just looking
Thread Starter
50 Watt CAFz'r
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 83
why is it that the first response out of a customers mouth when approached for help says JUST LOOKING. i've asked customers at times "how's it going today", and their answer in a grouchy tone is JUST LOOKING. well now that's not what i asked you, i asked how are you doing! at this point in time it is 9:01 am and the store just opened and they walk directly to the audio wall like their on a mission and start looking around. so i go to check on them , thinking it must be important from their rushed behaviour, and to my surprise the response is JUST LOOKING. at this time in the morning??? get a life man! sometimes you get tied up with something just as they need help, they start to complain about nobody helped them out at all and they've been waiting around for service. so in other words "YOUR DAMNED IF YOU DO AND DAMNED IF YOU DON'T"! [img]graemlins/freak.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/dunno.gif[/img]
500 Watt CAFz'r
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 923
Cust says "I'm just looking."
you say (with a smile) "Thats GREAT! What were you looking for?"
Or you approach with "Welcome to (insert your store name here) Visions Electronics"
Cust says "Im just looking."
you say (with a smile) "Great....I just wanted to welcome you to the store."
Customer usually feels guilty and occasionally responds with my favourite word....."Actually"
"Actually I was looking for a _______. I reply "Thats awesome (big smile). I have those over here. Let me SHOW you."
If you still get the stonewall, tee it over to another salesperson and let them try and break the ice. Maybe (for some reason) they (cust)weren't comfortable with you yet. Who knows? Let your other guy close the deal and he gives you half and you take another up and close them during, give him half of yours. Everyone wins.
you say (with a smile) "Thats GREAT! What were you looking for?"
Or you approach with "Welcome to (insert your store name here) Visions Electronics"
Cust says "Im just looking."
you say (with a smile) "Great....I just wanted to welcome you to the store."
Customer usually feels guilty and occasionally responds with my favourite word....."Actually"
"Actually I was looking for a _______. I reply "Thats awesome (big smile). I have those over here. Let me SHOW you."
If you still get the stonewall, tee it over to another salesperson and let them try and break the ice. Maybe (for some reason) they (cust)weren't comfortable with you yet. Who knows? Let your other guy close the deal and he gives you half and you take another up and close them during, give him half of yours. Everyone wins.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Man I remember back in the good old days working in a skateboard shop, you ask if they need anything once, then after that you ignore them, shoot paper clips at them with rubber bands or talk about how great of a skater you are and list off all the free stuff you get for being sponsored until they left [img]graemlins/bow.gif[/img]
2000 Watt CAFz'r
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,357
I have to back the customer on this one, I have met with so many over zealous sales people that I to was "just looking," as in I don't need any help thank you.
I think they are being polite compared to whet some of them want to say when you pounce on them.
I can understand you have a job, but if they don't know you its intimidating when sales people keep pushing them towards items they can't afford.
I wouldn't take it personally, if they need help they will ask for it.
All too often the shop wants you to buy there fav line, say I want Arc but they push Viper, I'm going to be just looking for sure
I think they are being polite compared to whet some of them want to say when you pounce on them.
I can understand you have a job, but if they don't know you its intimidating when sales people keep pushing them towards items they can't afford.
I wouldn't take it personally, if they need help they will ask for it.
All too often the shop wants you to buy there fav line, say I want Arc but they push Viper, I'm going to be just looking for sure
Guest
Posts: n/a
^ John, what I prefer to do is ask the first salesperson for their card. I then reassure them that if I decide to look at or buy anything that I will find them. Then, carry the card around in your hand so other salespeople can see it or simply flash it when approached. Very easy.
Put an item in the counter labelled "Just Looking" with a price tag of $9.99 on it. Breaks the ice all the time. Should see the surprise when you ask the customer what color they want it in and how many they are after. "Just Looking", wow I have them in stock right now, good timing, look at this......and this cd player + this amp + wiring + install + look in the photo album, want this done with your subs?
500 Watt CAFz'r
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 923
I have never met a salesperson that "pounces" on customers however every customer must be greeted within 30 seconds of entering the store. Assistance should be offered but not forced. If the customer wishes to look, then thats great but the number of customers that are allowed to do that and not be offered the second chance leave your store many times with the false belief that you don't carry what they need because they didn't see it in the showroom. They may have missed it or you may be temporarily out of stock or have it available in the warehouse.
As far as intimidating a customer by pushing them towards a product they can't afford....who's talking about that? We are talking about the "Just looking" phrase. Although when showing customers a product I MOST DEFINATELY show them the best I carry that fits their needs. Whats wrong with that? I don't hammer them to death with it but I feel it's a diservice to show a client anything but the best because otherwise your pre-judging them which is just as bad as the customer pre-judging you and considering you as the "slick saleman".If they can't afford the best, I show them the best product that fits their needs and budget. Probing must occur to find out what they need as opposed to what they want. Sometimes those 2 things differ.
