Radio Commentary: Retail Failure

[PatchO'Black]

Recently, one of our local stations broadcast a commentary by the station owner about an experience he had in a store. A copy of the commentary in PDF format can be found here.

As I already responded to a prior commentary this fellow made last October, where he thought that the phrase "trick or treat" should stop being used, I don't think I will write in on this one, as much as I would like to. So, I'll just put up my thoughts here:

1. He notes there was only one employee on duty at the time. Even if he was the only customer in the store at the time, she might not be able to spend time trying to sell them something they might not want.

2. He also says that, after answering his question, she went to work on a display. So, it was hardly like she was just standing around not working.

3. He didn't actually ask if they had anything similar to what he requested. While, yes, it did turn out he wouldn't have minded her suggesting something else, the employee had no way of knowing this, and some people might have found such a suggestion as a "hard sell" tactic. As we have often said here, retail employees rarely have mind-reading abilities.

What do you folks think?

[MaggieTheCat]

I pretty much agree with everything you said. When the guy asked if they had the soap he wanted, the employee could have said, "No, can I help you find something else?" But he just as easily could have asked her, "Can you help me find something else?" after he found out they didn't have the soap.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I needed some soap. So I entered a local soap and
perfume store and asked the lone attendant if the
store carried a Spanish soap called “Magno.”
The attendant said no, the store doesn’t carry Spanish
soap. So I suppose I might have turned on my heel and
left, but it was an attractive store, and I thought that
perhaps I’d find something else – a soap that wasn’t
“Magno” and wasn’t Spanish.
And I expected that the attendant would help.
But no. She figured she’d done her job. She had said,
“No, we don’t carry Spanish soap,” and she had busied
herself with a perfume display.

Well, yes, because she does have a job to do after all.

She could've asked him if she could've helped him find something else. But not doing that is hardly the biggest crime in the world. After all, he could've asked her for additional help himself.

And at a time
when retailers are struggling, this attendant’s failure to
do her job dismayed me.

Unless store clerks are now required to be telepathic, she didn't fail to do shit.

I hope that her performance isn’t typical If it is, the
economy is in more trouble than I’d thought.

Because people aren't struggling with job losses or paying all their bills or anything. Nope, the economy is screwed because retail grunts are lazy slackers.

Try not to be such an entitlement whore next time.

[RxBoy]

And yet the biggest complaint I seem to hear from the public about salespeople is that they are pushy and aggressive, that they hoover around you and won't just leave you alone to browse around. I tell you, we can't win for loosing in this industry.

If a salesperson approaches you and starts talking to you when you walk in the store, they are accused of being pushy. If you leave the customer alone to look around, you are accused of not caring about customer service. How do you win?

[JLG]

Every hour ALL associates not currently helping customers are required to go on the sales floor (management pages a code) to say hi to customers and ask them if they need help with anything.

One lady said to an associate F U i have been asked already now leave me alone!

[TheComputerError]

After a quick Googling, I've found this out about Magno: 1) It's a soap made in Spain and has to be imported for sale in the US. 2) It's bloody expensive at $12.00 for a 700ml bottle of shower gel.

With the economy of the US as it is, perhaps this jack-off would be better off not helping foreign companies profit and perhaps saving his money to pay off his credit card bills (as that's partly what caused this recession). If he was that concerned with the US economy, I suppose he would have no problem buying from HGJohnson or P&G.

And, if the store attendant was unaware of what Magno was, how could she have helped him find something similar. I doubt he would be able to tell her what's in the Magno that would make it desirable.

[JustaCashier]

......this attendant’s failure to
do her job dismayed me.

And just what is this dude's job? To sit on his ass every M-F, for three or four hours, quite possibly collecting a rather handsome paycheck, blustering and bitching about piddly shit?


Mike

[Aethian]

I want to *itch slap this person.

[Demolition Man]

Now I can understand this guy's POV had the store had the soap yet the employee said they did not. However I don't see any "fail" in this since the employee answered they did not carry said soap.

[AccountingDrone]

Now I can understand this guy's POV had the store had the soap yet the employee said they did not. However I don't see any "fail" in this since the employee answered they did not carry said soap.

He couldn't ave wandered over to the soap aisle and actually like LOOKED at the products offered and picked something out?

I am sure if he had a question he could have opened his mouth and asked about something, or perhaps picked up a bottle of soap and read the back?

I know that I will browse alone, but if asked by the clerk if I need help will ask if they have a particular item, or tell them that I do not need help at that time ... and I have no problem actually going up to a clerk and asking for help if I need it. i don't expect anybody but my husband to be able to read my mind ...

[PatchO'Black]

Nifty responses. Just to clarify, this was done by the owner of the radio station. Also, they welcome responses, so perhaps a few folks wouldn't mind writting to the station? Like I said in my original post, I would do it myself, but I already got to respond on-air to a prior commentary, and I don't want to look like I'm a habitual complainer or something.

Oh, and I see this was moved to "Check This Out". Wasn't sure if it should be here (because it was a link) or in "Sightings", because it was a story regarding a retail situation. Now I know!

[JustaCashier]

Thanks for the clarification, Patch. (And after re-reading your OP, I see that you mentioned he was the owner, and I missed it yesterday).


Yesterday after posting, I Googled the dude's name and went to the station website, where I found out his status.

So, that just makes him seem like a well-to-do EW, that maybe thinks the world revolves around him, and everything has to come to a screeching halt, so he can be pampered.

I'd be very curious, if he would have gone on the same tirade, had the clerk stepped away to help another customer after answering his question, rather than straightening the display.

Another thought; perhaps he's one of those, what I would call, a self-appointed Secret Shopper. He is in no way employed by the store owner/management, he's not a good buddy of the store owner, who asked him to "secret shop" as a favor.

No, he just thinks it's his job to make sure lowly retail/customer service employees are trying to sell every customer that comes into the store, everything short of the store light fixtures.

I think we've all had those type of SC's.

Mike