I'm sick of the profiling in the stores

amother

Periwinkle

Fri, Jul 29 2016, 6:18 am

I might get seriously injured from posting this but here's the other side:

Two ladies walk in, one looks like she will spend thousands and 1 looks like she will spend $200. The store owner wants to spend her time and energy on the customer who will spend more.

The lady that comes in to try on 50 things and walks out with 2 $39 tops is still a customer and should be treated well, however I can understand why the store owner would choose to help the woman who will shell out serious money.

I can think of several stores like this and I sort of understand it. Obviously if the lady behind the counter is sitting on her phone or filing her nails, well that's purely rude. But to choose the better customer because it's more lucrative, that's business.

amother

Mustard

Fri, Jul 29 2016, 7:23 am

amother wrote:

Then you have clearly not read this thread at all if you are saying this. Read my previous post. How do you have the right to decide based on looks who to help? If you (the woman in your hypothetical - I know youre not talking about yourself here - I hope) dont help everyone with the same attention, you may very well loose customers.

Lets say you help the person who walks out with a $15 top. Youve lavished attention on her just as you would have with a wealthy looking lady. She leaves feeling great, tells her friends, they now come to shop too - and that includes wealthy woman. Also, she may come back when she has serious money to spend...

PinkFridge

Fri, Jul 29 2016, 8:29 am

amother wrote:

I understand making this kind of judgment. But somehow the clerk has to do it in a way that doesn't snub the other customer. Maybe call in someone in the back for a few minutes to help.
Maybe, each of the workers, from the owner on down, should walk into the store every day saying, hareini memuchan u'mezuman (memuchenes umemuzenes?) l'kayeim the mitzah of v'ahavta l'reiacha kamocha and I will make sure to greet everyone with a smile and maintain their dignity while they are in my store. What incredible, numerous opportunities for mitzvos they get in their workday.

Chayalle

Fri, Jul 29 2016, 9:04 am

debsey wrote:

It's so sad because I'd love to give parnassah to a fellow Jew. But I frankly don't have the time to change into my longer sheitel and fancier clothes just to get quicker service. I'll shop online - Nordstrom has the best return policies for online shopping and the most helpful, courteous staff. I honestly would shop locally if I knew I'd get efficient, friendly service.

There's one store in Lakewood that I constantly patronize just because I always get nice quality service whenever I go in, no matter how I'm dressed (Styled Child) and it's practically the only frum store I end up patronizing, even though I'd probably buy a slightly more upscale line of clothing than the one they sell. But I'm not going into one of these "boutiques" just to beg for service!

On top of this, if I'm going shopping for myself I prefer to leave my nice wig at home. I'm going to be pulling tops over my head, etc...and would rather not mess it up. I'm not wealthy but I'm the type that will by a few nice things and wear them for a long time - I spend more on less, rather than less on more......

I've also found that since I tend to shop in the same stores over and over, the salespeople sort of recognize me - or there's one or two that do - and they are helpful. I get what I need, and done.

Agree about nordstrom! My go-to place for shoes. But I'm not so good at buying clothes for myself online (I've gotten better at it for my teens, but they are thin and easy to fit....) and need a store for trying on. (which is another reason why I don't shop for myself that often....no time....)

amother

Amethyst

Fri, Jul 29 2016, 9:05 am

amother wrote:

Unless you are trying to build a different kind of store, one that deliberately chooses not to court the little guys.

(I just watched an episode on Mad Men where it was a clear objective. As much as it's 2016, some aspects of frum culture are frozen in the 1950's-60's.)

amother

Periwinkle

Fri, Jul 29 2016, 9:14 am

amother wrote:

I read the entire thread. Read my last paragraph. I think it's plain rude not to be helped if they know you're in just for a $15 top. However, if there were two ladies that walked in the store and both needed to be helped who would you choose to help? The one that will take an hour to try on and only spend $150, or the one that will take an hour and put down $1500?
I agree that many Jewish stores are exceptionally rude but this is just a slightly different perspective.

Chayalle

Fri, Jul 29 2016, 9:18 am

I don't know about posting a list, because others may disagree with me about their own experience.

There's a certain store in town, for example, that is known as the height of expensive boutique....but the owner happens to have been a former neighbor of mine. If she's in the store and I walk in (which I don't that often anymore, but used to when my oldest DD was younger, because she's like 3 sizes smaller than most kids her age and I had a hard time finding more mature-looking clothes for her in her size) I practically get red-carpet treatment, nothing to do with my budget. She used to go out of her way trying to find things for DD, knowing me and my budget...like "I have just the thing for you on sale right now, try this...."

