I was killing time waiting for a friend near Bond Street station the other day. It was around 5.15 and rush hour was looming. As it was very cold, and I needed some ideas for a gift for a friend, I decided to kill two birds with one stone and have a look round the shops in Oxford Street. As I was very near to Debenhams, I thought I’d pop in there first. Wow, talk about being jumped on. From the minute I entered the store the sales assistants were trying to get me to sit down for a free makeover or try a new perfume. I was constantly ‘hassled’ as I tried to get to the back of the store and I found the entire experience quite overwhelming. I know that times are hard and the sales assistants have been asked to do everything in their power to reach their sales figures, but guys this is not the way to do it. Department stores have traditionally always been great to browse around, with assistants on hand if you need further help or guidance. Shopping should always be a lovely experience but this was way off mark. I couldn’t wait to scurry out. In this particular area of London there are a number of other stores just down the road selling similar, or even identical, products. Service is often the key differentiator which determines where we spend our money. Debenhams, please be careful. Compare that with the service I received at Mottoo in Brighton on Saturday. I go to Brighton once or twice a year to stay with a friend. When I walked into the shop on Saturday, both the owner and her sales assistant recognised me instantly, recalling to mind my previous purchases and also remembering what I do for a living. Bearing in mind that the last time I shopped there was some 12 months ago, I felt highly honoured and extremely special. Did I buy – yes – and I would have purchased more if the clothing I liked had been stocked in my size. Go to www.mottoo.com for more information.
Jan 18
January 18th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
I walked out of Harvey Nichols a couple of years ago – before the current recession – because I was pounced upon by a sales assistant from one of the cosmetics counters literally as soon as I stepped inside the door. I did actually want to buy some Touche Eclat and was in the mood to purchase something else, maybe experiment a bit, but that kind of ‘hard sell’ experience is so offputting that I decided to go elsewhere – anywhere, in fact where I didn’t get that kind of treatment and that let potential customers browse – in peace – before deciding what to buy. I lived in London for nearly 20 years and have been a regular commuter to London ever since, so I don’t consider myself some country hick who’s not used to the atmosphere in big London stores, but I did notice on that particular day that it was impossible to browse around either Harrods or Harvey Nicks cosmetics areas without being hassled – and I do mean hassled, not just being approached by someone saying “can I help you?”. When will stores learn that this kind of sales technique is self-defeating?
January 20th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
I totally agree. I also found the same thing happenng, though to a lesser extent in John Lewis, Leicester. I’ve always believed people buy when they are not being ‘sold’ to.
January 21st, 2009 at 11:31 am
Hi Sue,
I agree totally about the pressure from staff in Oxford Street stores – it’s the same almost everywhere.
In contrast I had a really relaxed time in Brown Thomas in Dublin at the weekend. The weather was horrific so the store was packed, and while there were lots of staff, there was no pressure from anyone in any department and there was a great buzz about the place.
My friend and I came away having had a make-up consultation from someone who made us feel really special and placed us under no obligation to buy the products – but of course we did – a first ever!!
However, it goes without saying that there isn’t the competion that there is in the likes of Oxford St., and perhaps they key is they don’t have to try. I’ll be going back there for sure.