shopping and the rude sales girl

[Wendy me]

ok shopping some love it some fear it . but what ever your thoughts it's something we all have to do . just so happens i love to shop ...

this thread is abought a rude sales girl and although i was not shopping for me i still think it might be help ful to those that come accross a rude sales girl or two.....

yesterday i aked my wife if she wanted to go to J.C.PENNY'S to get some new sneakers for work .. she was up for the trip and we were off and on our way ... we arived at penny's and omg too many way too cute things ...(one of Wendy's fav's ) ok got to stay on track sneakers for my wife .....


we made our way down to the shoe dept.... omg strappy heels ( this could be way too hard to keep fockused) ok now we find the type ans style of sneaker that she wanted .... size and colur we are haveing trouble finding....

enter rude sales girl ....she is standing at the desk not doing a thing ... no one around ... i walk over and say ... "excuse me could you please help us with finding something " .... she looks at me shakes her head and walks away without saying a word .... :eek: ok no biggy back too looking ... now i see her accross the way standing there doing nouthing some one comes over to her and talks to her she walks away......:eek: .... now she comes over and is standing like 5 feet away from us ... my wife and i are talking i said ok the ones with the pink trim size 5 ... i can't find them .... now i am just a bit upset not being rude and as nice as i could possably be i asked the sales girl ...."could you please get me some one that works in shoes" ...... she said "i work over here" .... my reply was "good to know" now she has this going to run look so i said "we are looking for theise in a size 5 with pink trim "
rolling her eyes she said "i know i heard you talking .... we don't have them in size 5 .... those have to be orderd.."

ok now enter the bitch ....after a few deep breaths gaining some controll i sid to her ...."excuse me not only did you walk away from me when i asked you a question ... then you are standing there know that we are looking for something that you don't have ...... and you say nouthing.....:Angry3: ...." she rolls her eyes like please don't bother me ....now i trying my hardest to be as nice as i can be .....i say to her .... " now if you don't want to do your job or if you don't want to be here thats ok with me ...... could you please get me some one that help us here ??? " at this point a manager comes over and says " is there a problme here??? " our sales girl perks right up smiles and all .... and says " i was helping them find some sneakers that have to be ordered ...... "

the manager asks me is everything ok? i said fine she was going to order them for us .... well our sales girl was as fake nice as she could be ordering the sneakers .... even gave us a nice fake thank you for shopping here today ......

as we walked away the manager cam over to us and asked did you have a problme with her ?? again not wanting to get all worked up .... i simply said people skills she dosen't have ..... the manager was appolagising and said we have a lot of trouble with her ........

so it my not be you ... thats the problme when you go shopping it could be that the peolpe working there just don't belong working there.....

[Lisa Golightly]

People like that don't deserve a job.

[Tina T]

You'd have probably done the manager, shop and future customers a big favour if you'd told him straight.
As a soon to be retired service sector manager myself, I know I'd like to have been told.

[janelle]

Don't they SHOOT sick animals. Sorry your trip was so bad. My wife would have given her a ear full if i didn't blow first. Way to go Wendy keeping your cool. Better luck next time.
:hugs: Janelle

[Kaitlynn]

Sounds like a serious case of someone in the wrong profession. Speaking as an ex retail manager, this person would have been out of my door pretty fast.

[Karren H]

Should have packed your crossbow in your purse, Wendy. That would have gotten her attention!! Hehehe

Love Karren

[julie w]

everybody has bad days she was probably thinking what a low paying job she had or her boy friend has just left her or my gf best line I am pms ing

[ChristineRenee]

everybody has bad days she was probably thinking what a low paying job she had or her boy friend has just left her or my gf best line I am pms ingUh huh...and that's like the CUSTOMER'S fault?

I worked at two different JC Penney stores back in Michigan during the last 7 years I was in the work force. I was in upper management for awhile during one of my stints. I saw plenty of SA's just like the one Wendy described. This girl would not have lasted long in either of the stores that I worked in. I applaud you Wendy for obviously keeping your cool, but you prolly did the store no favors, and certainly not the other customer's, by not being totally candid about this girl's very obvious lack of courtesy and professionalism. I can assure you that this would not have been tolerated at either of the two Penney stores that I worked at.

