To ignore Lush staff member to her face?

[OrangeMangoSmoothie]

I love Lush, unfortunately as anyone who's ever been knows, the staff can be a bit overwhelming. Grabbing your arms to rub products on, pouncing the second you're through the door, etc.

And as much as i love Lush, i'm also autistic and really bad with people and communication. I normally order online but if something is new i'd prefer to smell it first.

I went in today to browse the new halloween range and had very obvious headphones on with my back to staff. I kinda thought this would deter them but one popped up in front of my face (literally) as if to mouth something to me and gestured to the products.

Sometimes things like that happen, for example on public transport, or if im in someone's way and i can potentially take off my headphones and say sorry/no/excuse me. But i panicked because of how insanely close she was and recoiled then turned and moved. She then followed me a little bit (i had my head facing down) and she bent over to ask again, i think she said "can i help you with anything" but i still had noise cancelling headphones and music playing. I kept my head down and meandered a little then darted out the door.

I know on reflection that this was a bit rude on my part and i feel bad now for not answering but i wasn't capable. Was she BU to continue trying to get my attention? It felt like overkill and very intrusive. Im not sure if im overreacting because i need the space. Im used to people realising i "cant hear" them and leaving me be.

Im too embarrassed to wear anything like a badge saying i'm disabled and it would probably attract staff to want to "help" me more if i did. Does anyone have any advice on how to seem less rude when im not able to speak? Did this lady take it too far?

I avoid lush because I hate them doing this. They must genuinely lose business for this reason

I've just come up with a way to get rid of them...

"So, please tell me about Lush's policy regarding Palm Oil", with a raised eyebrow. That should shut them up .

Oh God, I'm not autistic, I like people, and I hate over-bearing shop assistant.

I've never been into Lush because it just doesn't appeal, but now I'm definitely never going in.

YANBU. I know sales assistants are supposed to be over-bearing, pushy and annoying, but customers are also allowed not to like it or want to engage.

I’ve full out banned myself from going into Lush as I cannot cope with their staff doing this.

Its Lush's fault. The poor shop assistant probably hates this part of her job but is doing it cause she needs the job.

Yes you were rude to her. I think you should complain to Lush instead of being standoffish to staff because managers dont believe staff when they say its too much hard sell.

I think we need to Tweet en masse to get shops like Lush to abandon this practice of hassling customers.

I agree that it is so very off putting to loads of people.

TBH it doesn't bother me because I am older and am not intimidated by these shop assistants. I can be politely assertive, yet at the same time enjoy a bit of banter with them by saying "I know you have to do this". But that kind of confidence took many years to acquire.

I hate the intense smells of Lush shops, the unclear prices and how every inch is crammed full of items. They also had a trans policy or something that irked me cant remember what now but it was posted on here.

Sounds familiar. Friend had interview there and absolutely detested their selling techniques. She turned down the job !!

The trouble is, I bet it works - how many young/vulnerable people probably buy loads of pointless crap because they feel awkward that the shop assistant has spent all that time demo’ing the product, so they feel pressured into buying stuff

I used to work there as an Xmas temp. They sent us on a training day and their sales tatctics were so fierce I never went back. Also disgusted by their politics. Awful company. Avoid.
You are not being unreasonable at all.

Just chiming in with everyone else who now avoid Lush because of the pushy, overly familiar staff. For ages I couldn't work out why everyone at Lush wanted to be my friend but then I realised that they are trained to be mega friendly and pushy. I found it difficult to work out if they were staff or not, so was confused when the first dreadlocked person jumped in front of me going "hiiiiii how's your day going?!". I genuinely thought it was just a randomer who thought I was someone else.

I don't buy from Lush anymore. It's not worth the hassle, although I miss their shampoo bars.

YANBU lush is notorious for having incredibly inappropriate staff, I cannot shop there any more because I find the staff so irritating. They are practically harassing customers. Last time I went I felt like I had been similarly rude because after politely declining assistance from THREE staff members I really snapped at another who was being very pushy and insistent about telling me all the ingredients of a product I was already queueing to buy!!!

I don't appreciate being asked "how are you?" by people I don't know, I find it intrusive.

I think we should send them a link to this thread

They also had a trans policy or something that irked me cant remember what now but it was posted on here.

Yes, they were promoting Mermaids. Which whether they realised it or not, amounted to promoting conversion therapy & drastic medical / surgical intervention for lesbian & gay kids.

I agree, send Lush a link to this thread.
I went in there to buy a specific item. I would have liked to look around a bit at other things, but the instant I was in the shop I was pounced on. I said what i wanted, paid and got out, but if I'd been left alone I might have bought other things too.

I liked Lush for about 6 minutes when they did their SpyCops thing. Then I remembered the Mermaids thing, the pushy staff, and the fact that one of their bath bombs once turned my lower body blue.

Pretty sure Lush staff are told they have to accost the customer in a bright adn shiny way. Just say "No thanks, I'm just browsing", smile, and turn away. It's polite, non-weird, and - from my past experience - works a treat.

I love lush but the staff are a bit ott with friendliness and helpfulness.

The last time I went into Lush I was accosted about three times in the first five minutes. The fourth person who tried was asked to take me to their manager so I could make a complaint.

I was very polite, spoke to the manager in question ( to be fair, could have been the cleaner for all I knew) and explained that their policy of harassing customers was losing them a sale.

Who knows if it was ever reported back, but worth a try - if people complain in sizeable enough numbers they might change. I work in a shop and "Hi, give me a shout if you need a hand" seems to work well enough.

Yes, I think the company (and others that use it) need to get rid of this sales technique and stop bullying their staff into carrying it out.
I don't think you were U OP, but I also think that how you were to the shop assistant, or when people snap/ignore/have a go at the shop assistant won't change anything. Because upper management aren't dealing with it are they? And the sales assistants aren't listened to, and as someone else said, it probably works to some degree as those that are too embarrassed or vulnerable buy things to shut them up.
I've worked in somewhere with similar, if not so aggressive techniques and I have actually been bollocked for not meeting my target of sales from a certain area. I absolutely do not agree with the sales technique, in fact I hated it, but I didn't matter. I also had to earn a wage, the alternative was being on benefits after being sacked. Yes I worked there, but I absolutely did not agree with their sales techniques at all, and got out as soon as I could. The only way these types of policies will change at all is for sales to fall and for research to show that's why. The company does not give a shit about it's staff or customers, only the profit margin.

If you cannot or do not wish to speak, nor to carry a card declaring your autism, how about a laminated card saying simply "NO."

It can be in your pocket ready to be pulled out at need.

I don’t think people should need to prove any issues that could make them not want pushy sales techniques!

Lush staff are so full on. I went in with my son the other day, I’m sure the assistant was a lovely person but she shoved her head over my newborns son and was touching his hands. Just made me so uncomfortable as he has a vulnerable immune system due to a congenital defect anyway, and I didn’t know if her hands were washed, if she had a cold etc.

Yanbu. I've also started wearing headphones when I go into Lush and I'm not autistic. The staff are way over the top and actually prevent sales, I've walked out before because I wanted a casual look around but kept getting pestered. You weren't rude, she was.