Frump to Fab 2018 - Fabulous Dahhhhlings

lessonlearned

Oh I love a good mooch. :rotfl: craft fairs, antique shops, markets, factory shops, charity shops, DIY sheds, garden centres, builders merchants. Ikea is one of my favourite days out......lol.

But I also like Advice when I need it or even a second opinion. And I do enjoy a good chat. .....

Recently I bought a coat from Asda. There was a choice of forest green or deep pink. I couldn't decide. There was an assistant hovering around loading up new stock onto the racks. I asked her which one did she think. Within minutes we were chatting and having a giggle, another couple of ladies joined in. It was a lovely shopping experience. Human contact and having fun.

Yeah I could have just loaded a Coat into a trolly, ignored the assistant and the other ladies who were browsing. But where's the fun In that.

I thanked the assistant and said I hope I didn't hold you up. She said she loved chatting to customers, giving advice and helping them. She said it brightened her day and that working alone restocking and merchandising was lonely and boring.

So again, another viewpoint, from the other side of the counter. Most shop assistants seem to like human interaction too. The staff on the tills in supermarkets usually love to chat and engage in a bit if banter. At least they do "up north". Although I have found just the same in London.

My sister works for a large retail chemist. She says she always makes a point of chatting and having a bit of a laugh with the customers, many of whom are elderly and live alone. She does it anyway because she is a natural people person but it is actually company policy. The staff are taught to engage with customers, as part of their mission statement in promoting wellness and good mental health.

I appreciate that as you are your husbands career and there are probably occasions when you really enjoy time alone being able to switch off. I was the same. Shopping alone did provide a welcome break at times. But on the whole I guess I'm just a sociable being who just loves engaging with the human race. Lol.

maman

I really admire your energy and decisiveness with the house LL. I wish I lived nearer so you could pass on your recommendations for trades. Around here it's very difficult to get anyone to do jobs. We are getting closer to bathroom decisions though and then it'll be a case of finding a good plumber! I've decided on this washandbasin which we saw this week when we were out and about.
https://www.victorianplumbing.co.uk/bayswater-fitzroy-515mm-cloakroom-basin-2th-chrome-wash-stand


Ignore the price as a local company has come up with far less. It's big enough for our tiny bathroom and the lack of a pedestal will make the room look more spacious.:)

humptydumptybits wrote: »

At the end of the day I think we all want the best of both worlds we just don't always agree on what's best.

I see it more as we want choice. There's so much publicity about the death of the High Street that, if shops are to survive they must offer more IMO than you'd get by serving yourself or going online. I understand that if you go somewhere like Aldi or the £ shop what they offer is cheap prices (although I have to say that the staff in my Aldi are brilliantly helpful). When a shop wants to charge more like Waitrose or Sainsbury's or, on this occasion, Skechers then they should offer a good customer service to give themselves an edge. That being said we had an excellent experience in John Lewis yesterday. Yes, we had to wait a while as they had limited staff but the service was excellent. What annoys me is when a business is trying to take us for mugs and trying to charge high prices and cut the customer service to the bone. The adage 'You pays your money and you takes your choice' is very true.


I still haven't tried on the clothes I bought yesterday. Its this dress:
https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.0730997002.html


and these trousers:


https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.0684186002.html


I really need to have a sort out of my wardrobe. I'm not short of clothes but I think I'm just tired of some of them. As many are from the CS or I've had them years then they could be retired without much financial hardship. I think that I spend so much time in smart casual (don't we all?) that I need to get some more of that. I seem to live in my black jeans or leggings.


Another glorious day. I was going to dash around this morning but decided to take it slowly and arrive at my massage relaxed. If I manage to fit in a shop later then I will but otherwise tomorrow will do.:)

lessonlearned

Can you believe this weather. Once again I'm sitting outside, eating my lunch al fresco. Who needs Spain when we've got this. I loved my car ride this morning, blue skies and the trees all ablaze in their autumn glory.

I shall be pottering about later, working both inside and outside. I have got some bulbs to plant and I want to venture up into the attic room before it gets really cold up there (zero insulation -that will have to wait until next year, so the upstairs room will be used purely for storage for now).