Sorry to hear of your bad experience sis.:sad:

[tammie]

Hi Everyone: I used to work at Pennys in when I was in school back inthe 70s and they didn't tolerate rude or uncooperative sales staff. I think U should have told the superviser the truth, doing the store the future customers and perhaps the troubled young employee a favor.

Once I went to the lingerie dept to buy a LLPG that was on sale. I got there and waited until noone was at the counter. Then I asked an older sales clerk for assistance. I said " could U get me 2 of (pointed to the LLPG on sale in the ad) in 2XL and black". She said she would as soon as she helped some lady who walked up behind me to pay for an item. I walked a respectful 25' away and waited. When the sales lady came back there were now 3 other ladies standing at the counter and another sales associate was helping them. Then the woman who had gotten the LLPGs for me held one up over her head and shouted "mister here R your panties" although I was only 25' away. I paid for them while trying not to drop dead and then smiled thanked her and walked away. I have never shopped at Pennys again, nor will I ever.

[Bev06 GG]

You'd have probably done the manager, shop and future customers a big favour if you'd told him straight.
As a soon to be retired service sector manager myself, I know I'd like to have been told.

Yes have to agree with you there Tina. How can supervisors or managers act on anything if people are too polite to say something. If one of my girls had been that rude to a customer she'd be signing on at the job centre.
BEVxxxxx

[Wendy me]

i did tell the manager that the sales girl had no people skills.....

[Seraph]

If I were you, I'd have just moved on to the next store.

People like her deserve to pan handle on the streets.

[Shelly Preston]

As the manager said "he had a lot of trouble with her"

I think he got the message

well done Wendy

[Jodi]

i did tell the manager that the sales girl had no people skills.....

Wendy, Bless you on keeping your cool, but you should have been candid and direct on exactly the way the SA treated you. Management wants to know this. A bad scene can happen once, but they don't want it to happen the second time.

Jodi

[Raychel]

You are better than me Wendy. I would have blown my top. The manager would have wished that he hadn't asked if I had any trouble. No doubt the B%^&* needs to be looking for a new job.

[Gunda]

Pretty amazing Wendy. An English friend of my family had a story that is almost as bad though. She was in a dept store in Oxfordshire, wanted help with something, and approached two chatting sales-women. After repeatedly asking politely for help one of them finally turned to her and said "can't you see we are having a conversation."

Gunda

[Tina Dixon]

Fired, s**t can, hit the road, I'm sure shes gone by now and don't have a clue why she lost her job.

[Cristi]

Slightly off topic, but this reminds me of MY pet peave. Sales people that ring up your purchase, take your money, put your things in a bag and hand it to you WHILE NEVER HANGING UP THE CELL PHONE THEY ARE CHATTING ON!!!

If you are LUCKY, you'll get a 'thank you' in the form or a nod or forced smile.

[Denise Anne]

I had almost the same experience at our JC Pennys store. I was looking for tennis shoes for myself and no one would wait on us. The SA was chatting with everyone else about nothing. We left the store with out the shoes. We went back there about a week later and the SA (a man this time) wouldn't even come near us. When we were about to leave the area with some shoes he rushed over and asked us to pay for them in the shoe department so he could get his commission. :shocked: :angry: We had more shopping to do in the store and he was persistant that we leave them there. We left them with him and were just going to leave the store when a manager walked by and heard my wife & I talking about him. He asked if there was a problem and I told him exactly what happened. He apologized and went and got the shoes for me and told us he has had several complaints about that SA. I told him that SA really needed some better people skills training. The manager said to me that the SA won't be there long enough to get the training. :spank: The manager was very nice and understanding and let us pay for the shoes at the regular counter.

Seems JC Penny's has a regular problem with their shoe department personnel.

Denise Anne

[admirerplus GG]

Wendy,

In my opinion, there is no excuse for poor or no service in any retail business. If this individual sales person was my employee, I would have fired her on the spot. I have worked as a sales person in the retail industry. Regardless of the situation, a sales person has a vested interest in making sales and having customers come back and buy from them again. Even where a sales person does not make a commission on each sale, it is always in their best interests to have return clients.

