I feel so belittled......
I guess, I am one of the good customers
I usually ask the person who greets me, where the items are I am looking
for, as I have no interest to march through the entire store
if I need only a table.
I also don't mind when salespeople are walking around with
me, as long as they don't push a certain item. I'd like to know
about the manufacturer, what kind of wood it is, or what
type of fabrics are available. I want their input, and the last
time I bought a piece of furniture, the salesperson was so
kind to tell me, that they had a big sale coming up and she
would hold the item until then for me.
Needless to say, I went back to her and bought the piece
on sale, and should I need something else, I'd go to her
first.
Sure, I've gone to department stores just to look around and
when a salesperson asked if they can help me,
I mostly told them: "Not right now, but I let you know
if I do need help." Then I am usually left alone.
squinney wrote:Rule #1 - NEVER let the salesperson know the item you are contemplating is one you consider "precious."
Rule #2 - NEVER listen to the merchandise. Merchandise lies.
Got ya ;-)
I really appreciate this, Squinney. I'm here all alone, in the prime of my life and well, it's been a long time you see
Taking notes on rules #1 and #2.
blueveinedthrobber wrote:I feel so belittled......
((((((((((((((((Montana Hug)))))))))))))))))
merchandise is it.... somehow I've been reduced to merchandise... oh the horror.... the humiliation.... the pain...... (jockeying for another sympathy hug)
Hurray for all the Calamity Janes in the world!!!
That's the way it is supposed to work.
One salesperson (David) once told me he gets a kick out of customers that come in thinking we are their enemy. He takes it as a challenge to change their point of view, and I watched him do it with finesse. Most salespeople I know just blow off the customers that are rude, which means that customer is going to leave still thinking salespeople are their enemy. I like David's way of thinking better.
blueveinedthrobber wrote:merchandise is it.... somehow I've been reduced to merchandise... oh the horror.... the humiliation.... the pain...... (jockeying for another sympathy hug)
It'll be ok, Bear. I'll make you feel much better when your package arrives
Oh....ummm....I mean when you arrive ;-)
(((((((((((((((((((MONTANA HUG)))))))))))))))))))))))
What are you gonna do when all the bubble wrap comes off? ;-)
Oh gosh! I hope he doesn't get hung up in customs for too long!
I don't think I'm allowed to say that here ;-)
Lash wrote:I understand salespeople have been told to approach me, and I'm very friendly at that point. I even extend the courtesy, when they tell me of sales or specials immediately after that. It really pisses me off if they continue to follow me about. I have, many times, after three or four tight monosyllabic responses, no eye-contact and walking toward items of interest, stopped and turned to them and said, "Please don't follow me."
I like to look at what I want to look at, not what they want to drag me over to-- I don't want to talk, until I've seen what I want to see. If I have questions, I know where to find them.
Oh man, yes - echo that. <nods>
Nothing as annoying as a salesperson who won't let you go your own route, look at things without feeling you're being watched, or waited for.
Except I've never been brave enough to tell it to them like you do.
blueveinedthrobber wrote:but you do understand the difference between stalking and remaining at a discreet distance to be available to give service if necessary right?
That difference would be whatever the customer defines it to be, Bear.
If I feel "stalked", then the salesperson can still feel like, you know, he's merely remaining at a discreet distance and I am just, you know,
misunderstanding how it all works or something - well, he'd be wrong. If he's close enough for me to feel uncomfortable, it's obviously
not a discreet distance.
thank you nimh.
actually, that statement of the customer doesn't understand how it all works....honestly, the customer doesn't need to understand how it all works. All due respect to the salesperson, but they are the ones working.
you can't jump to the conclusion that the customer is being a "bitch" or acting like they know everything....just like anywhere else, you might be approaching a person who simply doesn't really want ANYONE coming up to them, because that's just who they are.
When I go shopping, I'm realling not walking in a store with the hopes of meeting the salesmans expectations.....honestly, I'm not even thinking about them at all. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it's true....Bear mentioned himself he hates shopping...well many people do...and a big part of why they hate it is because they simply don't want to interact with anyone while they are doing it. The same people may not like it when another customer talks to them.
That's why I asked squinny before to explain exactly what you would say to a salesperson so they can feel free to take the next up... I know they are working on commission, I know it's their job. Nothing personal....I just don't feel like dealing with you...go on to the next person.
Oh, I suppose connected to nothing....but I feel a little story coming on......
Please keep in mind bear and squinny, this didn't necessarily have to be a furniture store, but in fact it was.
A while back we had bought a new home entertainment center. When it arrived, my husband took delivery, and noticed one of the pieces was wrong. It was some small piece, and when he called the store they had the right one there, so he just went over and got the right one. Somehow this involved him getting a credit
I can't remember why
Anyway, when he got there, they gave him the right piece, but said I'd have to come in to get the credit, since he didn't have the card
.like they couldn't look up the name or something
..anyway, that was no big deal, since the store was 2 miles from where I worked
.someone at the store said I'd have to come in, give them my SS# and sign for something
..fine, whatever it was at the time, it was legit
.anyway, I was told to ask for "larry", or maybe it was "jerry" apparently this was the cause of the problem to come
I go over to the store, and when I walked in, the only salesman I saw was still with a customer, so he nodded to me and I waited on the side
everythings cool, I'm just waiting, no problem.
