Maybe it's just the fact that I rarely shop in the mall...

[csberry]

When did sales people start completely ignoring customers?

I definitely am familiar with rude and begrudgingly-helpful sales staff, but to spend 5-10 minutes each in The Gap, Banana Republic, and American Eagle with not a hint of eye contact or verbal engagement is worse than I recall experiencing before. Last Saturday (which I really should post about the whole day later, if I have the time) I went to Parkway Place in search of some casual brown pants. I bought some chocolate-brown shorts this summer and really liked how they looked as opposed to my typical options of jeans or khakis. Besides, Stacy & Clinton from "What Not To Wear" are always praising the addition of chocolate brown to the wardrobe. ;)

I started at the Gap and decided to approach a sales person before leaving. He was nice once I talked to him. Next was Banana Republic (because the Gap guy said he thought they would have the pants) and all 5 or 6 sales people were huddled around the registers gossiping about something. No one looked out of their circle at all...even when I walked up. I waited a minute beside them and then turned and walked out. A&F actually had a sales guy that stopped stocking for a second to ask me if I needed help. At American Eagle, three different sales people came by me and all seemed intent not to make eye contact.

Don't you know that it's when I go to Parisians with the sales staff that have kids or grandkids that I get good service. I know they get commission at Parisians but don't know if the staff at the smaller stores are only on an hourly rate or not.

How much of the rudeness is age and how much is commission steering the level of customer support?

Comments

[chris21718.livejournal.com]

I believe that most of the salespeople in most clothing stores work on commission, or at least have "sales goals" for certain periods of time. Retail at the smaller mall stores (aside from fast food) are some of the worst jobs on the planet, with the turnover being high. Also, sales are down at many mall stores nowadays, since mall stores have so much competition from stores outside the mall. It's a different shopping world than it was back in the 1970s and 1980s, when the malls were "the places to go" for various things.

[cingulus.livejournal.com]

I think you're seeing poor management. New-hires are generally shy about approaching customers, and if they ever get treated badly by one, they'll use it as an excuse to ignore them forever.

A good manager gets out there and leads by example, shows them how it's done. Good salesmanship is too complex to be taught line-by-line from a book; you have to demonstrate, then have the help follow you.

Most managers I've seen appear too buried in paperwork and trifling to do that sort of stuff.