I splashed out this morning and bought a fabulous "Arctic Fox" fake fur throw. Only £30 from Aldi. Very glamourous. I also bought some not quite so glamourous foil insulation to try. I'll put that behind the radiators where they are sited on an outside wall. No point heating up the street. :rotfl:

Aldi have got some really good stuff in. I have started buying a few nice foodie bits for Christmas. Also bought some scented candles that were reduced.

A girl can never have too many candles.......:D

humptydumptybits

lessonlearned wrote: »

Oh I love a good mooch. :rotfl: craft fairs, antique shops, markets, factory shops, charity shops, DIY sheds, garden centres, builders merchants. Ikea is one of my favourite days out......lol.

But I also like Advice when I need it or even a second opinion. And I do enjoy a good chat. .....

Recently I bought a coat from Asda. There was a choice of forest green or deep pink. I couldn't decide. There was an assistant hovering around loading up new stock onto the racks. I asked her which one did she think. Within minutes we were chatting and having a giggle, another couple of ladies joined in. It was a lovely shopping experience. Human contact and having fun.

Yeah I could have just loaded a Coat into a trolly, ignored the assistant and the other ladies who were browsing. But where's the fun In that.

I thanked the assistant and said I hope I didn't hold you up. She said she loved chatting to customers, giving advice and helping them. She said it brightened her day and that working alone restocking and merchandising was lonely and boring.

So again, another viewpoint, from the other side of the counter. Most shop assistants seem to like human interaction too. The staff on the tills in supermarkets usually love to chat and engage in a bit if banter. At least they do "up north". Although I have found just the same in London.

My sister works for a large retail chemist. She says she always makes a point of chatting and having a bit of a laugh with the customers, many of whom are elderly and live alone. She does it anyway because she is a natural people person but it is actually company policy. The staff are taught to engage with customers, as part of their mission statement in promoting wellness and good mental health.

I appreciate that as you are your husbands career and there are probably occasions when you really enjoy time alone being able to switch off. I was the same. Shopping alone did provide a welcome break at times. But on the whole I guess I'm just a sociable being who just loves engaging with the human race. Lol.

Opposites for sure. I can't imagine ever wanting to know what a random stranger thinks about choosing a coat. I think I'm too independent and know what I like. My DD is different, she loves to go shopping with someone and always wants opinions and will try on a million different things and is as likely to leave with nothing as she is to buy something. Drives me mad and I'm not an ideal shopping companion as if she asks me what I think I ask her how she feels and it goes round in circles.


I'm afraid I'd avoid your sister's shop, I like my local Lloyds at Sainsbury's where they just get on with it. I felt the rage last night when I popped out to a local supermarket and only one till open and the assistant was having a chat about her parents recent holiday and how she'd looked after their dogs. I really wanted to tell her to get on with her job because I didn't want to hear about it and I wanted to pay and get out (self serve tills were out of action.)



It isn't to do with being a carer, I've always been the same. I think it is probably because people do seem to like telling me their life story and always have and I'm too polite to cut them off so I just dread another long meaningless chat. I suppose if people are lonely it is different but I like to be sociable with the people I know and like.


Don't even ask about the chat with the hairdresser. I found one lovely young chap who liked to work in silence, it was heaven but then he moved to be with his partner so I'm back to the meaningless, "Are you doing anything nice tonight" or "Where are you going on holiday."

sugarbaby125

Hello Ladies,

On Wednesday my daughter was told that the Pie Minister where she is currently employed had lost it's lease so the restaurant closes on Sunday. :eek:

moneyistooshorttomention

I know what you mean by self-service LL.

I went shopping for a Mother of the Bride hat with a friend here at one point. Not a shop I would use myself - the style is rather "fancier" than ours.

So it landed up with an assistant there focusing just on my friend until she'd found a hat she wanted. There were the 3 of us standing there, picking out hats/rejecting hats and commenting on what we thought of each one. In the end - the shop assistant and I both picked out the same hat between us as the correct one for my friend (after we'd both examined what she looked like in about half a dozen different hats).

My friend duly bought the one that both the shop assistant and I had fixed on as "The one that suited her best".

LOL at the thought that this is the friend that keeled over, going "HOW much?" when I told her what I'd spent on last pair of shoes - as the hat cost around £200 as far as I recall....

