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!!"

Is there anyone on MN who does work at HQ level for a well known retailer who could tell their colleagues most shoppers hate the enforced jollity and to leave us alone - we'll ask if we need help? Will they listen to other people in their ivory tower?

In the way M&S listen? Nope.

We’re mainly women here and women are always in the wrong and don’t know our own silly minds or what’s good for us. Store assistants are mainly female and the management are mainly male.

The dogmatic and hostile way in which these rules are enforced show that they’re here to stay. Ultimately, the people who will suffer are the store assistants if jobs are lost due to store failures. The CEOs will just find another nest to feather, they won’t ever take responsibility for poor decisions.

Some daft, newly graduated psychologists must come up with these ideas. We’re all just cash cows anyway.

Retail manager here. I think only two posters have mentioned this but I see it countless times every day.

We greet as we see someone has entered the store. Big, genuine, authentic smile (it's a great brand and people genuinely enjoy working in store). Not in a stalkerish way, but as we're tasking.

After a minute or two we offer assistance. Usually "do you need a hand/can I help at all or are you happy browsing?"

I'd say 50% say they're fine then IMMEDIATELY say something along the lines of "Actually I was wondering if you had..... "

The other 50% either don't acknowledge the question or say they're happy browsing.

If we didn't offer assistance we could miss 50% of potential sales. It's amazing how many people can walk out muttering "No I don't see it, never mind" if they're not approached in a timely manner.

We were marked down on Mystery Shop by a guy who took the Sales Assistant's approach sentence very literally. On being asked if he was OK he replied yes. Then complained that the Sales Assistant walked off before he could say what he was looking for.

As someone upthread said this isn't necessary in 'self select' stores but it IS necessary in 'no service no sale' stores (jewellery, shoes etc).

Pushy=bad (Lush is DREADFUL!)
Genuine=happy customers + sales

How did you get a 1st Woman?! I find it incredibly difficult to learn anything! I'm still stuck in the same place with riding lessons, because it's just not sinking in.

Can shops please stop the greet at the door thing, it's awkward and you know the employee don't enjoy doing it. Please let them walk around the shop floor and be available to help customers when needed.

Next is the worst.

I'd say 50% say they're fine then IMMEDIATELY say something along the lines of "Actually I was wondering if you had..... "

So it must work, which is why it continues to happen.

The other 50% either don't acknowledge the question or say they're happy browsing.

And that's all of us on this thread.

buttocks I'm one of them there "high functioning/aspergers" ones. I don't know... that 1st didn't do me much good to be honest as haven't managed to function at all in the "real world"! Ironically my longest stint in employment was in retail.

I'm borderline, whatever that means. I think my psychotherapist thinks I'm really good at coping, but really, I just don't find life as stressful as she thinks I should.

Aaaaanyway, back to shops. I like supermarkets with self-checkouts. I don't have to talk to anyone! Although I do hurl abuse at the self-checkout. There's also a member of staff I know by name who I call in a whiny "Muuuuuuum" voice when the disablist bastard machine can't cope with me taking slightly longer to do things because I'm thinking.

Although I do hurl abuse at the self-checkout

Ive yelled at it for being rude

For being very well aware I obviously havent scanned my sparks card so it can fuck off with its faux 'have you scanned' bollocks

Ive yelled at it for being impatient

And for not going fast enough

And none of this in my head

Yes, the bloody irony! I want to be left alone to shop/browse, but I want a human being to help me at the till, not an automated till.

Body Shop is horrendous, I activately avoid the place because they pounce on the threshold.

The other day I got this in Superdrug and just said no thanks, as there are really only 2 isles in the shop and I'm happy to look, rather than announcing to the shop and the teenage boy shop assistant "I'M LOOKING FOR SANITARY TOWELS"

Rufus our Sainsbury's has recently "upgraded" my arse its self-checkouts, what it's actually done is made them impatient, so that if you're too slow, it either tells you to remove or place something, and a member of staff has to scan their ID to sort it. Just give me 30 seconds more! Then you have the prats who lean across you to scan something, even though you're obviously standing in front of it, before you've even started. "I thought you were packing." No, you prat, it's a self-checkout. You pack as you go. I hadn't even fucking started. Then you get a staff member to sort it out, but he doesn't take the fucking razor blades off the system, so you have to call him back and explain again. 😠 I now have my bags ready to plonk down as soon as I get there. But I shouldn't have to!

I never liked doing this because of people like you. It's part of the job, and it makes you feel like shit when someone is to dense to realise this and treats you like dirt.
Be considerate to people in customer facing jobs, it's bloody awful.

perfectly

I feel your pain

Last time i used them at sainsburys i put my bag on to be weighed so i can use it...and the machine threw the screaming ab dabs

Apparently its got to be empty to work...so either you need a separate bag for every shop you go into or you need to empty out the shopping youve already bought!

