Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
-Being asked more than once if I need help when I have already declined
-Being followed around by employees who are watching me very closely
-Loud music
-Bad smells
Well if I can't find what I am looking for because the store does not stock it, then I will leave. All in all, I try to plan out my shopping trips so I am not going 20 minutes out of my way just to walk out of the store 5 seconds later. Just a waste of gas and time.
Being followed or closely watched by a sales associate. Shopping while black is very real.
Sales associates texting or socializing with each other or their friends while blatantly ignoring customers.
Sales associates invading my space while I am looking. I understand clothes have to be returned to the floor, but do you have to put back the clothes back in exactly in the same spot where I am looking right now at this moment?
Loud music. If I have to shout to be heard, the music is too loud. Even as a teen I hated stores where the music was blaring. I came to shop not zumba.
Too crowded. I usually don't mind crowds, but I try to avoid stores during peak times when they are the most busy, but that is not always possible.
Shopping while teenager too. I remember MANY times being followed around a store. That'll chase me out real quick.
Also agree on the Too Crowded aspect. I'm claustrophobic to an extent, and the more people are packed in, the higher the stress level for me. Lately, I've found myself totally avoiding stores and malls during Christmas season. Online is the way to go. LOL
I will also add, not being able to find help when you need it. The other day, I was in a Petco, and wanted to buy some fish. Well, so did 3 or 4 families with small kids...and no one around to wait on anyone. I just gave up and left thinking to myself "Another day I guess."
But, how dangerous is shopping? (And sadly, people will file suit if they catch a hang nail on a hanger.....)
Make a choice. The customer in front of you, or the customer on the phone. Protocol would dictate that the customer in front of you receives priority. The caller can wait, just like I did waiting for your attention.
Be product knowledgeable. All of us can read the label, and typically the customer has already "pre-shopped" so they know the high level stuff....product capacity, size, manufacturer, use, technical specifics, etc. You need to be able to take it to the next level. Tell me something about comparison, longevity, or things which are not generally known. Demonstrate your expertise. If you can't you need more training before you hit the floor in your department.
Pricing....if you aren't the person who is authorized to discuss markdowns or competing with another seller who offers the product at a lower price, then you aren't the right person to be on the floor. It's a new world. We know what the "right" price is. You should too!
Thankfulness goes both ways. You give me your undivided attention on a product, demonstrate knowledge which gives me an advantage on purchasing a product, and make my experience superior and I will be very thankful. Many times I have gone above and beyond to talk with billy-bobs manager and express the superior service which I received. It goes both ways. And without me, yes, you have no paycheck over the long haul. Treat that however you like.
Let me guess...
You do most of your shopping for high-end computer servers, $5,000 suits, $10,000 sets of golf clubs, Mercedes, or medium format cameras?
If you are walking into a department store looking for these qualities in a clerk you will be seriously disappointed. Sales training? Most employees aren't sales people, they are low fixed hourly wage stock clerks and cashiers with a rudimentary knowledge of the layout and policies of the store, with zero authority to alter prices or terms of sale.
What you are referencing are the traits of an excellent career sales person, working on a generous commission at an ultra high end store where service completely trumps "the right price". How many of those people do you expect to find at any other store?
I agree about the telephone. When someone is waiting on ME, let the person on the phone call back.
One thing I don't think has been mentioned is poor heating or cooling. Most of the time, stores are too hot. If I am uncomfortably hot, I can't concentrate on shopping.
I work retail. Wanted to thank some folks who aired their concerns.
So what I gather is...
Clerks are to read your mind. Not bother you but be there to find the product. Revise the price because you wish to keep within your budget.
Ignore policy. And if something isn't in your size...Whip out a sewing machine and make it! Okay,got it.
Now here is the clerk's reality. We are to be on guard for safety of our consumers. We are to remain cordial without invading your shopping experience. We are to know 'our department's ' products. We have zero authority to price change . We are to answer our business phone and listen to the customer,while the angry customer at our register wants our immediate attention. Never mind that there is a customer on the phone !
We are to refund you when you bring back a dress that you wore to your re union but would never wear again. Yes we hear it all.. and ultimately get return business. Because,you,the consumer,sign my paycheck. Or do you?
I have only a few expectations when shopping...Be polite,be patient and be willing to thank a person. This goes both ways..Be you the consumer or service rep.
So, what about the following people around the store like they're criminals? That is then #1 reason why I stopped shopping at Wal-Mart and Walgreens. If you think I'm too poor and have to steal, you don't want my dollars obviously.
I'll walk out if the lines are super long and only a few cash registers are being used. I'll leave the full shopping cart as my calling card. If the store doesn't respect me enough to check me out in a reasonable time, it can return the merchandise to the shelves itself.
I find myself shopping Online more and more. I don't even mind paying for the shipping.
Agree. Its funny I walk into a high end store and I will get ignored sometimes. Hubs comes in a few minutes after me and they are on him like white on rice. I usually dress nicer than him. So that isn't a clue to them.
I got news for them, If I don't like something, it's not going to be bought. He trusts my opinion when it comes to clothes etc for him. I say I don't care, you wear it but he wants my opinion.
And if its jewelry for me, I rule. I'm the one wearing it.
I'll walk out if the lines are super long and only a few cash registers are being used. I'll leave the full shopping cart as my calling card. If the store doesn't respect me enough to check me out in a reasonable time, it can return the merchandise to the shelves itself.
I find myself shopping Online more and more. I don't even mind paying for the shipping.
You've got to feel a little bad for retail stores. They have high overhead and the internet is taking a lot of business. They can't afford to pay employees to stand around waiting for customers who don't come.
Really though, from what my dh says- he works pt in a home improvement store, the store purports to be all about customer service, but it's really all about the bottom line. Sometimes he is expected to do the work of 4 people. One person cannot cover 3 departments and put away stock at the same time.
Long lines, high prices, no product, etc. Bad staff whether rude or slow would turn me off entirely to a store or restaurant.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
