I try to strongly tell them I’m just browsing, and if they’re still pushy, then I might just leave if what I needed wasn’t urgent. I would then buy online or at another retailer!
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Same! I also try to go at a busy time (sales, GWP, lunchtime), so the SA is too busy helping other customers to bug me. I don’t like shopping at department makeup store counters, but sometimes I have no choice because Sephora or Ulta doesn’t carry the brand or product. The SAs are on commission, and want you to buy. Most of them aren’t too aggressive and get the hint when you say you’re just browsing, but a few are annoying. And I always feel there’s pressure to buy regardless. I like to browse and swatch in peace, then figure out if I want to buy, without an SA anxiously hovering over me.
I would usually speak another language and pretend I don’t understand them.
Hahaha! I wish I would dare to do that! In any shop!
Yuuuuuup I’ve shamelessly done this. Perks of having a bilingual household!
Great idea! Could work in a number of annoying situations. 🙂
haha yes, except that this has majorly backfired on me when it turned out that the salesperson also spoke that language! As it turns out I really wanted that particular product anyway, so I bought it but it kinda put me off doing this in the future.
I keep my head down when I navigate the aisles and don’t want to be bothered. It usually works. Looking like you know what you came in for tends to help too.
As a cosmetics salesperson, we don’t intend to be overly aggressive but it’s apart of our job. We understand that “you’re just browsing” but we’re pushed by managers, coordinators, and executives to make sales. We’re usually given high (sometimes impossible) sales goals. On slow days, I’m usually bombarded by managers of hourly goals are not met. Those are the days where I may come off as “aggressive” but it’s all innocent. I’ll never possess a negative attitude towards a customer. If you ultimately don’t want to purchase anything that’s fine but understand that I’m just doing my job.
Hi Crys,
Interesting point. We don’t always look at things from another side. I understand exactly what you’re talking about. Even if it’s not commission, being pushed to make goals isn’t pleasant. I remember when that didn’t happen-a very long time ago. You could enjoy your day & things were relaxed-companies still made lots of money then too!
Right! I wish I could just enjoy my job without all the pressure. Things would be so pleasant. I get attitude from some customers by just greeting them. I can’t win lol.
I’m a beauty consultant too and this times a billion! We were open Easter Sunday and even though the stores goal was low, my counter goal was higher than any other day! I was scolded for not making my goal and being aggressive enough to the 3 people who were in our store the whole day.
Ive been on counter for 11 years now and have never once felt the need to be pushy. I think it’s best to offer assistance and if shot down, let customers know you’ll be there if they have any questions. The kinder and more patient you are, the more likely you are to receive a positive outcome. This applies to anything in life 🙂
I agree! 🙂
This is a very interesting question. What I do depends on the nature of the sales person. I first try to reject the offer polietly by saying something like: “Thanks very much for your offer but you are wasting time trying to sell your product to me as I am not interested in it.” If the sales person keeps insisting I simply put down the phone (if it is a phone sale) and proceed with my work and wait until he or she realizes that I am not listening to him/her and hang up. If it is a mail or e-mail sale pitch I simply do not respond.
Lol!!! If it’s a phone sale I hand the phone to my little 2 year old niece, “here honey it’s for you!”
Oh goodness, there’s a kiosk I usually pass when I enter the local mall from the east end where there’s some Dead Sea minerals salespeople who LITERALLY confront everyone trying to sell us their stuff! At first, I was just very polite, but pointed in my “no thank you”s, now I just walk by with an icy as heck look in my eyes and no response. It works!
Now, if on the other hand, this happens in a store where I’m perhaps perusing the products trying to decide on what if any products I may buy….I start just as you put it, politely. If they go past that boundary, I will likely flip it around on THEM! I may ask them a slew of questions at lightning speed about a TON of different products. Maybe even proceed to bore them to death about the virtues of a brand they (and I’ve already managed to ascertain the fact) know nothing about or even dislike! They go bye-bye. ?
Those kiosk people are so aggressive, our local mall wrote new policy to deal with them! Apparently, I wasn’t the only horrified shopper. I still had one of those Dead Sea freaks get in my face WHILE I WAS PRETENDING TO BE ON MY PHONE. I’m embarrassed to admit, I shouted at him.
