Just Looking...

Here's a scenario from hell...
Husband wants to find item, purchase item, and leave.
Wife is just looking.

When I REALLY didn't want to even have to explain to someone I was "just looking" at a furniture store, I'd do this.....(BTW, I knew about the "up" person, I don't want them to waste their time on me if I know I'm not buying, and they might have better luck with the next person)

Anyway, instead of doing what everyone else does when they walk in....kinda stopping, looking around vaguely.....I would stride in like I had a purpose, and start to walk immediately back to where the offices would be. Usually, no one would even try to stop me, as it looked like I was going back there to pay a bill or something.

If someone did ask if I need help, I'd say "This is the way to the customer service area, right?" While at the same time not breaking stride.

Then, when I got toward the back of the store, I would begin looking around. It would take a really long time for anyone to ask if I needed help, because it would appear I had already made it through the gaunlet

LOL Chai! I just did that the other day and by the time I was asked if I needed help, i was on my way out.

A NEW TRICK!

Thanks, Chai.

I meant Squinney not Swimpy (duh, how did Swimpys name pop into my head?)

great game plan chai..

Good point Roger.

If you see a woman in a furniture store, she's doing the preliminary footwork. If the husband is there too…They are buying today honey.

I've said to salespeople "I'm just the scout, I'll be coming back with the Chef when I find something."

Oh…BVT, the thing you said about recognizing they are looking, but then starting to explain the layout of the store, would be a big turnoff to me personally….That's part of what I would consider being pushy. What I REALLY want to say to them is…"What the f*ck makes you think I can't figure out how to walk around this 20,000 square foot box? It's not that complicated, I won't get lost" Don't you think that's kinda pointing out the obvious?
Oh, it's really annoying when they follow you around, pointing out features like…"Oh, this chair? You'll notice it has FABRIC on it" Like I'm supposed to go "ooooooooo……I NEVER noticed that!"

Honestly, I do remember who the salesmen is, especially if they leave me alone until I have questions.

Heeven, your salesperson sounded like heaven.

that's the kind of up I call a bitch and then ignore....I can go to a bar to deal with people who have a chip on their shoulder.... seriously, there's more to giving product information than that... but if a customer doesn't care I damn sure don't..... once I've made the effort my conscience is clear....if you think that the only feature of a piece of furniture is whether it's leather or fabric you are a textbook example of a customer who could use some educating.... but is not interested in it because for some reason you're insulted by the idea that a clerk (the way you look at a salesperson) could possibly teach you something useful.... it's actually your loss as a customer because a pleasant up is right behind you.....


not that there's anything wrong with that

and btw... the customer service trick? You don't surely think that's slick do you? That "trick" works because it's so transparent and immediately identifies you as a waste of time.....

But, that's what it was designed to do.

no, actually the first time I did that, it was because I was going to the customer service area to pay a bill. so nyah nyah nyah....

Also, I'm not a bitch, although if acting like one gets the salesperson to leave me alone, hey, I'll play.....I'm not talking about someone who can explain the difference in the grade of fabric or the quality of the worksmanship...I talking about someone who literally tells you stuff that a 8 year old could have pointed out. I actually watched a salesman "instruct" a man in how to use the handle on a recliner, like this 50 year old guy had never put his feet up before. The look he have this salesperson was priceless. Believe me, that happens all the time. In additon, you're right, I really DON'T want this education the first 45 seconds I walk in the store....Let the person get their bearings for 15 or 20 minutes before starting to explain how the piece was made. In the first 2 or 3 minutes all the customer wants is to know you are there. They can't pay attention to what they are doing when someone's telling them all this stuff.

Hey, even if I do something that's transparent, the end result is someone isn't following me around. So, you don't bother me, and I don't waste your time.

You know BVT, many of the things salespeople do are transparent too. I've seen many that think they are slicker than owl snot, but look like weasels in reality.


You know BVT, I'm kinda surprised at you....you're doing that thing that some sales people do, and I'm not really sure why......Once you've (politely enough, but firmly) let them know you'd rather be left to wander on your own for a while, they redouble their efforts and get really obnoxious. I'm wondering, is that some kind of game y'all play when you're bored? Or do you think the person will think..."this guys really bugging me, I'll show him! I'll buy something" Maybe some people do that, I don't know.

