51–60 of 89 posts
In a few months, everybody would know exactly what to do: Avoid eye contact, speed up when passing by, do not listen to them, do not even let them finish their sentence, and just say "No, thank you".
What phrase is used to initiate that interaction is completely irrelevant, but attempts to entrap me in an interaction I don't want will always yield a negative response. Just the level of awkwardness may very.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have the same goals as you (find the stuff I want, pay for it, and get out), but that's why I seek out the salespeople! I feel that assistants aren't really there to help me; they're there to maximize profits for their employer. Help me find these employees! I joke, but seriously - I usually get great recommendations from the staff, often brutally honest. I find people don't give flippant recommendations, as its a…
As a non-commissioned retail salesperson in a previous life, giving honest and helpful recommendations and trying not to annoy people that don't need help, was the only pride to be found in that work. Not everybody is an introvert, and some people do want help but are too afraid to ask. Although I suspect that for each of those there are three people that would just like to shop on their own. It's also important to n…
Much, much worse is "Are you after pants or tops today?" which is the worst kind of sleazeball sales opener. Now I'm on guard, preparing to either fend off a hard sell or make a break for the exit.
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Restaurants are a slightly different situation. Once you're already in a restaurant, it's quitely unlikely that you're going to walk out without buying something. The waiter (if motivated by tips) has every reason to help you actually enjoy your food. Salespeople, who are more commonly motivated by commission, have every reason to convince you to buy something whether or not you need it.
They do but throw away any feelings of compulsion to buy things to make the salesperson happy. And if you don't like them or find them helpful, totally just walk away or say: "Thanks for your help, but I am going to look on my own now." It's not a personal relationship and (basic human decency aside) you have no need to please them. But don't categorically reject all salespeople. Maybe go to better stores where there…
1) Yes, people hate the do u need any help question but not because of the question in itself. It is because they usually have just entered the store and they get just asked this and since they have not had a chance to look at anything they obviously don't need any help. The reason why this mistake gets repeated over and over is because from a distance there is a manager who will usually get pissed off if they don't. You might say that the manager should be smart enough to know this is dumb but I have no idea why they still do maybe power trip.
2)How to ask the do you need any help question. You have to just watch your consumers from a distance, greet them and walk away, make them feel free but slightly monitor their gestures. As time goes on you develop a skill to see which customer needs help, for example they standing with one shoe in their hand looking around whith their head tilted up, ask them if they need help, they will be very happy. If your manager is standing around unfortunately you have to be annoying and ask consumers as soon as they enter the store.
During my 3 month waiter stint in college, a famous singer came by to eat, she just happened to sit at my table, boy did I regret it. The owner of the restaurant practically had his chin at my shoulder. This guy was freaking out, he had me asking them if everything was fine every 3 minutes, until the singers manager asked me too give them some space. I went back and told the owner, his reply to me was that I was fucking up big time. Lol!
What's needed is not a new way to trick the customer into conversing, instead we need employees to learn how to notice whether a customer is looking for help or doing fine on his/her own. And employers to allow this instead of requiring them to be aggressive.