Those Dead Sea mineral people are so obnoxious. Once I almost got into an argument about my lack of desire for Dead Sea products!
There is also an Orogold (sp?) store where they keep pushing me to take samples. This may be a legit cosmetic product but they push so hard that it just seems kind of sketchy.
A friend in a weak moment ended up buying 3 of those Seacret nail kits. The stuff is actually pretty good. I got a little too close to their booth one day trying to see if I could just buy the oil. I got caught. They demonstrated their gel exfoliator on my hand and I was BLOWN away. The hand they treated absorbed almost twice the lotion afterwards. They had a sale until they started with the “you can get 3 for this price, 2 of this and one of that” crap. I just wanted the one thing. I ended up harshly telling them nevermind. Went home and bought from the company website. When I saw the cost was like $55 and they wanted to sell me 2 for $180, I KNEW I had made the right decision. Seacret – not bad products but worst workers, EVER!
I agree, Donya, those guys are AWFUL!!! But I will say that, yes, that exfoliater is unbelievably good. I’m glad to now know that I can get it online if I want! Because I will NEVER buy from those kiosks.
With the aggressive kiosk people I simply say that I have a lot of serious allergies and walk on. For counter salespeople I smile pleasantly and say I am just looking for now but if I decide to buy I will let her know. Most are fine with that. And I do feel for SA out there with ridiculous goals.
Oh I know what you’re talking about! Some of those kiosk people are SO annoyingly aggressive, I try to keep a min 15 ft distance, walk as fast as I can past the booth, and not make any eye contact
Same as you Christine. When someone asks if I need help, I usually always say no. I know where to find them if I really need advice or help finding something! I’ve left a store because the pushy sales reps were making me feel uncomfortable many times.
Ha! If I ever encountered one, I would imagine I would just be straightforward & let them know to let me browse. Unfortunately, I almost always have the exact opposite problem–I can NEVER get help without very actively seeking it out. I’m always polite, and it doesn’t matter what I wear…& people approach me all the time when I’m out (fellow shoppers), so I don’t think I smell or give off bad vibes…I just seem to repel sales reps! I’ve gone with friends or family shopping and THEY will get fawned over, even when I’M the one buying. It is SO. MADDENING.
Sephora is better than most, I will say…I at least get greeted, sometimes even assistance! For a while, I refused to shop at stores that were consistently terrible (I’m looking at you, Ann Taylor), but I started running out of options. So I just suck it up, and deal. I will speak to a manager if it’s just over the top rudeness, but mostly I shrug it off. When I was younger, at times I would go home and cry it was so stressful, but now the Internet makes it much easier to get the info I need. And I tell myself that they probably realize I’m not going to fall for their upsell tactics (I worked in sales for 17 years; I can spot them).
I have the same problem! It’s as if I’m a ghost . I have known sales assistents to look right past me and help another customer behind me! It is the same when I walk around though , people will walk through me, or try too! I once had a sales assistent tell me that there was no point telling me the price off a product because I wouldn’t be able to afford it. I was in my twentyme then and I went home and cried. The bare minerals girls are lovely though, I once had one say to me it was nice to talk to some one that had heard of less well known products.
Oh my gosh that is terrible!!!! I’ve never had anyone be THAT rude before! But isn’t it great to FINALLY encounter someone nice & helpful? I’ve noticed that it’s marginally better now that I’m older…I have (or had) a baby face, so I routinely would get guessed FAR younger than I was (sigh. Not so much the case anymore!), so I’m guessing maybe they just assumed I was too young to be a serious shopper? Beats me! So sorry you’ve had to deal with it, too!
Funnily enough, I find that when I actually have a question/want advice/really want to buy something, the sales assistance just aren’t interested but when I’m just browsing, I get inundated. 🙂 🙂 It’s interesting, you hear some sales reps (like the who has commented above) saying they have these really high daily sales goals to achieve and I just think, how can some sales reps be so rude/inattentive? I just can’t fathom why you would ignore a customer, when you are there to sell. I might expect it from a really upmarket store (though that’s obviously still not okay), but I just don’t get it.
