Salespeople at the Mall

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The truth is they are most likely hounded by their managers to approach potential customers and they could care less whether they could help you or not. I say "just browsing" and go on my way. There's a particular chain grocery store I go to because it's usually not as crowded and they have the kind of coffee I like. No matter which location I go to, as soon as I walk in the door I've got 3 or 4 employees with plastered grins on their faces rushing up to say "Welcome to ------". I also think the employee who answers the phone with "Good afternoon-Thank you for calling ------,This is -----,How may I help you?" are doing so only because they are told to.

HATE. I put on the meanest face I have( AKA Resting B*tch Face) and they still HAVE to say something to me. One even commented on my hair looking not so good, she was pushing flat irons.

I should really add that I used to work one of these jobs, a holiday pushing candy but I did my best not to be abrasive and I never approached anyone unless the manger was around.

They used to tick me off but I just say "I'm fine" and they leave me alone when they ask if they can help me find anything. I know it's not their fault. Technically it is because they chose to have that job.

If I'm approached outside of a store, I say "No thank you" as soon as they start speaking. If I'm approached inside a store, I usually leave. If I get a telemarketing call, I either hang up immediately or answer in a foreign language.

i hate it

I've worked in retail quite a bit, and there is one ulterior motive behind the approaches a lot of people don't realize.

Theft prevention!

It's a proven fact that simply making the staff's presence known reduces theft. Shoplifting is a HUGE problem in retail. Many companies train their employees to approach every customer, and ask if they need help. Customers who are approached are less likely to steal anything, even if the employee is told, "No thank you, I'm just looking."

Often the customer doesn't know where to find what they are looking for. Often they are on a "mission" to get the one thing they came in for, and get out. When you act as if you are annoyed, they move on looking for customers that do want help. So when you get to the register and there's no one there, that's why. They're helping people who wanted the help, and very likely following them to the register with the item they want to purchase.

There are some companies that take it to extremes though. I used to work for Sears, and I can tell you we got complaints from customers all the time about being approached eight to twelve times by the time they'd made it my department. This is because Sears, at the time I worked there, had an idiotic policy that REQUIRED every employee (even if they weren't in sales) to approach every customer. And if we didn't, and a manager noticed it, we were chastised and even disciplined for it. Add to that that the sales people made their living on commissions, and there was a virtual war on the floor for the sales force to get to customers before anyone else did. It was stupid, and did nothing but promote some really childish behavior, and did not go unnoticed by many of the customers.

There is the other extreme too though. Ever been in a store where none of the employees EVER make eye contact, and actually AVOID YOU instead? Let me tell you, when you can't find what you're looking for, that, to me, is even MORE annoying!

not fair! I've worked at a place before where you had to approach literally every person who came in the store and the manager would be watching over us like a hawk to make sure we did. we knew the majority of people just wanted to look around and if they did need help would ask for it or stand there looking abit lost- but we had no choice. The fact that i knew from experience how irritating it is for people made it pretty crappy to have to do so i try to be polite to such people now. A simple 'I'm good thanks' or 'just having a look' with a smile will usually do and really isnt too much to ask:/

and also "Good afternoon-Thank you for calling ------,This is -----,How may I help you?" - of course theyre told to answer the phone like that. Lots of businesses or companies dealing with the public have a standard phone answering protocols

&& MrXxx is correct

OneStep: Yeah, you're right, but it can be JUST as annoying to be forced to do it. I hated it, because it forced me to work outside my normal sense of what I'm all about. It's an Aspie thing. Living up to those standards of behavior over time, stressed me to the point of becoming sick.

When you don't want to be approached, you don't want to be approached. I don't like it a lot either, but then it also annoys me when I want help but can't find it.

Man! Can't we ever just be happy?

exactly, the sales assistant is probably as uncomfortable with it as you are but they don't have much choice, so the least you can do is be civil. being made to do something you don't want and getting rude reactions because of it?- fun

seemingly not