to want Christmas sales staff to back off?

[MardyBra]

I was browsing for stocking fillers for the DC in Hawkins Bizarre (as I like to think of it) yesterday, and every time I so much as touched a product, one of the staff members came up and told me how much fun it was and how it was their favourite thing in the shop, in an attempt to get me to buy it. In the end, I had to request that they back off, because my peri-menopausal head couldn't cope with all their chatter when I was trying to work out what tat to buy.

The same thing happened in Body Shop last year. I was happily browsing the gift sets and I had 5 or 6 approaches in succession from staff members desperate to help me in my purchasing decision. I just wanted to look, compare and think ffs. I'm afraid I lost it and snapped at them to be left alone in the end.

I know sale staff are under instructions to be chatty and help. But if a customer has been approached once, surely that should be enough.

"did yo ufind everything you were looking for?2 actually isn't that bad - just because you're at the paying stage, doesn't mean you've found everything you're looking for.
I have seen it time and time again - they say "oh, no, actually, I also was looking for suchandsuch and couldn't see it" and you can then find it for them or order it.
That's the only part of the harrassing customers I agree with.

Why does it have to be all or nothing, though? Either you're swamped by overly-eager assistants, or you can't find one at all. (Debenhams and H&M, where are your staff?)

Shop Workers are trying to sell! It's their JOB! just like you try to do your jobs well. After all a shop is business and are only there if they can sell! They want to sell! Stop being so judgemental over sales assistants. If they were ignoring you ,you would not like that either

You seem to think these sales assistants are below you.

YABU

I work in a shop. I also shop in shops.

I personally don't like being upselled to, but I certainly don't mind a cheery hello and attentive, helpful service.

The thing is do you think shop staff enjoy the hard sell part of their job. I can assure you not, we are instructed to do so in order to meet the ridiculous head office imposed targets.

I am a 43 year old woman with, I can assure you no shortage of self confidence and I assure you I flinch at the prospect of some of the things I am required to do.

If I was a 17 year old kid I'd find it utterly soul destroying.

So, before you wittily wither them with a glance or word remember one day it might be your DC.

If you don't like it, use the Customer Service number to vent your ire. Or shop online.

And breathe.

don't go to the States then!
DH and I went to Florida Keys (which is a holiday area over there so lots of touristy shops).

Walk through the door and it's "Hey. How are you", like I'm a long lost cousin, not a random shopper.

freakazoidroid - There is a balance between the two though. There is a world of difference between asking if someone needs help and the awkward over-eager techniques used by some of the sales staff. Yesterday, I had sales staff give my husband and I a speech on how we shouldn't put off Christmas shopping when we gave non-commital 'we're fine' responses to her Xmas shopping questions (we didn't feel it needed to explain that we don't celebrate Christmas, so weren't out shopping for it).

I do something along these lines.

First approach by shop assistant - Smile and say 'I'm just looking, thanks.'
Second approach - 'I really don't need any help, thank you.'
Third approach - 'I'm going to look in a different shop actually. One where I'll be allowed to browse quietly.'

I don't think that's rude at all, and if they can't co-ordinate the staff so that you're not bothered by several different ones, I will leave. It's as bad a chuggers stationed every ten feet down a street. They can see that one of their colleagues has already asked, and been refused. Why do all the others have to try and stop you as well?

Lush does my head in. It puts me off going in there as I know I'm going to be accosted with people shoving things into my face for me to smell and telling me that the product that "smells like arse" (from dp, it did make me giggle when the girl still insisted it was lovely) is her favourite product ever.

I had got rid of one in cardiff last weekend and was discussing with my dp which smelly thing to buy as a gift whe a second one pounced! I had to very abruptly say that I just wanted to be able to smell them myself! And no sales lady, I don't think the sulky 14 year emo old I'm buying for would appreciate a pink star-shaped wand you waggle around in the water.

freaka - I am not being judgemental about shop assistants. I don't mind being approached. What I object to is being approached over and over again until my head spins utnil I can't think about the purchase that I am trying to make.

picnicbasketcase - I tend to follow your approach also. Once or twice, fine. More than that is unacceptable.

nickel You're an independent retailer aren't you? I love the independents in my town. Especially the card shop couple. And the lovely independent toy shop, where, yes, the owner is a good saleswoman, but she'll just point out the benefits of a particular product, if she sees you looking at it, but won't follow you round the shop like a puppy dog.

If it isn't possible to get it on the internet, then Santa doesn't deliver it here. I do not do actual set foot in shops shopping unless absolutely required (hell tomorrow will be getting DS new shoes after school).

NB Hawkins Bazaar do internet shopping, and if you go through quidco you get 10% cashback and if you order before Saturday and spend more than £45 then you get free delivery. Not being geeky, just ordered a load of stuff from there this morning.

And if you have a browse on quidco then you get ideas for shops you never thought of and possibly a really interesting gift. Also ebay where there are quite a few shops selling new stuff, inexpensively and relatively stress free. Ebay is my friend.

Amazon have a grocery section. Fruit4U is my favoured dear-heaven-what-on-earth-am-I-going-to-get-them stop.

