Is it just me or does everyone find that in a store when you wish to browse you !
Question: Is it just me or does everyone find that in a store when you wish to browse you are constantly asked May i!?
help you at all!? then when you need an assistant they are either all busy or no where to be seen!. also when you ask for help some look at you as though you are an imposition!. There are of course some lovely folk working in the stores!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
Answers:
ATTENTION P&S'ers:
This is not one of my usual cheeky, witty or smart@$$ed answers, but rather an serious essay of facts on a subject I know all too well!.
Having spent a lot of years in retail trades I can tell you that people are just doing as they are told!. Most retailers tell their workers to ask all customers that are within 10 feet of yours or their passing if they need help!. this is done both to provide a high level of customer service and also to discourage theft!. someone is a lot less likely to steal when someone has recognized them!.
My company reffers to it ask acknowledging the customer!. Since I am not a service position anymore, I deal with this in the following manner!. If I am pushing my computer cart through the store or a customer comes up to the bay I am servicing, I just acknowlege with the standard time of day greeting (good morning/afternoon)!. If the customer has a question or needs help, they have my attention to ask for it!. If not I let them go on their merry way!. The exception is if someone looks confused, I will directly ask them if they need help!. Most people that are, do, But they don't like to ask for help for what ever reason!. The few that don't need help are usually shoplifters, which generally are detured by being recognized!.
A funny antic-dote to this:
A couple of weeks ago I had a wee auld lady come up to me and told me "Pardon me!.!.!.I can see you're busy sir, but my daughter is in the next ails and is getting mad because no one has asked her if she needs help and she says she knows people are told to ask HER if she needs help"!. "Would you please come help her before she drives me batty"!?
A not so funny one:
Not long ago, I was doing price changes in a bay, when another auld lady approached me!. I politlely asked her if she needed help with anything!. she showed me a product and asked if we sold it!. I told her that we did and told her exactly where she could find it!. she replys in a snotty tone "Is that all you're going to do for me"!? Dispite her rudeness, I politely asked, "what else would you like ma'am"!. She promptly told me to fo eff myself and walked away!. If she wanted to be lead by the hand to the product, she only needed reply "could you please show me where it is sir" or if she had wanted me to get a salesperson to advise her on choices, she had to only ask as well!. Unfortunately, all to often retail workers are treated like $#!+ by people who have no clue as to what it's like to work in a large store!.
In regards to point two, when folk ask for help, they tend to gravitate to someone who is stuck in one spot actually working!. Floor workers are contrary to popular belief, are given work to do, which they get a telling if it doesn't get done!. If you can't get help from someone who is just walking or standing about, try this approach when needing help from someone who is stocking, doing inventory or tidey-ing counters: "I know you're busy, but could you direct me to!.!.!.!.!.!.!." !.
Workers are people too!. Too many people treat floor workers like slaves and or animals!. We deserve courtesy and manners!. As inventory management for a major retailer, I see all this on a daily basis!. I am not a doggie!. don't expect me to come running if you whistle!. It's rude!. Don't shout HEY from 100 yards away and expect me to acknowledge you!. It's rude!. It's just too much for some people to treat service workers as human beings!. All it takes is "Excuse me sir!. Could you help me please"!? You want to be treated with respect!. In most cases you get what you give!.
also, a note on not being able to find help in major retailers!. Corporate stores run on a weekly budget!. If sales are down, hours for part time people get cut!. if the sales trend changes halfway through the fiscal week, there are still fewer people scheduled to work!. If no one called off ever, it would be fine!. All it takes is a couple of cashiers to call off and you have floor help pulled up to run register and suddenly there is departments left without floor staff!.
Doug:
It's folk like you that leave people feel treated rude for doing their job!. You know they are in trouble if they are observed not asking you if you need help as if you went to a manager and complained that so and so never offered to help me!. Those standard retail pratices that you seem to know about keep some people employed!. A simple no thank you suffices and you are left to continue shopping!.
xxWww@Enter-QA@Com
This is not one of my usual cheeky, witty or smart@$$ed answers, but rather an serious essay of facts on a subject I know all too well!.
Having spent a lot of years in retail trades I can tell you that people are just doing as they are told!. Most retailers tell their workers to ask all customers that are within 10 feet of yours or their passing if they need help!. this is done both to provide a high level of customer service and also to discourage theft!. someone is a lot less likely to steal when someone has recognized them!.
My company reffers to it ask acknowledging the customer!. Since I am not a service position anymore, I deal with this in the following manner!. If I am pushing my computer cart through the store or a customer comes up to the bay I am servicing, I just acknowlege with the standard time of day greeting (good morning/afternoon)!. If the customer has a question or needs help, they have my attention to ask for it!. If not I let them go on their merry way!. The exception is if someone looks confused, I will directly ask them if they need help!. Most people that are, do, But they don't like to ask for help for what ever reason!. The few that don't need help are usually shoplifters, which generally are detured by being recognized!.
