MSE News: Brits reject 'Can I help?' shopping culture

ViolaLass

Savethekipper wrote: »

I was in L'Occitane in Liverpool at the weekend and saw an assistant approaching and was virtually already telling her I did not require any help before she even asked me ..........when she did approach me though she was offering a free glass of wine so unsurprisingly I said yes to that :beer:

Perhaps if all shops offered you a glass of wine or a chocolate we might not object to the question "do you need help" then :rotfl:

My local Hotel Chocolat offer you a chocolate every time you go in. means I love visiting and gives the assistant an excuse to approach me. It's smart.

1900sr

Working in a small independent retailer I'll greet a customer and if they just want to browse that's fine, I'll ask them to let me know if they are looking fr anything in particular or would like advice. However it really saddens me when people leave without asking for assistance and you hear them saying something like "I thought they'd have...." as a lot of the time we have got it and they haven't seen it, or we can get it quickly. I think a lot of people are afraid of being "sold" something and some think if they so much as look at a member of staff they'll have their wallets surgically emptied.

bellatinks76

I work in a small independent shop as well and it's part of my job to say 'hi' customers as they walk in. It's incredible the number of people that ignore me or look at me blankly. It's not like I'm going to force them to buy anything but people don't see that. Even when I'm with my Mum she won't respond to shop assistants saying 'hi' because she thinks she's going to have to buy something if she does. Attitudes like this annoy me as I'm only doing my job and it's so easy to say 'hi' back or 'no thanks, I'm just looking'.