I am, yes.
I tend to say hello to customers when they come in, and if they look confused I ask them if they need any help.
other than that, i leave them alone. :)

Yes, but if you do internet shopping, you don't have the excuse of needing to rest your tired legs and treating yourself to a nice lunch and a glass of

Mardy - I have been known to go to town for a nice lunch or for a cake and hot chocolate. I just don't go in the shops...

Actually, for a few years after I had DS I couldn't physically get to the shops. And my love affair with internet shopping started in 1997 when Tesco were the only ones who did home delivery, and there were only a few niche shops around, because in 1997 I dislocated both of my shoulders and they weren't properly healed in time for Christmas shopping. Now, I just enjoy it!

actually, when I used to work for the big chain, I loved it when a customer told me how annoying it was to be badgered - every time it happened, I would merrily trot off and tell the manager that people just didn't like it .
It didn't stop it, though (i'm sure managers never tell Head Office) but it made me feel like i'd stood up for the customer.

Maybe we should send a link to this thread to the customer service departments of BodyShop, Lush, Hawkins and Waterstones (which I presume is the big chain of which you speak).

I did once email WHSmiths about the annoying upselling of crap chocolate. They sent back a standard reply, which suggests they get a lot of complaints about it.

The last time they tried it, I pointed to the size of my arse and asked the sales assistant if I looked like I really needed more chocolate. Luckily she saw the funny side.

Been a few weeks since we've had a shop assistant bashing thread. I would strongly recommend that customers take a good, long look at their own behaviour coming into the most stressful time in the retail sector before complaining about staff. I am strongly of the opinion that harrassment signs of the type seen on buses etc should be on every till point, warning customers that verbal and physical abuse of staff will not be permitted. Please also note that a lot of the staff at the moment are Christmas temps and this is likely to be their first job. There's no need to snap at them or tell them you'll shop elsewhere. Just a polite 'I've already been asked, thank you' should suffice.

I quite agree madamehooch - a polite 'I've already been asked, thank you' should suffice but it doesn't.

Maybe I should enumerate each time? "I've already been asked twice, thank you." "I've already been asked three times, thank you." And so on.

I would also say madameh that I'm not bashing the assistants. It's the Head Office policies which piss me off.

Yes I agree Lord. In USA they love to chat and offer service. Hated the beauty counters. It was better in Phoenix though and the shop assistants were really nice.

I don't mind in the UK as long as they don't stalk you. Usually they only ask once and then leave me alone. I would hate it if I felt i was being stalked.

Somehow the independent retailers being helpful I like. Our local butchers come over and say if you can't find what you are looking for we can get it for you, and I think that's great. I go there a lot-it's the personal touch.

It's the big name shops that are instructing their staff to chase you about and be overly familiar with you while trying to sell you stuff that grates my carrot.

I work for the big book chain which some of you have mentioned and, whilst I would agree that there is a policy of approaching customers, it has recently been scaled back from the pouncing on and talking to customers who would rather be left alone that was pushed by Head Office in the past. Now a simple greeting and an offer of help if needed will suffice. There is still a Mystery Shopper program, but it is not of the 'stalkerish' kind that was referred to up-thread. Managers have told Head Office about their concerns, and those of their staff, that customers didn't like it (and we, as customers in other stores, don't like it either) - hence the change in emphasis.

There is another side to approaching customers who look like they want to be approached - a distinct difference from approaching all customers, and a distinction that I train all of my staff in.

Maybe this is a peculiarity of bookselling ( Nickelbabe, you'll be able to help me with this!) - a lot of people just want a chat. There was an older lady in my store yesterday, looking a bit lost, so I asked her if she needed any help with anything. She replied that she was trying to do some Christmas shopping, but that her DH had died in the summer, and her heart wasn't in it. I told her that I had lost my mum this year, and we had a chat about her DH, her DC and how hard it was to get into the Christmas spirit when you had lost a loved one. We spoke for about fifteen minutes, and when she left she said she would come back when she felt a bit better, but that she had enjoyed our chat. I feel that this is a really important part of customer service, and something that, whilst maybe a bit unusual on the High Street, would not happen if staff were unaware of the customers in their stores, or unhappy to approach customers who need help (of whatever kind.)

I'm not stealth-boasting; all of my staff chat to our 'regulars' and anyone else who just looks like they need a bit of company! It's not all about selling, but with the state that retail is in at the moment, it's understandable that the head offices of the big chains are looking for ways to maximise sales. Maybe their Mystery Shopper programs and upselling targets need tweaking; maybe the management of some stores need to bend the rules a little in advising their staff how to approach customers.

Madamehooch - I totally agree with your post. I think everyone should be forced to spend some time behind a till - they would be shocked at some of the abuse we have to put up with.

Reminds me of when I worked as a cashier in a bank. A little old lady came in did her transaction then proceeded to show me her huge photograph album. I was the only cashier and there was (as usual) a queue out of the door.

I failed to try and sell her any financial products too.

The checkout staff of Sainsburys have taken to asking me 'what have you been doing today?'. I'm getting fed up of it... But I'm too polite to say 'mind your own bloody business!'