PAIN IN THE NECK Kiosk owners in malls!!

[antmaril]

I find the kiosk owners very annoying. I just walk by and say "no thank you", but there are so many of them! It ruins the shopping experience

 

[fan_of_small_world]

What happened to just saying "No, thank you" (or just shaking your head, or ignoring them) and continuing on your way?

Totally agree. And I agree these booths are annoying, but all you have to do is firmly say no and keep walking. You are not required to give them any excuses as to why you said no. If they ask, just keep going. As my sister would say, you have to be a "bee with an itch." It may be rude, but it works.

The problem is that (1) often they don't leave you alone after "no thank you" and (2) I shouldn't have to answer these people in the first place.

An example regarding point 1 - last year around the holidays I walked past one of these kiosks with my daughter (then 4). We were looking in the windows of the shops and talking. One of these pushy people approached me and I said "no thanks." He FOLLOWED us past two more stores and continued to ask me to try whatever product he was selling. I filed a written complaint at the mall information desk and mall management actually called me back, apologized, and I noticed the next time I went that those salespeople were no longer being so aggeessive.

Regarding point 2 - WHY should these jokers have the right to interrupt my conversations while I'm walking down the mall? I expect that in the islands, not in my local mall.

For all those who hate these people as much as I do:

- the next time they bug you, stop by the mall information booth
- ask to fill out a complaint form
- jot down what happened and which vendor it was
- note that you have begun to walk very quickly by the stores near that vendor in order to avoid being harassed, which may be causing the "real" stores to lose business

Complaining on here is fine (and a great way to vent), but nothing will change if we don't do something about it.

Oh, and FTR, I worked at a kiosk in high school and we NEVER would have bothered the customers walking by. We considered ourselves to be just like a "real" store, only smaller. We tried to display our products in order to attract customers, but we would not even think about calling out to them.

 

[CheshireVal]

The lotion guys are the worst. I swear it's the same guy in every mall I go to: vaguely foreign looking, usually somewhat good looking. He'll pounce with the "can I ask you a question" thing, and doesn't like to take no for an answer. Persistant little bugger!

What's worse is having to walk back by AGAIN. I hate it.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

I ignore them completely. If someone walks right up to me I say No, thank you and walk around them.

 

[helenabear]

I really do not like these people either. A lot of them do not understand no. The worst offenders are the ones who have flat irons, lotions (like the dead sea group) and one particular cell phone kiosk. The rest aren't too bad.

When I see the group out in full force, I usually just look straight ahead or go into a store right next to them.

I also have had to tell them no more than once. I now start speaking in another language if they ask me anything too

The worst ever was a cell phone guy. I had just put my cell phone away and he asked if I had one "Duh" I told him yes and I loved it. He asked who I was with, I said Sprint I love them. He pushed again, I glared and walked quickly into another store.

I wish these few would act like the rest of the kiosks, and just be there. If I want to look, I will!

 

[Blondy876]

I was at the Deptford mall in NJ last week and had the same problem. They just don't take no for an answer. I told one man, who wanted to curl my hair with his new wonder tool that he was selling, no twice and then he approached my daughter, she's 8. When she said no he kept pushing and she was getting upset. I yelled at him and told him I didn't want to buy the crap he was selling and that if he didn't back off I would call security because he was harrassing us.

 

[OK!]

Ok, is this an all-around trend or is it just in my area? (Ocean County, New Jersey)

Lately, walking thru the mall, the owners of these kiosks BUG the crud out of you as you walk by, wanting to demonstrate their products on your nails, hands, hair, etc. And today I walked by one and was asked (I declined), walked past the same one again and was asked AGAIN, then I had to walk past it a 3rd time and was asked AGAIN. This was all in about a 3 minute time span. I said to the girl, "You just asked me THREE times in a row. No, I didn't change my mind!!" LOL

But geez, now you can't even walk around at the mall without being bugged for some sales pitch? What next???

I HATE those!! They've gotten really bad in the past year or so, especially if they see you with a Body Shop or B&BW bag...then all the cuticle oil and hand cream pushers swarm all over you. Grrrrrrrrrrr.

 

[Robmom]

I guess they are everywhere! I was at the mall with my DD last week and she grabbed me and ran away from that lotion guy! One time a girl with a remote controlled car ran it into the back of my foot to get my attention. She just laughed. I gave her such a dirty look.

 

[GJM]

I hate those things - they are always asking and I just say NO -

I can't understand when I am in the mall with my DS (7) and they want to do some treatment on me - do they really think my DS is going to just stand there when they are doing this!

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

My secret to success with these folks is...do NOT make eye contact EVER and ignore. That works every time.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

What happened to just saying "No, thank you" (or just shaking your head, or ignoring them) and continuing on your way?