This is completely irrelevant. Went to swatch list. ‘Latest’ shows up before you go to refine your choices. There were 6 Viseart Cashmere shades. Does that mean there are going to be Viseart 6 shade palettes, or is it the first 6 of a bigger palette? 6ers would be incredible for those consumers who do not wish to make major investments.
Well, clever, aren’t you? 😀
I’m not very confrontational, so I’ll usually just try to “polite” them to death by saying “No, thank you…”, but if it gets REALLY aggressive I just leave. Life’s too short to put up with pushy people !
I just tell them I’m browsing and if they don’t back off I simply ignore them.
I’m not very good as this. I have several foundations or powders way too dark for me that prove it. It’s difficult for me to say no if the SA is too agresive but I’m working on it.
I try to stay polite and tell them I am just looking around, but if they are too pushy I will most likely leave.
I have a bit of fun with them, since they’re always touting how great and non-irritating their products are. I’m a Chemist (and a rosacean) so I have a great interest in formulation. I can tell immediately by the ingredients list if it’s suitable for me (the vast majority of the time it’s not). So I inform them of my findings right there, especially if othes nearby can hear me! They leave me alone after that.
i get that salespeople have to be friendly and somewhat in your face (it’s their job to ask what brought you inside, if they could be of any help, selling their store credit card on the sales floor, etc), but i’ve never actually been helped by an “aggressive” salesperson before. i had one that really pushed me to give this foundation a try that i didn’t end up liking but if i ever had to deal with a rude or aggressive salesperson i would either avoid them completely and ask someone else if i REALLY needed help, or if they were the only one working i would just leave and go elsewhere/buy online.
I used to feel intimidated by the sales women at Sephora and shopping malls when I was a teenager and did not know a lot about make up. I barely wore make up until I was twenty. Now I feel that I know more about it than them, so if they push me very hard onto sonething, I just tell them that I am not interested and why. They don’t bother me anymore. ?
Shop online 🙂
!!! I think about this virtually every day, walking into shops with badly-trained staff. The absolute best shopping experience is in Japan, where usually the shop assistants will acknowledge your presence, greet you, then keep at a distance and busy themselves, while still keeping an eye on you in case you look up to catch their eye for help.
Seoul is pretty uniformly horrible, with staff actually narrating your every move and standing far too close for comfort. ‘This is lipstick.’ ‘That is blush.’ ‘That’s pink.’ ARGH.
I can’t stand it when shop assistants invade my personal space, take things out of my hands when I’m examining/swatching, jump into rehearsed spiels when I’ve barely glanced at the product they’re talking about, and keep up a nonstop narration / listing off promotions. I particularly hate it when they keep repeating ‘Can I help you?’ when I’ve already said I’m just browsing. Yet so many of them are specifically trained to do so.
I know they’re just doing their job so of course I remain polite, but it’s so aggravating. If there were a centralised training academy I’d write to them. In fact perhaps I should just write a generic letter and send them to all the places where the sales tactics stress me out…but when I walk out like you to buy online or at another shop, I’m usually feeling too annoyed to dwell on it further.
Sephora probably does it best. Testers abound, nobody gives you side-eye for meandering aimlessly around wearing various shades of lipstick and picking up things only to put them down again after 10 minutes, but someone’s usually happy to help if you approach them.
Rant not over, just postponed till my next shop.
OMG, try Hong Kong!! My husband wanted to buy a fake watch (don’t ask me why), so we went to a local bargain market that sold tons of them. He was in a tiny store, looking at watches, and the staff was literally following him like a shadow. If he even so much GLANCED at a watch, they pounced on him, and a “no” meant “maybe yes buy?”. He tried to leave the store, and the 2 salesgirls wouldn’t let him go! He had one on each side—one of them was pulling him back into the store, promising him a better deal, while the other one was literally pushing him back in. Fortunately, he was a good sport about it, and I was standing there laughing hysterically. After they got him back into the store, they bargained some more, and hubby got his fake watch for the price he wanted. I’m afraid, very very afraid to go makeup shopping there!!
