Do you prefer a employee to come up to you when you are browsing or do you prefer to go to them for

I want to be able to ask for help, but not be approached. I don't really like to be bothered, and I don't like small talk when I'm trying to get in and out of a store as quickly as possible. I'm now shopping for just about everything, except groceries, online these days. I guess I might just be anti-social, but hey, whatever.

 

I prefer to go up and ask for help if I need it. I don't like a lot of sales associates swarming around me when I'm trying to check something out. That just annoys the heck out of me even though I know they are just doing their jobs. So that would be my preference. I rarely need a lot of assistance because I do a lot of research online beforehand.

 

Casually for a store employee to ask if I need help is good and then to ignore me if I don't and go about it's business is good too but the playing stupid, like there doing something, hovering in the distance employee makes me feel irked and pressured. Leave me, my mind and my nerves alone to shop in peace please. I am capable and will seek help if I have a shopping problem. There's no need to for store employees to be overly needy of helping.

 

My husband and I were just discussing this after being rushed and then followed around by a salesperson in a store last weekend. A greeting is fine, "Let me know if I can help," but then go away, please. I'm not shy about asking if I do need help, but I hate to be followed around the store. Some of them just stalk you around, trying to hide and make it seem like they're not, only to burst out as soon as you pick up an item or say you like it. Just let me shop. If I'm going to buy, I'm going to do it either way. If I'm just looking, you're not going to pressure me into a sale anyway. Ugh.

 

If I need help I will ask for it. I do not mind if an employee asks me if I have found what I am looking for or offer to help, but that is as far as it goes. Yes, no, point! No hard sells allowed in my back pocket so to speak.

 

Yes, this is exactly how I feel as well. A little bit of oversight is okay. But when a person is clearly stalking you and constantly looking over should then it becomes annoying. I think most places do a good job of backing off after they make initial contact these days. Best Buy in particular seems to pretty much let you do as you please until they are sure you are going to buy something. Office Depot sales people are a bit too aggressive. That's why I avoid their stores.

 

I absolutely detest being approached. If I needed help, I'm smart enough to ask for it lol. I do know some of these people get commission and putting food on the table depends on it, but I really really want to be left alone. I can't stand telling a salesperson no or turning down their suggestions.. I feel rude lol. It doesn't matter if it's big ticket or small, they do it in every store and makes the whole shopping experience that much more annoying for me. I hate shopping in physical stores as it is.

 

I agree with you! I hate when sales people follow me around bugging me and pressuring me to make a decision. I like to take my time when making a purchase and hate feeling pressured to rush into a decision. I will admit I bought a car upon being pressured. I wanted to buy it don't get me wrong. I just may have thought about the high payments a little bit more before jumping in head first.

 

Having somebody come up to me annoys me, to be honest. When I buy big ticket items, I usually do research before going to the store so I already have an idea in mind. It's especially annoying when the sales guy doesn't seem to know what he's talking about. I just tell the person that I'd ask questions after I'm done roaming around.

 

I understand that's a part of their job, but I definitely prefer the salespeople to just stand somewhere where I can ask questions when needed.

 

This is actually one of the reasons why i hate buying things on physical stores. It's so annoying to be honest. I hate it when sales people follow me around, some can't really take a hint and just continue to be annoying. I mean, I'm pretty sure sales people know how it feels when they buy their own stuff and they get followed around. They should really stop it. I know it's part of their job somehow but they just need to stop that particular thing.

 

I really hate when I'm shopping and I get bombarded by a bunch of people trying to get the commission for helping me out. If I need help I'll ask for it. I understand that they have quotas to meet and things like that, but I usually have a certain idea of the things that I want when I go shopping, and if I don't think that I'm going to find it, or if I think It'll be a bit difficult I'll just ask. I can see where they are located, it's not that hard.

 

There's definitely a difference in your shopping experience when you have helpful staff that aren't overly pushy. I definitely am more open to buying when the staff treats me like a person, rather than just a potential sales target. It's annoying when the vultures hover around you constantly, waiting to swoop in.

That's why I prefer retailers where the staff are friendly and will strike up random conversations rather than directly pushing me towards buying something. I especially dislike "that looks GREAT on you, you should definitely get it!". Tacky.

 

I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH AN EMPLOYEE COMING TO ME when I am browsing, people need the money, and even if the gesture is only become they want more money,well...so what? We all pretend to be nice sometimes when we want something and that's the truth, people need to learn to be quite and not be so hard on others. Their job is to do exactly what is getting SOME of you angry, and that is to help what do you want them to do, just sit around the store and try to read minds of the people that walk in, like, ummm..let me see if she is going to need help, or let me not go to her because she looks like she's going to snap at me.
They have to do their jobs, and I think some of us are lucky that they even have that function as apart of the job description. Because if they didn't, and those who get angry when they come to help, really cannot find something, how would you feel if they didn't even budge or look at you? so you see, calm down! and work with people. learn to be rational

 

I really hate when sales people come up to me when I'm just browsing. Even if I'm planning to make a purchase that day because it's something we need right then, like the time our refrigerator died, I don't like being harassed or chased by the sales people. I want to be able to take my time and look details up online. I feel self-conscious if they hover. I'm very likely to find another store if that happens.

HH Gregg has sales people waiting by the door and one is supposed to always shepherd you around. When I had a friend who was working there, I used to text him when I was getting ready to go in to be sure he was on duty and would be waiting to be the one to pounce on me. After he quit that job, I refused to return to the store. I know they do it to reduce shoplifting and because the sales people get commissions but I think they drive people away with the policy.

 

Sometimes it can depend on what mood I am in. If I am in high spirits, then whether or not an employee comes up to me doesn't really matter, regardless of their intentions when they are approaching me. But other times I don't want anybody to bother me at all. If I want help I will ask for it, sort of thing? It is always really annoying when employees follow you though. There is this one shop in town that has an employee on every single isle, and they make no secret about the fact that you are being watched. Very uncomfortable shopping experience.

 

I don't mind either way. I appreciate if an employee asks and then leaves it at that. I don't need them staring at everything I do. A lot of them do that and it gets a bit annoying. As if they are waiting for me to ask a question. Best scenario is their is a customer support desk at the store and when I have trouble I go there and someone helps me out.

 

I am one of those customers that would prefer to make my own decisions. If I ask for help, then please...help me. If I don't ask for it...leave me a lone. I understand the commission factor and such...but I would be more apt to buy those big ticket items if I'm left alone. I hate having someone tell me everything about a product and pushing me to ask questions or buy something. So annoying!

 

It depends where I am in my 'buying' process. When I am in the research phase I want to learn all the information I can so I appreciate a sales person who comes up to me and tries to give me information. Depending on how well they do and how knowledgeable they are about their product I may come back and ask for them directly when I decide to buy. Particularly when I know it is a store that pays commission. I rarely go into a store just to browse so following me around is not an issue either.

 

when I go into a store I usually ask for the item I am looking for and any questions I may have so that I am not spending alot of time looking around. When all of my questions have been answered I will tell the associate that I will contiue to look around and it I have any more questions before I make up my mind I will let them know. I am not a big shopper and really don't like taking a lot of time shopping around, mainly because I have done some research online before I go to the store.