EDIT; As for shopping for myself - I'd much rather if someone told me if an item doesnt suit me. I'm certainly prone to asking a shop assistant (or another customer) which choice makes me look best and don't mind another customer asking me the same about their choices.

lessonlearned

Well I too am perfectly capable of choosing my own clothes. :rotfl:

However, I do like to chat and have fun whilst doing so. And if I brighten a shop assistants day, well that's even better.

I am afraid we are really going to have differ on this one because I firmly believe that a Pharmacy is one place where staff shouldn't "just get on with it". They really need to get to know their customers to keep an eye on them. It's a duty of care that they should sign up to. I know there are many pharmacists who only care about the profits they make but it is not right. In fact it's downright immoral.

How many painkillers are they getting through, are they getting their medication right, do they appear confused or malnourished. So many telltale signs that you can spot if you actually talk to your customers.
If the pharmacy assistants don't engage with their customers then then they can't be monitored. Some people may bristle at what they feel are intrusive questions but they are asked in good faith to offer good and safe customer care. Its just good practice.

My sisters team have helped hundreds of people get correct medical care - from confused elderly people to drug addicts, often contacting the customers GP to express concern and get them an emergency appointment.

They have even had people admitted to A&E when they have been serious concerns about someone's immediate needs, sometimes a member of staff will accompany an elderly frail or confused customer in the ambulance.

Of course if you really hate engaging with a real person in then you can use an online pharmacy.

Many years ago I worked in the wines and spirits dept of a large supermarket. It was kept seperate from the main tills because of the cigarettes. I think it was a matter of course then but nowadays you can just take alcohol through the main tills.

I noticed the same lady coming in every morning around 9.30. She always bought the same thing......a bottle of bitter lemon, half a bottle of gin and a box of matches. The matches were clearly her excuse. The other assistants thought it was hilarious but nosey me was intrigued and I grew concerned about her. I never saw her buy food.

Obviously she had a drink problem, her hands shook very badly and you only had to look at her face to see the ravages of drink. I took it upon myself to befriend her and eventually helped her onto a treatment programme. Should I have just got on with it, serving her without comment and then getting on with my stock reports or whatever.

At the risk of sounding like Miss Goody Two Shoes I like to think I did right by her.

lessonlearned

Humpty.....you probably won't know about my darling Aunty S. I haven't mentioned her recently. It was a kindly shop assistant who alerted her family to the fact that she appeared somewhat confused.

Turns out she had Alzheimer's but because she lived alone no one had noticed. But the shop keeper noticed a change in her shopping habits. All of a sudden she was buying large quantities of food, as if she were catering for a family. Well she was in her own mind. The realty was they were all grown up and lived miles away. She was quite alone.

lessonlearned

Money.....ah hats.

I used to spend many a happy Saturday afternoon trying on hats in C&A with my mates. Sadly long gone now. The old ducks who ran the department were brilliant and very patient with us, even though they knew we weren't proper customers and had no money. One of them recognised me from when I used to go in with Aunty S. so perhaps that was why they were so nice. The thing is those old gals knew their stuff, they knew faces and which hats would suit.

It's the same with gents outfitters. You still get good tailors today who can just look at a man and know his size, what fit would be best.

The first time I took the boys for their sixth form suits they were amazed by the guys in Burtons. And the same as they have grown older, with different menswear shops. Even now.

I mentioned that DS2 gets on well with Next. I went with Him recently and the staff in the menswear dept were brilliant. They knew all about size, styles, cuts, cloths etc.

Which begs the question why is it so rare for women to be able to access that same level of service and treatment, unless we go to the really high end shops. Next Womenswear do not offer the same level of service as Next Menswear, even when they are in the same building. The menswear depts usually look immaculate whilst the womenswear area resembles Paddy's market, merchandise all over the place so you can't find anything.

Frustrating. :rotfl:

lessonlearned

SUgarbaby,.....what a blow for your daughter.

Well now I have been sat out in the garden for ages, being really lazy. I must get a wiggle on. Still it will be wet and miserable soon enough. I can work then.

And, anyway, I'm supposed to rest after acupuncture. Lol.