How should you deal with poor service?

I know you have seen them. You enter a store and they look at you as if you have interrupted some important activity.  They either ask you if you need help in a tone that suggests that you should say no or they ignore you altogether.  Often these store clerks are the reason you have a terrible shopping experience.

Clingy store clerks

I hate when I go into a store and  I am instantly followed around by the clerk as she desperately tries to make a sale. Although sometimes I have a definite item that I want to buy, often I am just looking around and I want to shop in peace.

So how should you react to the clingy store clerk?

Well if you don’t need any assistance, state your appreciation for her offer but assure her that you are just looking around.  If that does not work try moving away to another section of the store.

I find that eventually the store clerk will get the hint and give you some space. However if they still follow you around despite your response the message that you would prefer to shop alone needs to be clearly delivered.

Uninterested store clerks

They are some workers who are at the other end of the spectrum.  They are often on their phone or chatting with other workers and display annoyance when asked to help the customers.  The worst part of course is their attitude. It is very hard to enjoy shopping when the person helping you is dying for you to leave.

They often can’t answer questions about the product and give unreliable advice. It shows that they simply don’t care if you have a good experience shopping or if you will ever decide to return to the store. Their attitude can border on disrespectful especially if they make personal remarks or reveal insensitivity to their customers’ feelings.

So how should you respond?

It is often advised not to fight fire with fire so being rude in return does not often yield good results. The store clerk might not even be aware of the effect their poor attitude is having on their customers.  Set a good example and always be respectful when making inquiries and demand attention if you need assistance.

If that doesn’t work, try telling the store clerk that you feel uncomfortable with the lack of attention and remind them that you need assistance. The truth is some persons don’t respond to being corrected so as a last resort you might need to ask to speak to a supervisor. Unfortunately some supervisors are not receptive to customers’ needs so if there is no resolution you might need to take your business elsewhere.

So how do you respond to poor service?  Let me hear from you!

Teri Ann Renee Paisley

Gleaner Online Writer

Tags: clerks, customer service, shopping