviously if they still ignored you after that well then walk out and get in touch with the store manager and let him deal with the staff.

looksee

Well I think a good bit of this thread offers some answers to Ireland's woes. If that is the attitude of - presumably - workers or potential workers (it is the middle of the afternoon after all) then there is no wonder the service industry is being staffed by foreigners.

Since when was it the customer's responsibility to interrupt the sales staff's chat - work or personal - to ask for attention? In a supermarket, fair enough, but in a shoe shop? You cannot shop in a shoe shop without a certain amount of assistance. Why would anyone pay people to stand chatting?

There is/was one shoe shop in Waterford - it may possibly have closed, I never go there now, where the staff were famous for their inability to see anyone looking for assistance. It was always a mystery how any shoes were ever sold. It used be the exception, now apparently it is the rule.

spookwoman

I dont see it as been high and mighty I see it as giving them a dose of their own medicine. It does seem to becoming a rule that the customer is a just a somebody thats an intrusion on an assistants life.
I have also noticed another trend that customers especially when it's busy have no concept of others wanting to be served and will start chatting with the sales person about something completely unrelated to what they are buying.

Dodge

spookwoman wrote: »

I have also noticed another trend that customers especially when it's busy have no concept of others wanting to be served and will start chatting with the sales person about something completely unrelated to what they are buying.

Wow, imagine people being friendly, how disgusting!?!

spookwoman

Bloody annoying when you have been standing in line for ages to get served.

jack presley

What annoys me in a shop is when I go to the counter with the stuff I want to buy and they try and flog me some other stuff on the counter. If I wanted it I'd have picked it up. Sports shops selling trying to sell you socks and HMV trying to sell you crap stuff that they can't sell are always at this.

Another is when the sales person asks you "is that everything?". If I was getting more is have brought it to the counter. Ah the poor sales people. They can't win!

Dodge

spookwoman wrote: »

Bloody annoying when you have been standing in line for ages to get served.

Stop getting annoyed at every little thing then.

You're annoyed at staff talking to staff, you're annoyed at staff talking to customers. Just shop online and save yourself the bother

Nanazolie

jack presley wrote: »

What annoys me in a shop is when I go to the counter with the stuff I want to buy and they try and flog me some other stuff on the counter. If I wanted it I'd have picked it up. Sports shops selling trying to sell you socks and HMV trying to sell you crap stuff that they can't sell are always at this.

Another is when the sales person asks you "is that everything?". If I was getting more is have brought it to the counter. Ah the poor sales people. They can't win!

That's part of their job description. They are not only supposed to assist you with the things you want, but also try to get you to buy more. They are Sales people. Believe me, it's stressful enough because a lot of people dismiss you and can even be downright rude

Dodge

Dodge wrote: »

They could've been talking about anything work related. Seems to me like the OP was looking to take issue with staff that day.

I still don't think it matters? Unless of course they are dealing with another customer at the time, but if they are just talking about general work stuff, then - seeing as the customer is the reason they're all there in the first place - they should postpone their conversation until they've looked after the customer.

Is it really too much to ask that when working in a customer facing role, you make the customer your priority?

spookwoman

I must be a rare breed I hate shopping and want out of there as fast as I can. Women are the worst. Don't mind someone passing the time of day but when it's busy it's not fair on those waiting. Worked in retail and seen the expressions on those waiting.

Corruptedmorals

Nanazolie wrote: »

In another shop, I asked a girl who was on her mobile to see a dress that was in the window, but which I couldn't find on the rails. She didn't hang up, she put her hand on the receiver and said "if it's not on the rail, we no longer have it". To which I replied "can I buy the one in the window, then, it's my size". No, came the answer, it's in the window. Ah. Indeed. I see. Bye then. Was I surprised to see the shop closed this time? Not really

So what does it have to do with the recession? Well, in a recession, people are reluctant to part with their money, so you have to go the extra mile for their custom. If the size is not on the rail, offer to check if it's in the stockroom, or to order it for the customer (which also means they will have to come back). In a recession, it's also much harder to get a new job when the shop closes so it's in your best interest that it stays open. Ultimately, the staff is not to blame if a company goes bust, but surely if the customers are happy to come back it's more likely to stay afloat.