I really enjoy the customers that call in to complain that they were in the store for 15 minutes and no-one helped them.
I usually ask them if it was busy.
If it was I apologize but state that unfortunatley we cannot afford a 1:1 customer-to-staff ratio and we try and help as many people as possible but occasionally some clients are forced to wait until a sales associate finishes with a customer that came in before them..
If it wasn't busy I also apologize but ask them if they attempted to ASK for help.
I even had one customer verbally blast one of my salesguys when he approached her and asked "Has anyone been by to offer you any help yet?" to which she replied " I'm just looking, don't you people have anything better to do than pester people?" To which he hung his head and walked away afraid to reapproach her. About an hour after she had left (she stayed in the store for @20 minutes total) she called in to speak to a manager claiming she had never received poorer service, nobody helped her and that she will NEVER shop with us again and that she will tell all her friends what lousy service she never received and that she had spent over $10,000 with us in the past but no more. We took her phone number and input it into the computer and brought up about $400 worth of purchases over a 5 year period mostly consisting of below cost DVD's, door crasher loss leaders and a composite video patch cord (the only purchase she made that had profit in it). The most recent purchase was almost a year ago.
For some customers it's a lose-lose situation and they can find fault in anything with little chance to appease them without bowing and scraping (I refuse to do that)and even times it does no good.
It's unfortunate that a person will tell about 10 friends what crappy or negative service they had with a store but on the flip side, they only tell on average 1 other person if they received exceptional service. Think back to the last time you had exemplary service from someone or somewhere and praised them to other people (in person not online). I am quite sure most of us can think of more times bitching about a store or person than praising them. I, for a fact, am guilty as well but I do make a concious effort to give praise about a company or serviceworker to that company/serviceworker and to others I meet as much as possible.
Great service is unfortunately forgotten sooner than poor service.
Next time I will make a movie instead of writing a book. Sorry for the long post. Maybe I should have posted this in the pet-peeves thread. [img]tongue.gif[/img]
As far as intimidating a customer by pushing them towards a product they can't afford....who's talking about that? We are talking about the "Just looking" phrase. Although when showing customers a product I MOST DEFINATELY show them the best I carry that fits their needs. Whats wrong with that? I don't hammer them to death with it but I feel it's a diservice to show a client anything but the best because otherwise your pre-judging them which is just as bad as the customer pre-judging you and considering you as the "slick saleman".If they can't afford the best, I show them the best product that fits their needs and budget. Probing must occur to find out what they need as opposed to what they want. Sometimes those 2 things differ.
I really enjoy the customers that call in to complain that they were in the store for 15 minutes and no-one helped them.
I usually ask them if it was busy.
If it was I apologize but state that unfortunatley we cannot afford a 1:1 customer-to-staff ratio and we try and help as many people as possible but occasionally some clients are forced to wait until a sales associate finishes with a customer that came in before them..
If it wasn't busy I also apologize but ask them if they attempted to ASK for help.
I even had one customer verbally blast one of my salesguys when he approached her and asked "Has anyone been by to offer you any help yet?" to which she replied " I'm just looking, don't you people have anything better to do than pester people?" To which he hung his head and walked away afraid to reapproach her. About an hour after she had left (she stayed in the store for @20 minutes total) she called in to speak to a manager claiming she had never received poorer service, nobody helped her and that she will NEVER shop with us again and that she will tell all her friends what lousy service she never received and that she had spent over $10,000 with us in the past but no more. We took her phone number and input it into the computer and brought up about $400 worth of purchases over a 5 year period mostly consisting of below cost DVD's, door crasher loss leaders and a composite video patch cord (the only purchase she made that had profit in it). The most recent purchase was almost a year ago.
For some customers it's a lose-lose situation and they can find fault in anything with little chance to appease them without bowing and scraping (I refuse to do that)and even times it does no good.
It's unfortunate that a person will tell about 10 friends what crappy or negative service they had with a store but on the flip side, they only tell on average 1 other person if they received exceptional service. Think back to the last time you had exemplary service from someone or somewhere and praised them to other people (in person not online). I am quite sure most of us can think of more times bitching about a store or person than praising them. I, for a fact, am guilty as well but I do make a concious effort to give praise about a company or serviceworker to that company/serviceworker and to others I meet as much as possible.
Great service is unfortunately forgotten sooner than poor service.
Next time I will make a movie instead of writing a book. Sorry for the long post. Maybe I should have posted this in the pet-peeves thread. [img]tongue.gif[/img]
