about pressure selling!

[lomega]

DH and I decided to brave our local city yesterday for some Xmas shopping and wanted to have a look around well-known 'naice' high street shops for nice ideas. (FYI, bad idea haha. Shop online, or wear a suit of armour!)

Anyway. Oh my god. I'm sure IABU but what the hell is with all the pressure selling from well-know high street shops? It's like the staff have been told to grab each and every customer that walks in the doors and not let them leave until they've bought something, ANYthing.

I'm not naming names but one well-known cosmetics selling company accosted me and DH/our DS as soon as we even entered the shop yesterday. I am normally placid/happy and pleased to be treated in a friendly manner, but the staff were too full on saying "do you want to look at this? do you want to try this? what are you looking for? if it's a friend what skin type does she have?" I am not making this up. I had to say, forcefully, several times "I really just want to have a look and decide what to get, I'm just browsing".

As I say I am normally polite/nice and tolerant, but I had to be quite forceful and tell the sales assistant "Can I just have a minute to look round on my own please!" and she left looking a bit hurt?!
As soon as I was unaccompanied by staff, THREE more asked 'are you OK guys?! Can we help!"

FFS GO AWAAAAAAAAAAAY.

This happened a couple of other times too in various stores but to a lesser extent.

AIBU? Sorry for the rant. anyone else got any horror stories/similar experiences? x

Try going to Morocco or Thailand or Turkey. The UK selling pressure is nothing compared to many countries.

I've been to a few parts of Greece that were super guilt-trippy at the markets, but I don't really expect it from good UK stores with good repuations! I like being able to walk into a shop, look around at my leisure, and if anyone asks me do I need help, to accept a 'no thanks - just looking' as an adequate response.

Was it The Body Shop?

I posted a thread about them yesterday or the day before.

It is really off-putting.

Nope but similar-ish. I didn't see your thread tootles off to look

Yes it is off putting, I'd def have spent more if I wasn't being chased around

Just to clarify, in Turkey it's considered rude if the shop assistant doesn't follow you round. The Turkish expect to have a shop assistant on hand in case they want something in a different size or have a question about it. It's also usual if in a clothes shop for the assistant to carry your clothes to the changing room and wait outside the curtain while you try stuff on.
They don't realise it makes us Brits feel like we're being stalked!
But yes OP, that would annoy me too!

Haha yes Turkey is terrible.
Grab you from the street sit you down on a stool shove drink in your hand and then harass you.

Oh but the street harassment in Turkey is awful, although they aren't supposed to do it any more. They can have their premise closed down now for pestering people.

fucking clarks was the same yesterday-so much so I left and ordered online

I hate being bothered in shops and I hate shop assistants trying to sell me things when I'm at the checkout. WHSmith always do it. It's rude and irritating.

I like to preempt them and say something along the lines of 'Just this and nothing else thanks' as I hand over whatever it is I'm buying.

I also refuse to give my home or email address (unless it is a return).

..and then they are all the stupid offers of buy one get one free but only on a Monday if there is a full moon. Blah, blah blah... They drive me crazy too.

Shopping makes me angry. I think it's lucky that I mostly buy things online.

OP YANBU

I don't mind being asked at the checkout 'we've got this on offer today, can I interest you?' but this one woman literally chased me around the shop trying to make me sample stuff! After being told at least 5 times 'I'm just going to have a look, thanks'. and then I snapped and felt like a bitch when really I shouldn't have to feel guilty at all, if you see what I'm saying! Haha. I was grouchy anyway because of stressful busy shops and trying to look after my child at the same time but omg it was just so annoying and off putting.

You were in Lush, weren't you?

What really pisses me off is when four different members of staff offer to help you, then once you've found what you want to buy you have to stand in line for 10 minutes to pay for it because they've only got one till open.

haha wobbly YES! Haha. And then they normally try to rush you through after the long wait.

I detest being bothered in shops.

Why do they do it? To make you get your stuff quickly and leave?

Mostly shop online now.

I knew that you are in lush from the first part. They're like it all of the time. I love lush products but hate the shop experience!

Yep definitely Lush. I genuinely think they're just super enthusiastic about their stuff more than pressured to make a sale...

I hate the whole up selling thing when you get to the tills (store cards, special offers, etc.). Used to feel sorry for staff, said to one once "It sucks that they target you to do this add on selling when clearly customers don't want it", & the guy said "Oh no, we're not targetted". Right then - am going to stop being pleasant about it in that case!

I hated working in a shop for this reason. We had to greet all customer then within 5 minutes approach and ask if they wanted anything. And if they bought something we were pressured to sell them extras or we would be in trouble because of the extras sales figures.

Ha ha just knew this would be lush - it actually stops me from shopping in there which is a shame as do like their bath bombs.

Lush is always like that. I don't mind it if I know what I am after -and just have a nice chat with the staff member. I have been in Leeds Lush and one in London recently - must all have the same staff training..;)

Small businesses working mainly online can be just as bad. Several times I have bought a product from one, only to have them phone me up a further 3 times in the next 6 months, asking if I would like to re-order and giving me the full sales pitch of why the product was so wonderful. In great detail. Phoning me during working hours, while I was at work (I only answered because I thought it was an emergency).

Can I give praise where praise is due though? Mercedes. I have been to several Mercedes dealerships, turned up in gym gear, asked if I needed help when I entered then wandered around looking at cars, with help available if needed. I have been given test drives and cars to take home for a couple of days. I have as a result bought their products many times. ie they haven't managed to put off a willing buyer.

(DH had not such a good experience, as he went into see the new E class and the salesman directed him towards a Smart Car!)