What do you look for when you go shopping regarding the shop assistants?

[lumpsdumps]

Am doing some research into what would make a good shop as in the level of service, any suggestions?

There when you need them, invisible when you don't.

Bring different sizes to the changing room

Knowledge and interest in the products they are selling, not just vacant looks when you ask if it comes in other colours, sizes, lengths etc.

non snooty, friendly and approachable and all of the above too

Hmmm well these will obviously be JMO and will have huge generalisations but:

I avoid my local branch of Kew as the assistants in there are postively sneery, and you feel you are intruding. They also have very long, very loud personal conversations about there "facinating night out with Hugo Watsit Smyth". And they never have size 12 jeans.

I time my shopping in Next (of all places!), for a Friday as they have a fantastic woman, who charges round the shop for you, will hold stuff back and has an eye for what she thinks will suit you (and she's always right) I live in fear she will be promoted out of there as when she's not in the shop goes back to its usual lacklustre design. She makes it a shopping experience without being pushy (I fear I may have a slight crush on her )

Monsoon are generally good, and will ask if you want any help (if you do they're fab if you're browsng they discreetly dissapear.)

Boots girls are very smiley and if you've missed a 2 for 1 offer will hop off the till and grab another one for you.

Marks and Spencers are generally far too busy restocking to actually do anything. Though I think someones has a quiet word as the cashiers now actually deign to looks at you and talk rather than just putting a hand out for the card which was the norm last year.

Sainsbury's seem to have very motherly types and they will seek out stuff for you and guide you in the right direction.

Benefit make up girls will mob you, be generally very enthusiatic and if you give them your contact details ring you every month to try to entice you back.

I abolutely hate it when you complain about something and they say, "Well nobody else has complained". I hope they won't do that in your shop! What are they trying to say?
a) The goods are OK, you're just lying/wasting my time/trying to get something for nothing
b) We need to get 15,000 complaints before we do anything
c) All our other customers are idiots who put up with shoddy goods and poor service
d) We made 999,999 perfect widgets and 1 faulty one. You got the faulty one. Congratulations.

I also don't like it when they give you the change in a pile instead of counting it out.

Assistants of different sizes. It can be soul destroying to be faced with a group of size 10 girlies who cannot concieve of the difficulties of getting trousers up over post baby bellies. At the other end of the spectrum I have a friend who is constantly dismayed by shop assistants who cannot understand why she does not want to spend her entire life in wonderbras because she is flat chested.

That they smile at me and then leave me entirely alone until I need them.

to leave me the f* alone to browse unless I ask for help.

I never go into Whistles now as they are clearly trained to blurt out some ridiculous blurb the minute you walk in the shop like"have you seen our gorgeous new Autumn range, this piece would really suit you" It is so fake and obvious and sometimes people just want to browse and be left alone.

From the other side of the coin, and just by the by ...

I was a shop dolly in a designer boutique for a long time and what used to really peeve me was this scenario: I am reading magazine. Customer walks in. I look up, smile and say hi. Not hi can I help you, not hi buy this frock, just hi. They snap "I'm just looking"

WELL I'M JUST SAYING HI!!!

Sheesh. What, they want me to ignore them??? Look up from magazine, sneer, cock an eyebrow, look down again?

So rude and defensive.

Love it when you approach them and they acually stop what they are doing straight away and take you to the area/product you need...especially when it is on another floor in the shop. Really restores my faith in retail customer service. Boots girls do this in my experience.

LTEC - that's interesting. I do this, I say "I'm just looking" but what I mean is "I haven't got loads of money, I'm probably not buying anything today or from this shop ever, just wasting some time, don't waste your time on me".

I'm with cthea on this one, as I'm usually just browsing and not intending to buy.
Even the acknowledgement makes me feel uncomfortable about it though.
Admittedly I did used to work in retail (Kinickerbox when it existed)and we were told to acknowledge and then push a sale so that's why.

Mind you, I bought a top from McKays (M&Co as it's now called) today and the saleswoman was so sour. I'd wandered with DD, holding up various outfits on her for size, and then bought something with not even a smile.
They clearly have it wrong and I'd think twice about going back in to buy the party outfit and HSM hat and scarf set.
At least £20 loss for being sour.
When I worked in retail, in fact even now I work in a coffee shop I'd be up for the sack if I put someone off or lost a sale that way!