Designer Shop Fright

[lalablossoms]

in defense of sales associates ( because i am one and i know what its like as a shopper ), we arent out to get you, good sales associates are there to greet in a natural manner, offer knowledge, and be an assistant, like a friend/stylist, i do admit at some boutiques there is the pressure to pounce allover everyone that walks in ( like the one i'm at now i dont do it and plan on leaving cause it isnt necessary ), but if you are good at your job ( as i am ) its all about being available and fulfilling your needs, of course most of us are on commission so yes we do "suggestive sell" cause its our job to wardrobe and bring in revenue, but if i know you arent interested for whatever reason i leave you alone although we do have to monitor activity to discourage shoplifters, and a good sales associate treats everyone the same cause you never know who is gonna buy and buy big, and i am always honest cause there is a thing called "returning" and you want a loyal and trusting clientelle... most sales associates at successful boutiques are friendly, i do understand the fear cause some are horrors but its in their best interest to be pleasant

 

[shadow]

what i have found is that in larger cities, there is no problem, or less often at least, with people assuming that perhaps you can't afford things and then being rude. i find that in smaller cities where people are mimicking what they think is a cosmopolitan attitude, and they can't read the visual [or whatever] clues properly, that is where the salespeople are the worst. in ny or tokyo, i was usually treated like if was there, there must be a good reason for it. i got used to dressing however i wanted to in ny and being treated well. i almost always get nervous though. i have to brace myself sometimes and then i think, what am i doing? and why do i care?

This is sooo true! I visit expensive shops in Paris or Amsterdam or Antwerp, without any intention of buying, just browsing, and the SA are invariably nice. But in my hometown, the couple of nice stores are family owned, and the SA is probably the spoiled daughter who is there because she did not want to go to college... and that is when you get the crappy service and the haughty looks!! Provincialism.

 

[astatine]

i just turned 18 and i useually go shopping with swarms of friends the same age i think the sa's are more frightened of us, they dont like it when they think you know too much (like the different kinds of jeans in dior homme, they freak if you mention the 17cm and other size variations) like your undercover to make sure they're doing there job right.

Interesting...I never thought of SA's being afraid of customers. But I suppose no one likes being shown up as ignorant, no matter the field of work.

That said...the service at a couple of boutiques here weren't too good. Then the local paper did a semi-expose on the snobby ones, and they were significantly nicer to people for the next few months...

 

[markie]

The only time I've ever been intimidated in a designer shop was in Chanel and Burberry. The people working in them were quite rude... otherwise every shop I've been to that's high end the sales people have been very friendly and helpful, but not overbearing.

 

[Happiegluckie]

I do think that it really depends on the attitude of the sales rep. I remember a particular experience I had at Holt Renfrew. I was browsing the entire store, and had two completely different experiences in two different sections. I was at the handbags, looking at all the gorgeous paddys and bbags, and the sales rep was SO nice to me, even though I wasn't planning on buying anything, and I tried on so many bags for such a long time...

Then, I walked over the special occasions section because I had to buy a dress, and I knew exactly what I wanted, but I just couldn't find the size. NONE of the sales reps bothered to acknowledge me, and just kept on chatting with each other. When one of them finally deigned to help me, instead of staying with me and helping me with my purchase, she just left me to go back to gossip and I had to wait at the cash register for so long before someone else came to ring it up for me. Ugh...that got me quite pissed off...

 

[Foxie-Pooh]

Well, people should just walk in to any store, be nice and try to have a pleasant shopping experience. Sometimes it's not the SAs who are b*tches, it's the customers. I hate some customers who come into stores like they are some big shot, criticizing the clothes, the mannequines, and the store. You can kindly think it silently to yourself and not complain it to the SAs. SAs don't have control of what they get, they just sell them. And please, do not give SAs attitudes when a item on sale does not have your size. If you really want them, you would've gotten them when the size was avaliable. Also, some SAs do make or own more than the average shopper who shops there, they could be just there part time for some pocket money. It doesn't give them the right to judge the customers but it also doesn't give customers the right to belittle them. Anyway, I do feel bad though when I trouble sales people with no intention of buying because I'm actually wasting their time when they could be with someone who wanted to buy. So I always try to make my questions fast and simple. Designer shop fright is unneccessary because if you are there for the right purpose with a right attitude then no one would give you a bad experience...unless the store have bad customer policy to begin with, but then that's another story

 

[sgaotw]

If I meet a mean SA, I buy lots of things then quickly refund 5 seconds after. That really gets them mad. Imagine the commission going down the toilet. Mwahaha. But if I find an SA I like, I only shop with them.

 

[Deleted member 82231]

i just dont pay any attention to the people working there

i'm there to see the clothes, not their sorry ***es

Karma-tic!

 

[justinleaddict]

I don't generally have that. I dress pretty well always so the people don't intimidate me; however, they annoy me a lot. Like when they don't give you a dressing room and you are carrying 5 things, when they watch you the entire time... etc.