Oh well, I expect no less from tourist-trap imitation product markets, and it’s part of the, er, charm – but when I’m at a Chanel or Guerlain counter thinking of a luxury purchase I’d better be given the time and space to swatch and mull things over!
Oops, were actually in Shanghai (not Hong Kong)! Got my trips mixed up
Right now with peri-menopause on my side: out aggressive them. When it comes to dealing with sales people: turns out I’m always the bad cop. Regrettably (only in the sense that I wish it wasn’t necessary), I’m very good at it. A couple of months ago I told a super aggressive server to shut up. Yup, I did. I said it really loudly and enunciated each word: SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!! I couldn’t believe it came out of my mouth, but I was so offended by her speaking over me every time I tried to talk.
I do most of my shopping online, for one of these reasons. I hate when I’m followed by staff at Sephora or hounded or looked at like I’m expected to buy if I swatch something at a counter.
In fact I rarely ever shop at counters unless I plan on spending a lot of money. Plus with ebates, it’s more financially savvy to shop online.
I end up just buying something, lol. Crack under pressure! I don’t encounter many aggressive SAs though, actually. The MAC and Sephora employees in my area really just let you browse, and so do the majority of department store counters. The most aggressive SAs I’ve encountered have been at the Chanel counter. But I don’t normally approach a department store counter (save MAC) unless there is something specific I was considering buying anyway.
If I really want to get away, I will tell them I want to try it on and walk around/check it in the sunlight before deciding. And then I just don’t go back.
I start out politely making it clear that I’m browsing. If they leave me alone after that, we’re good, but if the same person asks me how it’s going more than once after that, especially in close succession, they have crossed the line into pestering. That’s when I get snippy…one of my biggest pet peeves is being pestered, rushed, or otherwise pressured into any decision.
Also, if I know commission is involved, I’ll be sure not to purchase a single thing from the pushy salesperson, especially if I can get the same thing online.
I tell them very gently that i am just browsing, if i like something, I will call for them. I try to be gentle at first, since they also have to earn a living. But if they keep on pestering me; I tell them bluntly to leave me alone or I wont buy anything at all even if i like something.
I just tell them what I want (if it’s something specific) or that I’m just browsing, but I tend to avoid ‘just browsing’ at Mac or a department store. I once was literally grabbed by an Urban Decay sales associate at Macy’s who said she wanted to put an eyeliner on me (even though I was already wearing makeup…). I told her I’d just come for one item. In another department store, I was asked if I needed help 7 times at a tiny Mac counter when picking out a lipstick with my mom. I only tried on 3 and was being as quick as I could, so I guess they just thought maybe I was going to steal something or was just messing with the displays? Who knows.
I usually just do my shopping at Sephora because I find the sales associates are less pushy. There are plenty of people in there who actually want/need help, so they won’t bother me.
Fortunately, I don’t encounter this very often. I also tend to avoid department store makeup counters. (I feel like makeup counters are the worst for this.) Usually, I just have to politely say that I’m just looking, and I ask for their names and let them know if I think of something or if want to buy, I’ll seek them out. They usually back off when they know I’ll make sure they’ll get credit/commission for the sale. Often I’ll say something like, “I was just going to browse the foundations. Where would I find those? (Even if I know.) Any good sales going on? ” Then they feel like they did something for me and promoted the sales.
If someone is really downright rude though, I have no problem telling them off and complaining to their manager. Aggressive doesn’t have to equal rude or insulting. “Aggressive” done right is persistent, but not constant, and done in a way that make the customer feel like they are special and worth the time to help.
I never give in and buy something just to get a sales person to leave me alone.
Being in customer service myself, I try to be patient. I know some stores have certain quotas or incentives that their staff tries to meet, and they’re just doing their job. I might let them demonstrate a product or tell me about a special I’m not interested in if it means they’ll be on their way afterward, but if they’re pushing me toward multiple products or it feels like they’re following me around the store, I would probably just leave or stop browsing and make my purchase quickly.
