Rude assistants in clothes shops

[cheeseandfickle]

Does anyone else find that in some womens' clothing stores the service is quite poor and the assistants seem rude and bitchy?

I find the staff in one particular high fashion store are generally very rude. I went there a couple of weeks ago and the assistant that served me didn't speak at all whilst doing so, and just held her hand out for the money, whilst huffing loudly. I went in there today, and was the only customer in the shop. The same assistant, and another staff member spent the whole time that I was in there sniggering and looking over at me, and again I was treated to the 'silent' treatment at the tills. They also never have anyone manning the changing rooms and won't help at all if you need different sizes. Despite their clothes not being exactly cheap.

In a local branch of another high fashion store, the staff always seem to be bickering. They are very huffy and eye-rolly at the till, and again don't really man their changing rooms either. And again, they are not exactly cheap either!

I'd boycott both shops but I really love their clothes! So annoying to be treated like dirt though.

Name and shame.

I'd have said something. Or over exaggerated THANKYOU when leaving or actually made them work extra hard by asking them to get me certain sizes in clothes etc.

You should also complain to head office. Or tweet them?

Can't stand rude shop assistants

I was in a well known chain store yesterday where I thought the service was appalling. No hello when I got to the desk or smile. I seemed like a real incovience. One of the items I had didn't have a tag, which I hadn't noticed, she said it would be easier for me to go back down to the floor below where I had just been with my pram and all my stuff to get another one than for her to. Yeah easier for her! Surely it's her job to make it as easy for the customer!

Won't be going there again, especially when I have witnessed other chain stores really trying to up their game and do anything they can for the customer.

It's like they see customers as an inconvenience but don't 'get' that without customers they would have no job!

cheeseandfickle - can you name the store? You can then email the head office & either advise that there is a general problem with customer service or else there appears to be a problem just in that one store that you used. Either way they are going to be losing some market share. In my local town, Jigsaw & Phase 8 have wonderful staff - just basic friendly service without being pushy. I used to shop at LKB but their staff now seem to be sniffy until you get to the stage of wanting to try something on when they change personality; Space NK has incredibly rude staff except at Christmas when they have temps; I've been in to Seasalt & Laura Ashley a couple of times to check out stock & been given the cold shoulder each time - so unlikely to go there ever again. If I want a dress for a special occasion I always go first to Jigsaw simply due to their consistently good service & if I specifically want to try something from LKB I can get it through John Lewis anyway - I'm sure brands must lose out financially when they sell via other retailers. I'm bemused that shops have staff who can't even be bothered to acknowledge customers & in some cases are simply rude.

Zara by any chance?

I have never bought anything in All Saints for this reason. Their clothes may be awesome or terrible but since their staff are purely decorative it is impossible to know. It is a bit sad because they look nice on the hangers but the attitude of their staff is so horrid I won't even order from them online. I did drop them an e-mail to point this out too and they never even replied. Cunts.

I won't hand over money until i am at least acknowledged in some way, even if just a bit of eye contact. I don't want much! Then i am super polite. Usually wakes them up a bit.

Oh god give me sullen and non-responsive than all over me like rash giving me hints and tips about what might suit me. Then following me around continuing to talk utter bollocks.

Monsoon, Covent Garden, since you ask.

Monsoon, Covent garden made me feel like a shoplifter. So in your face! Just feck off and let me browse! It's the same in my local accesorize, they literally follow you round the shop, pretending to be re stocking. I am not a shoplifter! Catholic guilt would never allow me!

Check your receipt cheese they usually have the name of the sales assistant printed on, send an email to head office. I've worked in retail, yes customers can be arses but theyre mostly polite. Use the store to browse and order on-line.

Name and shame please!

Oh christinarossetti I feel your pain! My particular gripe is with Banana Republic, Regent Street. I know it's their job but take the hint goddammit I'm not interested, I'm perfectly capable of reading a sizing label and yes, I can see there are other dresses / tops / trousers over there!!!

And relax ...!

I'm with you on this,, yesterday I had a very rare shopping morning and went off to stock up as I have lost a bit of baby weight. Was prepared to spend as I don't get the chance to shop often.

Went into shop laden with bags, struggled with balancing the hangers and clothes to try on. Staff ignored me. I hovered by the changing room, staff ignored me. Came out and went to the till and pretty much was ignored, after a bit a sales assistant came over. I asked if the top I'd chosen came in any other colours. Sales assistant sniggered and said " so you want this top, but totally different, do you?" She was so rude and showed me another top in a different shape, style and started getting making me feel like I was a huge inconvenience. I spent less than I would have done had she been helpful.

My local Dorothy Perkins staff, the regular weekday staff, are so arsey that I won't shop in there anymore.

I used to find shop staff in general to be quite brusk with me but now that I'm a lot thinner I get much friendlier service on the whole. Except my local DPerkins of course.

