Shop assistants asking if I need help

[blueskypink]

I probably am just being an intolerant bitch but I wish shop assistants would just leave me alone.

If I'm standing in a shop looking around with a puzzled/confused expression THEN, by all means ask me if I need help. IF, however, I'm walking purposefully towards some merchandise, am deep in concentration studying a label or an item, or have literally just walked through the door (avoiding eye contact and keeping as far away from you as possible) could you please just leave me alone?

If I want your help I'll ask for it.

I also don't want someone saying hello as I cross a threshold and saying 'bye - thank you' when I leave 5 seconds later because I've realised very quickly it's not my sort of shop.

I presume assistants are obliged to do this? Or maybe everyone else likes this sort of attention and doesn't snarl the way I do? I'm being unreasonable aren't I? But after a day's shopping I just wanted to scream "leave me the fuck alone!!"

My god, some of you are clearly missing the point. No one minds ‘friendly and helpful’ or a greeting - we are specifically talking about sales assistants that bombard you with questions, follow you around, demo products on you without permission, are very pushy with sales etc - it’s to the point where it’s a tiring social interaction. Customer service isn’t an all or nothing skill - there is a middle ground where you can be helpful but not harassing. If you can’t understand that, then I just don’t know how to clarify it any further.

You might be specifically talking about such things but I was reposnding to the OP. Obviously I don’t wish to be harassed & followed around but I’m happy to be asked if I need any assistance and I’m happy to say hello and goodbye.

Customer service isn’t an all or nothing skill - there is a middle ground where you can be helpful but not harassing. If you can’t understand that, then I just don’t know how to clarify it any further
People upthread have said they don't like being approached or asked if they need any help full stop. No-one has said following people round a shop asking loads of questions is ok. Of course it's annoying.

following with me asking 'how do you know them? He didn't grin

My son asks me that! and I remember asking my dad the same too! He always said “he said hello to me and it would be rude not to respond” it always took ages to get down the street!

But some posters have complained about people saying hello...and its those posts ive been replying to

An assistant saying hello while they're going about their business is one thing. However, some shops - like Next and Scuh - have a person designated to stand in the entrance to greet people on the way in and thank them on the way out. I feel uncomfortable on their behalf - what a thankless, pointless and demeaning task.

An assistant saying hello while they're going about their business is one thing.

As others have said some of us have been replying to the original post

Now there is further clarification and saying hello is back to being alright depending on the circumstances then obviously some of the answers would have been a bit different

@AWomanIsAnAdultHumanFemale brilliant it's so odd to other countries probably, casually walking down the street muttering 'how are ya' to everyone you make eye contact with!

I’ve worked as a hostess in a Michelin star restaurant before and the main point of the job is to greet people as they come in. There’s a little more to it than that, but it’s far from demeaning or pointless. It’s a level of service which is expected in high end places. If you don’t like that sort of attention, stick to places where they have self service tills I guess!

I also don't want someone saying hello as I cross a threshold and saying 'bye - thank you' when I leave 5 seconds later because I've realised very quickly it's not my sort of shop.

Rufus - this is what I said in my original post. Can't you see the difference between the enforced, stand in your way greeting and a hello once you're in the store IF the circumstances are appropriate?

Some people do like it. I hated it in my 20s (had to do it myself when I had a part time retail job) but now I just say "No thanks" and then they leave me alone. I know they're not doing it to annoy me. But trust me, if retail management make their shop floor staff do this, the data must say it increases sales because there is no way they would be doing it if it didn't.

And yes, as shop floor staff I did repeatedly point out to my manager and the branch manager that some people would turn around and leave on being approached and it made no difference.

I’m not interested in a “hello” as I prefer to be ignored, but I know that that’s probably not socially acceptable. If it extends beyond a brief “hello” then my autistic anxiety kicks in. I don’t communicate well and communication to me means stopping all other brain processes and concentrating very hard on what I’m supposed to say to the other person. If I’m tired, in a hurry, preoccupied then it will come out wrong and the other person will identify that I’m weird or rude etc. I generally stick to well practised scripts, but open ended questions throw me into confusion and anxiety. Being followed plain freaks me out and I will just leave at that point. If dh is with me I ask him to do all the talking whilst I look at things.

In addition to this, I have to cope with loud pop music, smells - often from those sickly candle things that are everywhere, bright lighting, other shoppers etc.

User how does it increase sales? What possible proof is there that it does this? The pushy shops are usually empty from what I see.

I have no idea, Ceridwens, but all retail management care about in terms of customer service strategy is sales so if there was evidence that making shop floor staff approach customers was losing money they'd ban it.

Haven’t read the whole thread but earlier you mentioned telling management. All staff know customers hate it. Store managers know customers hate it. But they have to at least appear to think initiatives like this are the best thing since sliced bread in order to progress in their careers. At one point all our managers and supervisors suddenly started saying “smash it” and memos from head office had it written on them too, it was quite cultish.

The problems in retail are the same as in many other industries. Top down initiatives thought up by people whose only job is to come up with this idiotic stuff. Meanwhile the opinions of staff who deal with customers everyday and have a much better understanding of what they like are ignored.

Well they do lose money because people on this thread have described how they either leave pushy stores or don’t visit them in the first place. The stores might not know that they’re losing sales, but they are.

The problems in retail are the same as in many other industries. Top down initiatives thought up by people whose only job is to come up with this idiotic stuff. Meanwhile the opinions of staff who deal with customers everyday and have a much better understanding of what they like are ignored.

Precisely

Just like Marks and Spencers with their awful clothing. How many times have they been told and they just pompously ignore it?

Meanwhile, sales decline, people flock online and high street companies continue to moan and hand wring.

I was in Build A Bear last week with my niece and as soon as I stepped foot inside a bloke pounced on me and asked if I needed help. I said no thanks and he then started reeling off all the special offers they had on even though they were signposted in front of me. I ended up leaving a minute later as I felt so irked by it all. Not towards him personally as I’m sure his boss probably forces him to be like that towards every customer. Any pushy sales environment will 100% make me not buy from them

Blueskypink

Saying hello and goodbye isn’t pointless. It’s often for security reasons.

Given the current pressures on the retail sector, it’s highly doubtful that they’re employing staff to do something pointless.

How about, ‘oh and we’ve got in blue, green, yellow over here! What size are you? Bla!bla!bla!

For goodness sake! Let me decide on what I want to buy first.

I don't know why his bothers people so much.

If you went in the shop and were going to be looking for help it is there. If you don't need it a simple, 'no thank you' covers it.

As I said, because I'm autistic. I don't want to interact. If it's a shop whose products I know well, like Lush, I don't need help. Also, please don't ask me what smells I like, I can't think of anything when people ask me direct questions.

'So do any of you who work in retail ever feed back to management that people don't like it? I'd actively choose a shop where I knew I would be left alone over one where I'd feel irritated by unwanted attention. '

Yes retail managers do a survey fgs! We actually avoid loccitane and Lush because of the breathe down your neck 'would you like to smell this???' assistants. Just keep a discreet distance and if people display needing help body language then go for it. Drives me insane too op.

blue

I will say hello when you cross the threashold

From wherever i am in the store

If you do leave a few seconds later it may well be too late for me to stop saying it

The immediate about turn of a customer rarely happens...but i have been caught out which other staff tend to find very funny

My store doesnt put staff by the door aand to be honest ive not really seen this in the area i live...lack of staff usually

Your first post mentioned nothing about members of staff being posted by the door to welcome customers

But thats fine, im not having a pop at you. honestly im not