I push back. On my last visit to the Chanel counter, I was looking for a particular deep blue eyeshadow and it was out of stock. The associate started trying to push other shades of blue but I firmly told her no, I want THAT one lol. I actually had to tell her no twice. I know they are only doing their job but it really bugs me when they don’t hear you when you say no and they try to sell you something anyway. I cannot be swayed.
First of all, there is a difference between an employee doing as they’ve been instructed and an employee being aggressive and pushy. Many stores actually require an employee to make contact with a customer two or three times while the customer is looking around. So, if I’m asked a few times by a well-meaning and polite SA if I need any help, I don’t fret. I just smile and say no thank you. If; however, an SA is being overly aggressive, keeps trying to direct my interest to things I’m not interested in, is hovering to the point of distraction, and my repeated polite but firm “No, thank you. I’m just looking.” isn’t working, I’ll actually confront them about it. I have no problem telling an SA that their behavior is really bothering me and that they need to back off. I also tell them that if they can’t be respectful of that then I’ll have to call the manager. Looking them in the eye and speaking with no-nonsense authority always does the trick.
Excellent, Eileen. I like your style. Now that I am a woman of a certain age, I find it easier to stand my ground. I do not let anyone run me out of the makeup department. I am not there to make their day, they are there to make mine. I can look all I want and not purchase anything, if that is my choice. I will not allow anyone to “make me be rude” to them. I keep my poise, but make it clear that they are out of line, if they try to “handle” me. The overly pushy ones are rare but when they appear, I make it clear that I will not go along with the nonsense.
I really have an issue with that. Sometimes it’s hard for me to stay strong.
I tell them I am JUST LOOKING and if they still continue hovering, I just walk away. If it’s something I can’t get any other place, I will go back later/different day and hope someone else is on duty.
I have the patience of a Saint, so I have been told. However, if I am ever asked more than twice, ” Do I need any help with anything ” or “Did you have any questions about a product”. I do walk out. I go to Sephora and Ulta, I like to be left alone and browse without being practically haunted or harassed by the overly zealous sales people. I do realize that everyone has a job to do, but seriously.. if I have a problem or a question about something, I won’t hesitate to ask. It’s a get away or a happy place for me. Lol. I won’t let anyone take that away from me. I rather just leave and go to a different store.
I just say thanks A LOT and walk away.
I always buy my makeup either at ULTA or SEPHORA and the salespeople at either places are very nice to me because they see me very often. When I go to any department store to look for MAC makeup it’s a whole different story. Most of the time I have problems with MAC people. They are rude, pushy and not helpful at all. I remember once before I went to MAC at Nordstrom and bought several makeup items. The next day I went back to change the foundation because I did not like on me the color they suggested. The lady that helped me the day before was off and, after waiting for a while, a guy came to talk to me. He was insisting that I had to get a color that was completely wrong for me and I said several times that I did not like that shade. He made me so mad that instead of change the foundation, I returned all the items I bought a day before, went to MAC at Macy’s and bought everything all over again.
I usually just say “no thanks, I’m just looking.” Usually they’ll leave me alone after that if it’s in Sephora or Ulta. Sometimes they’ll come up again later and ask “are you still doing okay?”. All of that is fine, but makeup counters at department stores are the worst. If I say I am just browsing, they’ll offer to show me something from their new line that just came in. It has just about gotten to the point where I have stopped going to department store counters altogether and buy those products online only unless I can buy them at Sephora or Ulta.
Oooooh since i am a makeup addict i make my research on internet and if i go to a store i just ask for having the product and go to pay it…But usually i buy online for the cashback,and for the peace of my mind 🙂 lol I dont know in usa,but in France sometimes you know more the product than the sellers at store…and here the sellers from Sephoras are very very bad reputation,its like they’re hated by everybody…Because the (big)problem at sephora if you ask for a sample for a foundation its everytime no! they said to you,that you need to buy something before, thats make us crazy because its just a sample, and its come from the brand for us!! But in France at Sephora its too much about how you look like: if you ask for a sample for the new Chanel foundation for example for them its like youre a poor person that want to have a sample from a high brand that you will never buy…But they dont know that you’re are a makeup addict and that you have 19 foundations from high brands at home…so sad…so terrible…
So online you can be you! you can live your passion for makeup like you want!!
