Sales staff stalkers

Old Apr 6th 2017, 11:32 pm
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Default Sales staff stalkers

We were in The Brick today - mother in law wanting a new recliner and stepdaughter wanting a new bed set.

They both had their eyes on products in Sears but SD works near The Brick so that was where we started after she finished work. MIL had actually seen one on Brick's website that she was really keen on. Worth the extra $100 they wanted.

I saw one other customer in the whole store. It's on the site of the old Sears furniture/appliance store. We still have a Sears 'department' store.

A salesman virtually pounced on us - why can't they just leave you a few minutes? We had already spotted the chair we were interested in, just let us try it out.
Instead of "let me know if you need anything" he stayed there. I said we're going to look at the beds after which I thought was enough to imply we wanted time to ourselves.

MIL didn't like the foot rest on this model and we'd already decided the next price level was too big a jump, considering Sears had some for less.

So we moved on to the bed area. The guy followed. And as we moved bed to bed, he followed. It was as if we were potential shoplifters and we were going to sneak out with a big piece of furniture.

I decided - movie style - to go in another direction. After all, he couldn't follow everyone if we split up.

Seriously, this set off such a negative feeling we weren't really paying attention to the beds and we just left.

At Sears it was completely different. MIL tried the chair she'd seen and was so impressed she decided to buy two. The assistants who were happy to keep a distance saw we were ready for attention, so one came.

SD told her she now wanted to see the beds and the assistant showed a couple of alternatives for around the same price as the one she had in mind. All done, delivery arranged and paid for.

A pleasant experience all round.

We won't be going to The Brick again.

When we were still living in Montreal we 'picked out' a lot of furnishings we liked in The Brick for the house we bought here. There wasn't a Brick in Moncton at the time, just a Leon's store.

It all looked almost identical - same style, same quality, same price levels as Leon's so we checked it out in person at The Brick and then found and priced the equivalent stuff on Leon's website ready for a visit to that store when we moved.

But The Brick seems so expensive in comparison now.
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Old Apr 6th 2017, 11:57 pm
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Default Re: Sales staff stalkers

The Brick here in Kamloops is the same. Lots of staff walking around with clip boards pouncing on customers.
Even when I told the guy we would find him if we needed help he was still hovering over us. I think they must be commission only, poor bastards.

Car dealers are the same.
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Old Apr 7th 2017, 12:31 am
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Default Re: Sales staff stalkers

We had the same experience the one and only time we've ever been in the Brick, about 10 yeas ago now. We were looking at new dishwashers. Guy insisted on hovering over us ......... but knew sweet fanny adams when we asked for some more details about one.

We left, without buying.


But daughter and I had a worse experience about 25 years ago, in a designer fashion store in downtown Vancouver.

It was under the name of a First Nations Canadian designer, on the main floor of a government building where we had been to get new passports, and we were intrigued with looking at the designs. We walked in through one door ........... an assistant watched us for a few moments, then discreetly (she thought!) stepped away and closed both doors to the store.

We both had the feeling that she thought we were shop lifters and wanted to make it difficult for us to leave.

As you may imagine, we never went in that store again, but I remember what had happened every time that designer is written up in the media!
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Old Apr 7th 2017, 2:06 am
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Default Re: Sales staff stalkers

I had a similar experience in a local Brick. I was looking at mattresses and one of the sales staff was very aggressive insisting I lie down on each mattress I was looking at to prove how comfortable it was. He said my current mattress was too old and must be replaced and wanted to sell extras as well. He followed me around and insisted on contacting him next time. I'll never go back.
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Old Apr 7th 2017, 3:59 am
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Default Re: Sales staff stalkers

Originally Posted by Danny B
The Brick here in Kamloops is the same. Lots of staff walking around with clip boards pouncing on customers.
Even when I told the guy we would find him if we needed help he was still hovering over us. I think they must be commission only, poor bastards.

Car dealers are the same.
Yup. Folks needing a living pushed by a ruthless and comfortable management team not to dissimilar to the poor people who are forced to work at bank branches and pushed to hit stupid targets.
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Old Apr 7th 2017, 4:20 am
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Default Re: Sales staff stalkers

Originally Posted by JamesM
Yup. Folks needing a living pushed by a ruthless and comfortable management team not to dissimilar to the poor people who are forced to work at bank branches and pushed to hit stupid targets.
It's endemic here in the Philippines! Where ever you go, staff follow you around - anything gets pinched it comes out of their salary. Used to annoy me intensely but now i just accept it. They do at least say "can I help you" which would be fine if they knew anything about the products!Most shop staff here are on 6 month contracts since at 6 months and 1 day, the employer becomes liable to pay for health insurance and other benefits.
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Old Apr 7th 2017, 2:06 pm
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Default Re: Sales staff stalkers