I find the staff in Hobbs at Milton Keynes very rude. They are very high and mighty, and I always feel they are being judgmental, and I have also had digs/backhanded comments about whether particular sizes of garments will fit me. The last time that happened, I actually had to get the dress I was trying on two sizes smaller than I had originally tried on - in your face orange faced wrinkly prune face shop assistant.

I do find it quite mysterious to encounter this attitude - it's as if they own the shop, not that they just work in it. When I go and pay, I just think about the fact that I imagine my salary to be at least 3 x that of what they earn. This is NOT something I ever think about people at other times, but when I run into such horrible, condescending attitudes it is difficult to think differently.

Conversely, I find good service in Liberty, Jigsaw, Whistles and Jaeger.

And lovely John Lewis obviously.

H&M Manchester Market Street. The staff never smile! I also had my phone taken from my bag in there and there were no security staff. No apology given, they were very clear that it wasn't their fault. When I asked to use their phone to ring my partner to let him know what had happened and the police they were very reluctant.

Changing rooms are crowded and no staff seem to work on the shop floor. Disaster!!!

If they're snooty and plastic type girls (like the bitches at school- sorry but you know what I mean) then I kill them with kindness, make eye contact, lots of flowery manners and smiling. I usually get a smile in the end and you can tell they're just a bit fed up which I don't blame them for.

I work behind a counter and sometimes I feel a proper full on snarl (very attractive) coming on when the poor customer hasn't even done anything wrong, it's just because my legs hurt and I can't stop yawning and customers have been bloody rude in the last hour! Everyone has bad moments.

Aldo - every branch I've ever been in, I've been harassed a million times by every single one of the 548236 staff in there and often have left due to this before properly having a look!

My local New Look has the loveliest manager, she seems to know all be customers and isn't at all overbearing but if you ask her for something she will spend ages trying to help. I've often bought stuff there I really didn't need because she's just so lovely. The other staff don't seem to follow her lead, she's like some sort of mother hen figure to all the teens that work there I think.

Next at The retail park in Slough have a fab female member of staff there,(extracted loadsa dosh off me) couldn't be more helpful and more inclined to return back rather than my local Bracknell branch. Other week in the main super drug Reading encountered the most surly young till staff, she carried on her chat about how hot it was , no mention of the total, no thank you, rude cow.

I am also of the "it's better than being followed around and badgered the whole time" persuasion (though it's store managers behind that one, IME).

I am usually willing to give shop assistants the benefit of the doubt if they are acting a bit grumpy - you never know, maybe the customer before you was rude/abusive and they are only human to be not in the mood. Yes I know they are technically paid for customer service but most of them are paid minimum wage so I don't expect them to bend over backwards to be honest.

The snickering behind the hand though seems more personal and I would be cross about it, you wouldn't expect that from a stranger let alone someone who is supposed to be helping you.

I was in Debenhams in Tallaght (Dublin) the other day and wanted to enquire about EL Doublewear makeup. As there was no-one on that counter I asked the (gum-chewing) Clinique sa. She answered me with the gum tucked into the side of her mouth and sort of waggling at me as she spoke! Yeuch! This branch of Debs seems to only have a skeleton staff so I suppose they are overworked but its like a smile would literally crack their faces.

The beauty hall staff in most Debenhams branches are terrible. Poorly informed, rude, unable to even acknowledge a customer. I just go to House of Fraser now; if I'm going to spend £20 on a Dior lipstick, I'm going to do it with somebody who can be polite and nice.

OP do let us know which shop it is. I would also email head office. You are paying a lot of money to shop there and having a good assistant makes parting with that money much more pleasant. I agree Jigsaw staff are friendly and helpful.

Yes do write to head office and go into detail -especially about the sniggering, as another poster said, look for the name on the receipt if you still have it.

I would also suggest that anyone who goes somewhere where the service is consistently good and helpful, does the same. Writes to HQ to praise the staff. You can bet they will be told of this at the next staff/departmental meeting and it will be a real boost for them.

Same goes in the other direction. They might be able to ignore a few letters about rude/unhelpful staff but I bet quite a letters will get their attention if they are having a bad year financially.

I am amazed at the difference now I live (temporarily) in Hampshire. Very friendly staff and helpful. Always a thank you and goodbye.

In London several times I got the silent treatment and open hand. I just stare up at them and then the hand. When they sigh and say they are waiting for the money, I say I am waiting for them to actually speak and let me know how much an item is!

One female writer said she would go in shops and when they would not speak, would pretend she had a glove puppet "What's that Sooty? How much is the item??". Those not old enough to remember Sooty and Sweep would be really confused!

However, the same cannot be said about the health service down here. Just as back home, if anyone can avoiding helping you/getting your prescription right, then they will they will.

Mum's carers are very good people though.