And hoppefully TEMPTALIA exist 🙂 many thanks Christine 🙂
This is true! It’s obvious that the willingness to give samples depends on whether they perceive you look like high-end customer or not. I sometimes dress very well, and sometimes like a hobo. And how much persuasion I have to inflict in order to get a sample completely depends on that: if I’m in a beautiful camel-hair coat, they OFFER me samples. And when I’m scruffy and bare-faced with a rucksack, they tend to suggest I just swatch it in store – even just on my hand.
In fact just like you, I research everything first, so I can’t remember the last time I knew less about the product than the salesperson.
Oooooh since i am a makeup addict i make my research on internet and if i go to a store i just ask for having the product and go to pay it…But usually i buy online for the cashback,and for the peace of my mind 🙂 lol I dont know in usa,but in France sometimes you know more the product than the sellers at store…and here the sellers from Sephoras are very very bad reputation,its like they’re hated by everybody…Because the (big)problem at sephora if you ask for a sample for a foundation its everytime no! they said to you,that you need to buy something before, thats make us crazy because its just a sample, and its come from the brand for us!! But in France at Sephora its too much about how you look like: if you ask for a sample for the new Chanel foundation for example for them its like youre a poor person that want to have a sample from a high brand that you will never buy…But they dont know that you’re are a makeup addict and that you have 19 foundations from high brands at home…so sad…so terrible…
So online you can be you! you can live your passion for makeup like you want!!
And hoppefully TEMPTALIA exist 🙂 thanks Christine 🙂
I usually say I’m just browsing, though if I do need help finding something I’ll say so, but if they are too pushy my anxiety gets pretty bad so I just leave.
Tbh I have not dealt with overly pushy or aggressive sales people. I usually just say I am just looking and they respect that!
As an employee, we get pressure to make sure we try as much as we can. Sometimes we just miss the goal by very little that we could’ve made if we had just been a little more pushy (not aggressive though). Even though we’re not on commission (at least in my experience), the amount of hours we get to work (and therefore how much we make) is based off of how much we sell, which is why sometimes you might get someone who is a little overzealous. Just recently, we were the busiest I’ve ever seen, which meant we all got to work so many more hours, the most I’ve ever done at once. We were all so extremely happy to have a bigger paycheck. I don’t interact with customers a lot, but when I do, I try not to be too pushy. Naturally, my personality is very calm and quiet, so I think don’t come off as agressive anyway. I just usually ask, let them know a little about what they’re looking at, and tell them to let us know when they’re ready for more help. When I can see they’re a little confused, I’ll stay and guide them more, helping them as much as I can (I’m not a makeup artist).
As a customer, I say firmely that I’m not interested or I don’t need help. Near my job, there are those kiosks but they usually leave me alone when they see me in my uniform. When I’m there to shop around, that’s when I’ll just look at my phone to avoid eye contact.
Spelling/grammatical errors! That’s what happens when my fingers and brain work at different speeds!
Strike one…I’m say that I am just browsing. Strike two…I suddenly become very good at ignoring the person. Strike three…Make tracks out of the store.
That happens every time I get in to a Sephora store….I try to watch some products and all but I always leave I buy it online….
The best EVER way I have seen aggressive (beauty) salespeople handled was by my cancer-ridden friend, who would non-chalantly tell them: “No need, I am already beautiful enough!”
I work at a counter and it is my job to greet everyone and make sure that if you have any questions I am there to answer them. I know about new releases and collections even before there are online previews, and a good beauty advisor will be able to tell you what actually makes one product different from another (not just BSing), we are a wealth of information if you ask for it. For example, limited edition collections are VERY limited (3 of each product), and they are in stock before the display is up, if you really want something you saw a preview online of, you can ask to be called as soon as it is in stock. That is what makes us different from Sephora, for example.
