Chapter 9Services: The Point of Sale
The welcome: Sales assistants are chatting to each other in a corner. Luxury shopping is not what it should be. Even worse, an assistant greets the customer with a stare or a rude comment.
“So, what do you want? I am busy for the moment.”
“Can you make sure that the children do not touch anything?”
“What is that dog doing in here?”
Or a sales assistant is putting away some articles while a customer waits to be tended to. Well, the customer could wait all day, because she obviously is not wanted.
A sales assistant sneers, saying: “You've never heard of this bag? How did you miss the advertisement campaign?”The client is totally inept, poor thing!A client walks into the store. The girls at the checkout counter are talking. He starts looking around and a sales assistant enquires politely, “May I help you with anything in particular?”“No,” responds the client. “I am not looking for anything in particular.” And he storms out!
A customer returns a dress. “This dress has already been worn!” cries the sales assistant.
“No it hasn't,” replies the lady, “I simply tried it on again.”
“Well, it is too late, it cannot be returned now, and where did you buy it?”
“Here.”
“But who sold it to you?”
“I have no idea.”
Skills in greeting customers are sometimes horrendous, or even blatantly nonexistent. On other occasions, the reception is simply magnificent.
At the entrance to the store, a hostess greets you with a smile and ushers you in. Then she guides you ...
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