Luxury Shopping - Salespeople?
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^ Dutch husband!
I don't live in Amsterdam though, I live in the south, near Maastricht. It's a part of the Netherlands that a northern Dutch person would typically (and unfairly) consider the boonies. I've become pretty used to getting puzzled or incredulous looks from people when I tell them I'm from New York, but since I work with computers location isn't always the most determining factor for me. (And I've moved around quite a bit; I lived in Vienna and in Antwerp before ending up here. I sometimes wonder if I should be concerned that each time I've moved, it's been to a smaller city... at this rate in ten years' time I'll end up living in a hole dug out of a cliffside somewhere.
)
Sorry...I've taken this way OT haven't I...
Soooo about salespeople...I think the best sales assistants tend to be "lifers," or at least the real professionals. I mean the people who, when asked what they do for a living, will actually say "I'm a sales assistant" as opposed to "I'm an artist/musician/designer/writer who only happens to be working in a store for the time being, as very soon I will become an international sensation." Yes, I'm speaking from experience.
Being a good salesperson is much tougher than it might seem; it requires an infinite amount of patience and a lot of genuine personal concern, not just with an eye to making a sale, but to actually fostering a positive relationship with a client. It's hard to invest that much of yourself if you don't take what you do 100% seriously.
I don't live in Amsterdam though, I live in the south, near Maastricht. It's a part of the Netherlands that a northern Dutch person would typically (and unfairly) consider the boonies. I've become pretty used to getting puzzled or incredulous looks from people when I tell them I'm from New York, but since I work with computers location isn't always the most determining factor for me. (And I've moved around quite a bit; I lived in Vienna and in Antwerp before ending up here. I sometimes wonder if I should be concerned that each time I've moved, it's been to a smaller city... at this rate in ten years' time I'll end up living in a hole dug out of a cliffside somewhere.
)Sorry...I've taken this way OT haven't I...
Soooo about salespeople...I think the best sales assistants tend to be "lifers," or at least the real professionals. I mean the people who, when asked what they do for a living, will actually say "I'm a sales assistant" as opposed to "I'm an artist/musician/designer/writer who only happens to be working in a store for the time being, as very soon I will become an international sensation." Yes, I'm speaking from experience.
Being a good salesperson is much tougher than it might seem; it requires an infinite amount of patience and a lot of genuine personal concern, not just with an eye to making a sale, but to actually fostering a positive relationship with a client. It's hard to invest that much of yourself if you don't take what you do 100% seriously.droogist said:^ Dutch husband!
I don't live in Amsterdam though, I live in the south, near Maastricht. It's a part of the Netherlands that a northern Dutch person would typically (and unfairly) consider the boonies. I've become pretty used to getting puzzled or incredulous looks from people when I tell them I'm from New York, but since I work with computers location isn't always the most determining factor for me. (And I've moved around quite a bit; I lived in Vienna and in Antwerp before ending up here. I sometimes wonder if I should be concerned that each time I've moved, it's been to a smaller city... at this rate in ten years' time I'll end up living in a hole dug out of a cliffside somewhere.
Sorry...I've taken this way OT haven't I...
Soooo about salespeople...I think the best sales assistants tend to be "lifers," or at least the real professionals. I mean the people who, when asked what they do for a living, will actually say "I'm a sales assistant" as opposed to "I'm an artist/musician/designer/writer who only happens to be working in a store for the time being, as very soon I will become an international sensation." Yes, I'm speaking from experience.
Aaahh, congratulations!
Speaking of Antwerp, I all of a sudden recalled a girl that was working at IF (seems to me for a brief time) and she was about to move to Antwerp. She way a boyish looking white girl. I remember she was into Raf Simons. Do you remember her? (Sorry, OT, maybe I should just PM you
).<edit> I just remembered. Do you know this girl? \/
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faust said:Aaahh, congratulations!
Speaking of Antwerp, I all of a sudden recalled a girl that was working at IF (seems to me for a brief time) and she was about to move to Antwerp. She way a boyish looking white girl. I remember she was into Raf Simons. Do you remember her? (Sorry, OT, maybe I should just PM you
Hm...I don't think so...
<edit> I just remembered. Do you know this girl? \/
Yeah! I did see that picture in that thread, but didn't say anything because I'm not sure how she'd feel about being the subject of discussion on an online forum
Well...too late...does she still work there?droogist said:Yeah! I did see that picture in that thread, but didn't say anything because I'm not sure how she'd feel about being the subject of discussion on an online forum
Yea. She goes to my school as well.
helena
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ok just thinking this through
- I want to be left alone to browse (I don't want to be hassled - I can see in an instant what I like or don't like);
- I react well to sales assistants who do not patronise me or assume I know nothing about fashion (its clear just looking at me that I am not completely clueless - i.e do not say "have you heard of a new designer called rouland mouret");
- SA's need to have a certain level of intelligence or perhaps its perceptivness (in order to quickly assess what your style is, your preferences are & how to deal with that). For example I tend to act aloof in order to get the sales people off my case. I want to make my own mind up not be 'sold'. I avoid eye contact in order to do so;
- if I try something on then thats the point at which the sales assistant can possibly get me interested in other stuff. If they do it before that point I'll be tempted to walk;
- know what you are talking about - i.e if you work in high fashion make sure you know your stuff - thats what you get paid for;
- if I say I don't want to do 'sexy' then do not find me heaps of gucci tops - take my word for it - do not push it;
- I like SA's to be stylish - if they clearly wear clothes well themselves then I will respect their advice more - I have been known to buy things because they lookso good on the SA's;
- remember me from last time I shopped;
- have a genuine passion for clothes;
The best experiences I have had have been in....
