What Retail Question Do You Hate The Most?
Discussion
Krikkit said:
Any retailer who asks for it where it's a trivial purchase falls into the same category for me.
The lady in our local Halfords was quite rude when I said I'd rather not give my email address (before pedantry, I answered with "No thanks", said as cheerfully as the rest of the exchange). Useful for a big purchase I might make a warranty claim on, but not a can of Muc Off chain cleaner.
Don't blame the employee, blame the company. They're targeted on email capture as a % of transactions. Pressures are placed on management to meet the targets and it's pushed down to the employees. The lady in our local Halfords was quite rude when I said I'd rather not give my email address (before pedantry, I answered with "No thanks", said as cheerfully as the rest of the exchange). Useful for a big purchase I might make a warranty claim on, but not a can of Muc Off chain cleaner.
I used to work for the company in question, was brilliant when I started in 2011, 6 years later I was desperate to get out of the place. When Matt Davies CEO left the company fell off a cliff.
85Carrera said:
LeoSayer said:
Being interrupted mid-conversation by a waiter to be asked if everything's OK with the meal.
This is really f
king annoying.Leave me alone to enjoy my meal (and certainly don’t f
king interrupt a conversation to ask me); if something is wrong, don’t worry, I’ll let you know.Edited by 85Carrera on Thursday 23 May 21:00
They tend to leave us alone now and if there is an issue with the food or service I let them know.
Doesn't work in London mind.
stitched said:
85Carrera said:
LeoSayer said:
Being interrupted mid-conversation by a waiter to be asked if everything's OK with the meal.
This is really fking annoying.Leave me alone to enjoy my meal (and certainly don’t f
king interrupt a conversation to ask me); if something is wrong, don’t worry, I’ll let you know.Edited by 85Carrera on Thursday 23 May 21:00
They tend to leave us alone now and if there is an issue with the food or service I let them know.
Doesn't work in London mind.
“It’s store policy”
Recently I made the mistake of going to curry’s for a new kettle instead of John Lewis
All of the staff where on their phones in a huddle in the corner, when I asked one to get me the kettle down from the over stock shelf she huffed and puffed about it then shouted across the room for a taller person to get it (shouting? How council) and then took us to that stupid upstairs TIll to pay, tried to flog me the extended warrantee on the £40 kettle for £30, then told me I would then still have to go to the normal till to have the security tag removed
I said what’s the point in that, Queuing twice, I might as well just gone to the main till in the first place
“It’s store policy”
Then when I went to the till I asked again and the silly bint on that till just said yeah we have to take the security tag off here, when I asked why, she just repeated herself.
I had forgot how st other retail shops are.
Recently I made the mistake of going to curry’s for a new kettle instead of John Lewis
All of the staff where on their phones in a huddle in the corner, when I asked one to get me the kettle down from the over stock shelf she huffed and puffed about it then shouted across the room for a taller person to get it (shouting? How council) and then took us to that stupid upstairs TIll to pay, tried to flog me the extended warrantee on the £40 kettle for £30, then told me I would then still have to go to the normal till to have the security tag removed
I said what’s the point in that, Queuing twice, I might as well just gone to the main till in the first place
“It’s store policy”
Then when I went to the till I asked again and the silly bint on that till just said yeah we have to take the security tag off here, when I asked why, she just repeated herself.
I had forgot how s
t other retail shops are. andygo said:
xx99xx said:
In Starbucks when they ask your name for the cup.
My standard response is usually 'today I will be [insert random name]'
I always quote the name on their badge, even better if its a girl serving.My standard response is usually 'today I will be [insert random name]'
Mrs Cmvtec now doesn't bother coming to the counter with me and just ashamedly finds a seat.
The QA bod in me says that they have a process and they religiously follow it, even if you're the only person in the place, which for consistency, is a good thing.
The a
hole in me can't resist taking the piss.cmvtec said:
andygo said:
xx99xx said:
In Starbucks when they ask your name for the cup.
My standard response is usually 'today I will be [insert random name]'
I always quote the name on their badge, even better if its a girl serving.My standard response is usually 'today I will be [insert random name]'
Mrs Cmvtec now doesn't bother coming to the counter with me and just ashamedly finds a seat.
The QA bod in me says that they have a process and they religiously follow it, even if you're the only person in the place, which for consistency, is a good thing.
The a
hole in me can't resist taking the piss.I'll tell you what really hacks me off. When I'm queueing to pay for a few bits at the self-service checkouts. I am keeping my eye out for an empty one, and I start walking over to one when I spot that it's free. The person who is "manning" the self-service area says to me "this one's free" and points to it. No fking st, I can see that. I have eyes. I'm not completely brain-dead, unlike most of your employees. I'm walking over to the bloody thing now!
Argh. More annoying than snagging your headphone cable on something.
Not strictly a "question". Sue me.
king st, I can see that. I have eyes. I'm not completely brain-dead, unlike most of your employees. I'm walking over to the bloody thing now!Argh. More annoying than snagging your headphone cable on something.
Not strictly a "question". Sue me.
Some amusing anecdotes on here ...
However as a retailer one cannot win.
How many times have I read of customers justified complaints that they have not received attention from shop staff.
It is difficult to strike a balance when showing a genuine interest to be of assistance to a prospective customer..
I instruct my staff to offer a neutral "good morning" or " good afternoon" and go from there.
How one goes " from there" depends on the customer's reaction and it is quite a skill to get it right every time.
Then one might follow on by asking " may I help you".
Point is .....if you ignore the presence of a customer it may be taken as indifference.
Sales staff , however good they are, are not mind readers and therefore trying to strike that balance of showing interest and not showing indifference is not easy.
However as a retailer one cannot win.
How many times have I read of customers justified complaints that they have not received attention from shop staff.
It is difficult to strike a balance when showing a genuine interest to be of assistance to a prospective customer..
I instruct my staff to offer a neutral "good morning" or " good afternoon" and go from there.
How one goes " from there" depends on the customer's reaction and it is quite a skill to get it right every time.
Then one might follow on by asking " may I help you".
Point is .....if you ignore the presence of a customer it may be taken as indifference.
Sales staff , however good they are, are not mind readers and therefore trying to strike that balance of showing interest and not showing indifference is not easy.
avinalarf said:
Some amusing anecdotes on here ...
However as a retailer one cannot win.
How many times have I read of customers justified complaints that they have not received attention from shop staff.
It is difficult to strike a balance when showing a genuine interest to be of assistance to a prospective customer..
I instruct my staff to offer a neutral "good morning" or " good afternoon" and go from there.
How one goes " from there" depends on the customer's reaction and it is quite a skill to get it right every time.
Then one might follow on by asking " may I help you".
Point is .....if you ignore the presence of a customer it may be taken as indifference.
Sales staff , however good they are, are not mind readers and therefore trying to strike that balance of showing interest and not showing indifference is not easy.
John Lewis and M&S have it done well, quick hello and let me know if you Need anything, always plenty of Staff about and always helpful and because they are decent people not mouth breathers you actually get the help you need However as a retailer one cannot win.
How many times have I read of customers justified complaints that they have not received attention from shop staff.
It is difficult to strike a balance when showing a genuine interest to be of assistance to a prospective customer..
I instruct my staff to offer a neutral "good morning" or " good afternoon" and go from there.
How one goes " from there" depends on the customer's reaction and it is quite a skill to get it right every time.
Then one might follow on by asking " may I help you".
Point is .....if you ignore the presence of a customer it may be taken as indifference.
Sales staff , however good they are, are not mind readers and therefore trying to strike that balance of showing interest and not showing indifference is not easy.
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