Not to want the assistant in Smiths to try and flog me chocolate every time?

[deaddei]

And it's not just big slabs of CDM- it's jumbo packs of Chewits or Haribos, or some other foul slop they've bought wholesale.
There's never any room on the counter anyway to put your stuff, and especially not with Jenga-like piled bars of chocolate.
And it's not just Smiths- Debenhams too.

It's the Post Office that piss me off. You wait in line for twenty minutes sometimes, so by the time you've got to the counter there are fifty people queueing behind you, then the assistant asks you if you are interested in their credit card!

YANBU - and it's all really expensive too.

Oh God yes its Madness - do they think because I am buying the radio times, I'm a likely candidate for a massive galaxy, or a chocolate orange.

I always smile and say I would love some but I am diabetic and I will die

YANBU - and why do Smiths NEVER have more than one person on the till and that person is usually a 17 year old lad who knows nothing about anything and cares less.

YABU. Just smile sweetly and say no thanks.

WH Smiths is too much like Woolworths (former home of the bargain extra-purchase sweets) - no clear idea of what type of shop they are meant to be and the shops always seem to be chaotic and messy -very few customers but they ALL seem to be in the queue.

What cracked me up was when I bought a birthday card from Clintons and the assistant asked me if I was "alright for balloons"

Yes, it's maddening for customers & must be hell for the shop assistants! If I were a WH Smith employee, I'd be desperately trying to claw my way out!

They are forced to sell you this stuff believe me..I pity them tbh...some manager is watching them with beady eyes.

Was a nightmare taking the DC's in there the route to the till via the queue was stacked high with goodies and then you were guided though to the till via loads of chocolate and sweets the "corridor" only just wide enough for the buggy so DD grabbing stuff all the way and they it was stacked high at the till ! was very unimpressed and will not be going back for a while. They seem to be turning into Woollies !!

Popped in there today with DS in tow (I wanted to check whether they had any mags I was interested in - they didn't) and he started claiming to be 'hungry' instantly due to the choc by the tills.

I always say

"Do I look like I need half price chocolate?"

I am no Kate Moss.

LOL at "Alright for balloons?"

Cheeky boy.

YANBU
I emailed WHSmith's customer service dept a few months back to complain that I was constantly hassled in their store. They sent back an anodyne response stating that the choc offers were very popular. Bleeurghhh

When buying a wedding mag a few years ago, the WH Smiths lady gestured to the Galaxy bars and said:

"I won't offer you any of these, or you'll be too fat for your dress"

Er, okay, Thanks.

I'd make an exception for WH Smiths at mainline stations as I have been known to buy chocolate when travelling back late from work/meetings.But I wouldn't approve if I was in a local shop with children.
Why do the assistants in Superdrug always ask if I want to buy stamps when I purchase shampoo there?

The staff now get disciplined if they don't make enough 'till-point sales'

I think it is disgusting, and feel v sorry for the staff.

Sainsbo's tried it one week with hotcross buns. Didn't last though thankfully.

I worked in Smiths as a student and we were forced to try and sell all this crap "add-on sales" I believe it was called. I was mortified about it so only did it when the manager was about.

If people bought e.g.

A birthday card - do you need stamps or a pen

Cigarettes - matches or a lighter?

Mag or paper - half price bar of chocolate?

My colleague used to joke that he would ask the men buying the "adult magazine" - do you need a packet of tissues with that sir?

OMG, have to post here. It's a running joke with my 10yo DD and I that when we are queuing in our WHSmiths we are both both praying we don't have the 'SN' woman serve us. She can't stop at the one "Would you like some of our chocolate?" but then goes on and on and on, "Are you sure?" "Goes lovely with a nice cup of coffee", "Yum, yum!" and so on and so on!
I'm normally a laid back person but she really knows how to push my buttons!

Maybe if we all email WH Smith's customer services they might get the idea.

I dont really mind, unless i'm dieting. Then i just think its mean to bring the bloody chocolate to my attention. Like i cant already see it, smell it and taste it in my mind! :-) Especially when its a skinny minny teenage girl offering it to me.....maybe i should purchase it and give it to her?!
Of course, on the odd occasion i am not dieting, they dont get a chance to ask me, as i'm handing them the money for the bar i've just grabbed and eaten half of already! lol.
Just kidding, i am of course, never not on a diet ;-)

YANBU, this really irks me too. Ditto the stamps and phone credit in Superdrug, and anywhere that tries to sign me up for a sodding credit card to pay for a pair of socks. WHSmiths has always been overpriced, messy and shit IMO. And why is it cheaper to buy an Independent (or whatever) newspaper and get a 'free' water than to just buy a bottle of water?

Yep totally agree with everything posted by gagamama there especially 'overpriced, messy and shit'. It really is these days.

I can remember when WHS used to be a lovely shop. It looks a complete state nowadays and flogging sweeties on a cluttered counter looks very desparate on their part. I feel so sorry for the assistants who seem to have been told to push them at everyone. They don't look too comfortable doing it either.

How they keep going when so many other better big shops have gone under is a mystery to me.

And it's pricey too if I've looked in for birthday pressies.