There was nothing wrong per se with her answers, except that she didn't qualify it. Plenty of staff would know well what's in the stockroom in their department and what is definitely the last one left. What I say is something like 'No sorry that's the last one, it's old stock, do you want me to check another store for you?'. You're still saying 'Nope we don't have it' but it comes across much better and explains it, rather than leaving the customer with the impression that it could well be in the stockroom but the staff member is too lazy to check.

Some shops will not allow window displays and mannequins to be messed with. This is not something individual staff can do anything about. The rest will often only only a display manager to remove said top, and not normal staff members. Yet again a rude dismissive response 'no it's in the window' that could have been explained and made polite.

I absolutely agree that shoe shop staff should be alert to customers seeing as customers generally cannot buy a pair of shoes without assistance. It is the height of rudeness to ignore someone like that and continue a conversation. But I would blame the management just as much.

R.D. aka MR.D

On the topic of saying to someone 'just give me a shout if you need any help'. I HAVE to greet every customer in the shop and this is how i do it. The amount of times i get rolled eyes, loud sighs, and once a woman even raised her voice and said 'if i want help i'll bloody well ask for it'. How is some one raised to be that rude?

I also agree with people saying about being short staffed. We're really short staffed because the company don't want to pay for any more part time hours. It's very stressful for us that are stuck trying to cope.

On the subject of chatting, then i totally agree that it's not on but my advice would to be walk up close to them and they'll soon get the hint.

Shop floors get really messy during sale time because people treat the stock like it's something they stepped in throwing it around the place like they would never dare to do in non-sale time. Again being short staffed this is difficult to get on top off.

I just wish people would give retail staff a bit of a break. You wouldn't believe how much abuse we get. One of the unions have a campaign about it: http://www.mandate.ie/Documents/RRW_A5leaflet.pdf
That says 74% of retail workers have experienced verbal abuse.

Before you start giving out about retail workers just stop and think about the hard time they've had working all over christmas while others got to enjoy a break. Where i work was only closed christmas day and new years day. Also think about the fact that the average person working on the floor basically has no control over anything including what stock is ordered, refund policy etc.

lala88

spookwoman wrote: »

Do what my Dad does goes up and asks them "sorry for interupting your private conversation but would you like to make a sale and take my money or should I go elsewhere". They are there to assist not to chat.

Im sure he says that to people....

lala88

xtradel wrote: »

I'd happily tell your Dad to go elsewhere if he spoke to me like that.

Same hear. Iv worked in retail before and would never again because of people who would speek like that. Alot of customers seem to think because theres a recession they can treat people in shops like s***.

looksee

I have worked in retail - a long time ago, admittedly. Of course there are rude customers out there, and that is wrong. However it does not justify sales assistants not doing their jobs. There are also some very good sales assistants out there - in fact I think most of them are good, but its the one rude or useless one that sticks in your memory as a customer, and that is the shop you do not go back to.

spookwoman

lala88 wrote: »

Im sure he says that to people....

He does, Mum hates going anywhere with him. Alot of Americans speak out as well, have a cousin when she comes here will speak her mind if she doesn't get the service she expects.

Quote :lala88 Same hear. Iv worked in retail before and would never again because of people who would speek like that. Alot of customers seem to think because theres a recession they can treat people in shops like s***.

You could also argue that the assists are treating the customer like s**t. Its nothing to do with recession, it's about doing your job properly and if you don't do it word spreads then you loose business. Good sales assistants are kept on while the bad ones move around alot.

lala88

spookwoman wrote: »

He does, Mum hates going anywhere with him. Alot of Americans speak out as well, have a cousin when she comes here will speak her mind if she doesn't get the service she expects.

Quote :lala88 Same hear. Iv worked in retail before and would never again because of people who would speek like that. Alot of customers seem to think because theres a recession they can treat people in shops like s***.

You could also argue that the assists are treating the customer like s**t. Its nothing to do with recession, it's about doing your job properly and if you don't do it word spreads then you loose business. Good sales assistants are kept on while the bad ones move around alot.

Maybe but iv seen alot of customers treat staff like s**** when something goes wrong and you can tell alot of the time its actually the customers own flat but dont want to take the balme. On a different matter kind of iv also seen customers make a fuss when there not given something for less and use the excuse ''we're in a recession'' and then go and bad mouth the shop over it

mikemac1

Nanazolie wrote: »

In a shoe store, I was the only customer and the 2 girls were talking about there weekend. I waited with a shoe in hand, one was facing me but pretended not to notice.

Just nod and approach them and ask for help