Community Chat

[Spurt]

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@juperier wrote:

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@september wrote:

I can’t, for the life of me, understand why anyone gets perturbed when employees are doing their jobs and trying to be helpful. If I don’t need the help, it’s so easy to smile and say “thanks, but I’m good”. 

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And I can do that up to a point. It just gets old really fast when one employee after another tries to "help." Of course there are times when I know what I want, get it, pay for it and leave. Other times I've done my research and simply need to compare items and determine which best fits my needs. I may need to see an instruction manual or two after I've narrowed my choices, in which case I'm fine with intiating a conversation. But most of what I enjoy most about shopping is kind of being in my own little world, looking at what I want to look at, comparing things, seeing what's new...and maybe finding something I wasn't expecting that's just perfect. I likely have a general idea of things I'm looking for, but sometimes I truly am "just looking." Sometimes I'll find little or nothing to buy. But I may also end up spending quite a bit. 

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@juperier

Greeting you and asking if you need help is wonderful, but I HATE those stores where the employees hover over you and follow you around even after you told them you were just browsing....and then they start making sales suggestions....just makes me walk right out of the store--(BBW, Chico's, and mall clothing stores are ones that do this---or I want to tell them..."Im not a shoplifter--go away or I will leave the store"!).............

[Spurt]

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@corita wrote:

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@Bridgegal wrote:

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@september wrote:

I can’t, for the life of me, understand why anyone gets perturbed when employees are doing their jobs and trying to be helpful. If I don’t need the help, it’s so easy to smile and say “thanks, but I’m good”. 

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     I agree.  So easy to say 'yes or no thanks'.  

 Another reason I like Target is no music playing.   Every where we go there is music, music, music.   You can't escape it except at Target.     

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        There is a grocery store in my area that always plays oldies!!  I love it!1  The music is not blaring and I often find myself singing (softly) along with the songs! And I have seen/heard other shoppers do the same!!!

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@corita

In the grocery store chain in our town one of the stores used to actually play heavy metal music....LOL!!!!  I guess people must've complained because they've switched over to country.........How nice that your store played oldies!!!

[suzyQ3]

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@Spurt wrote:

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@corita wrote:

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@Bridgegal wrote:

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@september wrote:

I can’t, for the life of me, understand why anyone gets perturbed when employees are doing their jobs and trying to be helpful. If I don’t need the help, it’s so easy to smile and say “thanks, but I’m good”. 

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     I agree.  So easy to say 'yes or no thanks'.  

 Another reason I like Target is no music playing.   Every where we go there is music, music, music.   You can't escape it except at Target.     

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        There is a grocery store in my area that always plays oldies!!  I love it!1  The music is not blaring and I often find myself singing (softly) along with the songs! And I have seen/heard other shoppers do the same!!!

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@corita

In the grocery store chain in our town one of the stores used to actually play heavy metal music....LOL!!!!  I guess people must've complained because they've switched over to country.........How nice that your store played oldies!!!

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@Spurt, oh, my. I can't decide which I would like the least. :-)

[MoJoV]

After years of working as a grocery cashier it really frosts me when a cashier can't even acknowledge my presence in front of her or him. Just a simple hello. I'm not looking for a best friend just a,simple greeting. I like it when an employee on the sales floor smiles and says hi. I could never totally ignore a customer the way some do. It's just rude,not to mention bad business. No wonder everyone is buying online.

[Mominohio]

Good to know. I won't shop Target because in ours, the staff runs the other way, and are of no help whatsoever.

The shelves are practically bare in many areas of our store too, and I rarely found anything I couldn't live without when I tried to shop there years ago. 

On the positive, I've never seen a cleaner store than our Target, nice wide aisles and well lit. 

[juperier]

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@Spurt wrote:

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@juperier wrote:

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@september wrote:

I can’t, for the life of me, understand why anyone gets perturbed when employees are doing their jobs and trying to be helpful. If I don’t need the help, it’s so easy to smile and say “thanks, but I’m good”. 

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And I can do that up to a point. It just gets old really fast when one employee after another tries to "help." Of course there are times when I know what I want, get it, pay for it and leave. Other times I've done my research and simply need to compare items and determine which best fits my needs. I may need to see an instruction manual or two after I've narrowed my choices, in which case I'm fine with intiating a conversation. But most of what I enjoy most about shopping is kind of being in my own little world, looking at what I want to look at, comparing things, seeing what's new...and maybe finding something I wasn't expecting that's just perfect. I likely have a general idea of things I'm looking for, but sometimes I truly am "just looking." Sometimes I'll find little or nothing to buy. But I may also end up spending quite a bit. 

