Please Be Nice to Salespeople!

[Sgt Mickey]

Yesterday at the mall I had my hand grabbed by some kiosk lotion selling ladyand she wouldnt let go of me. I had to literally shake her off while saying loudly DONT TOUCH ME PLEASE. She was still trying to put some scrub on me, what if I have allergies you whackadoo? A few carts down I got chased by another girl trying to get me to try something and she tried to stuff a flyer in my bag. If I had run into you after those two, I prob wouldnt have been friendly and I am sorry but I couldnt believe how aggresive & inappropriate people were being. I am still angry a day later about being grabbed. I found the no thank you or polite responses to be ignored. It was the kiosk people, not the store people.

Those people don't give up last year the lady said something that I wanted to hit her

 

[Mrs. Charming]

Yesterday at the mall I had my hand grabbed by some kiosk lotion selling ladyand she wouldnt let go of me. I had to literally shake her off while saying loudly DONT TOUCH ME PLEASE. She was still trying to put some scrub on me, what if I have allergies you whackadoo? A few carts down I got chased by another girl trying to get me to try something and she tried to stuff a flyer in my bag. If I had run into you after those two, I prob wouldnt have been friendly and I am sorry but I couldnt believe how aggresive & inappropriate people were being. I am still angry a day later about being grabbed. I found the no thank you or polite responses to be ignored. It was the kiosk people, not the store people.

I just tell them I have allergies and then run for the hills! Those people really bother me. They try to sucker you in with some kind of compliment, and yes, they try to touch you. Really bugs me. Normally I don't mind touching but I'm just irked by them!

In other retail stores I'll either tell them what I need or if I'm just leisurely browsing I"ll say so. I've done the retail thing before, I was geniunely nice to people and still got barked at. I'm just saying hi!

 

[NikitaZee]

I do one of a few different things when I am being 'pestered' by salespeople:
- I pay attention to the spiel they used on the customer ahead of me, and greet them with 'No thank you, I don't need x,y, or z'. That way they don't have to repeat the whole thing to me, and they're not in trouble for not approaching me.
- I have gone to the store manager at Bath and Body works and complained about the company's policy of continually asking me if I want to 'buy 2, get 1 free' after I have already declined. Apparently, they are required to ask at least once more after they have been told no. It didn't get me anywhere, but I felt better being able to complain to management about it.
- I avoid walking into a store altogether if there are several salespeople milling around by the entrance or following other customers around.

 

[DisneyScraps]

I don't think we should ever be rude to a salesperson for just greeting you. Some just don't give up. It drive me nuts.

I have a fantasy that we enter a store and there is a little bucket of flags there. We take one and hold it up if we need something. Otherwise we are just looking and will be left alone.

I realize that when it happens that it's a required part of the job. I HATE going into places where they have to spend 5 minute telling me every special they have, expecially when I am just looking around killing time before a movie! Talbots is the worst for that.

Williams Sonoma is my toy store and I visit there a few times a month. There is a new person in there very enthusiastic which is lovely but she will follow you around talking and talking. She does it to me and to anyone she can engage. I want to look around and not be talked at. It's at the point where I just won't go in there is she is working.

I was recently followed around in a shoe department by a woman. Every thing I touched she had a comment for. All I wanted to do was drool over some shoes that I could not possibly afford. It got so bad I finally said....nicely...."are you on comission?" She said "yes". I smiled and said "I can tell". She said. "sorry I am just bored' but she got the message and left me alone.

Lisa

 

[Planogirl]

I'm always friendly and polite to salespeople who approach me in stores. I understand that they are just offering their help per management's orders and it's ridiculous to get mad at them for just following those orders. Now if they follow me around or keep asking me then I might get annoyed. I would just leave instead of being rude though.

 

[DMass]

I don't mind being asked if I need help but when it's the same person asking it gets a little annoying.

No I'm still looking and I'll still be looking around five minutes from now so you won't have to ask me again.

 

[jrmasm]

Two specific stores just came to mind:

1) The Disney Store - if the greeter isn't in the front of the store, I used to hate the way some random person would yell from somewhere in the store "Welcome...". That would always scare the crap out of me.

