Furniture store stalkers....er-ah, I mean, sales people

[CarolAnnC]

I worked for a major East Coast furniture retailer for 20 years. In all fairness, don't blame the salespeople, but the management.

Typically, the sales staff are required to stay within so many feet of their customers. If they are on "ups" then they are assigned to you the minute you walk in the door. This generally is the case unless it is a very busy weekend day and there are not enough sales staff.

I have seen salespeople literally screamed at for not being "with" their customers. Management comes down hard on them if they do not follow their floor rules. I have seen people fired for not staying with their customers on the sales floor.

So, this is how I handle it now that I am strictly on the customer end of things. When I am approached by my salesperson to be, I am always nice to them. I tell them I am only looking, that I will not be buying. And I tell them they can let their management know that I will just be browsing myself and will not have any questions at all for them.

If I anticipate that I will need assistance with any questions at all, I go ahead and let them shadow me and just be straightforward with them. I sympathize as I have been on their end of things too....

 

[everylastbreath]

I don't know if the sales people in furniture stores in my area (NY) are any different, but they only seem to bother you if your husband is present. I find that if I am looking for furniture and don't want to be bothered I bring my daughter and they trip over you to get past you, to help the husband/wife coming in behind you. I guess they assume every wife will have to check w/their husband to make the purchase (which I don't) so I prefer to shop without the stalking sales person!! Try it, just curious.... are most of you shopping w/significant other?

 

[grinningghost]

I hate them.

 

[maddhatir]

just curious.... are most of you shopping w/significant other?

Nope- shopping with mom.

DH would rather stick a fork in his eye than go furniture shopping! I wouldn't do that to him!

So- no, they do it to me most the time- w/o DH.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

I tell them right away we're just looking then precede to walk away from them.