Shopping

Oh yes, I can definitely relate to!

My major pet-peeve regarding, revolves around replying politely to floor staff - "no thank you, just looking", and adding, "I'll give a shout if I need something", yet even with those two straight-forward and direct replies, they continue to push themselves on you.
 

My husband & I went to Oklahoma on our honeymoon (don't even ask). We stopped in this small town & I went into this clothing store looking for something. I guess the lady decided I didn't look rich enough to be shopping in there & she was like following me around not saying anything. I finally turned to her & asked..."Can I help you?"

She said she wanted to be there in case I needed her. I said "I think that lady @ the register needs you." She said "oh someone else will help her." I finally squared off & told her if she thought I was gonna steal their precious $20 panties she could forget it cuz I didn't want the damn things anyway. And I didn't appreciate being treated like a shoplifter. I turned around & walked out.
 
MarciKS said:
My husband & I went to Oklahoma on our honeymoon (don't even ask). We stopped in this small town & I went into this clothing store looking for something. I guess the lady decided I didn't look rich enough to be shopping in there & she was like following me around not saying anything. I finally turned to her & asked..."Can I help you?"

She said she wanted to be there in case I needed her. I said "I think that lady @ the register needs you." She said "oh someone else will help her." I finally squared off & told her if she thought I was gonna steal their precious $20 panties she could forget it cuz I didn't want the damn things anyway. And I didn't appreciate being treated like a shoplifter. I turned around & walked out.
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Always had a feeling you were a rebel. :)
 
Most stores today are “self-service,” clerks are seldom to be found, and you’re lucky to find a cashier able to ring you out within a reasonable time frame. Old school stores and specialty shops are often not regarded to be self-service, and the sales staff can pounce on you as soon as you’re through the door...in fact, employers often require them to do so.

Decades ago I worked part-time as a college student at a men’s clothing store where I was expected to follow the customer around, even when it was obvious that they just wanted to look. I certainly didn’t enjoy doing this, but such can be the business model of a “full service” store...
 
When I was younger and working, I often shopped at Bergdorf Goodman, Saks and Wallachs. I like these stores as they provided a personal shopper which save me time. I hate stores where I have to through a million things to find what I like only to have to search for a clerk to check me out when I do. Waste of time.
 
debodun said:
Why is it when shopping, whey you want to be left alone to browse, there are 2 or 3 salespeople falling over each other to help you. When you want help, there's not a clerk to be seen?
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This OP sounds like a riddle, Deb. :giggle:

A possible answer: Because the "helpers" are people who are not really helpers and they think the browsers are not really browsers?
;)o_O:ROFLMAO:
 
Pepper said:
It's called Murphy's Law.
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The more I've thought about this topic, this is truly the right answer. (y):geek:

It's the same as, when you are very short on time, and need just a couple of items at the store,
the parking lot is full,
and you must drive all the parking aisles to find a space that it turns out, is just 2 inches too narrow for your car door to open.

While, on another day, when you have plenty of time, and don't actually need a thing, there are plenty of open parking spaces, so you can park easily,
and you stroll leisurely to the door,
only to see an employee locking the door from the inside. It closed 5 minutes ago.

Other stores in the area are open later, about 30 minutes later, and it took you only....um...33 minutes to get to one of those......

Murphy!!!!
 
Yes. I usually don't need or want help, though. Actually, I prefer large corporate stores to small one owner stores.
Small stores are supposed to have better personal service, friendly, helpful, easy. Not True where I live. It's a cliche but it depends solely on who the clerk or individual is there. I can get nice help at a big box store, including Walmart and unfriendly help and lies at small stores. The owner or clerk may not like me or you.
They lie and mislead. You're looking for this item? We'll get it next week. Next week they don't have it . I have been told this numerous times: usually groceries. Twice in 1 day I was told my gin and sandwich would be there later at 4:00. Are they kidding? This is how it is where I live...how about you? Do small owners feel entitled to your business? If you walk inside, are you obliged to buy something? I like stores, basically, and prefer them, and I don't care if they say hello or not. But the small stores offer no good reason to shop there.
 
From what I can remember, back in the long-ago days when I actually shopped in real, physical stores, more of them err more on the "not enough sales help" side. More than once, I have put an item back on the table or rack, just because I couldn't find a checkout counter to pay for it. And if there actually was a counter visible, it was usually just one, for the entire floor of a department store!This happened especially at Macy's and JC Penney's.
 
No. No. No. That's not Murphy's Law. Murphy's Law is you're going to your aunt's home for dinner, in 20 minutes, when you find out it's a birthday party, and you don't have a present. So you rush to the store, can't find a parking space, so you park in Wisconsin, and walk to the store. You grab an electric fly swatter and head for the check out. There's a huge line of people. Finally, you'll be late getting to the party, but only one elderly woman in line ahead of you. Of course, she's paying for her things with an out of state check. so she'd have to be OKed by the manager. He is on his way from the "back room", which is situated somewhere south of Fiji. After finding 8 pens without ink, the woman signs the check and leaves. But the clerk has to "clear" her register. Then at last, she rings up your purchase, and that's when you find out you left your wallet at home. See, now, that's Murphy's Law.
 
In many of the more expensive shops, sales people get commissions for what they sell. They follow you around because they saw you first and don't want another sales person snatching you away. Someone should tip them off that being shadowed is so annoying, many of us just walk out without making a purchase. At least, I do...
 
Once I went to a rug & carpet warehouse. I was talking with one of the salesmen and of course, he asked me what type of carpet I was looking for. I said a runner for a narrow hallway. He didn't seem to understand what I meant. I did have the forethought to bring a runner with me, but it was in the trunk of my car and too cumbersome to drag into the store. I told him if he came out to my car I'd show him. I started outside thinking he was right behind me. I opened the trunk and turned around and he was nowhere to be seen. I waited a minute or two and he didn't show. I went back into the store and he was talking to a young couple, so I just left. Is it common for a salesperson to switch clients in mid-sale?
 
debodun said:
Once I went to a rug & carpet warehouse. I was talking with one of the salesmen and of course, he asked me what type of carpet I was looking for. I said a runner for a narrow hallway. He didn't seem to understand what I meant. I did have the forethought to bring a runner with me, but it was in the trunk of my car and too cumbersome to drag into the store. I told him if he came out to my car I'd show him. I started outside thinking he was right behind me. I opened the trunk and turned around and he was nowhere to be seen. I waited a minute or two and he didn't show. I went back into the store and he was talking to a young couple, so I just left. Is it common for a salesperson to switch clients in mid-sale?
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I'm with Sunny... and job well done, Deb, on moving on.
 
I bought a cell phone at a mega store but I wasnt finished setting it up when the supervisor sales lady went to another customer, buying a wire, and ignored me. Finally I asked for my money back. Then I called the store manager to complain. I was mad. Turned out well because I bought a better cheaper phone at Best Buy, very easily, pre-Covid.
Talk about shadowing you. Sales people do it with their eyes, staring at me like I am a shoplifter. (I'm not!) "Well, are you going to buy something?" I walk out and don't return. Are you so desperate for a sale? One store owner wrote an angry handout letter to all customers who don't buy something. Like he is entitled to their business.
Yes they switch customers when they see a customer who is ready to buy now or has more to spend.
Where I live stores are dark-- don't know if they are open. Too stingy to use electricity. I get suspicious.
 
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