I went to some oak furniture store’s "GOING OUT OF BUSINESS!!!" sale. Nevermind the one chair with a tag of “Was 520.00 Now 240.00” that felt like sitting on 2 boards. Nevermind the couches stuffed with 1 micron of padding. Nevermind the fact that the whole place looked like a fire-damage liquidation store. I WILL mind the saleswoman there. The saleswoman that I wouldn’t be able to tell if she ever got pregnant and STILL had a shirt that went down to her knees. The store was pretty crowded, so I thought I wouldn’t have to talk to a salesperson. I really don’t like talking to salespeople when I browse. I feel like I’m really cheap when I say “Just browsing.” Bleh, that’s just me. I was sitting in the only passable couch in the store when she came up. Feeling the couch, still unaware of where she was, she said “You know, that model comes with a recliner on both sides.” She told me where it was, and how to make it work. So far, not too bad. Then she told me, after I couldn’t get the back of it to recline:
“Scoot your butt back a little then push back.”
Buh? Did you just say what I heard? Why, when you’re trying to sell a couch, would you say butt to a customer? Fine, pretty weird, but I’ll get over it. Then she said that more couches were on the 2nd floor. Still fine. I dismissed her with “OK, thanks.” and went on my way up the stairs. I changed my mind and decided to go up to the 3rd floor. While passing the 2nd floor I heard her say “Oh, the couches are on THIS floor.”
She was following me! Closely!
I just continued up the stairs where she kept following me up to the beds and dressers area. She started getting closer to me and started to talk about chairs, of which there were none on the floor. I said “Thanks.” to her and she finally went on her way.
Hmm…what phrase justifies how weird it is to have a salesperson say “butt” to you in a store and then follow you really close. What’s the phrase I’m thinking of? Oh yeah:
Nah - Butt is ok. I work in a ladies clothing store and I tell women all the time that the pants they’re trying on are “Good ASS Pants”. (Only when they are.)
So, if she can’t say butt, what should she say then?
Sheesh! Get over it! The saleswoman seemed like she was doing her job and being helpful.
If you don’t want a salesperson to follow you, tell them not to. If they don’t stop, then you can rant. But to not say anything at the store and then rant about it, well… pretty weak, I think.
Well, I think “butt” is kind of a familiar word to use with a complete stranger. Why couldn’t she have just said, “Scoot back a little and then push back”? I mean, it’s nothing to obsess over, but I do find it an overly casual term to use with a customer in a furniture store.