I am glad to read that you did speak to the manager. Often managers neglect to train or monitor their sales staff on the sales floor. They too should be held accountable for ensuring all customers are treated well and with courtesy.

I believe that everyone deserves to have a positive experience when shopping. That, in my mind, is the very basis of our consumer society. The retail industry has really been hit hard here in Canada over that past few years. I believe that if the general philosphy of good quality service and courtesy were promoted, the entire retail industry would be performing much better.

[kathy gg]

That person has no business working in retail. And the truth is not everyone is cut out for sales. I have always been involved my entire life in some aspect of sales/customer service and dealing with the public. And I have to say there are plenty of people who are indifferent and absolutely should choose different careers because they have the pesonality of a rotting raccoon.

I think that alot of people take *sales* jobs sometimes not becuause they want to, but out of sheer need. And when you start out dreading your job that refelcts on everything.

The people in charge need to know. I can't imagine her being at that job for too much longer.

[KateW]

Some places are really tight on customer service. If she isn't willing to be polite and helpful to customers, the management really shouldn't let her near them.

[Wendy me]

That person has no business working in retail. And the truth is not everyone is cut out for sales. I have always been involved my entire life in some aspect of sales/customer service and dealing with the public. And I have to say there are plenty of people who are indifferent and absolutely should choose different careers because they have the pesonality of a rotting raccoon.

I think that alot of people take *sales* jobs sometimes not becuause they want to, but out of sheer need. And when you start out dreading your job that refelcts on everything.

The people in charge need to know. I can't imagine her being at that job for too much longer.

Kathy what you said was true and she is not cut out for sales and dealing with people ... the real reason i probably did not push the issue was the person i was with and shopping for was my wife and she is the most import person to me and causing a bigger scene that i had to would have made for a bad day for her .... and the whole point of being out was all abought her ...

[Casey Morgan]

I admire your sentiment Wendy. I would have liked to have been told more of the story but it's fairly obvious from what you've said that the manager knew all was far from rosy. You're right, if you're being treated poorly it may well not be you. Not that you should ever be treated poorly mind you.

I do have to ding the manager for something though. I was taught that management should never disparage the staff in front of the customers. I would have apologized for her behavior and told you that's not the kind of service we give. But to tell a customer that we've been having problems with her? Never.

[Jodi]

Slightly off topic, but this reminds me of MY pet peave. Sales people that ring up your purchase, take your money, put your things in a bag and hand it to you WHILE NEVER HANGING UP THE CELL PHONE THEY ARE CHATTING ON!!!

If you are LUCKY, you'll get a 'thank you' in the form or a nod or forced smile.


When I worked at New York & Co and the Limited, the rules were that no cellphone was allowed out of the backroom. This was strictly enforced.

Also, if the store phone rang, while a customer was at the register, we were instructed to quickly answer it and say, Thank you for calling New York & Co--Please hold. You finished up with the customer, then retrieved the phone call. THis was also strictly enforced.

Jodi

[DAVIDA]

Kinda seems to me that thr problem is with the manager. Anyone knowing about a problem should have alraedy taken care of the problem.

[angelfire]

I work in retail, and I am not paid by commission at all. My job is not sales though, my job is stock. So I do my job, I stock my department, and when customers approach me to ask for help, I am always pleasant and try to help them the best I can.

However, there are customers who come in and expect sales people to know everything about everything. Today for example, I had a customer want to know about oil for her car. "Which is the best for my car, its a toyota" was all she would tell me. First off, I have never driven in my life. Secondly, I know 0 about cars. So honestly, I had no idea what to tell her. I read the labels, and told her which one I thought was the best, but told her I was not entirely sure, as I know nothing about cars.

I have also had to spend an hour with a customer trying to answer the most vague questions about an air purifier. I later got in trouble because my stock didn't get out, because I had to spend so much time with the customer.

If they were standing around talking and doing nothing, then okay, I can understand them getting in shit, but you DO have to look at both sides of the story sometimes. Not everyone's job in a retail store is selling stuff.