2) Build A Bear - every experience I have had was really positive except one. That would be enthusiastic salesperson that made unsolicited suggestions about what she needed to my 4 year old. Then I got to tell the kid 'no'. I wouldn't have had to have the conversation had she not been 'helpful'. I was ticked and I'm pretty sure she knew it. Speak to me, not a four year.

 

[JerseyJanice]

I got harassed so badly one day by the kiosk people, I was tempted to go to the mall's guest services and complain. I had a couple of returns to make on my lunch hour and did not have the time to fend off a bunch of kiosk people. Really, I don't think I should have to. These people can ruin your whole shopping experience.

 

[RitaE]

Two specific stores just came to mind:

1) The Disney Store - if the greeter isn't in the front of the store, I used to hate the way some random person would yell from somewhere in the store "Welcome...". That would always scare the crap out of me.

2) Build A Bear - every experience I have had was really positive except one. That would be enthusiastic salesperson that made unsolicited suggestions about what she needed to my 4 year old. Then I got to tell the kid 'no'. I wouldn't have had to have the conversation had she not been 'helpful'. I was ticked and I'm pretty sure she knew it. Speak to me, not a four year.

Min is Kohls. I won't go into the place anymore because it is impossible to check-out without a 10 minute argument over why I don't want their credit card.

I don't mind politely saying No Thank You once. Twice is an irritation but I understand they are just doing their job.

Beyond that - I'm sorry that you have such a crappy job but I'm not playing the game anymore.

Oh and my other is Best Buy and their magazine offers and protection plans. Do they still do that? Because that is another store I refuse to step foot into.

 

[jrmasm]

Min is Kohls. I won't go into the place anymore because it is impossible to check-out without a 10 minute argument over why I don't want their credit card.

I don't mind politely saying No Thank You once. Twice is an irritation but I understand they are just doing their job.

Beyond that - I'm sorry that you have such a crappy job but I'm not playing the game anymore.Oh and my other is Best Buy and their magazine offers and protection plans. Do they still do that? Because that is another store I refuse to step foot into.

to the bolded.

I haven't had anyone at Best Buy ask me about magazines but Ulta does.

 

[pixiefairy]

I work in retail and those kiosk people drive me nuts. I usually tell them if they touch me, I'll scream. You have no right to grab me as I walk by, sheesh.

That being said...I concur with PP's...most stores REQUIRE that we greet. We are supposed to provide a variation of a welcome and ask what brought them in. Usually I get a hello and an "I'm just looking" and I may throw out the sales and my name and tell them to have fun looking and if they need me, I'll be over "there". 90% of our customers are great, and are happy with that. One of my associates got a response of "What the BLEEP do you think I'm doing here? I'm SHOPPING!". I thought it was completely uncalled for. She was pretty taken aback by it. And we are required to re-approach to make sure you are still ok and don't need us to get anything down for you. AND we have to get you a dressing room and we are supposed to check on you. We also get secret shoppers and those are points we have to follow. I'm sorry it's annoying...believe me, I understand. I always invite my customers to go on our website and shoot off an email to corporate. I have no control over what our rules and regulations are...so don't shoot the messenger. But I have to say...most of our customers are really understanding and great. At least...even if it annoys you...just grit your teeth and say hi and thanks, but you are fine. Most of us can take a hint, lol.

 

[AKL_Megs]

I used to work at a furniture store, and it was terrible.

We sold absolutely NOTHING but furniture. People shop by gravitating to what they are looking for (and in a furniture store, it ain't hard to find what you are looking for ), but we HAD to ask them, "What are you here for today?" AS they are sitting, sampling sofas. It was humiliating.

We used to also have to find out information about the people, and attempt to get their addresses so we could inundate them with literature. My manager would say, "Go find out something about them, find out what they are doing this weekend, are they seeing a movie!" What are they doing? They are SHOPPING!

When I got close to quitting, and my manager would ask, "What did you find out about them?" I would say, "They are married, they just saw the new Harry Potter movie, she's seven months pregnant, he has cancer, her mother just passed away, and their basement just flooded. They also told me they can't buy furniture now because they are too sad from talking about their PERSONAL LIFE!"

I mean, come on! Furniture sells itself!

