What are the factors by which sales assistant's judge whether I have money or not, and whether I am going to spend money or not?
I absolutely HATE it when I go to an "expensive" store to buy something and I don't get served. Oroton, for example, makes up a large proportion of my accessories; yet when I walk into the store, it feels as if I'm a homeless person looking for a toilet. The sales assistants don't even look at me for fear of catching my poorness disease. Thank god for online shopping because I don't enjoy browsing in a store like that. It makes me feel uncomfortable and it sure kills the shopping mood, like a cock-block for sales.
Mimco is another one that can be hit and miss. Sometimes they will ask me millions of questions and get everything I look at out of the case and make me try it on, other times they just grunt and avoid me, even if I stare at the same item for over five minutes (trying to use my x-ray ability to read the price tag from within the jewellery cabinet).
Cue is quite the opposite. No matter how stupidly I am dressed, even if I came in my pajamas, they would still take everything I picked up to the change room and ask me if I needed assistance. I'm not sure if this is part of their extremely highly-pitched voice routine, or their often fake friendliness, but I don't really care. It's a lot easier to politely say no thanks to someone who greets you and offers you help you don't want, than it is to try and catch the attention of someone who has written you off as a dole-bludger.
Regardless, shop assistant's need to change their perceptions. Gen Y is full of money to spend; we still live at home, we have good jobs, and we don't care about saving for the future. We are just waiting for something to spend more money on. We're keeping the economy afloat.
Have you been treated poorly by a sales asssistant? What do they expect me to wear in order for them to give me the time of day? Similarly, I'm trying to buy their clothes so I look like they are expecting me to look. How can I be impeccably dressed if they refuse to serve me??
My guess is that they look for someone who looks like they have a habit of shopping a lot. So lots of it is about what you're wearing. I'm of the opinion that it's "how much" you're wearing, i.e. some notification of how much of a consumer you are. Layers of jewellery coupled with whatever is the latest in 'fashion' (no matter how silly it really looks) and superficial makeup.
ReplyDeleteHonestly the pragmatic answer is that every sales assistant is different. Store standards differ greatly in that you can have a sales assistant with almost no experience serve you, or you could have someone who has spent years turning the form into a fine art. What they value and look for in a customer varies further still. I know some sales assistants will judge you based on the watch you are. Some will judge your shoes. Some look for shopping bags. Others pay closer attention to your actions, like if you look like you're looking for something in particular.
I do agree with you on one point though, it is definitely easier to politely decline an offer for assistance than it is to chase someone up when you do want it. I know some people don't like being approached, but unless the sales assistance at least acknowledges you, how are they to know?
And boo to the snobby stores. If they're not making you happy, vote with your feet and your wallet and support those who are really lovely :)
~ Kylie
That makes a lot of sense, target people who seem to buy anything people say is popular. Maybe I should open a store and lure these people in!
ReplyDeleteI think another problem is I usually shop on a Thurday night or Sat/Sun when its usually casual sales assistants (like I used to be), who genuinely don't want to talk to anyone at all at work.