Recently I reentered the world of the properly compensated – as in, those jeans that desperately needed replacing could be purchased in a guilt-free manner. Thank goodness. So out to the shops I went ready to put some of my income back into the economic flow...
I promise I have disposable income, really!
More work (both personal and at the agency) meant less time, or desire, to actually get dressed in AM. That extra thirty minutes of sleep is sometimes just a bit more important than eyeliner or lipstick. I try to never make my appearance a consideration when going out to shop – after all, when I have the time or need to do so, that’s when it’ll happen. Which leaves me wondering – how much does appearance impact the response you get from salespeople?
Oh Nordstrom, you’re a shining example of goodness in customer service but one of your employees needs a kind reminder that all customers are valuable. Upon approaching one of the makeup counters I was outright ignored in my trainers and jeans. When I was finally addressed, I was quickly scoffed at when inquiring about an auburn brow pencil being available and then given the cold shoulder (perhaps she was a ginger hater?) Thankfully, another shop girl at the same counter overheard and said, ‘We absolutely sell those, let me grab one for you’ (yes, they do. I’ve been buying the same one for 4 years now.) A nice response from one employee kept the whole exchange from going sour, but I was still a bit appalled by girl number one. While minimal, it did change my perception of the brand, the store and their employees for a short time.
The stresses of spending:
Now, this isn’t a rant about bad customer service but rather acknowledging the implications of a bad experience. Let’s face it, woman walk into a lot of stores with some hesitation about what will fit, look good, and really – asking for help. Shopping can be incredibly intimidating and stressful. I have a whole slew of friends who shop online to avoid the in-person experience they would have to encounter.
After working several years in shop service, I had a huge range of customers. People looking for as much advice and assistance as possible who were grateful for help, and women who treated shop girls like they were worthless and acted demanding instead of respectful. You can likely guess who received the most help. I’d gladly spend a lengthy amount of time with a customer who was friendly, respectful and pleasant to be around vs shopzilla.
I had a few conversations about this topic with some avid Seattle shoppers and arrived at the following for advice:
- Find your ‘person’ at the stores you normally frequent. I have friends that will not shop at a store if their go to isn’t working that day. The pros: they can provide you with recommendations, inform when new items come in that might appeal to you and put you at ease to ask questions without feeling pressured or intimidated.
- Never let a salesperson pressure you into a purchase you don’t want to make. It is your money, and if you don’t want to buy, don’t.
- Know your store’s return/exchange policy. Naturally, if something isn’t right for you once you get it home, there’s no benefit in you keeping it. Knowing the policies of the places you shop prior to making an exchange can help you feel more comfortable requesting the return if you can reference their information.
- Ask for a manager if things go south. Something I should have done in the example I mentioned at the start of the post is flagging a manager if an employee was rude or not willing to help. I try to think about it like this: If I were as rude or disrespectful as the girl I mentioned at work, you bet my boss would hear about it right away. Managers hire helpful people for a reason, and if one of my employees wasn’t living up to expectations expected of her I’d want to be made aware and remedy the issue.
Myself, and my friends, are incredibly loyal to our stylists, colorists, estheticians, and so on. Why? Because they have always provided us with incredible service, respect and we depend on them regularly for their amazing talents. Sometimes finding those people who can provide spot on service is like dating – you have to go through lots of people before choosing to settle down and commit.
What does good shop service mean to you?
Cheers,
BR
0 comments:
Post a Comment