I've never been touched or had to engage in any kind of exchange with a kiosk salesclerk, because I just don't give them the chance. The helicopter assault, that's a different story of course, and I'd go to mall security in a flash, but for hawkers? Ignore, ignore, ignore. Clerk: "Can I ask you a question" Me: "No, thank you" without even breaking my stride.

I do the same for telemarketers ("No, thank you" and hang up immediately) or people who come to the door (actually, I don't even open the door for them, just ignore and they'll go away. Eventually ).

This is exactly what I do, but I still like to vent about how much I hate them.


There is one mall in my area that keeps them in line pretty well. The kiosks are there, but they don't call out to you like you're in a third world country.

In another mall, they're horrible and annoying, but unfortunately for me, that's the mall that's MUCH closer to home and has more (real) stores that I like. I've never complained to mall management before, I need to do that.

 

[TR Denise]

I used to work at the mall in ocean county. Def tell security if they continue to bother you the owners know they are not supposed to be bothering the patrons. If you complain they will get an infraction so do it everytime because if they get enough fines they will stop. When I worked there we have shiirts that identified us as mall employees I was never bothered or even talked to when in that shirt but if I went in my own clothes they would do it so I know they know they arent suppossed to do it . I always told security
Denise

 

[minnieandme]

We have those same annoying people here too. I've had someone approach me about my nails, the hand lotion, wanting to wax my eyebrows, wanting to put gloss on my lips. I say no everytime, but they're still persistant. I just keep walking and act like I don't hear them. They've become worse than a telemarketer. I don't know why when you walk past the first time and tell them no, that when you walk past them again that they think you changed your mind.

 

[Jerseylicious]

It's everywhere!! Now, in addition to the other crazy things you have to work your way through, there's a dude at our mall with a remote control helicopter. I guess that way they can get you no matter how you duck and dodge them. Incoming!! OH, I'm sorry, did I hit you? Now that I've got your attention...

Yeah WHAT is the deal with the helicopter?? I wonder if anyone has ever been hit by them??

What happened to just saying "No, thank you" (or just shaking your head, or ignoring them) and continuing on your way?

It's just annoying. Plain and simple. We are CHOOSING to shop at that mall and those stores. It's a favor to them. We shouldn't be constantly harrassed every time we take another 20 steps.

When I worked there we have shiirts that identified us as mall employees I was never bothered or even talked to when in that shirt but if I went in my own clothes they would do it so I know they know they arent suppossed to do it .

Denise - Can I borrow that shirt while I shop?? LOL

 

[MsLeFever]

My DH had the best retort to the cell phone girl who was yelling as we walked by "Sir? Sir? Do you have a cell phone?"

He turned around and said "Geez - you are going to ask my for my number with my wife right here?"

Got a good laugh from folks walking by.

 

[princess pooh]

Those lotion guys are like sharks! One actually grabbed my hand and squirted lotion on it . Now I glare at them as I walk by and keep my hands in my pockets.

 

[GBShorts]

I pretend I didn't hear them or that I don't think they're talking to me...

Sometimes I talk on my phone...and sometimes when I do accidentally make eye contact and they do the "can I ask you a question?" bit, I say "nope. you can't." and keep walking.

I like the "you just did" response better though, mind if I borrow that?

Is my town the only one with threading where they use threads to pull our your eyebrows??? ew.

 

[piglet too]

I really dislike the lotion people. I am allergic to Vitamin E and had a reaction when one guy put lotion on me before I could snatch my hand away. (Fortunatly, it is not a severe allergy, my skin just burns and gets all red.) His reaction was "oh, my bad" when I told him. No offer to get me something to wash my hand off with or anything. My hands were very dry at the time, so it burned worse than usual. My DH was ready to punch the guy.

 

[LadyJeanPirateQueen]

I think the most annoying kiosk our local mall ever had sold Exerlopers. Unfortunately, the vendor had a habit of letting anyone who wanted to try them on do so. One weekend, a teenage kid was bouncing around (and probably acting stupid) when he bounced into the cart, knocked it over a ledge from the second floor onto the first floor. Luckily, nobody was hurt and the Exerloper vendor was never seen again.

Ladyjean

 

[Ride Junkie]

There's one at our mall that sells styling tools. I find it funny when the guy walks toward me with a straightening iron and does the, "Can I ask you a question?" I just look at him like he's from another planet, wondering if he notices my already stick-straight hair.

I would freak if someone bum-rushed me with lotion. I hate being touched by strangers, and if there was a fluid involved...eww! Germ-phobic!!

I also had a guy sneak up behind me with one of those metal head massagers. I jumped about 2 feet in the air and screamed!