To have wanted to throttle this shop assistant?

[hyperhypermum]

DD & I went to the toy department of a local department store to look for a gift for her cousin. We'd been there a couple of minutes and were happily browsing the shelves of possible gifts when an assistant came up & asked if we needed any help.

Me : No, thank you very much.
Her What are you looking for?
Me: A gift for my niece.
Her: How old is she?
Me: 8
Her: (holding up something quite unsuitable). What about this?
Me/DD: Er, no.
Her: What does she like doing?
Me: Lots of things, we'll know the right thing when we see it.
Her: Well, what about this? Or this? (following us and holding up more things that were not particularly enthralling)
Me: (a bit curt, but polite). Look, I think it's best if we just look ourselves.

We then moved swiftly to another aisle. She followed from a distance and continued to hover. It made me feel really uncomfortable. Thankfully, some young girls came along who seemed more grateful for her "help"so we were able to finish our shopping in peace.

I'm all for a bit of customer service and get that she was probably told to actively help customers and generate sales, but fgs?!? I think if she'd persisted any more I might have exploded!

Oh God yeah she sounds terrible doing her job! Perhaps you should unclench a bit

I think it's not really worth worrying too much about it

She didn't want to. She would have been forced to do that crap or risk losing her job.
If it pisses you off that much complain to head office about their sales techniques.

It sounds as though she left you alone as soon as you said you wanted to look by yourselves?

Was it hamleys? I've mystery shopped them and that's what the company wants staff to do.

I think if the customer has made it quite clear that they don't need any help, the assistant should stop.

It's really annoying and I'm aware that they have been told to do it but I hate it too.

Maybe she thought you were there to steal something.
or maybe she had her supervisor breathing down her back.

God the add on sales they are made to push too. I could not work in a shop these days

Surely if you don't want help you just say "I'm just browsing thanks"

Shop assistants get told they have to do this shit

You want to throttle her because she tried to help and left you alone when you asked...?

Body Shop is like this too. I fail to understand why they can't accept that I'm just browsing and if they leave me alone I might buy something but if they keep suggesting things then I won't

Lush are terrible for this sort of thing
It's bloody annoying and I try not to go in there for this very reason

I'd have left.

Once you said no thank you she was being rude and pushy to carry on.

And grabbing random stuff and suggesting it is the opposite of helpful.

Sure it's annoying, but it's what staff in some shops have to do. They don't want to, trust me.

Maybe she got commission?

Wow. Doing her job like that... what a cow. And definitely deserving of 'throttling'

The Entertainer do this too. It is annoying but I just politely smile and say"thanks for your help, if I need anything, Ill let you know". If they persist, I leave.

Once you said no thank you she was being rude and pushy to carry on.

She didn't carry on.

Are some of you not reading correctly.
Op was asked. Told no. Sales person randomly picking up stuff asking what about this. Op no thank you. Op said no thanks we'll look ourselves and went to a different aisle to be followed and only left alone when another customer came into the vicinity.

That's not being left alone when asked.

Even worse you get to the counter. Can I interest you in this offer? No thank you. You sure? Yes thank you. Oh have a smell it's lovely. No thank you. The person then wants you to still smell until you give the glare. Then what's your email... just let me pay already.

That always annoys me, too. You have to be direct. Either tell them you're just looking or tell them you'll let them know if you need any help but you prefer looking around on your own.

I work in a shop

We have to say hello to everyone that comes in...which is fine as i am friendly and think its quite a nice thing to do

One of the other assistants said good morning

And the customer yelled 'NO' at her and put her hand in the assistants face

Incredibly rude but funny to watch

They must lose so many sales this way.

Maybe she thought you were there to steal something

I was made to feel like a shoplifter in the Radley shop - all I wanted was a small coin purse or a travel card holder as a gift for someone, and the assistant followed me round like a bloodhound and kept asking what I wanted even though I had told her.

I appreciate that many shops have small, expensive, easily-nicked items, and I don't mind them watching what I'm doing, but I'd appreciate a bit of discretion.

I felt like a robber - I like to touch things and look inside them (yes - I am a sad old bat) and I felt really constrained - I didn't get anything in the end and bought one from their online shop.

It took all of the pleasure out of my shopping expedition.

Oh I hate this.

I agree with a pp, the body shop is the worst for this. I don't want someone following me around telling me what's wrong with my skin and which product will fix it😬.

This is their job - sales assistant

They are there to assist with sales. Selling stuff. You can bet she was following the store policy to the letter. I've worked in retail, and the stuff they made you do/say was toe curling. However it was much worse being hauled into the office for a bollocking if you didn't!