I noticed he was a young guy, I guess good looking, and the customer was a little older and just being all flattered to death by the attention above and beyond he was giving her
.whatever
.but, when he finished with her
.he walked toward me to shake my hand, and I could tell he still had his don juan hat on. Like, here's another desparate housewife
.I did know he wasn't the guy I needed to see, so while shaking his hand, I asked him if Larry was available
Larry?
Uh, huh, Larry.
Well, there isn't a Larry here
are you sure?
hmmm, I thought the name was Larry.
Can I help you?
Well, yeah, sure I need to get a credit for something my husband returned earlier today, I need to give you my SS # to get the credit on my card.
Cut in
.he went back and forth with that for awhile, quizzing me about "larry" and having me repeat the story twice more, then shaking his head like he didn't get it.
I realized then he was just trying to flirt with me in some stupid way, and I was supposed to commiserate with him on his confusion of my complicated story. It was obvious it was way more important for him to have me figure out who "larry" was than to give me my credit
Are you sure it wasn't a "jerry?"
OK, that was it
I said "look, it really doesn't matter if it was larry or jerry or whoever, I just need to give you my SS # so I can get a credit for an item my husband returned earlier today."
Now his hands fly up in front of his chest with that defensive "What did I do?" gesture (I'll tell you what you did, you annoyed me with pretending this was all so complicated) and sez "whoa, whoa, whoa calm down (I wasn't excited, YET), I'm just trying to UNDERSTAND you"
Ok - deep breath
.
"look, you can help me, we need to go over to customer service, and I need you to look up my account via my SS #, so you can give me credit on an item my husband brought back earlier today"
Now, after saying that for something like the 4th time, all bets were off.
He leads me to the desk, once even having the nerve to turn around, glance at me, and shake his head.
He starts trying to look up my husbands name and says, well, I can't find him.
I need to give you my SS
Well, give me your address
..
He just REFUSED to let me give him my #, I actually said it out loud for him, but
.well, you get the picture
Finally, after like 5 minutes I loose it and ask him what is so hard about what I'm asking
what can be clearer.
Whoa, whoa whoa. Let me get my manager.
Well I wish you would.
The manager comes over and the young guy says, "I really don't know what this lady wants."
OK, you know what, I'm not going to play that
.so instead I repeating myself again, I just asked the guy to "tell me what I have been saying to you the last 5 minutes
"
Actually, he did, word for word
.The manager said, "then why don't you put her SS # in and look it up?"
All of a sudden, it was clear to him
.
Now, this is the same person who would've said I was being a bitch
.it didn't even start out as game playing, but the fact that someone walked up with a cut and dry request, phrased in a polite way, just became this ridiculous set up all based on the fact I didn't know if it was "larry or jerry"
I obviously know some salespeople aren't like that (the good ones)
.but many are
.
Frankly, when I walk into a store, I'm not feeling the need to figure out if the salespersons a jerk or a gem. If they are good at reading signals they should pick up that a person is not necessarily being a bitch, or strong arming them, they're just trying to get some alone time so they can figure out what they want to do
.without any help.
I don't miss retail at ALL.
Chai Tea wrote:Frankly, when I walk into a store, I'm not feeling the need to figure out if the salespersons a jerk or a gem. If they are good at reading signals they should pick up that a person is not necessarily being a bitch, or strong arming them, they're just trying to get some alone time so they can figure out what they want to do
.without any help.
Right on yeah, exactly. <nods>
Chai I'm so glad the shopping experience exists to give you an avenue to express your superiority over the lowly sales clerk... I get it and you can stop preening now
blueveinedthrobber wrote:Chai I'm so glad the shopping experience exists to give you an avenue to express your superiority over the lowly sales clerk... I get it and you can stop preening now
I'm not preening...oh, and Lash and I are celebrating someones success on another post, and we're gonna go furniture shopping together.
seriously, I'm not surperior to you or anyone...but I'm not inferior either, the way some sales treat the public....it's definitley a 2 way street.
So, when Lash and I show up....be ready.
We'll have to buy new bachelor swinger, Plex, a new waterbed to entertain the ladies!!
(Why do I now picture him as a younger Austin Powers?)
Bear, we're all customers somewhere, and all are in service to someone else somehow in our jobs.
I don't see it as inferior/superior in the least. I'm sure Chai doesn't. It feels silly to even say that.
yeah bear, we all have someone to answer to...standing on our necks....
does your store carry Brunschwig & Fils?
You may be an ambassador to England or France,
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance,
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world,
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.
You might be a rock 'n' roll addict prancing on the stage,
You might have drugs at your command, women in a cage,
You may be a business man or some high degree thief,
They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.
You may be a state trooper, you might be a young Turk,
You may be the head of some big TV network,
You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame,
You may be living in another country under another name
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.
You may be a construction worker working on a home,
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome,
You might own guns and you might even own tanks,
You might be somebody's landlord, you might even own banks
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.
You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride,
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side,
You may be workin' in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair,
You may be somebody's mistress, may be somebody's heir
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.
Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk,
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk,
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread,
You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.
You may call me Terry, you may call me Timmy,
You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy,
You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray,
You may call me anything but no matter what you say
You're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody.
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.
too late to backpeddle now.... you blue haired shopping snob.....
