Lookie Loos...

[Jack T. Chance]

Instead of my usual lengthy rant, I'll keep this short and sweet... for now.

As a long-time retail worker, and a commissioned sales person for the last several years, I absolutely LOATHE lookie loos...

you know the customer...

"How can we help you today sir?"

"I'm just looking."

Then they proceed to waste an hour of your valuable time asking you 500 questions, just to NOT buy anything, in a job where you only get paid if they buy something!

If you also hate lookie loos, chime in!

[linguist]

i usually answer "just looking" just to avoid being hassled until i'm ready to start asking questions. once i do start asking questions the purpose of those questions is to determine if the product is going to suit my needs. i do it all the time when i'm considering a purchase, particularly if it's a large-ticket purchase. sometimes after having my questions answered i come to the conclusion that the product in question isn't the right one for me, so i leave without purchasing anything.

if this makes me a "lookie loo," sorry, get over it. if the salesperson considers it a waste of their time, honestly, tough shit. i'm not going to buy a product that isn't the right one for me just to avoid "wasting" the salesperson's "valuable time." if you work on commissions, that's not my problem as the consumer, nor is it my responsibility to make a purchase just to make you happy.

[Gravekeeper]

Yeah, "I'm just looking" is one of my automatic defensive responses to get a sales person to leave me the frack alone, honestly. If I need a sales person, I'll come over and ask them. Otherwise, leave me alone. I hate being approached by a sales person when I'm shopping.

Especially if they're on comission ( no offence, its just 9 times out of 10 that makes them pushier ). -.-

[Jack T. Chance]

Yeah, "I'm just looking" is one of my automatic defensive responses to get a sales person to leave me the frack alone, honestly. If I need a sales person, I'll come over and ask them. Otherwise, leave me alone. I hate being approached by a sales person when I'm shopping.

Especially if they're on comission ( no offence, its just 9 times out of 10 that makes them pushier ). -.-

Speaking only for myself, and I am unanimous in this...

I spent 5 years working in a furniture store as a SALARIED salesperson, making no commission, and my sales skills were WEAK. I let people walk too easily, but more importantly, I had no vested interest in whether they bought or not, because I made the same regardless.

For the last 5 years, I've been a COMMISSIONED mattress salesman. I am VERY highly trained, knowledgeable and experienced. When the customer works together with me, and plays their proper role in the sales process, I will truly find them THE best product to meet their needs in all regards, including PRICE. That's IF they let me use the mattress shopping process that has been PROVEN to work best for THEM as well as for me. I am NOT one of the so-called "Mattress Professionals" that work for the nation's largest mattress store chain, the company that is so aggressive and shady in what they do, that even their own EMPLOYEES refer to them as "Sleazy's". What I AM is a product knowledge guy. I ask the RIGHT questions to qualify you properly, to determine what you need the mattress to do for you, and I then recommend the RIGHT products that will meet your needs, covering several manufacturer's and in all price ranges, so that you can make an informed decision as to which is the right mattress for you.

What I am NOT is a volunteer. I do NOT work for FREE. My time is VALUABLE. My expertise does NOT come to you for free. To assume otherwise is the absolute HEIGHT of rudeness and douchebaggery. If I have done my job properly, and have found the right mattress for you, in the price range that fits your budget, than I have EARNED YOUR BUSINESS and you SHOULD buy from me. That's how this works. For you to then turn around and walk out the door because you want to try to find the same mattress for less online or down the street is completely unacceptable to me at that point. Because that guy didn't invest their time into helping you find the right mattress, I did, and in so doing, I earned your business, not that guy.

Linguist, people like you should be forced to work this job for FREE so that you'll have a proper understanding of, and appreciation for, how hard we work to be able to help you find the right product. True, there are SOME in this industry that only care about pushing the most expensive product on you to fill their wallet. And you, as a customer, need to learn the warning signs that will enable you to spot them so that you can head back out the door WITHOUT wasting an hour of YOUR time and theirs.

But there are a LOT more people in this industry that are honest, hardworking people that sincerely want to assist you in the right way. When you pull that "I'm just looking" crap, you're doing a great disservice to them, and more importantly, TO YOURSELF. In so doing, you'll only ever end up buying mattresses that you'll be dissatisfied with, that will NOT provide the proper support and comfort so that you can sleep WELL. And as a result, the rest of your day will be SHIT.

Buying a mattress is NOT like walking into Best Buy to pick-up a copy of your favorite movie on DVD or Blu-Ray. There are well-developed sales processes used in this industry because they WORK. There is a process I have to guide you through because it truly WILL help you find the best product for your needs... IF you do YOUR part in that process. But I'm the bad guy here because I make a percentage of the sale, because that's how I'm paid. Riiight... whatever.

Keep on deluding yourself if you wish. Ultimately, the one that's going to pay the biggest price for that is YOU.

