AIBU to hate overzealous customer service?

[PRODUCERAMANDA]

I was at a farmers market recently, when every stall I went to, the stall holder insisted on explaining each and every product they had for sale.
I know they need to do the hard sell in some cases, but for me it instantly makes me want to run away - I'm the consummate browser.
It's also the same for me in shops when the assistant eyeballs me walking around and 'helpfully' tells me what something is made of/that they have one at home etc...
Am I Being Unreasonable to only want help when I ask for it?

NB: This thread and it's responses may well be used on an up and coming podcast. But this is a genuine question and genuine opinions would be much appreciated.

[edited by MNHQ - this thread is OK'd by us]

FortunesFave - it doesn't just mean in a shop - it means online, on signs in the shop etc

You presumably want to know what it is you're buying and the price before you purchase!

'Headline' means more like some people just want say 'a red jumper, £20-30' and consider that job done. Others want to know whether it's handwashable, which shade of red, type of wool and where it was made etc. These are the 'product focused' people.

Then there's the 'people focused' people, who care about rapport, feeling well-served, made comfortable etc.

I notice someone has mentioned Benefit. I actually googled them because I find their pushiness so annoying, and yep it's very much customer policy - "stopping traffic".

If I want something from their counter I have to go into a shop when there's nobody there or they are busy so I can quickly grab the item I want and scuttle off to the till with it before they notice me and start chasing me around the shop.

I find it soooo annoying. No wonder people are buying online more and more.

I find it very encroaching on my personal space. If I am just browsing, I am just browsing. Like the OP, I don't need to know the ingredients or whatever unless I ask. I just want to be left the hell alone while I browse. I am so sick of saying 'just looking thanks'. Over-zealous sales people who follow me around and give suggestions or ask if I need help really anger me and exhaust me. And in fact, I have and will leave stores if they do that. So one would think it is self-defeating for them to do that.

Another is checkout operators who ask you how your day was, etc. I am good with a hello, but unless I initialise conversation, I get irritated with the small talk. And the copying of Americans 'have a nice day'. A hello and thanks is all that is needed. Sometimes as an introvert I feel overwhelmed by the bombardment of questions and small talk; please, just please, leave me alone. I want you to scan the things so I can pay and go home. I don't want you to ask me if my day has been busy or what I did today. Nor do I need shop keepers/sales assistants asking if I need help. A good sales assistant imo anyway, is invisible unless called, doesn't speak unless spoken to, doesn't ask if people need help etc, people will ask you if they need assistance, no need for you to ask us. All you'll do is drive customers away. It's self-defeating behaviour.

I hate being approached in shops, i've stopped trying to be polite to anyone who approaches me, I wear my ear buds, music on & blank them. It's one of the reasons I shop online as much as possible. I also hate when going to the bank having someone going down the queue asking what they are there for & being questioned as to why I don't have a mortgage or house insurance with them when all I went in for was to pay a cheque into my account. If I wanted help, I would ask for it.

This is why I never go shopping without headphones. You can just ignore them all.

Shop assistants should be available when we need them and leave us alone until we do.

OP thank you for this thread. That’s all.

I now just say that "I don't have my hearing aids in" and they leave me alone. No point in them chatting to me if I can't hear them...

They lose the sale if they do that to me, unless I ask them for info. I absolutely hate it

A friend works for one of the so-called Big Four supermarkets on their self service checkouts. They are constantly being told the must greet each and every customer coming into the area, attend to their needs within a given time frame (i think they said 1 minute, but could be wrong) and give a good parting comment to each customer. They must also not speak with a neutral voice, but with enthusiasm or they will fail their mystery shopper. I hate going in there as you can see they are forced to be fake to keep their jobs.

I worked in retail for a while as a student and it’s a truly shit job. You’re forever pushed to ‘upsell’, ensure you always smile and greet each customer, offer deals etc etc. I never lasted very long in any of those jobs because I refused to have a permanent grin glued to my face and also refused to ram offers down people’s throats for £7 an hour.

