What can we learn from Retail Hell?
We are all under added stress today, just trying to make ends meet, so many things up in the air—our health care, our kids, our job security is in question for many of us, and we are simply trying to make sure we have a roof over our heads and food on the table. That said, I have noticed a few places we where we like to vie for power or get some control in a world that currently feels more out of control than ever.
One is on the road; we might feel pretty cocky sitting behind two thousand pounds of steel yelling at someone for simply getting one car ahead of us/taking the spot that we are sure was ours/just because we are self-centered and get no respect so damn it we are going to get it in the parking lot!
Then there’s the stores. The places where customer service representatives become the sounding board for all our stuffed feelings and resentments and we are all too happy to sneer, judge, dismiss and downright treat them badly because—well, we feel bad about ourselves. I can’t tell you how many times I have wished everyone had to take a public etiquette course!
Here are some tips from my friend Freeman Hall who wrote a book called Retail Hell: Confessions of a Tortured Sales Associate. They can help you change your attitude on or off the road so we can be contributors of peace and love rather than harbingers of darkness.
1)Greet people you see either with your eyes, a smile or when a Sale Associate greets you, greet them back. Feeling welcome is a huge part of being connected to other people. A smile and hello go a long way and get you better service. A glare and silence makes the Retail Slave take note that you might just be a huge problem. They will run the other way. Take advantage of their greeting to ask a question or get help. If you don't need either, a friendly greeting will let them know you are not Scrooge and they'll be eager to assist you when the time is right.
2)If you have a question, ask the right person. Asking a Sales Associate where the wing nuts are in the Lingerie Department is bad shopping form and going to get you a blank stare and "I don't know." If there is no one in the Hardware department, a better question would be "Could you please call and get me assistance in Hardware."
3)Leave your Diva or Ruler and master of the Universe attitude at the door. Being rude and demanding gets you nowhere. Salespeople get belittled and talked down to constantly. Don't throw a tantrum when the store runs out of George Forman grills. It's not the sales associate's fault. They didn't order the merchandise.
4)Wait your turn. Yes, you have ten million errands to run, but so does everyone else. Interrupting salespeople while they are on the phone or helping other customers because you want to be waited on immediately is a sure-fire way to get bad service. They will purposely go slow and ignore you. Be patient. They know you are there and they will get to you. The nicer you are, the more they will attempt to either get you help or help you while waiting on others.
5)Don't go shopping in a rush. If you have to be somewhere in 15 minutes and you pull into the mall on December 23rd, get ready for some Retail Hell. Save yourself stress and aggravation by not having time constraints. You may get in and out, and you may not. Stores work hard to staff, but sometimes the Law of Retail Hell Gravity hits and everyone wants to be rung up at the same time.
To see more of Maryanne talking with hilarious Freeman Hall, check out her interview on MaryanneLive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HaUHV...
One is on the road; we might feel pretty cocky sitting behind two thousand pounds of steel yelling at someone for simply getting one car ahead of us/taking the spot that we are sure was ours/just because we are self-centered and get no respect so damn it we are going to get it in the parking lot!
Then there’s the stores. The places where customer service representatives become the sounding board for all our stuffed feelings and resentments and we are all too happy to sneer, judge, dismiss and downright treat them badly because—well, we feel bad about ourselves. I can’t tell you how many times I have wished everyone had to take a public etiquette course!
Here are some tips from my friend Freeman Hall who wrote a book called Retail Hell: Confessions of a Tortured Sales Associate. They can help you change your attitude on or off the road so we can be contributors of peace and love rather than harbingers of darkness.
1)Greet people you see either with your eyes, a smile or when a Sale Associate greets you, greet them back. Feeling welcome is a huge part of being connected to other people. A smile and hello go a long way and get you better service. A glare and silence makes the Retail Slave take note that you might just be a huge problem. They will run the other way. Take advantage of their greeting to ask a question or get help. If you don't need either, a friendly greeting will let them know you are not Scrooge and they'll be eager to assist you when the time is right.
2)If you have a question, ask the right person. Asking a Sales Associate where the wing nuts are in the Lingerie Department is bad shopping form and going to get you a blank stare and "I don't know." If there is no one in the Hardware department, a better question would be "Could you please call and get me assistance in Hardware."
3)Leave your Diva or Ruler and master of the Universe attitude at the door. Being rude and demanding gets you nowhere. Salespeople get belittled and talked down to constantly. Don't throw a tantrum when the store runs out of George Forman grills. It's not the sales associate's fault. They didn't order the merchandise.
4)Wait your turn. Yes, you have ten million errands to run, but so does everyone else. Interrupting salespeople while they are on the phone or helping other customers because you want to be waited on immediately is a sure-fire way to get bad service. They will purposely go slow and ignore you. Be patient. They know you are there and they will get to you. The nicer you are, the more they will attempt to either get you help or help you while waiting on others.
5)Don't go shopping in a rush. If you have to be somewhere in 15 minutes and you pull into the mall on December 23rd, get ready for some Retail Hell. Save yourself stress and aggravation by not having time constraints. You may get in and out, and you may not. Stores work hard to staff, but sometimes the Law of Retail Hell Gravity hits and everyone wants to be rung up at the same time.
To see more of Maryanne talking with hilarious Freeman Hall, check out her interview on MaryanneLive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HaUHV...
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