[the_std]

Linguist, people like you should be forced to work this job for FREE so that you'll have a proper understanding of, and appreciation for, how hard we work to be able to help you find the right product. True, there are SOME in this industry that only care about pushing the most expensive product on you to fill their wallet. And you, as a customer, need to learn the warning signs that will enable you to spot them so that you can head back out the door WITHOUT wasting an hour of YOUR time and theirs.

I'm sorry Jack, but that response is delusional at best. Did you read what Linguist said? If she feels the product is right for her, she will buy it. But if it is not a good fit, she owes you nothing. No one owes you anything. And you know what? That is a risk you take when you work on commission. I know because I do too. I know just about everything there is to know about cameras, and I will spend the time with each and every customer to make sure they have the knowledge and confidence to make the right purchase for them. Guess what? That purchase is not always going to be from me. THAT is the way that business works, not your "I spend my time on you therefore you spend your money on me" diatribe. It is not rude to gather information before purchasing and it surely isn't rude to buy from somewhere that fits your needs better, and yes, wanting it cheaper can be considered a need. It would be great if we got a return off of every customer we invested in, but that is, quite frankly, wholly unrealistic.

And to call people rude for doing due diligence and researching the product before making a decision is a lot more rude than what you've accused Linguist of doing. I wish every customer did what she does! I would have fewer returns and a lot less bellyaching if customers thought about what they were going to buy.

So, in the end, I think you should suck it up, Jack, because it's a reality that we don't get every customer we help and their decision to go somewhere else is not rude, it's business. You might be happier if you stop taking it personally.

[Rageaholic]

It's my defensive response too.

I know some companies have a "10 foot rule" where employees have to greet customers who go within 10 feet of them. Also, sometimes I am just looking. I don't ask for any help so how on earth am I wasting anyone's time but my own?

[the_std]

you know the customer...

"How can we help you today sir?"

"I'm just looking."

Then they proceed to waste an hour of your valuable time asking you 500 questions, just to NOT buy anything, in a job where you only get paid if they buy something!

I don't ask for any help so how on earth am I wasting anyone's time but my own?

To be fair, Rage, Jack is talking specifically about the people who ask a lot of questions and then walk out without buying anything. So he is not talking about you specifically.

[AdminAssistant]

New furniture, as I learned this summer, is freaking expensive. So yes, I went to furniture stores to just look. I told the salespeople I was only there to look, and all of them seemed totally okay with that. Usually they would give me some basic information and let me look. Once I had an idea about pricing, brands, etc., we did order something online through a regional furniture store chain. (To be fair, it was a style that they only carried online.)

If we're going to spend nearly $1,000 on something, yes, we're going to shop around. We're going to sleep on the decision and see if it works with our budget. If we decide to buy, we will contact the original salesperson that helped us in the first place so they get the commission. However, if they're rude, pushy, or act as if we're wasting their time, we'll walk out without buying, and we'll contact management to let them know exactly why we didn't make a purchase.

[Jack T. Chance]

New furniture, as I learned this summer, is freaking expensive. So yes, I went to furniture stores to just look. I told the salespeople I was only there to look, and all of them seemed totally okay with that. Usually they would give me some basic information and let me look. Once I had an idea about pricing, brands, etc., we did order something online through a regional furniture store chain. (To be fair, it was a style that they only carried online.)

If we're going to spend nearly $1,000 on something, yes, we're going to shop around. We're going to sleep on the decision and see if it works with our budget. If we decide to buy, we will contact the original salesperson that helped us in the first place so they get the commission. However, if they're rude, pushy, or act as if we're wasting their time, we'll walk out without buying, and we'll contact management to let them know exactly why we didn't make a purchase.

And I have no problem with the way you did it. When a customer such as yourself comes in, we do just what that salesperson did... we spend maybe 5 seconds welcoming you to the store and asking you to let us know if you have any questions, and then we invite you to look around.

I'm not a pushy salesperson at all. I am NOT a pushy "Mattress Professional" that pushes so hard I push you right out the door. I am a SLEEP CONSULTANT. I use a consultative, comfort-based approach, which is the RIGHT way to sell a bed today. Don't take my word for that, that's the approach recommended by publications such as Sleep Savvy and Furniture Today, because it results in happier, more satisfied customers.

But customers that walk in, want all the information, then want to pull out "I was just looking" and walk out are only HURTING themselves by doing so, whether they realize it or not. That customer obviously had some objection to the sale. At that point, they can be honest with me and tell me the TRUTH of what's going on, so I can overcome that objection to find a solution that works for them, or they can lie, say "I was just looking", and leave, at which point they have FAILED to solve the problem that brought them in. They have NOT purchased a mattress, which is something they obviously needed, or else they wouldn't have walked in my door. I can only help them if they give me ALL the information necessary to make the right recommendation. I always say things like "based on what YOU'VE TOLD ME, this is the right mattress for you." I then give the specifics as to WHY, repeating back the info they gave me. I then ASK "do you feel that we've found the right mattress for your needs?" or something to that effect. I am NOT the enemy here. I am doing my best to help them find the right product for their needs and for their budget.