Commission really isn’t all that. I make 1-2% of everything I sell, and often times the work put into selling the product is not worth the commission. Also don’t forget that if a product I sold is returned, it is taken out of my commission too. Impulse buys = returns, we are not out to get you for an extra $2.00. I get more crap for my return rate than not making a sales target. Usually, commission is not what is driving associates to ‘pester’ you.
TLDR: I am just doing my job, no need to immediately go on the defensive side if I ask you if you need help.
Before I worked in retail I felt a lot of pressure if I went into a store and never bought anything. I would feel guilty and almost always buy something little so it didn’t look like I was stealing or anything. After working retail i’ve realized how ridiculously common it is for people to come in and not buy anything. If you are greeted coming in, throughout the store, and on your way out, it is simply a way for the company to make sure you feel welcomed. At my store there wasn’t commission but customers would still think we were trying to pressure them to buy something. At most places employees are expected (and sometimes corrected for not) greeting all customers within 10 or so feet. If you are still feeling pressure I think the best thing to do is being upfront and honest. I would say something like “Would you mind if I shopped alone? I do better without pressure but if I have questions I’ll come straight to you. Otherwise I’ll take my buisness elsewhere” Most places would rather risk a lower goal than lose a customer altogether.
I smile and say, “No thanks, I’m fine!” And I keep walking away… quickly. I used to sell and demo perfumes and makeup in department stores, so I know they have quotas and have to make a living. If I don’t want to be bothered I find they get the hint with a quick and polite refusal.
I hate it when I am in a mall and they jump out from their kiosk and insist they must show you something. It drives me crazy and actually it is what keeps me from going to the mall. I do most of my shopping online (thank you ebates!) And the rest of the time I don’t speak English!!!!
I would just walk away.
My daughter in law had a very pushy, aggressive salesperson who talked her into buying a lipstain, when all she wanted was a lipstick. It was ridiculously expensive too. She was really upset. So I took the product and docket to the sales manager and discussed the incident with him. She got a rebate and a discount card, but we have never been back to the same store again.
I say “Thank you, I’m just browsing.” I then gesture with a low down stop hand signal. It works.
Same! This is part of why I usually order online as long as I know what I need. Thankfully the one brand I buy in town sometimes – Clinique, from Dillards – has an older lady working the counter who knows me, is always good for straight-up advice, and is never pushy — just asks if you need help, and then leaves you alone unless you have questions. Finding a person like this (or getting a rec from a friend) can be a lifesaver when you need a good rec from a real person, on short notice. Also, it helps keep the less well-intentioned SAs at bay if you make a point to approach the person you know.
I also tend to radiate “not a pushover” vibe when going into stores, and if someone gets annoying, I tend to pull the immovable object routine, giving only vague responses but being polite, and getting more removed (but still polite, just more formal) if they persist. Usually they get the message, and sometimes I think wearing glasses and having a good schoolmarm expression helps. Being confident about standing your ground is often the most powerful tool. Pushy salespeople don’t quite know how to handle that. Or you can try the “analyzing everything you say” eye expression, and invoke advanced vocabulary. I don’t like to discombobulate people like that if I can avoid it, but it’s a useful tool when needed.
Or, at last resort, you can take the Sting approach: when accosted by a drunk one night in London, raving about the moon, Sting replied (on a stroke of inspiration, as he admits), “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun,” a Shakespeare quote — which actually led him to write his song by the same name. In other words, act a little crazy. 😀 I’ve never had to do this in person, but it’s been handy to imitate Professor Trelawney at times when some cold-caller just won’t shut up.
I do most of my shopping either online or at Sephora so I can avoid pushing sales reps. (Ulta is also great.) The last time I was at Macy’s, it was impossible for me to simply browse, so I left without purchasing anything. I hate leaving without purchasing anything! LOL
By repeating in a happy perky tone :
“No, Thank You” to every word they say.
I am very polite and say I’m just seeing if I’m interested or not by looking first. They almost always start pushing so then I say, ‘ I want to look for now’ Then they push more so then. I TURN AROUND AND WALK AWAY and say I told you I just want to see first and ignore them. Then I report them to he supervisor for harassing me. I am so upset at pushy sales people and I want to shop online more than I do but really need to swatch. I hate sales people.