And i dont ever use the whsmiths ones...i swear they are controlled by satan!

PP asking about deaf customers- once we realise people are deaf (not always immediate), we try and make sure they can lip read and use pens & paper where necessary. We'd aim to be as respectful as possible and try to make it as easy as possible for them. Offering deaf people good service when you're so used to using your voice does challenge you.

Wrt to autism, service never suits everyone, but it is unfortunately designed at promoting interaction. Staff try to be respectful, that's all we can really do in a system that's designed to be almost the opposite of what suits your needs. I think retailers could & should get involved with making shops more autism friendly, the way Morrisons have done. Believe me, i had plenty of customers I'd rather not have had to chat to! It's no hardship to leave you alone, but I can't risk an MS going ungreeted.

Greeters &Goal Keepers- that story about using the greeter to trap people leaving is horrendous!!! They're part of the using staff as security idea though. Security costs so a lot of shops only get it for high turnover, big stores and/or only at peak trade. When I briefly worked as an assistant manager for a company owned by a huge uk sports retailer (the two letter 'monarch of footwear' one), we were expected to zone staff, including by the door, as everyone was supposed to be greeted asap, they were a visual security presence and they could block shoplifters leaving. We'd be in big trouble if "the front" was left open & security training videos did show stores being robbed blind because there were no staff around. The only exception was if they were giving chase to a shoplifter. As we were expected to chase after any thieves, it was much easier if the goalie managed to detain them. I personally hated it and would rather let someone go & not have a staff member punched, kicked, bitten, sworn at or on the wrong end of a knife, acid or dirty needles.

Working for a huge scandi 2 letter fast fashion retailer & their approach was to deter people from stealing where possible but not to put up a fight or chase - we were more precious than stock, an attitude also followed by the other brand I worked at, which was a decidedly stripey & colourful & "english country" brand at the pricier end of the high st.

I work in retail, we have to acknowledge every customer, usually a good morning, afternoon or hello will suffice. It lets the customer know you're available should they want any help. Also lets the shop lifters know of your presence :)

Oh yes the Sainsburys self-serve, if you don't put your item in the bagging area within milliseconds it comes up with a red exclamation mark!

I mean does ANYONE from these places actually use their shops themselves?

I am firmly of the opinion that nobody working for SWR HQ ever travels on one of their trains...

DShatherway

I work at a very similar priced store

And its the same with us, the alarm goes off and we tend to ignore it

Except when the shopping centre put out an alert about terrorist attacks...our 'front' are full height...10 foot probably full width windows which includes the doirs

Our firm wanted us to lock the doors!!!

Are you insane??!!! Im running out the back door and the customers will just have to try and keep up!!

Haven’t read the full thread but had to comment that I actually know someone who LIKES the bullshit of people asking if he needs help and made me feel as though I was abnormal to hate it.
I really really hate it.

Next time I go into a shop and get this i will definitely email customer service. People hate hearing it and people hate doing it.

I didn’t know that surveys with anything other than a perfect score would go against the shop assistant.

Do you think it’s shops trying to replicate really high end brands? If I was walking in Harrods or high end department store I would probably expect it more but at new look it’s just not needed

@Hidillyho yes they do drop us in it because they can be so identifiable. JD use a true rating system on the chip n pin at till that can be linked to sales staff by back office. Staff "fix the machine" and hit a high number before customers see it in some stores. Lots of people object to it.

One company I worked for, the MS reports often described us, and the name of who served you at the till was on the receipt & copy of receipt attached. We could cross reference time & date against rotas & day-planners to ID people from their description and their clothes (we wore stock and tried not to match). So we'd know if "Sophie" had asked you about the mailing list & taken your details as you paid- she's on your receipt, the tall blonde teen in polo shirt, jeans & pink scarf at the door was Gracie and she'd greeted you properly and helped you pick a dress, Jessica was the brunette with specs and grey stripey top who was up the ladder, she didn't greet you but she helped you with sizing when you asked. Harriet is the only staffer with red hair and a denim skirt and pink blouse, she was on the fitting room and she was off task- you said she ignored you and didn't check you were ok. Helena was on shift- but was on her break & then in the office so hence why you didn't see her or mention her. Molly was supposed to have cleaned the mirrors that morning, she'd finished you came in and said the glass was filthy. You mentioned Katie with the long pony tail - she came on shift as Harriet left, you said she was much better. I must tell Helena & Poppy you praised our standards & positively mentioned our manni styling- Helena leads VM and is training Poppy.

This would then be assessed against previous MS performances. Average scores tracked and we'd have to act on the report & tell area staff our "plan". So from that report- Harriet & Molly would be having a chat & we'd review cleaning and Harriet would have service 101. They can track your data capture, too.

@Rufus- where do you work? I'm intrigued as to which of mine it's similar to. DM me it if you like, I shan't tell!

Ive pmed you DSHathaway