Sales assistants that pounce on you

My local Boots is well known for this.

However, sometimes the flip side is an assistant cannot be found for love nor money!

I was shopping to buy a new kitchen. Went to B & Q and completely ignored by all 6 assistants there. Eventually I went over and asked about getting a kitchen designed and priced. The assistant said quite bluntly that they did not offer that service. I spent my £7000 elsewhere

Shopping for a washing machine in John Lewis, I couldn't find anyone to take my order. I took the details, went home and ordered it on line. I made my opinion known to the management.

I don’t think that WH Smith is doing very well. I went in before Christmas looking for a particular game. I looked around for ages and couldn’t see what I wanted so I looked for someone to help. Two assistants were busily walking up and down, doing something or other. I asked a man about the game and he huffed and puffed and said he couldn’t believe it, there had been no one in all morning and then two people needed help at once! I left and ordered online, job done.

i think i am invisible to car sales assistants ,conservatory salesmen and anyone to do with technology.my husband on the other hand is their best friend even though i am the one buying.[

Don't disagree, but I'm equally irritated when you can't find an assistant when you need one

Nowadays it seems to be more a case of find a shop assistant when you want to pay for something, particularly department stores.
If I am asked I say 'no thank you I am just looking', with a pleasant smile, and it seems to work.

Was in a very well known chemists after having been quite ill. Was pounced on by an assistant. Assistant “ would you like to try our serum madam, it can make you look up to five years younger?” Me: could it?” Assistant: Oh yes, it could definitely take ( actually looks at me ) it could....well , it would make a difference! “ Best laugh I’ve had in weeks!

In general, I find shop assistants helpful and happy to leave you to browse if you say you don't need any help. Maybe I'm lucky with the shops I go to!
My worst experience was probably years ago popping in to an electrical shop after dropping my 3 kids at school to see what they had in the way of table lamps as I liked supporting small local businesses. I was just wearing whatever casual clothes had come to hand in the usual morning chaos. The female assistant/owner looked me up and down when I asked to see one of the lamps in the window and said "You won't want that one, it's quite expensive". Needless to say they didn't get a sale and I never went bsck. Totally unacceptable behaviour towards any customer - she probably wouldn't have spoken that way if she'd known my husband was a GP and I was a lecturer.

From the other point of view - my friend worked for many years in a small branch of a building society where many local customers came in regularly, had all their questions answered, and the atmosphere was friendly. Over the years this changed when they were trained to 'pounce' on customers and ask if they needed any other service and had they considered insurance? They then had to explain what the insurance was for. She said she hated asking, no-one wanted it, and longstanding customers were becoming very annoyed. So she stopped asking and immediately was taken to task by the manager. She explained why she had stopped and said she was standing up for customers' rights not to be hassled! She didn't last very long after that but she said the job had changed so much she didn't enjoy it any more.

The reverse of assistants seeking out male customers is those customers that assume the male colleague in our store must be the manager. Good fun when they bypass the females with "oh I want to deal with the manager" or "the manager will do me a deal I'll speak to him". and the male colleague has to point them in the direction of the female they've just rebuffed. In our store we tend to say "hello, good morning /afternoon if you need any help just ask" then leave the customer to browse. Often we work alone so some people do get cross if cant get served straight away but that's cuts for you ? Retail work is shit now, longer hours, more days of the week to cover, no extra for working bank holidays/sundays and most on minimum pay. Add to that pressure from senior management to meet unattainable goals and threat to losing jobs it's no wonder many shop workers are miserable. I love my job despite all that but do hate how badly we get spoken to when things go wrong. We understand how frustrating it is but remember we don't make that faulty tv you received, or knit that sweater that has a hole in it, or produce that chair with a wobbly leg. We will do our best to put things right but coming in with a ready to fight attitude does not help and will not make things happen any quicker. Also expecting "discount for cash" is another that makes us want to scream. No discount the items are priced accordingly and cash is far more work for us than a cc sale! My main gripes when shopping are standing in queues to pay for my lunch (because the quick tills are not manned) while the cashier and customer carry on a conversation then the customer (who had been standing in the queue) spends 5 mins routing in her bag for her purse, then another 5 trying to find the correct money. Do it while waiting in the queue, I only get 20mins unpaid break! And breathe ?

This is one reason why online shopping is so popular as you can delete the ensuing emails etc.
What annoys me is the "would you like any special offers?" at the till. The cashier has to sell a certain amount of these or face action.