That’s the thing - I didn’t go in the way I usually dress on the weekends, which is rather eclectic/hippie-ish. I was in work clothes - nice turtleneck sweater, dress pants, dress shoes, and my good coat. Not that it SHOULD have made any difference, but I didn’t look poor, you know? I also don’t look like a college kid.
Eh…my husband offered to go with me tonight, but I’m not taking him up on it. I don’t want them to offer help because gasp the poor little woman had to bring her man in to get help. I want them to offer help because they’re SUPPOSED to offer assistance. And the thing is, I am a NICE customer. I don’t think I’ve ever snapped or gotten angry with a salesperson about ANYTHING. Plus, I’m easy to convince to buy something - I am a salesperson’s dream customer.
Thanks for the addresses - depending on what happens tonight, I may still be sending the letter.
I can’t stand being ignored. Usually, I just leave - they lost another sale.
If that’s not feasible because going to another store is too much hassle, or these guys have exactly what I need, I start moving stuff around in the store. Other than at Home Depot, it usually gets attention right away. I typically look like a good sales prospect: male, thirties, nice suit -but still get ignored occasionally.
A letter to HQ may or may not have the desired effect. According to the website
In some companies, this means that the parent company tends to stay out of the business of its franchisees, while in other companies they take a direct and active interest in the quality of each store.
It probably also explains the difference between the Ashley store visited by the OP, and Ashley store described by Canvas Shoes.
You know, that is precisely why I refuse to even darken the door of no less than three jewelry chains. One Christmas when I was in college, my dad sent me out to buy some earrings for Mom. Nothing really major as jewelry goes, granted, but some earrings in the $100-$150 range. So I walked into a store totally devoid of customers, where three clerks were standing around chitchatting and picking their cuticles. I’d already found the opals before one of them could be bothered to ask if I needed any help. I told them that I was fine for the moment but would probably need some assistance shortly, at which point they all went back to picking their cuticles. Just as I made my selection, a couple walked in. A couple that was even younger-looking than me, dressed in jeans and sweatshirts. All three salesdrones descended on them immediately, and I absolutely could not get their attention at all. Then another very young-looking couple came in, and two of the salesdrones detached from the first couple to descend on them. I stood there for a couple more minutes, because I really thought Mom would love this one pair of earrings, but when a third couple came in I just said fuck it and left. Lather, rinse, and repeat with minor variations at two more chains.
I’m sure that the salesdrones in question were all hopeful that the couples were going to be buying engagement rings and getting them a big fat commission. But you know what? None of them were. They were buying bracelets and earrings and shit, just like me. Quite a few of them were looking to spend less money than I was. So their greed and laziness cost them twice as much money as they wound up making. (And in at least one case, they didn’t make any money off the couple either, because I saw the same people in another store later. Serves the fuckers right, if you ask me.)
Not long ago I was in the local Dillards, with a sweater I wanted to purchase. There were sales clerks visible on the floor, but they were all too busy grumbling about doing inventory to bother with me. I stood at the abandoned “Customer Service” desk for some time, trying to make eye contact, while they continued to grumble and move things around on the tables and ignore me. I then walked around the desk to the phone, looked at the store phone directory, dialed the extension for the office and explained my problem. Then I dropped my sweater and walked out of the store. It was very satisfying!
I actually had this happen to me in Harrods, of all places.
To be fair, I know that they get a TONNE of tourists in there who aren’t planning on buying anything at all. However, I was in the Ready to Wear department and I found a few items that I wanted.
I went up to what I assumed was the till area where there were two sales gals talking. I stood, at the counter, looking at them. And looking. And looking. And looking. And they were talking. And talking. And talking.
Finally I said “Do you actually sell any of this merchandise, or is it just for display?” One of them replied “Well of course we sell it.” so I replied “Great - would one of you mind selling some of it to ME?”
They both looked totally shocked, but after that they were very helpful. Ditto in the rest of the store when I had the large carrier bag. I didn’t even have to pay the pound to use the toilet.
I think we were siblings parted at birth or something Palikia. I did something similar in Dillard’s here. Except that I took my desired purchases upstairs to the service desk and asked if I could purchase them there since no one in the men’s clothing dept. seemed willing to assist me. The head of the department got called upstairs while I stood there making my purchases. He was told why I was buying pants at the service desk. Best apology I ever got.
(I can’t tell if you were being sarcastic or not;) - I’m guessing not, but I still like the smiley anyway!)
Anyway, I did stop back in this evening - was immediately accosted by several people, AND I was by myself. The salesperson who helped me was the assistant manager and quite friendly - and I told her what happened on Tuesday. She immediately apologized and said she’d tell the manager (who wasn’t there at the time). She also gave me her card and told me that when we were ready to purchase to deal with her personally, and she’d take care of us. So overall, it was a fairly pleasant experience - either Tuesday was a fluke, or different people were working there tonight. It’s a good thing because we really like their furniture, and it’s in our price range.
And on another, more positive note about a retail worker, my husband and I had dinner at Max and Erma’s tonight - left our server a tip, as she was really good, then promptly walked off without our doggie boxes (we do that all the time). She ran out after us into the cold without a jacket on to give them to us - first time a server has ever done that for us. So I went back in and gave the hostess another $5 for her since she’d done that for us, and I’ll call the manager tomorrow to let him know that we really appreciated that she did that - we ALWAYS lose money on forgetting leftovers in restaurants. If I’m going to complain about bad service, I should also be complimenting good service - the compliments seem to be few and far between for people in the service industry.
I was serious!!! I love a good follow-up. I was kinda let down that no hijinks occurred. I was really hoping you’d go in and kung-fu one of the dining tables or something
I didn’t think you were - I just really like that smiley! And believe me, I went in feeling slightly combative - I was ready to give someone hell! Damn them for being all nice! LOL!
And I still have to convince my husband to make the big purchases, but I don’t think that’ll be much of an issue. He knows we need it - and if we buy it one piece at a time, we’ll be fine:).
I think that’s a fine rule, and I try to follow it myself. Make sure you tell the manager, too - I’m sure waitstaff like hearing compliments, but telling their manager means even more.
I once went to a CD store and picked out a very rare OOP 2CD set that had no price on it. I took it to the cash register, whereupon the cashier told me I couldn’t buy it because it had no price. I told her I was going to buy it, and could I speak to your supervisor? She called her supervisor, who said I couldn’t buy an item without a price on it. I suggested they find a price and sell it to me. The supervisor and I went down to the main desk where she called someone, talked for ten minutes (while I muttered things about "Crazy stores having stuff and not knowing how much it was and refusing to sell it to people) about having no price, and finally sold it to me for $17, probably in an effort to get rid of the crazy lady.
When she handed me the bag, I looked right at her and said in a very soft voice “Boy, am I going to have fun on the Internet tonight.” She jumped.
I will never ever in this lifetime go into the Barnes & Noble on 18th St in NYC because they insisted twice that I move “my” shopping cart from the vestible. I’ll admit I dress a little like a homeless person (particularly when I’m walking around NYC and it’s 15 degrees out), but I don’t have a cart.