Comme staff at Dover Street **
two girls at Yohji in London (they just left me alone but totally helped when I needed it)
Maria Luisa in Paris
L'Eclaireur in Paris (but not the menswear store - way too interested in my husband for comfort )
Matches in Notting Hill - they have developed some kind of sales policy to be 'nice' to customers without doing the hard sell thing
...and all of these have been because the SA'ss have sussed me out & given me time & space to decide myself.
...ok just re-read this - am I a horrible unfriendly freaker?
- I want to be left alone to browse (I don't want to be hassled - I can see in an instant what I like or don't like);
- I react well to sales assistants who do not patronise me or assume I know nothing about fashion (its clear just looking at me that I am not completely clueless - i.e do not say "have you heard of a new designer called rouland mouret");
- SA's need to have a certain level of intelligence or perhaps its perceptivness (in order to quickly assess what your style is, your preferences are & how to deal with that). For example I tend to act aloof in order to get the sales people off my case. I want to make my own mind up not be 'sold'. I avoid eye contact in order to do so;
- if I try something on then thats the point at which the sales assistant can possibly get me interested in other stuff. If they do it before that point I'll be tempted to walk;
- know what you are talking about - i.e if you work in high fashion make sure you know your stuff - thats what you get paid for;
- if I say I don't want to do 'sexy' then do not find me heaps of gucci tops - take my word for it - do not push it;
- I like SA's to be stylish - if they clearly wear clothes well themselves then I will respect their advice more - I have been known to buy things because they lookso good on the SA's;
- remember me from last time I shopped;
- have a genuine passion for clothes;
The best experiences I have had have been in....
Comme staff at Dover Street **
two girls at Yohji in London (they just left me alone but totally helped when I needed it)
Maria Luisa in Paris
L'Eclaireur in Paris (but not the menswear store - way too interested in my husband for comfort
)Matches in Notting Hill - they have developed some kind of sales policy to be 'nice' to customers without doing the hard sell thing
...and all of these have been because the SA'ss have sussed me out & given me time & space to decide myself.
...ok just re-read this - am I a horrible unfriendly freaker?
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softgrey
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droogist said:Soooo about salespeople...I think the best sales assistants tend to be "lifers," or at least the real professionals. I mean the people who, when asked what they do for a living, will actually say "I'm a sales assistant" as opposed to "I'm an artist/musician/designer/writer who only happens to be working in a store for the time being, as very soon I will become an international sensation." Yes, I'm speaking from experience.
thanks droogist...i think that's a very good point...
Yes, I can imagine. I'd be quite insulted if someone accused me of picking out DSquared2.faust said:It was hilarious. At first I thought that my wife picked it, because I didn't see him bringing it. It was unusual of her, so I asked. She almost killed me.
TheSoCalledPrep
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softgrey said:
That might be good for some people, but I figure if I overlooked it, it had not stood out to me. I don't tend to miss things, and when I'm shopping, I feel like I just want to take it all in.. sometimes, it's not always about buying something, for me
softgrey
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TheSoCalledPrep said:That might be good for some people, but I figure if I overlooked it, it had not stood out to me. I don't tend to miss things, and when I'm shopping, I feel like I just want to take it all in.. sometimes, it's not always about buying something, for me
i know what you mean...i do a lot of 'window-shopping'...just so i know what's what and where to find things when i need them...it's important for me to just keeep up with what's in the stores...so sometimes i'm just doing market research and not really 'shopping'...
i used to feel the same as you about if i didn't see it then it probably wasn't that interesting to me in the first place...especially since i'm a professional shopper...(i can have a bit of an attitude with salepeople who i don't think are up to snuff)...
but then i had this experince about a year ago in saks...and this guy showed me something that i had actually already looked at...but he explained it a bit differently than i had thought of it..and suddenly i realized i had overlooked the most brilliant piece on the floor...i had not been planning to buy anything that day...but i wound up leaving with this piece because i couldn't put it down...and all becuase of this guy...and he really was just showing it to me because he thought it was so cool himself...he and i just were exactly on the same wavelength...and it was more just like two friends chatting about omething we were both interested in...
so now i'm a bit more open to suggestions...because why would i close myself off to seeing some stuff that might be good...it doesn't cost extra...and if it's bad...then i can just say 'no thanks'...
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