What's new

Annoying salesperson

Well. I very nearly lost it and killed a salesperson. I was in an unnamed shaving outlet mall store a few weeks ago; it was my first time in their store, and the salesperson proceeded to irritate the hell out of me by nagging me repeatedly after being told I don't need their help. I know the majority of sheeple who herd into the store probably don't know their *** from their elbow shaving-wise and may benefit from some explanation, but... just... damn!! Every time I picked up a product to read the box or crack it for a sniff, they were back again... EDUCATING me... I get BBS nearly every day sans irritation, I don't require an unsolicited lesson in wetshaving from them or anyone else.

There were more little annoyances than just these major examples, but this post is going to be long enough as it is.

I enter the store. Salesperson greets me and asks if I require assistance. Nothing out of the ordinary, I would naturally expect that in any store. I inform them I am just browsing, thank you very much though... no problem... :001_smile

I touch a shaving cream jar- cue a lecture about what the different scents are for, skin care wise. I inform them I am browsing and thank you, but I do not require assistance... they back off.:glare:

I lather up a free sample in the store sink- salesperson materializes and proceeds to offer lathering advice... when I was clearly doing just fine without their help. In fact, their suggestions seem to oddly be lagging my actions by a healthy three to five seconds. I politely inform them I just want to sample the product, I don't need any help... S/P hovers like a vulture... irritatation mounts...:confused1

I am rinsing after the practice lather. It has gone well, this is a quality product. S/P asks, unprompted, if I use a brush. Since I have clearly just demonstrated that I am well acquainted with Mr. Badger by producing mounds of thick, moist, slippery lather with an unfamiliar brush, cream, and water, I begin to wonder if this person was repeatedly dropped and/ or ate paint chips as a child. Not wanting to be rude, I respond that I do. S/P asks if it is a badger hair brush. While making no eye contact, I curtly inform them 'yes'. While I turn and walk away to examine product, S/P asks me if my brush is in good condition... I reply in the affirmative and walk away to the other side of the store. S/P follows. Urge to kill... rising... :angry:

I examine their aftershaves. S/P helpfully asks if I use an aftershave. I reply that I do, but am JUST BROWSING RIGHT NOW. I do NOT require assitance, thank you very much. I crack the lid and smell. It smells nice. This is definitely a quality product. S/P offers that this is an alcohol-free product, and inquires if my aftershave is alcohol based. While burning a hole in the bottle with my eyes, I inform them that I do, and it works just fine for me. If I have questions I will ask, but I AM JUST BROWSING RIGHT NOW.:cursing:

S/P with BAD, CRUSTY MAKEUP informs me that, well, in fact, she went to beauty school, and knows for a fact that alcohol is very bad for my skin. I consider asking them why a beauty school graduate applies her own makeup like it's day one at clown college, and is working at a men's shaving store instead of a salon, except the first part probably answers the second, making my whole question redundant. I now hate this person more than anything else in the whole universe. I decide a person this stupid will not benefit from me destroying them with white hot verbal abuse, and instead turn around and walk out of the store completely frustrated. S/P calls out for me to have a nice day. I consider setting them on fire, but remember that this is probably illegal and jail would seriously cramp my style.

I may be exaggerating. Just a tiny bit. But not much

I don't think of myself as a rude person, and I think I communicated what I needed to politely (at the start) and clearly (throughout). This person just wasn't listening. I would think it rude to say, "Leave me alone, I don't need or want your help, you're completely annoying," but I got so frustrated I almost blurted it out more than once. Halfway through our 'conversation,' I just stopped looking at them or being remotely polite while speaking, and they STILL wouldn't leave me alone.

It's too bad- the product seemed nice. If I had just ten minutes alone to wander the store, I probably would have bought something. Oh well. The whole thing seems kinda funny now.
 
Last edited:
I would think it rude to say, "Leave me alone, I don't need or want your help, you're completely annoying," but I got so frustrated I almost blurted it out more than once.

If that was what it would of taken, to enjoy your shopping experience, I would have no qualms about saying that. Remember, the sales person is there to help, and serve you, and you should expect professionalism.

I think I would probably have asked to speak with the store manager as well, and politely explained that if you were left alone to browse, you might have spent a good amount of money, but since you were annoyed, they have lost a sale.
 
Last edited:
That would likely be enough to keep me from returning to that particular store. Friendly, helpful, understanding are all things I appreciate, but annoying, irritating and in this case dumb I don't need while shopping.
 
Any chance that she was attracted to you and you just missed it? :wink:
I think you did a great job keeping your cool!

