Luxury Shopping - Salespeople?

[softgrey]

I agree as well. That attitude will depend on a store. A tourist oriented store will push you anything. But a quite niche store depends on the returning customers. And if you try to sell customer crap, he'll simply goes elsewhere, even if you are successful the first time. I think it's much better to have a return customer.

you know what though?...
even a tourist will give out recommendations to other people visiting the city and could generate more sales...
i think it's always best to give the customer a positive experience...whether they buy something or not...

i was taught a long time ago that a happy customer will tell two people and an unhappy customer will tell twenty five...always keep the customer happy...

 

[faust]

you know what though?...
even a tourist will give out recommendations to other people visiting the city and could generate more sales...
i think it's always best to give the customer a positive experience...whether they buy something or not...

i was taught a long time ago that a happy customer will tell two people and an unhappy customer will tell twenty five...always keep the customer happy...

Well, in that case. Don't go to IF, they suck!!!

 

[Spacemiu]

I like laid back sales people, who are nice and helpful, but not pushy. I think it's important for them to actually know about what they are selling.

 

[stilista]

I did quite a bit of shopping over the past few days and (as always) was very dismayed by the staff in Vivienne Westwood. They try to avoid eye-contact at all costs and never, ever offer to help, even when interest in shown in a specific item (e.g. pulling it out, holding it against oneself at the mirror etc) or when looking in the jewellery cabinet...the staff there definitely need some training! It's not 1985!

However, just across the road in Liberty I was helped by two amazing sales assistants who were friendly and did just the right things, were chatty and genuine and knew their stuff! I definitely ended up spending more on impluse buys just because they were there at the right moment.

 

[Meg]

but I think it's important to note the difference in sales people from different areas. I think British people are a lot 'cooler' (in terms of attitude) in their approach towards people.

I think if someone genuinely knows fashion, knows their product and who it looks best on, that they will be less push. Because if you know that a skirt or a pair of trousers isn't working on someone, you can understand their body shape and find them something that wil fit them better and still suit their needs. If you don't know it then you just want them to buy what they've tried on because you really have no idea what you are doing.

 

[clueless]

I just like sales assistants who are friendly, genuine, not pushy and attitude free......and of course, knowledable is good too!
I hate the ones who just wont leave you the heck alone when you just want to take everything in....so annoying. Honestly, the best service I have ever had anywhere is MAC.....The people there are just fantastic!

 

[softgrey]

clueless...can you share what was so special about the mac store?...
thx...

 

[meowmix]

^^ i've had some of the worst service at mac... maybe cuz i just don't look like a make-uppy kinda girl? some of the SAs were just standing around waiting for their customers to finish trying on the billions of shades of lipstick (even though it was obvious they'd only buy one) and all i needed as a friggen eye pencil.

 

[lilach]

Oh yeah i can tell u stories about absolutley bad and horrible trained SA´s And believe me its worse over here in Europe then it is in the States. People triing to talk you into something, telling you that you ar too skinny /fat for something, ignoring you, leving u alone to take care of another customer and so on. Worst example: I was one of the best customers in a local boutique and always satisfied until one day when i was trying and browsing through the lookbooks to place my order until a local VIP showed up an i was completely left alone. They have never ever seen me back and i told them how rude their behaviour was.

 

[softgrey]

great...now can we please talk about some good experiences and why they were good...we already have a thread about all the bad ones...

meowmix...you do phone orders a lot...don't you?...can you talk about a positive experience you had with that?...
thx...

 

[softgrey]

ie-does it matter to you what the sales associate is wearing?...
does it affect how you react to their approach?...

what would be something good and something bad that they could wear that would make a difference to you?..
or does it even matter to you?...

thx..

 

[Meg]

I would say it's a good rule of thumb that a SA should dress in the style of the boutique if a uniform or dress code isn't required. I think that the customers go in and expect SA's to be very well dressed and to be of the style of the boutique because that is the customers style. Like if someone was very 'punk' and working in Chanel in wouldn't work, and vice versa.

Why are you so interested softie?

 

[droogist]

Well, in that case. Don't go to IF, they suck!!!

OMG. I used to work there! Many, many moons ago. I no longer live in New York and haven't talked to anyone IF-related for a year or two now, but I'm still pretty surprised by your review. I know there were some staff changes, but...things must have really changed. A lot. (I guess I worked there during "IF: The Chatty Years.")

Well faust, for what it's worth,, if you were ever in IF while I was in IF, I hope I was nice to you...although, truth be told, I was utter rubbish at sales.

 

[softgrey]

well..i'm not thinking about a boutique..i'm thinking about a dept store....and you'd have to sort of cater to many different customers i guess...
and know about many different products...

i'm writing a book meg...LOL...
not really...but i think about this...and we're always complaining about how the staff isn't this or that...so i'm trying to think about it from the other end...what do we want them to be...because in the end...every job in fashion relies upon sales at the retail level...and the entire future of fashion really depends on this sort of thing...imho...

customer service means something different now...consumers are much smarter now than they used to be...so sales staff need to know even more...and i think everyonee wants to be treated like they are the most dspecial person in the world...and have loads of individual attention...everyone wants to be a celebrity or at least feel like one...

look how upset faust was that everyone didn't get excited when he walked in the store...LOL... ...

it's like anthropology..i'm curious what gets people motivated to buy something...and if there is a pattern within age groups or geographical location...etc...