Hubby and I make a bet on how many seconds after we go through the door that someone pounces on us - the Brick, LazyBoy, Sears, most large stores like that. The average is about 13 seconds but we once made it 42 seconds! Slackers 😂
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Old Apr 7th 2017, 2:11 pm
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Default Re: Sales staff stalkers

Originally Posted by quiltman
It's endemic here in the Philippines! Where ever you go, staff follow you around - anything gets pinched it comes out of their salary. Used to annoy me intensely but now i just accept it. They do at least say "can I help you" which would be fine if they knew anything about the products!Most shop staff here are on 6 month contracts since at 6 months and 1 day, the employer becomes liable to pay for health insurance and other benefits.
The thing I found very strange about buying 'stuff' from the Philippines is that everything gets tested before you buy it.

I took a boxed rice cooker up to the counter and the salesperson unboxed it and plugged the damn thing in. My Wife explained this to me, apparently if it was working when you left the store, that is your warranty. You cannot bring it back in a few weeks complaining that it never worked.

Filipinos living in Canada must love Costco
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Old Apr 7th 2017, 4:57 pm
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Default Re: Sales staff stalkers

I sent an email to the brick to complain, pointing out that Sears got $1200 instead.

I had a very quick, nice reply including:
...Our sales staff is trained to greet a customer as they come into the store though. This customer is then "theirs", and we encourage our sales staff to stay with their customers through their time here in case they need any assistance. I'm sorry that you felt stalked though, it is definitely something that we can discuss with them to make sure they are there for a customers without following them step by step. Thank you for your feedback, we are always looking for ways that we can improve the customers experience here.

I hope you will consider shopping with us again, let us know if there is anything we can do for you.
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Old Apr 7th 2017, 5:02 pm
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Default Re: Sales staff stalkers

must be tough living as a commissioned salesperson

Best not to go to stores that have sales people always tailing customers

Rarely going to such a place, when we do, the minute I walk in I find the first salesperson & walk up to them, squarely in the eye, 'we are just looking for price matching & have no intention of buying from this store, thank you & have a nice day'

Gets rid of them fast

Then if anyone tries it on me 'its a we are looking at price matching' no intention to buy here'

No different than the nuisance telephone calls
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Old Apr 7th 2017, 5:10 pm
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Default Re: Sales staff stalkers

Originally Posted by not2old
must be tough living as a commissioned salesperson

The Best Buy guy last week told me they weren't on commission and encouraged me to do the online customer satisfaction survey which identified the staff member involved in the purchase.

Best not to go to stores that have sales people always tailing customers
Yes, but you need to know it's policy and I now know it is.

Rarely going to such a place, when we do, the minute I walk in I find the first salesperson & walk up to them, squarely in the eye, 'we are just looking for price matching & have no intention of buying from this store, thank you & have a nice day'
What if that store will price match the lower price of the price matching store?
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Old Apr 7th 2017, 5:19 pm
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Default Re: Sales staff stalkers

Originally Posted by BristolUK

The Best Buy guy last week told me they weren't on commission and encouraged me to do the online customer satisfaction survey which identified the staff member involved in the purchase.
Except for the $25 extended warranty they try and sell you for a $35 kettle

They get commission on that, but not the actual sale of the item. Actually I always have a tough time finding a salesman in Best Buy. That's fine by me.
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Old Apr 7th 2017, 8:28 pm
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Default Re: Sales staff stalkers

That happened to us too at The Brick here in Vancouver. We were really only browsing and the guy would not leave us alone. Even coming up with deals and prices if we bought with him right then. We just left.

I hate being hassled in stores. If I "need help" I'll ask. There's no need to keep harassing me.
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Old Apr 7th 2017, 9:15 pm
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Default Re: Sales staff stalkers

I hate the pouncing too. It's when they repeatedly come back to you and ask if everything is going ok etc. Or when multiple people pounce. It has made me leave a store. I don't mind saying hi as I walk in, I don't mind listening to the deal of the moment, but FFS leave me alone to look about, whether I'm shopping for a big ticket item or a pair of blinking socks.

The one thing I hated whilst working retail was being the pouncee, I've never been commissioned sales but most cothes/shoe stores set sales targets for their employees to hit as well as signing up emails or store points cards or GWP's. I have lost sales to other staff members as I refused to hassle people, I'd speak to them, and make sure I was attentive if they needed help but I'd never hassle and I'd only ever offer the Gift With Purchase if I thought it was any good, which they are not very often lol.
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Old Apr 7th 2017, 9:34 pm
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Default Re: Sales staff stalkers

I sold jeans and overalls in Army and Navy for a few months back in the ice age and new staff had to carry sales tallies in their pockets and write down everything they sold for the first while (can't remember how long).
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