You should know as a salesmen, not everyone is the same....if instructing in the craft impresses 90% of the people that walk in, great....but the other 10% have their own ideas, and besides....you might be the 10th person that day who tries to seduce you with their charm, and all you want to do is look around.

Hey, and guess what, my money is the same shade of green, and you'll have to spend less time working with me, because I know what I want.

now come on BVT...be nice.

wow lash, you said what I did in 8 words!

I gotta get a grip...

You people who have never been in sales don't realize, that for one, if a customer walks out the door, chances are you're not going to sell them. So don't be offended by the salesperson doing their job. Second, "buyers are liars" is SO true. People think salespeople are scum, but I've been flat out lied to by so many customers, over stupid little things.

But in a sales environment like a car dealer, they hire pretty much anyone with desire, even with zero experience. So it's easy to run across a total clown working, and unfortunately they give the industry and the pros a bad name.

exactly.

when I bought my Toyota, it was a week long ordeal.
I was looking at every one there trying to make sure that they were not in accidents, lemons, or about to DIE . i was looking at used at first , then moved to new.. WHY?
Because the used car lot, and the 2 men who worked those days spent more time checking on MY car knowledge then helping me pick a car.
Pushy, rude , and one even had the balls to tell me that I should take HIM out to dinner and teach HIM a thing or two about cars.

oy vey.

Bad sales people are around just like good ones.
But on the customers side, bad ones tend to be in our face before the knowledgable, personable ones.. and ( our own damn fault) we lump them all together.

I have been in sales, first 10 years out of college.

I drank heavily and made alot of money the first 7...I got sober and made less money and was miserable in my job for the next 3.

Then I finally realized I could go do something else.

I'm not trying to come at this like I know every nuance of salesmanship, but I know all the conversations the sales people have about their customers. If people knew what many sales people were saying about them, they would never open up their wallets.

Most people more or less just play along with getting approached and pretending to listen when in fact they are perfectly capable of figuring out for themselves, because if they spoke their minds, well, they wouldn't be "nice"

Remember that movie Glenderry Glen Ross (or something like that) the first time I saw that, I almost upchucked it brought back such memories.

Most of my sales career I was a headhunter. That feels like it was another person. Today, when they call me trying to sell me someone, I never mention to them I used to do the same thing, but instead just critique their style. I have yet to come across one that didn't end up acting like they knew some magic secret of hiring a good employee, and always have a twinge when I remember being on the other end.

Sometimes, I really play with them. I'll mess around until they start to loose their temper…..then I'll call them on it, saying "wow, you're not keeping in control very well, why should I pay you money to talk to me like that?"

Funny thing is, they keep calling back.

Yeah, it's cruel, but every one needs a hobby.

Pharmaceutical salesmen are great…you have them come to a meeting, and they'll pay for lunch for a 12 people. But there, we do buy the drugs.

So, getting back to the topic, when I am just looking.....really, I mean it.

see slappy, assuming people don't know what you're talking about

Car keys.

I was told by a salesman once that if someone still has their car keys in their hand, they're not gonna buy.

So I never put my keys away.

Seems to help keep the salespeople at bay, til I'm ready to talk to them.

go ahead and be proud of it....

Chai for the record I NEVER redouble my efforts and get obnoxious. I offer to help once in a non threatening way and then leave the customer alone unless they need me. You are doing that thing that customers do... projecting the obnoxious salesman persona onto me automatically.... my customers get maximum personal service before and after with me and I get a lot of recommendations..... the only thing I don't put up with is being rudely stiff armed as you describe yourself doing... I don't need anyones money or good opinion badly enough to put up with that bullshit..... and you're wrong about one thing.... no matter what, people will open their wallets and buy things..... because they have to have them. Food for your fat ass and then a place to park your fat ass and something to wipe it with after the food.... people will always buy these things and someone will sell them to them. Not like I'm insinuating that you have a fat ass... just a figure of speech.

The word "salesmen" doesn't belong in that sentence.

Chai, I'm not assuming anything. Just throwing it out there.