A funny antic-dote to this:
A couple of weeks ago I had a wee auld lady come up to me and told me "Pardon me!.!.!.I can see you're busy sir, but my daughter is in the next ails and is getting mad because no one has asked her if she needs help and she says she knows people are told to ask HER if she needs help"!. "Would you please come help her before she drives me batty"!?
A not so funny one:
Not long ago, I was doing price changes in a bay, when another auld lady approached me!. I politlely asked her if she needed help with anything!. she showed me a product and asked if we sold it!. I told her that we did and told her exactly where she could find it!. she replys in a snotty tone "Is that all you're going to do for me"!? Dispite her rudeness, I politely asked, "what else would you like ma'am"!. She promptly told me to fo eff myself and walked away!. If she wanted to be lead by the hand to the product, she only needed reply "could you please show me where it is sir" or if she had wanted me to get a salesperson to advise her on choices, she had to only ask as well!. Unfortunately, all to often retail workers are treated like $#!+ by people who have no clue as to what it's like to work in a large store!.
In regards to point two, when folk ask for help, they tend to gravitate to someone who is stuck in one spot actually working!. Floor workers are contrary to popular belief, are given work to do, which they get a telling if it doesn't get done!. If you can't get help from someone who is just walking or standing about, try this approach when needing help from someone who is stocking, doing inventory or tidey-ing counters: "I know you're busy, but could you direct me to!.!.!.!.!.!.!." !.
Workers are people too!. Too many people treat floor workers like slaves and or animals!. We deserve courtesy and manners!. As inventory management for a major retailer, I see all this on a daily basis!. I am not a doggie!. don't expect me to come running if you whistle!. It's rude!. Don't shout HEY from 100 yards away and expect me to acknowledge you!. It's rude!. It's just too much for some people to treat service workers as human beings!. All it takes is "Excuse me sir!. Could you help me please"!? You want to be treated with respect!. In most cases you get what you give!.
also, a note on not being able to find help in major retailers!. Corporate stores run on a weekly budget!. If sales are down, hours for part time people get cut!. if the sales trend changes halfway through the fiscal week, there are still fewer people scheduled to work!. If no one called off ever, it would be fine!. All it takes is a couple of cashiers to call off and you have floor help pulled up to run register and suddenly there is departments left without floor staff!.
Doug:
It's folk like you that leave people feel treated rude for doing their job!. You know they are in trouble if they are observed not asking you if you need help as if you went to a manager and complained that so and so never offered to help me!. Those standard retail pratices that you seem to know about keep some people employed!. A simple no thank you suffices and you are left to continue shopping!.
xxWww@Enter-QA@Com
Just to let all of you know, I work in a retail store and most of us are forced by management to approach customers!. If we don't we get yelled at!. So, we're just doing it to keep the peace!. Believe me, we DON'T want to be asking you "Can we help you with anything!?", cause we'd much rather keep to ourselves!. That's why I try to let customers shop on their own!.
There are good reasons stores do this though!. One, being that some ppl like to be waited on hand and foot, so the store wants to get those kind of ppl hooked on our store so they come back!. Two, it wards off any potential theft!. Someone is less likely to steal if they know an associate is watching them!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
There are good reasons stores do this though!. One, being that some ppl like to be waited on hand and foot, so the store wants to get those kind of ppl hooked on our store so they come back!. Two, it wards off any potential theft!. Someone is less likely to steal if they know an associate is watching them!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
I HATE that!. It's supposed to be standard text book sales assistant practice, and as such is viewed by companies as necessary and successful!. I personally am far less likely to buy anything if I'm approached like that; if I want help I'll damn well ask for it!!!Www@Enter-QA@Com
i don't like it when they bother me the only time i want the assistant to talk to me is when i go to the counter or ask for help,i work in a shop and take this philosophy to work with me :)Www@Enter-QA@Com
Totally agree, some of the store assistants hang round your ankles like a puppy dog constantly asking if you need help, go to another store and you can't find help even if you paid for it!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
you must shop in some posh ones! the ones i go into the goods are practically thrown at you, if i go into the ones that ask 'can i' i usually feel like saying yes bring down your prices!Www@Enter-QA@Com
Hi yes they usually ingnore me totally Lol HugsWww@Enter-QA@Com
Happens to me all the time every fine seconds, can I help you with anything!? so annoying!.!.!. and when you need help they aren't thereWww@Enter-QA@Com
doesn't worry me at all just say nah just looking & if the opposite happens i just bowl on up and say hi can you help me easy as!.!.!.
i worry more about not being able to buy riceWww@Enter-QA@Com
i worry more about not being able to buy riceWww@Enter-QA@Com
Same here, lol!.!!!
They bug a person when you don't need any help, lol!.!!!Www@Enter-QA@Com
They bug a person when you don't need any help, lol!.!!!Www@Enter-QA@Com
all the timeWww@Enter-QA@Com
That's why I don't browse I just go in get what I want and Hightail it out!. I think browsing is more a female pastimeWww@Enter-QA@Com
One of my pet hatesWww@Enter-QA@Com