And yes, price IS an issue. That's true. I happen to work for one of the largest mattress store chains on the East Coast of the United States. We have buying power few companies can match. That doesn't mean we're going to be the Costco of the mattress industry and just give away mattresses at rock-bottom prices out of the goodness of our hearts! We are in business TO MAKE MONEY, as is EVERY retailer! If we weren't, we'd be a NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION.

But we DO have a Price Guarantee! IF the customer is HONEST with me about price being the objection, I have the POWER to undercut my competitors to take the deal from them. But I'm not going to just do that out of the goodness of my heart! The customer has to let me know that's the reason why they're not buying! Why would I give everything away and make no money if I don't have to? A retailer isn't going to stay in business long if they do that! That's Business Management 101 stuff right there! DUH!

Bottom line, if you're the "lookie loo" type, you're only ultimately going to hurt yourself. Do that crap often enough, and the retail workers in your area are going to come to a unanimous decision that you aren't worth the time or effort to pay attention to you. And then you won't be able to get good customer service when you NEED it.

[bara]

Commissioned sales, is in my opinion just a way for companies to pay employess less because they know that the majority of people walking in the store are just looking (at least for high end items) like furniture etc.

Take my last job, lawn care. I made 350 a week regardless of the hours I worked. But the only way to make any real money was to sell more services (which most people couldnt afford anyway).

The main issue was I was hired to treat lawns, that was my main function. So having to do that for 10 hours a day pretty much meant I had no time to sell anything. rarely would I get a sell of anything, and the great majority of the people I talked to were current customers, the only sales that counted were new services. Ironically, when it came time to start laying off people the first thing they would look at is sales. That would make sense if I were hired to do sales.

[Peppergirl]

To be fair, I don't think he's referring to people who come in and politely say
just looking' and then proceed to look around and without asking 1000 questions.

I don't find anything wrong with that, but yeah - to waste the time of a commissioned sales person by taking up hours of their time and then not purchasing, or being a general pain in the ass - that would be beyond frustrating.

Sure, it goes with the job, but that doesn't mean it's not frustrating as hell. And costly to the employee. Unfortunately, SC's are everywhere - as we all know.

It also sucks that there's so many dishonest commissioned sales people out there that cause the honest ones to have to jump through hoops because people are scared of being ripped off and/or having high pressure tactics thrown at them.

[Rageaholic]

It looks like I misread it. If they actually do take up your time asking questions only to say "Oh I was just looking", I can understand being annoyed.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I just spent about six or seven hundred bucks on a bedroom set for my daughter. I found it online for, when it was all said and done, about two hundred bucks less when you factor in the discount the online company gave me for being a new customer and the fact that they waived the delivery fee.

I saw the exact same set in a furniture store. I went in there to look at it before I made a decision. Frankly, I'd have paid around fifty bucks more just to get it from a local vendor, so I was not adverse to buying it from the brick and mortar store.

I had a saleman basically attack me before I even got my ass into their store. Literally, they blocked the entrance to the store, impeding my entrance. Then they worked up all this paperwork on the thing.

Now, here's how it went down: His price was, at the time, about eighty bucks more than the website was telling me. He didn't want to waive the delivery fee. I'm not paying almost a hundred bucks more so I don't hurt some dude's feelings. So I go home, get on line, place my order, and lo and behold they give me another ten percent off just because.

So for the price of a delivery truck coming out to my place, they taught me a valuable lesson: NEVER buy expensive furniture from a brick and mortar store again. I'll make every furniture purchase from here on out from that online vendor. So this store lost my business, and my FUTURE business, over an eighty collar truckroll on something that they were gonna make almost a thousand bucks on. I wasn't angry, I understand a brick and mortar store can't really compete with an online warehouse. I get that. But it's not my fault and I don't feel obligated to coddle furniture salesman as a result of it. I'm going after the best deal, and that's just the way it is.

The salesman was visibly irked. Tough tit. It's not personal, it's business. If he tried to tell me I owed him something, or I was obligated to buy from him, I'd have laughed in his face.

It's pretty difficult to "Just look" in a furniture store. They're on you like a pack of dogs.

[Hyena Dandy]

Speaking only for myself, and I am unanimous in this...

I didn't know Mrs. Slocombe visited Fratching

[Andara Bledin]

Buying a mattress is NOT like walking into Best Buy to pick-up a copy of your favorite movie on DVD or Blu-Ray. There are well-developed sales processes used in this industry because they WORK.

Sorry, but that makes me roll my eyes. It's just so over the top.

^-.-^