A lot of people have a lot to say on the subject of salespeople. "rude and ignorant", "civility costs nothing, no matter how little your wage was, you should always treat people as you would want to be treated yourself." Are a few of the comments i found on the "This Morning" Facebook discussion page.
So for this project instead of asking the shoppers for they're opinions, i thought i'd ask the sellers themselves how they believe they do or do not influence their customers and their experiences when the tables are turned.
I began creating my questions by researching and reading some articles on peoples experiences in high street shops. The articles below gave me a few ideas.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/blog/2010/jul/09/sales-assistants-happy-to-help?INTCMP=SRCH
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/janet-street-porter/i-was-and-am-lousy-shopassistant-material-682193.html
I then needed some salespeople. So i went to my home village of Aberdour and armed with bribes of cake, went into a few of the independent gift shops and asked if they wouldn't mind. I spoke to Annie and Claire both shop owners. Claire had worked in retail all her life where as Annie had only been in the business 5 years after a career change. I hoped this would give me different perspectives on the subject.
I wanted to find out a few things in particular.
1. Their views on customer behaviour.
2. How easy they feel it is to influences sales.
4. How they feel being sold to themselves?
Here are the questions i asked -
Question 1. Do you find customer behaviour predictable?
Of the two sales people i spoke to, the general view was customer behaviour was very predictable. The way people look and walk into the shop gives them an instant first impression and predicts their buying habits. Walkers for example don't come out expecting to buy and their body language shows this. One of the shop owners, whose shop was definitely aimed at females, said in general men are in buying presents and have a very 'in and out' approach. They come in and pick up one of the first things they see suitable. "They are shopping for purpose not for experience."
Question 2. How easy is it/do you find it to influence sales?
On the subject on trying to influence sales both said they didn't do it actively and it wasn't something they enjoyed. This surprised me, so i asked what they didn't like about the sale process? Annie said simply it just wasn't something she found easy and she was overly aware of being pushy. "I often say something like 'is it still cold out?' and see by their response if they want a chat. A lot of the time people will answer, 'yes' and then go back to their shopping. Then i know to leave it. Its common sense." What is interesting about Claires response is that she said she would just as easily put off a customer from a product as encourage them to buy it. Simply because she didn't want customers coming back with regrets or feeling pressured. "You have a responsibility" It seems that some sales people are just as aware of putting off customers with pushy service.
Question 3. Does creating an ideal buying experience influence purchases? How would you create this?
Claire said something she is dedicated to is showing an interest in the person. She commented that if possible she trys to remember regular customers names and create a personal experience, that she believes has been lost in the UK, due to the mass produced high street and supermarkets. I found a BBC news article called, "Why service is still so bad in the UK" by Rosie Waites and it makes some very interesting points. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12123463 She argues that no matter how good the product in a shop or restaurant, it is the service that makes people come back and "regulars are their lifeblood". This is something that is definitely true for these wee shop, as they rely on repeat customers and positive word of mouth to gain them trade.
Annie mentioned how she feels making things aspirational is key. Clothes shops mock up outfits to create a desire and a 'If i buy that i could look like that" attitude. She says she trys to do the same. "when people come into my shop, i think its important that people feel there buying into a lifestyle." I think this technique is being used more and more for example Jack Wills shop fittings are used as much as their clothes to create an experience. Queen of shops Mary Portas champions this idea and of how influential to purchases creating desire can be. "We all know the power that a well-designed shop window can hold over us; in one glance you can be transported into a different world. Through the glass, products come alive in a visual story that compels you to enter the store and part with your hard-earned cash." http://www.maryportas.com/mary/
Annie's immediate response was, "I know their game." She was joking but i understood what she meant. Being in the business perhaps make you more aware of people actively selling. She also said she now saw them less sincere. Claire also said she didn't like being sold to, neither do i particularly and neither did any of my friends who i asked. Does anyone like the hard sell? When we complain about customer service we just bit of acknowledgement and help when we need it. "... there's a difference between being helpful and trying to pretend like you're a shopper's best friend." Say Johnathon Haynes, author of "Sales assistants: When 'Happy to help' becomes a hindrance", for the Guardian. He is arguing that some sales assistants are adopting a very Americanised over helpful attitude to service, that can just as much influence you. Influence you into getting out of the shop as quick as is physically possible. "His incessant interest lost him the sale and left me a touch disturbed."
Question 5. Can you name some high street shops where the sales assistants have influenced you? Either good or bad.
At this question both needed little time to think and i think this sums up a lot. People remember the service they receive. Claire said one of her worst experiences was in Jenners in Edinburgh. "Nothing major happened but the sales assistant was just down right rude" She thought that this particular Jenners sales assistant thought she was above dealing with customers. This seems to be one of the biggest problems facing the service industry, a snobbery. Chef Michel Roux Jr thinks "The issue of service in Britain is, maybe, a class problem with service seen as subservient." A huge number of people on both sides see selling and service as a lower class job and this the root of the problem. Mary Portas comments that service is at the centre of the retail trade and that those who offer it are key players in the overall success of the company. Service can be a well paid and respected career.
Question 6. Do you think its right/beneficial to sales to employ people for the way they look?
This question came out of reading an article about Riam Dean who sued Abercrombie and Fitch for banishing her to the stock room after finding out she had a prosthetic arm and it didn't fit with their 'Look policy". http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8116231.stm
I wondered what these 2 shop owners though about this.
Annie - "I think this is definitely wrong." She said she found nothing wrong with asking employees to dress smart or wear clothing that the shop sells. Again its all about being aspirational to the customer.
Claire - Thought that in this case it was completely discriminative and is annoyed at how much people are judged on appearance. "Of course the big shops are doing it, they want people who are the right look for their brand." Again she said she would want anyone she employed to be well presented but as long as they were good at their job she didn't really mind.
The insight i gained from Claire and Annie turned out to be much more than just about the influence on purchases and more about the retail service industry as a whole. Sales people do have make a huge impression on us when were shopping, whether good or bad it is something people like to boast and rant about. People are harking back to the days of good service and are beginning to realise that they deserve it when they are shopping. Of course there are other influences to sales but nothing beats that personal touch.
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