- Aaron
 
That sucks. Reminds me of a visit to AOS store where the guy attempted to brush off my request to smell the rose cream because it was for "the ladies" :001_huh: By the way, your post reminded me of Richard Pryor when he said “It's hard enough to go through the day without killing a mf,” :lol:
 
Was it an Art of Shaving store - the experience sounds familiar...

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

You sir, get the Calabash pipe of truth.

I felt bad calling out a company based on one visit, but it sounds like it might be an employee training problem. Seven posts in, two people mention it including the FIRST RESPONSE!?!?! Spooky...

It just sort of felt like high-pressure sales techniques, but it wasn't really that. It felt like a 'how to sell shaving cream to morons' lecture. I have ZERO local wetshaving options available save for what you find at Sally's and Bath and Body Works, and they won't cut it based on my AD 'needs'. While on vacation, I thought it would be a lot of fun to visit one of these stores. It kind of ruined the experience for me.

I kind of have issues calling people out and being really blunt with them. If it will hurt their feelings (I don't need your help, I know more about this hobby than you'll EVER know, leave me alone!!), it's easier for me to just walk away. If I called them out I would just feel like poop later, even if they richly deserved it. I don't always like it that I'm wired like that, but I suppose it has saved me from burning a few bridges over the years.
 
Last edited:
The funny thing is, this sales person probably didn't even realize it.

You're probably right- I remember a great Calvin and Hobbes cartoon where after fending off a telemarketer for a few minutes, one of the parents yelled at them through the phone. The punchline was, 'There'd be a lot more civility in the world if people didn't take it as an invitation to walk all over you.'

Or something like that.
 
this person was repeatedly dropped and/ or ate paint chips as a child.

:lol: Sorry, but this line just struck me in a particularly jocular fashion. The clown makeup was a close second...

I can relate... both as a customer AND a sales rep ... but let me explain. I was told by my manager to watch a particular customer and to "badger them" a smidgen because this was a suspected thief. So what we should ask joto is, "have you been suspected of snatching items from this store?" :001_rolle

Seriously, sorry to hear of your experience but it made for a great story that I'm glad you shared with us.

-Prof
 
I feel the same way when I go into a store I want to be left alone and not constantly bothered. Usually Walmart is the best place not to be bothered because there is no sales people to annoy you:biggrin:
 

S/P with BAD, CRUSTY MAKEUP informs me that, well, in fact, she went to beauty school, and knows for a fact that alcohol is very bad for my skin. I consider asking them why a beauty school graduate applies her own makeup like it's day one at
clown college, and is working at a men's shaving store instead of a salon, except the first part probably answers the second, making my whole question redundant. I now hate this person more than anything else in the whole universe. I decide a person this stupid will not benefit from me destroying them with white hot verbal abuse, and instead turn around and walk out of the store completely frustrated. S/P calls out for me to have a nice day. I consider setting them on fire, but remember that this is probably illegal and jail would seriously cramp my style.


Scene of the day. :lol:

but, I feel your pain.
 
I went to the AOS in San Francisco.
Somewhat similar experience, but nowhere near as annoying.
Went in to check it out, look at some stuff, laugh at the Mach3 and Fusion handles, and check out the straights.
Someone had dropped one of the Thiers Issard straights, and it had a 1/2 inch long 1/4 inch deep chip:frown: And not to mention the pricetag :eek:

I kept my answers short and sweet.
"What are you currently using to shave?"
150 year old straight razor.
"Oh....Do you use a brush?"
22mm Silvertip.
"............And the soap?"
Col. Conk, and VanDerHagen :)lol:)
She proceeded to show me how well her stuff lathered, and how slick it was with a pre-shave oil.

My response: Man, my 2 dollar puck of Conk lathers up better and slicker than that.

I then turned on my heel and walked out.

I could feel the daggers in the back of my skull from her eyes.:lol:
 
I was thinking AOS as well when I read the first post. Even though I have yet to set foot in an AOS store, their modus operandi seems familiar to other boutique chain operations that try to be upscale. The staff is required to be very attentive to the customer and to do all they can to talk them into a sale, and then to get them to add more items once they decide to buy. Sales people in such operations usually don't last long because they can never meet the way to high sales goals that they are given.
 
+1 to everything said here, lol...I've been to AOS once, and it was more than enough. Of course, I was in "scruffy and unkempt" mode, and the store was full of hipster morons with obviously fat wallets (easy targets), and the sales people were easily outnumbered, so I was spared. I did enjoy listening to the sales pitch behind me about how much better A. Hipster's shave would be with the $400 Fusion, as opposed to his merely store-bought Fusion...
 
Top Bottom