 

[drusilla]

It's irrational because in the end it's just a store, but I definitely have designer shop fright. Service does seem to depend a lot on how you're dressed, though. Not that you need to look like you just walked off the runway--just not ragged t-shirts and flip-flops. I got fine service at Prada even though I looked very much outclassed, the lady was really friendly and helpful, but another girl walked in with the aforementioned grungy clothes and flip-flops and the SA's ignored her. Another thing that really seems to help is wearing something by the designer whose shop you're going into. I got absolutely amazing, top-notch service at YSL and Chanel...and I was carrying my Muse and wearing a Chanel necklace.

There's definitely a downside to good service vs. bad service, though. If they treat you poorly, you don't feel bad about not buying anything, but I kind of feel like an *** if I don't buy something if the SA was wonderful to me.

 

[shutterbug]

I definitely suffer from designer shop fright. I walk up to a store, glance through the window and continue to walk by. I will muster the guts to actually set foot inside one day.

 

[Uchina]

Snooty SA's need to take that attitude and shove it up... nvm.

They're like dogs, smelling fear and all. Go in with an attitude of not giving a damn and they'll leave you alone- or better yet, assist you. I treat these shops like art galleries, personally.

If I meet a mean SA, I buy lots of things then quickly refund 5 seconds after. That really gets them mad. Imagine the commission going down the toilet. Mwahaha. But if I find an SA I like, I only shop with them.

Sweetheart, you have balls, and I'm a lady who loves a good pair.

 

[travis_nw8]

If I meet a mean SA, I buy lots of things then quickly refund 5 seconds after. That really gets them mad. Imagine the commission going down the toilet. Mwahaha. But if I find an SA I like, I only shop with them.

that's cruel...i luv it...

 

[lmelanie]

i have had both good and bad experiences with SA's...today I went to Cusp(a new Neiman store) today in VA and these 2 girls were really nice to me..

ive been into Marc Jacobs and a lot of boutiques in NYC and the lot of them have been quite snobby and rude...even when im buying something!

 

[Bluestar07]

Designer shops SAs here are more often than not snooty and arrogant, insist on walking 2cms behind you and smoothen out stuff before you can finish putting them back. It's nothing to do with whether I dress up or not. Those that are nice, helpful and ACTUALLY know about the products are few and far between. I don't think I have DSF (I've shortened the title of this thread to initials!) as much as being irritated. Sometimes, it just takes too much energy to spite them back.

That being said I have (very occasionally) encountered nice SAs (like lalablossoms probably is ) and ended buying more stuff than I intended to (or can afford) . And yes, I go back to them. The best ones greet you, ask if there is anything in they can help you with and if you say that you want to just browse, they reply that they will be available to help you anytime and actually remain available but not breathing down your neck.

 

[shutterbug]

I finally beat the fright ^-^ I walked into Hermes today. The salespeople were very nice. Every single one of them said hi I saw this beautiful skirt there, but I can't afford their prices just yet (future customer? uh huh definitely). My friend and I were looking at a mannequin with a top made of two scarves and the saleslady told us how to put them together to create the look. Ahhh it was scarf heaven for me haha.

 

[Diorling]

Ugh.

I dont know where else to post this but Im sooo annoyed. I just got a YSL bag today and it was missing a piece, which I noticed and mentioned to the SA who said that that color doesn't come with the luggage tag, I was like, ok, I trusted him. I was suspicious and went to thier shop on 57th only to find out that it does indeed come with it! O M G, Im sooo mad, Ive been very good to this SA and he lies to me to get me out of there, what the fcuk!? Tomorrow Im going to return it and if he suddenly comes up with the tag Im still going to return it out of principal. Im sooo offended...Ill just buy it from 57th, I put one on hold there. Im never working with Bryan from Madison Ave YSL again! Only Donald at 57th!

 

[lmelanie]

Ugh.

I dont know where else to post this but Im sooo annoyed. I just got a YSL bag today and it was missing a piece, which I noticed and mentioned to the SA who said that that color doesn't come with the luggage tag, I was like, ok, I trusted him. I was suspicious and went to thier shop on 57th only to find out that it does indeed come with it! O M G, Im sooo mad, Ive been very good to this SA and he lies to me to get me out of there, what the fcuk!? Tomorrow Im going to return it and if he suddenly comes up with the tag Im still going to return it out of principal. Im sooo offended...Ill just buy it from 57th, I put one on hold there. Im never working with Bryan from Madison Ave YSL again! Only Donald at 57th!

Oh, thats horrible! Why would he do that? You would think that he wants you to come back..

I hope it works out!

 

[Diorling]

Oh, thats horrible! Why would he do that? You would think that he wants you to come back..

I hope it works out!

I dont know! Ive been very good to his dirty-***. I haven't gotten myself together yet, it's sooo cold and Im sick...I need to do it today though...

It will...