 

[dismom2]

Yesterday at the mall I had my hand grabbed by some kiosk lotion selling ladyand she wouldnt let go of me. I had to literally shake her off while saying loudly DONT TOUCH ME PLEASE. She was still trying to put some scrub on me, what if I have allergies you whackadoo? A few carts down I got chased by another girl trying to get me to try something and she tried to stuff a flyer in my bag. If I had run into you after those two, I prob wouldnt have been friendly and I am sorry but I couldnt believe how aggresive & inappropriate people were being. I am still angry a day later about being grabbed. I found the no thank you or polite responses to be ignored. It was the kiosk people, not the store people.

Those kiosk people (some, not all of them ) drive me crazy. I try very hard to walk as far away from them as I can and not look at them.

One day my DH and I actually stopped to look at something at one of them. The man grabbed what we were 'just looking' at and started to ring it up. He was very aggressive. We didn't even want to buy it (and didn't, but it was hard to convince him of that).

I agree--we should be polite to employee's, and I would like the same in return.

What bothers me is when the people in line behind me get huffy and upset because I am using a coupon. I'm sorry it takes an extra few moments of time, but hey, I want to save a few bucks. This is especially bad at the grocery store. I'm not a terrible or rude person just because I'm using coupons.

 

[dismom2]

Min is Kohls. I won't go into the place anymore because it is impossible to check-out without a 10 minute argument over why I don't want their credit card.

I don't mind politely saying No Thank You once. Twice is an irritation but I understand they are just doing their job.

Beyond that - I'm sorry that you have such a crappy job but I'm not playing the game anymore.

Oh and my other is Best Buy and their magazine offers and protection plans. Do they still do that? Because that is another store I refuse to step foot into.

It seems that every time I go to Kohls the people in front of me are talked into applying for a credit card (to save 10%--or whatever it is-- on thier purchase). They do the applying right then and there at the register and it can take quite a while. I know I just posted about people getting mad if I use coupons because it takes a little longer, but these applications really can take a while and maybe should be done at customer service or something. They never have enough registers open, and the lines are always long at Kohl's. Christmas is insane there---lines around the store. I sound like a hypocrite, but my coupons take seconds to ring up, while appying for a credit card takes several minutes.

 

[pixiefairy]

LOL at the furniture store! I'm sorry...I don't think I could do that! We still get post cards from one store we looked at for a new bed for our dd. Two years later.

Ah..yes..coupons. Personally...I'm happy if my customers can use the darn things, considering that they like to throw "exeptions" on there. I hate to tell people..."sorry...can't use it". I'm pretty quick at ringing and all, but there are times when the customers behind the person I'm waiting on can't wait an extra second for me to finish...and start tapping the counter, sighing and shifting back and forth. I'm sorry we only have two registers, but we aren't a big box store. But everyone deserves my full attention and they'll get it, even you once you get up to me. With a smile.

 

[surfergirl602]

I was at Staples yesterday for 10 minutes and was asked about 8 times if I needed help. It got annoying really quick, but I am glad that they were willing to help me, although I didn't need it. I try to remember that and be thankful that I didn't get the "I'm not going to help you in a million years" sales person.

 

[ilovepcot]

Those kiosk people!!!

I'm very much a southern belle with a soft, very slow drawl. People often say they can't believe I'd ever be rude or say anything unkind. All I can tell you is this: The young man running a kiosk at our local mall was heard by others yelling at me, "Yeah! And it's no skin off my back, lady"!!!!!! Apparently the "soft, slow talking belle" had enough! Does anyone ever stop and actually deal with these people?

 

[jrmasm]

Those kiosk people!!!

I'm very much a southern belle with a soft, very slow drawl. People often say they can't believe I'd ever be rude or say anything unkind. All I can tell you is this: The young man running a kiosk at our local mall was heard by others yelling at me, "Yeah! And it's no skin off my back, lady"!!!!!! Apparently the "soft, slow talking belle" had enough! Does anyone ever stop and actually deal with these people?

My husband came home for the mall with a nail care kit once!

 

[ilovepcot]

My husband came home for the mall with a nail care kit once!

The poor thing! My dad was the kind that couldn't have gotten away either.

 

[DMass]

My husband came home for the mall with a nail care kit once!

Did they do one of his nails too? That's what happened to me. She was a hot russian girl who really poured on the charm and buffed out one of my nails which actually came out pretty good.

Luckily I didn't buy what she was selling.