Mary Portas and Sofa Shops

[cc1]

Is it me or did anyone else feel that some customers are sitting ducks? Most were complaining that the sales staff were pushy and wouldn't leave them to look around. One woman went as far as to say "I almost walked out"!! Almost?? Were you in legirons and handcuffs?
I have a rule, I will tolerate one approach, to which my reaction is I'm just looking around, after that I make no contact with any of them, totally ignoring them and if they speak to me again, before I'm ready, I walk out!!
I was once harangued by a saleswoman in Furniture Village, Middlebrook, Bolton who yelled at me across the store as I walked out that she was only doing her job!

[jb190281]

I can't remember which shop I was in, but I was approached by 3 members of staff asking if they could be of assistance. It was quite strange because all three were in view of each other so surely they knew I'd been approached?!
I told the third I didn't like anything in the shop and was leaving. He didn't seem bothered!

[I.Don No]

serving the public is probably one of the most annoying jobs you can have, low pay, bad working conditions and you have to be nice to the morons, I mean customers.........

maybe if more of the customers had to work in the shop environment eg have to work on a Sunday when most people don't, then they would be a little more sympathetic when entering a shop.

However, there is no excuse for bad customer service.

[milly143]

The problem is that a lot of sales jobs like this have very low basic wages and the employees have to bulk up their pay packet on commission. No sales, no commission. Whilst I was at college I had a part time job in a sports shop. We used to be almost forced to sell the shoe care products when we sold trainers (even though most of it was a load of crap). If we didn't meet our targets for then we wouldn't get commission on any of the sales we made so when you're in a job like this, you really have to push it.
They also used to send secret shoppers in from head office and if we didn't do all the greetings and provide offers of help that we were instructed to, you were in for a bollocking.

[doomey!]

Well said Dot. I agree totally.

Although I should point out, not all shops have money grabbing sales people who are on commission.

[pastafreak]

The guys in the shop she helped only made a basic of £16 per day........shocking.

[rabbitygirl]

I work in a similar environment. I approach customers once and unless they ask for help at that point I invite them to carry on looking around and if they need help, or have any questions, then they can ask one of 3 advisors in store. We 3 then tell each other who we have initially spoken to so nobody should be approached again.

For the most part it works. However, a few are quite aggressive on the first approach, mainly because they have been annoyed with the way other stores act.

And yes, the pay is awful, the commission is not worth falling over each other for, and I am looking to get my weekends back in another form of employment.

[smurfchops]

cc1 I would have walked up to the woman who shouted, got her name and complained to Head Office. I can't stand people asking if I need help, or hovering around. If they are hovering I walk out. If I need help I will ask for it. No-one will sell me anything I don't want ! I think a lot of people are too soft or too afraid to say anything to shop assistants.

[doomey!]

You cant stand people asking you if you need help?
Each to their own, but don't judge the people doing the job because of your preference when entering a store. As stated before the sales people are only doing their job.
In fact ignoring them, and being rude will have a detrimental effect, because they wont want to serve you, and as a result you will get inferior service.