The Baby's Room, Bala Cynwyd PA is concerned only with how you look!

[ohbaby]

I was shopping for baby furniture and bedding and decided to drive to Bala Cynwyd where there are two store, USA Baby and the Baby's Room. I went into the Baby's room first. I could not believe the sales people! I walked into the store, and all of the sales people ignored me completely. I had on gym shorts and a tee shirt because I had the day off. I watched a woman walk in with designer shoes and handbag, and two sales people (out of three) rushed over to help her. I walked once around the store and walked out with no one saying so much as hello to me. I walked across the street into USA Baby, and they instantly greeted me and showed me all about the various cribs and bedding. And they were not pushy or following me around or anything! My friend had told me to go there, because she had a good experience with them, but I just could not believe the difference. Any one else had this experience with the Baby's Room?
Thanks, Kim

[mama2be]

I find that so amusing...and so believe you!!!

One of my co-workers once said she gets all dressed up just to go shopping because she cares what these store clerks think...I couldn't be any further from that I swear. In fact I find I remove my engagement ring if I'm buying furniture or something where prices are negotiable.

[brubeck]

This reminded me of a Cosby Show episode I saw long ago. Bill Cosby wants to buy a car and he gets all dressed up in his scruffiest clothes to pretend like he has no money. He is just about to negotiate a good deal with the salesman (who thinks he's getting as much $$$ as he can out of him) when another customer comes running up, "How are you Dr. Huxtable? And your wife? I hear she was just made partner in her law firm!" etc. etc. It was really funny to see the look on everyone's faces. :-)

Of course what makes this so funny is that it is totally true. You really don't want to look like you have lots of cash on anything negotiable. Of course my brother used to do the opposite. When he was in undergrad he and his friends would get dressed in their one set of preppy designer clothes and go test drive Porsches. :-)

[jojo2324]

It's such a pity that sales clerks do that. You never know who's about to drop the big bucks. I know several wealthier people who ONLY wear work boots and flannel shirts! I used to work in retail, and you never knew who was going to buy what.

But I am the type of person who would rather not be hounded by salespeople...One store in particular I have trouble with is the Body Shop. I can't even browse without some woman following me around, even AFTER I've told her I'm just looking! It's gotten to the point where I just don't go there anymore. I tend to look around at everything, and if there are questions, or a need for help, I march right on up to someone and request it. Hey, I don't have time to dilly dally...I've got a baby! :D

[mama2be]

ME too...I can't stand commision places!!! I swear I hate to shop NOrdstrom in The DC area because of that. They all ask "how are you????" Every corner you take...that is all I do the whole time is say "Fine thank you how are you" (when I relly could give a rats derrierre )...I feel like I have to entertain them...and they obviously feel like they need to entertain me.

[brubeck]

I have a policy: if a salesclerk jumps on me before I have taken 2 steps into the store I just turn around and leave. This is especially effective in malls where the 'door' is an open wall. Picture it:

Cross threshold of store
One step
Two steps
"Anything I can help you with today?"
Swivel 180 degrees on one foot
One step
Two steps
Out the door.

The looks on some of the salespeoples' faces are priceless! :-)

[gremlin44]

Some things to keep in mind:

When I was going back to school to get a second degree, I took a job in a chain bookstore in a mall.

According to the company's policies for sales clerks, we were to make sure to greet/acknowledge customers within 10 seconds of their arrival in our store whenever possible.

Luckily, they didn't mandate any specific phrases to be said. I tried to keep it short and simple--a smile and a "Hi" or "Hello."

However, at least once a week our district manager would come in the store and stay for 8 hours. A smile and a simple greeting were not enough for her. She required you to immediately ask "Is there anything I can help you find today?" If sales numbers were slow that week and the store was empty, she expected you to keep engaging the customer in conversation.

It didn't matter how much we didn't like doing it or how rude it was to a customer who wanted to browse. If the DM was there in the store you did it or you got fired. Period. I needed my crappy $5.85 an hour job, so I did it.

Another reason that I always made sure to acknowledge a customer's presence quickly (whether just with a smile or phrase) was Secret Shoppers. You know, the folks who go into stores and secretly rate the store's level of service? One of their criterion is whether or not and how quickly a customer was greeted upon entering the store.

And a third reason is that studies have shown that simply letting a customer know that you are aware of them entering the store cuts down on shoplifting by a huge percent. And customers who are greeted tend to respect the store and its merchandise more--not leave food court trash on the shelves, drop clothing on the floor, not put items back, etc.

Obviously some sales clerks are annoying. Many clerks on commission are going to hound you to death. However, try to cut the average sales clerk some slack--they are usually working hard for crappy pay in a job that tends to be dehumanizing. And when you come up to the register to have them ring up your purchase, at least look them in the eye once or say "Hi" when they say "Hi" to you. Acknowledge them as a human being. Nothing used to piss me off more after standing on my feet for 7 hours than ringing up a customer who refused to acknowledge that I even existed. I wasn't looking for a conversation--just common courtesy.

[jojo2324]

You are so right.

I do not mind at all if people greet me. Actually, I get a bit annoyed when I am in a store for a good amount of time and NOBODY even looks my way...They could all be standing around talking, chewing gum, on the phone, whatever. But the incessant trailing is what gets on my nerves. And really the ONLY store I have had trouble with is the Body Shop. But I do try to say, "Hello, how do you do?" and I don't get annoyed by the "Would you like to open up a credit card account and save 10% and earn points?" etc, etc. I know that people are only doing their job.

I work in the service industry (I am a waitress.) and it is the WORST to stand in front of a table and ask, "How is everyone this evening?" and have nobody look up from the conversation or respond. Or worse yet, I ask the question, and I get, "Yeah, gimme a rare Swiss burger." I want to wear a sign on my forehead that says "HUMAN TOO!!!"

Okay, my rant is over. Remember the Golden Rule! :D

[sntm]

my husband loves to tell the story of when he went into tiffany's with his friend to buy my engagement ring in a t-shirt and flip-flops. he was mostly ignored, except by one saleslady who was mostly humoring him, until he gave them a price range and the specific ring style he wanted. she instantly brightened and by the end was trying to convince him to buy a necklace too.

makes you want to go back to the store and do the "pretty woman" thing -- "remember me? you wouldn't help me? you work on commission don't you. BIG mistake."

shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03

[redhairedgirl]

I can't stand it when I'm looking for help, and no one wants to help me. One day, I was trying to buy a shirt, and the cash register I was at had a line of about 4 people in front of me. I noticed there was another girl across from the aisle just taking her good old time, just playing around. Finally, after I was next in line, she says, "Ma'am, I can help you over here." x(

There are a lot of times that I go into places and I'm not even greeted. Sometimes, I admit, I'm in a mood where I don't want to talk to anyone, but if they atleast said "Hi" I wouldn't feel like I'm intruding on their space.
I realize we all have feelings,and that the person at the job may not be making a lot of money. But, on the same token, I'm providing some form of job security, and I would atleast like to be acknowledged.