[suezeq]

wife tried to buy a new nand bag in a shop in england with a scottish £10 note they woud not accept it asked for manager she would not accept it as well well rung there head office and went mad as it was there attude now both sales assis and manager now looking for new jobs

[Jasmine Ellis]

That manager should of sacked her long ago, And if that was me or my wife we would of said something facing her as well. Wonder why are so many shops are closing down

[Jillian310]

I must be blessed/cursed with the age/outrage gene! Whether en femme or en drab, I have little/no patience with boorish SA's. My wrath is quick, severe, and formidable if I perceive that there is ANY problem in the way I am being served. I have experienced all of the examples set forth above, and countless other offenses. I have demanded and spoken to countless managers and supervisors in a clear loud voice for the benefit of other customers. I have left shopping carts full of groceries and/or merchandise right at the check outs and walked from the store, complaining loudly as I departed. In the USA there is a definite dummying down in the areas of courtesy and ability by sales staff. That is not my problem, and I refuse to be victimized by it.

One thing I have noted, however, is that the SA's at the Fashion Bug Torrid, and Target in my area are the absolute best. I have had no problems there. I use the GG fitting rooms, and the SA's are very helpful and take no apparent note when I am en femme, and at best I am moderately passable.

To summarize, I take no s**t from anyone that wants to relieve me of my money. Period, end of rant.

[MarilynH]

One thing I have noted, however, is that the SA's at the Fashion Bug Torrid, and Target in my area are the absolute best. I have had no problems there. I use the GG fitting rooms, and the SA's are very helpful and take no apparent note when I am en femme, and at best I am moderately passable.

I've had the same results at Lane Bryant and Catherine's.

Hugs.

[rocval2001]

I have to wonder how well she did on the interview ? :devil:

[MistyCD]

Hi All, because the job market in NJ is really tough, I had to get a job in retail sales to get some cash. Some times there are problems with the sales people, and some times there are not. I am not making excuses for her, but sales people are not paid that well and at times expected to do the work of 2 or 3 people at the same time. Although I am listed as sales in the Computer Department, I have to also ring up registers, sell furniture, put it in the car for them and a hundred other things (all because companies look at the bottom line and don't want to hire enough people to work)....
A lot of customers will go out of their way to treat us like garbage.....
Yesterday I had to stop assisting a customer to help at the registers and had a woman ask me to get her a printer cartridge for her printer. She handed me a piece of paper with the printer number on it, not the cartridge number. She was appalled when I told her that I would have to look up the printer on the computer to match her cartridge. She said "you don't know the number" I pointed to the wall with over 400 ink cartridges on it and said it's probably one of those 400 cartridges, if you want the correct one, you'll have to wait a few minutes for me to check it.

two weeks ago there was a sister cd who came into the store, she was not 100 percent passable, I could see she was a man in a dress, but I treated her with the respect that any and all customers deserve.

hugs Misty

[Snookums]

I bought these Impo ankle boots at Ross,and when I was paying for them the cashier loudly asks,are these for you,I told her they were but it was none of her effen business.People like that should work a street corner in some slum.

[Jamsey]

Wendy,

I just started buying clothes and so far I did most of my shopping at the local Pennys here in Madison. All the sales people have been very helpful. I think for the most part they think I'm buying it for my wife but I think a couple weren't sure. I even returned a tube top I should have not purchased. I looked absolutely terrible in it, and the sales clerk was helpful. Being a former store owner myself, I know it just depends on the sales clerk. I don't think anything is wrong to report such person to the management.

Here's to better shopping in the future.

Jamsey.

[Jennaie]

I can't help but agree with Julie W. I usually shop at the same places. If I run into a SA who seems to be rude, I will usually give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that something bad is going on in their life that day and it is just not a good day for them.

When this happens, I will ask them, "Are you ok?", you seem upset about something. almost always, they tell me what they are upset about and I offer them understanding, which usually ends with good service and a smile.

There are always going to be employees who do not belong in the job that they are in. If they don't like where they are, they need to do something to better themselves so that they can be somewhere they want to be.

[Billijo49504]

As a CD'er, if I get good service from a store, I call the manager and let them know. But if I get lousey service, I also let them know. At marshal Fields, now Macy's, I bought some perfume at the Dior counter. It was about $80 for the smelly stuff for the wife. They gift wrapped it and never took off the price sticker. I caught hell for spending that much for perfume and the manager caught hell from me. For their forgetting to remove the price sticker.
I won't go back...BJ