PAIN IN THE NECK Kiosk owners in malls!!

[ChristmasElf]

I agree. It's gotten to the point where I have to do evasive maneuvers in the mall around the kiosks so they don't bother me. The other night I was in the mall and the hand cream lady was asking everyone "Can I ask you a question?". Well, as I came upon her, she went to the right, I faked right and veered left and I managed to avoid her. Then on my walk back, another poor soul was being traumatized by her speech. Thank God I missed it both times!

When they approach me with the "Can I ask you a question?" line, I just raise my hand and say "No!" and keep walking....

 

[RitaZ.]

Yes, they're very annoying. Whenever they tell me that they want to ask me a question, I reply, "No, not today!" That works for most of them, but some of the guys keep insisting (especially the ones with the fake French accent ) Anyway, I just keep walking. BTW, what's up with the fake accent thing? Do they honestly think that we'll buy their crap if they give the impression that the product is somehow related to France?

How much can these people sell in a day?

 

[FinallyBoughtDVC]

I couldn't take it anymore as they were becoming so aggressive it was unnerving. I emailed the mall's management company and basically said, "they're intimidating and annoying - they ruin my mall experience - and I will not be coming back because I don't need anything at the mall badly enough to be manhandled every time I try to walk through." They responded within an hour and said the kiosk were not allowed to do that, they were incredibly sorry and that it happened to one of the mall managers and they will not allow it to continue. They told me they'd talk to all of them and tell them to cut it out.

So far, it's been pretty good and that was over a year ago. I don't go to this particular mall too often. I did notice the worst offender was approaching people again - but not quite as aggressively as they used to. If it starts again, I will definitely file another complaint.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I couldn't take it anymore as they were becoming so aggressive it was unnerving. I emailed the mall's management company and basically said, "they're intimidating and annoying - they ruin my mall experience - and I will not be coming back because I don't need anything at the mall badly enough to be manhandled every time I try to walk through." They responded within an hour and said the kiosk were not allowed to do that, they were incredibly sorry and that it happened to one of the mall managers and they will not allow it to continue. They told me they'd talk to all of them and tell them to cut it out.

So far, it's been pretty good and that was over a year ago. I don't go to this particular mall too often. I did notice the worst offender was approaching people again - but not quite as aggressively as they used to. If it starts again, I will definitely file another complaint.

I haven't gotten a response to mine yet. This was for The Woodlands Mall, for any Houston-area people out there.

I told them that I was literally going upstairs and back down to avoid them and asked how could that possibly be helping your revenue if I was totally avoiding blocks of the mall. I also told them that I was smart enough to realize that I could take care of 100% of my mall shopping online and if it didn't stop, that was exactly where I was taking my business.

Isn't that weird that we're all experiencing the same thing across the country?

Just think - in about a month, we'll have the people hawking fake snow and Christmas ornaments joining them.

 

[sweet angel]

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 just saw this thread and I know EXACTLY which kiosks you're referring to. The one down by Boscovs near the Subway, and the one by the Gertrude Hawk store. Those two are the worst. It helps somewhat if you pretend to look in the store windows as you quickly walk by. NEVER make eye contact!!

 

[Jerseylicious]

I just saw this thread and I know EXACTLY which kiosks you're referring to. The one down by Boscovs near the Subway, and the one by the Gertrude Hawk store. Those two are the worst.

EXACTLY!!!!!!!! You are GOOD, Sweet Angel!!!!

 

[Sylvanas]

I stay as far away as possible and don't make eye contact.

 

[Mrs.Reese]

Eye contact is secret for "you may attack me."

 

[LadyJeanPirateQueen]

Eye contact is secret for "you may attack me."

Yes means no and no means, "Take me, I'm yours!"

Ladyjean

 

[arminnie]

Just tell them you have a taser and are not afraid to use it. They usually back off real quick!

I swear the next time it happens I am going to give one of my most "SEVERE" looks and say "I am licensed to carry - DO NOT TOUCH ME".

(I'm not licensed to carry - I don't think I've ever even touched a gun.)

 

[Merriwind]

Sunglasses! Our malls are pretty bright all the time and I'm a shades addict anyway, but I never walk the mallways without my sunglasses. They cannot make eye contact, don't even see where you are looking. Cuts interactions way down. Used to say no thanks ad nauseum. I like this better.

 

[Northstar]

Wow. Once we've all mastered the skills required to walk safely through the mall... we can go back to shopping on downtown streets, because they're the same skills we need for dealing with aggressive panhandlers, street scam artists and guys trying to hit on us! The street has come to the mall!

That is just too outrageous that people are actually daring to touch you in their sales pitch. The mall management really needs to know about this.

 

[Tazicket]

A couple years ago, shortly before my knee surgery, I was in a wheelchair and DH was pushing me at the mall. We were going by one of the Dead Sea stuff places and the guy started his sales pitch. DH actually walked me over there! The guy asked where I get my nails done and I said that I don't, they're natural (all while frantically trying to convey to DH that we needed to MOVE). The guy grabbed my hand and started buffing one of my nails with their doofy buff-off-the-top-layer-of-your-nails-so-they-look-super-shiny thing. When he FINALLY let me go, he had super polished exactly ONE nail, so the rest of them looked dorky. I thought it was appropriate that he polished the nail on my middle finger....: Anyway, I had a conversation with DH after that and he has never made me stop at one of the kiosks again.