So if I posted this store as great customer service, this is based on my personal experience.....

Chayalle

Fri, Jul 29 2016, 9:21 am

amother wrote:

Ideally, both should be greeted courteously and time should be split helping them both.

Non-Jewish stores seem to manage the art of this just fine. Walk into any Verizon store, for example...(how is it that their customer service on the phone is so lousy, but their store is so pleasant)....you are greeted within 3 seconds, your request is noted, and you are placed on line for personal help.

That's how it should be in any store. Hi, how can I help you today, I'll be with you in a minute.....

I also love a well-organized store, where you can easily find what you are looking for because of the setup. Take the Shell Station in Lakewood, for example: every wall has a sign explaining what that wall is carrying. I find it easy to find what I'm looking for, just by reading the signs.

Maya

Fri, Jul 29 2016, 9:24 am

amother wrote:

Maybe the saleswoman should get some training on how to wait on two customers at the same time. It's not rocket science.

Chayalle

Fri, Jul 29 2016, 9:25 am

BTW, my sister was once in a shoe store in Lakewood (Royal Shoes). A woman walked in - she happens to be someone we know, and she's someone who can afford to spend and looks it. There was a line on the sign in sheet of people waiting to be serviced, but the woman went over to the owner with this tale how her daughter's Shabbos shoe is missing, and she's on the way to her sister's vort, and she must be served right now....

And the owner said to her "If all the people on this list agree, you can go ahead of them. Otherwise, since you are in such a hurry you can pick up a pair of Shabbos shoes from Payless down the road."

One thing I can tell you - every person in the store at the time, even those waiting for close to an hour or more, felt that they were important that day, and would likely come back.

amother

Mustard

Fri, Jul 29 2016, 9:39 am

amother wrote:

I read your last paragraph, but I didnt get it - I dont watch madmen.

If I worked in a store, and for some strange reason there was only 1 person working, meaning no one could help the other person, I WOULD HELP THE WOMAN WHO CAME IN FIRST, FIRST! The woman who came in second would be helped second. And I am so lame and lazy that I cant multi task, I shouldn't be working there. So I would tell the second woman that I will help her in a minute, I'm busy with the woman who walked in before her.

How on EARTH would you know that the woman is there to spend so little? I think you are either a very wealthy woman who feels self entitled to skip lines and not wait for service, or you are a store employee who makes commission, so you really seem to feel that you can look someone up and down and decide their worth and wallet contents?

A store owner worker is actually cheating and stealing from the owner by doing this. Business will be lost for sure. Whats it to the worker how much time she spends with whichever customer? You have to work from 9-5, doesnt matter who you help. You still have to work there. Another reason why working on commission is going out of style these days at stores is for this reason. People are not getting the right treatment.

So again, if 2 ladies come in, I help the first one first, second one second. Lets say the second lady is rich looking and in a crazy rush so she will leave if I dont help her first? So sad, too bad. Let her go.

watergirl

Fri, Jul 29 2016, 9:45 am

amother wrote:

My ex mother in law looks like a shlump. She owns maybe 2 skirts and 2 tops, she doesn't cover her hair, looks maybe frum, maybe not. She is a gazillionare who spends on her daughters and grandkids, who are frum, and she prefers not to spend on herself. Not her style. If you ignore her because she doesn't look the part of a wealthy woman, and doesn't dress the part of a frummy, you will be out a lot of money. A LOT. If I was the owner of that store and I heard about this, you would be FIRED.

Side note - I had saved up for a pair of $250 Uggs. I brought cash into a Jewish store to buy them, and they refused to help me. I was literally told that they wont let me try on the boots. I showed them the cash and then left. And YOU BET I told people what happened to me there. I ended up going to Nordstroms and got Uggs there...

amother

Periwinkle

Fri, Jul 29 2016, 9:52 am

amother wrote:

I'm not the amother who wrote about madmen so you read the wrong "last paragraph".

Regardless, what you say in theory sounds nice but that's bad business to lose out on the bigger sale. Especially since if you're obnoxious to the wealthy lady because she walked in the door second and as you said "so sad, too bad, let her go." Trust me she is running and not coming back. Ever.

Again, I believe all should be treated equal but when that isn't possible you do need to decide.
There's a reason I started off my first post by saying that I was getting myself in trouble. I'm sure my view is unpopular but I speak from the side of the store owner.