Interested to read this... I run a small stall selling children's clothing etc. When a customer approaches I initially leave them be. After a minute or two I ask them to let me know if they need any help with sizes or anything in particular about what I sell, then leave them alone until they come to me.
Do you think this is a good idea, too pushy or about right?

Blythe - very good question because the attention can be quite “full on” in a stall and I have a market near me. I have found that the casual after a minute or two, “let me know if you need any help”, slightly unnerving to be honest, like you’re saying, ‘I’m watching you!’. I prefer if when I stroll up, stall owner simply says a breezy, ‘hello!’ and goes back to what they were doing. Obviously if I need help, then I know I can comfortably ask. Others might feel differently.

Shimy.... y'see...we don't always get it right! Will change to just a breezy 'hallo' then!!!

See I don't mind a bit of genuine small talk at the till as I know how dull it is being stuck on one for any length of time. I bought a jumper with my supermarket shop yesterday and the lady commented that she thought it was a lovely colour. No issue with that at all and we had a little natter. Another time I bought a newspaper and the chap commented on how nice the photo was on the front page (the Cambridges' Christmas card). No agenda, no script, just a basic human exchange.

I can't stand a lot of the little shops you see abroad; they have loads of stuff on display outside the shop, and the moment you stop to look at something, out they pop!

It's the ones that follow you round that are the most off-putting, as if you were a shoplifter! God forbid you touch something and it's, "shall I put it in the changing room for you".
No, I'm just looking followed by, "we have other sizes"...........quick exit to the door.

while I'm on here.........so annoying to be given change in a pile of receipt, notes and coins! How are you supposed to put them into different parts of wallet when they are in one pile in your hand! Grr.....

I agree completely. Being ‘sold to’ is one of my pet hates, and is likely to antagonise me rather than persuading me to buy. Let me browse. If I have any questions or need any help I will ask, otherwise just LEAVE ME ALONE!

Yip, makes me want to leave the shop, just stay out of my face and let me look ffs!

Why isn't this in the media section. It's a bit sly, @MNHQ, to leave it here where people might miss the part about it being for a podcast.

I AGREE this is very sneaky of @MNHQ

I wonder what ‘friend’ of a mumsnet employee the OP is, hmmmmm?

This is an interesting topic but I am recluctant to discuss without further details on what podcast it will be used for and/or the lack of engagement on this thread from the OP.

Therefore, I definitely think this thread should be moved over to a media section as per a PP for greater transparency.

YANBU, I get strangely intimidated by sales people and wish they'd leave me alone. It's particularly bad in my local Body Shop, they speak to me like there's something wrong with me (slowly and loudly, like a child) and call me "hun" just fuck off while I get my banana shampoo

I’m in the US where over zealous service is the norm, commissions and all that. But lately I have noticed I’ll go in a store and they’ll say “hi, my name is so and so, if you need any help let me know”. Much nicer approach.

Now if they’d fix the asking how your meal is/do you need anything five times in 30 in restaurants it might just be ok.

I also think it's a bit off that this is in AIBU rather than media requests.

Either way a polite "I'm just browsing, thanks" will usually sort it.
Bloody Body Shop it doesn't. You get three people in as many minutes pestering you.

Be kind, most of the staff find it excruciating
But that's part of what makes it excruciating for the customer too. I know it's fake. That makes me feel horrible and want to leave the shop.

When I was in retail I ended up in the office twice, first was a customer complained that I was 'too pushy' with extra till sales - pointing out that I didn't deviate from the script set by them was an excuse apparently 🤨

The next was a customer that complained I wasn't visible enough and didn't help - was giving my shitty spiel to another customer at the time......

We don't know who you are and how you want to be treated just by looking at you, and we were monitored for extra sales and could be disciplined for not reaching targets. Keeping my job was a pretty strong motivation to do as I was told, and put up with the sarcasm, eye rolling and rudeness towards me.
The customers have the power to do something about this, not the staff, however, if more people like this approach and it sells more then it's not going to change because the bottom line is profit.