 

[meowmix]

good phone order experiences... *ponder* the SA at bergdorf's nyc was very patient and kind and really tried his best to get me the large brown chloe python awhile back (i wasn't sure about the sizes before i'd gotten my med one). he was very descriptive on the sizing and reassuring about the long waitlist... lo and behold a couple weeks later he had one ready for me, but i declined. but i def remember his name and would call back if i needed anything from bergdorfs
OH also saks nyc i've always had good experiences with in terms of phone orders. i got my python chloe from them and even though we had a lil miscommunication he tried his best to put the order through... also when i got my two (correct size, finally) LV shoes from their shoe dept they were very patient and kind. all merch i've received from saks nyc has been beautifully packed. (kudos to their shipping dept)
fendi has also been very nice over the phone. wow the service from their nyc store was great. they were also patient and descriptive. assured me that if i'd changed my mind about the color of the bag i wanted, they would be happy to and assured they could find the color i wanted. also sent over lots of digital photos of some merch i would be interested in. the same from fendi at south coast. the SA promptly sent over lots of great photos of one of the selllerias i was interested and wasn't pushy at all when i told them i'd hold off until some others came in.

 

[meowmix]

as for boutique experience... i had a lovely experience at cielo in stanford. i walked into the store and no one was pushy or followed me around with the "can i help you blaherhi;wher" line. even though i was totally not dressed in the style of the designers they carry that day (chanel jacket, bag, joe's jeans and sparkly flats) the salesperson who eventually helped me was very good at finding things i could slowly incorporate into my wardrobe. what i loved was that when something didn't fit me quite right or just didn't look quite right, even though i was okay with it she gave me her honest opinion... that she could find something better for me and that it just wasn't worth it. she handed me lots of clothes and was very critical and honest about them so i walked out the door with not even half th stuff i tried on but she let me really play with the items and find what i was comfortable with or what was suitable for me in the styles.

 

[meowmix]

oh.. and i still love gucci. the whole store is always so warm and friendly and helpful once i walk in. it's like going home or something. the manager is really sweet and it's just very relaxed and comfortable. i've gotten to know some of the SAs pretty well from chatting with them just about anything... travelling, school, fashion, etc. and they're always very honest with me about the merchandise and extend any discounts they can. they go out on a limb to get me anything i want, making phone calls and realy working hard even on hard to get items and try their best to hold anything for as long as i need to make a decision. and they're never pushy about it and know how i like to shop and what kinds of things i'm looking for

 

[softgrey]

thanks for sharing all of that meowmix...

it's good to hear that you still got good service even though you weren't always there in person...

feeling comfotable and being able to really talk to the sales staff is very important too i think...that's a good point...

and it's nice to hear that people are being honest about what works and what doesn't...i think that's so important...

 

[meowmix]

i'm happy to help

most of the SAs i chat with at gucci are also very knowledgeable on fashion and really try to keep up with the shows, not just gucci. my SA follows the shows religiously and like me was also rather disappointed with tom's departure.. and we often chat about other labels as well, such as ysl, marc jacobs which are (or WERE) among my faves...and another one of the SAs is crazy about bags, esp chloe bags, like me. so it's really nice to be able to have acomfortable shopping environment like that because you're able to make better choices and get the best, instead of just settling for whatever is there.
i think it absoultely works in the SAs favor to really be honest about what works for a customer. if the customer goes home happy with a purchase and stays pleased with it, they will return.
sometimes i can be kind of suspicious and untrusting of SAs because many will push items that you may not necessarily like.. and sometimes their persuasion works, until you get home and realize it was horrible mistake.

 

[softgrey]

i think being a good salesperson is very similar to being a good stylist...
it's all about asking the right questions and putting the person you're working with at ease...

i always say i'm like a doctor....i've seen everyone in their underwear...and it can make people feel very vulnerable...they are literally naked in front of you and it's a very personal and intimate experience...so it's very important to have a good bedside manner to put them at ease...i think the salesperson also needs to be sensitive to each customer's individual needs...and not follow some sort of formula...everyone's needs are different and it's the salesperson's/stylist's challenge to figure out what those needs are and satisfy them...it's like a game...

and it's really great when you can actually help someone find something that they really love...it feels good to help other people feel good...so everyone wins...!!

shoppiing should not be a painful experience...and it really is for some people...

i also think that the salespeople really do have to have a love of fashion in general...as i think faust and meowmix said...but it's important not to shove that knowledge down every customer's throat...some people really just want to buy a pair of pants and don't care about all that other stuff...again...it's about assessing the customer's wants and needs...

i think communication is the most important thing...and having the confidence to make suggestions and express an opinion...