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@juperier

Greeting you and asking if you need help is wonderful, but I HATE those stores where the employees hover over you and follow you around even after you told them you were just browsing....and then they start making sales suggestions....just makes me walk right out of the store--(BBW, Chico's, and mall clothing stores are ones that do this---or I want to tell them..."Im not a shoplifter--go away or I will leave the store"!).............

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@Spurt Exactly! Each of us have our own style of shopping that works for us. There's a big difference between a curteous greeting and repeatedly trying to force undesired interaction. I typically have at least some knowledge about whatever category of items I'm browsing. I'm much more focused on what specs/features something has and why those are important to me. I can read the info provided (which is sometimes more accurate than what a sales person imples anyway) and make my own determination of how critcal each spec/feature is to me. I wasn't so much thinking of clothing stores (and definitely wasn't specifically thinking of Target), but they (clothing stores) are certainly a great example. Bottom line is that I don't want a new sales person approaching me just because I've moved ten feet in the same department. And in these days of cameras everywhere, is there really the need to hover just for the sake of hovering? I'd can't even imagine shoplifting something. But obviously there are enough others who do that stores need to take precautions. At least respect your customers enough to do it discretely from a distance.

[TenderMercies]

I can't get over how when I'm done checking out at a Walmart, I'll take my receipt and say "Thank you," and the cashier will just mutter "Uhmmhmmm" and not even make eye contact with me.  Shouldn't their response be, "No, thank YOU" with a smile?  

Years ago, I was finishing up checking out at Fresh Market and the cashier, who was a teenage girl went to hand me my receipt.  Well, I have a bit of a trick, lower back issue where my lower back randomly sort of feels like it gives out.  It's a very traumatizing experience when it happens, and it really freaks me out.  Just as I was reaching across the counter to take the receipt from her hand, my back gave out and instead of just taking the receipt, it was like I violently snatched the receipt out of her hand as my entire upper body spasmed, and I did my best to keep my footing.  I saw stars from being in such pain, and before I could even take a breath, the cashier started screaming at me, "Why did you take it from me like that?!  What's wrong with you?!  You're an (expletive)!"  I was breaking out in a cold sweat and just holding onto my carriage as my peripheral vision started closing in, and I could feel my blood pressure dropping.  The people behind me in line were so confused.  She continued to scream at me as I just did my best to bolt out of the store before I passed out.  Even if I had snatched the receipt from her hand intentionally, I can't believe that anyone would ever behave like that.  I never got her name or reported the incident to management, because I was so embarassed.  I enjoy shopping there all the time.  Years later, I still see the same employees who've been there for almost a decade, but I've never seen that cashier.  I'm sure her attitude caught up with her before I ever returned, and she was let go.

[Lindsays Grandma]

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@TenderMercies wrote:

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@tansy wrote:

Cynical me thinks it's a stop-shoplifting method as well:/

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I’ve always wondered if there’s a person sitting in a back room in front of a wall of computer monitors watching these stores from security cameras.  Someone recently robbed our local Target by stealing a Dyson vacuum.  Apparently two employees tried to stop the thief at the doors and he pulled out a knife and threatened them and got away.  Someone had to have been watching him as you wouldn’t be able to fit a Dyson in a bag.  He would look like any other customer carrying out a Dyson that had been purchased.

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Many moons ago I worked for a restaurant owner and my job was to tally all the bar receipts.  I had an office in a separate building and on my desk was a small computer (not really a computer, don't know what to call it) and it was connected to a camera of the bar, I was able to see everything the bar tender did and some of the customers sitting at the bar as well.  It was eerie and my boss never did say why it was there or if I should keep an eye on it, so I didn't!!!!

[CouponQueen]

Meh...it happens in many stores and I would rather be left alone. If I need help I will ask....that said ---I know they are doing their job so I just answer 'just looking' and they are fine with it.

I agree on the Bed, Bath and Beyond UGH ...as I circle the store at least three people have accosted me with "can I help you find anything...?" Again, I know they are doing their job..but it can be annoying lol...I get it..

Our Target has self-check out for those that want to utilize them...but also in our Target if the line gets a couple people deep- they call associates up to open another one.

I have never encounted the stocking of the shelves issue in Target - I always presumed they did it after store hours ...but then again ours is not open24-hours.....Wal-Mart does start restocking  at aout 8 pm in our area. Blocking everything with pallets.

I have been going to Wal-Mart as a last resort as I cannot stand the lack of registers open...shelves are often bare..etc.

I like the Cartwheel app as I always end up saving even more off...

[Katcat1]

Every store should up their game.  Customer Service can make or break a company sometimes.  Excellent CS keeps customers coming back.  Nordstrom lead the way and the people love that store and their CS.  I don't know one person that doesn't like excellent CS.  Target is a favorite store of mine.  I purchase all my household items and bathroom items and love exploring what's new.