Tuesday, October 23, 2012

How to be the perfect salesperson

Imagine you're a saleslady in the lighting department of a big store in town. Sales have been down recently so when you see a woman intently studying one of the floor lamps you go over to her and say, 'Can I help you?'
She says, 'I'm wondering how I would get this back to car park.'
What do you say?
'It's quite heavy and an awkward shape. I wouldn't want to carry it any distance.'
Or
'It's not as big as it looks. It comes in half. And it's not really very heavy.'

Assume you say the latter. The woman then says she'll take it, oh, and she'll have a table lamp too. Do you point out that it's going to be a trifle difficult carrying a huge box and a carrier bag with glass lamp shades in?

Or do you tell herself she's a grown woman who must know her own capabilities?

Oh, and do you wait until she's paying before you point out that you don't have the bulbs in stock?

Do you give her as much as a second thought as she's struggling through town, banging into people, her fingers just about breaking by the time she reaches her car?

No, I thought not.

6 comments:

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

Soooo bad, I would complain to the manager, .. at least offer help to get it too the car. I was in a shop the other day and they offered this service :-)

Liz Hinds said...

I should have thought and driven the car around the back of the store and picked it up from there, anne.

Katney said...

That is not service. Even our notoriously lowbrow WalMart sends a burly "associate" with a hand truck to assist with bulky items.

GLEDWOOD said...

If you waited till after she paid to tell her no bulbs in stock you'd be technically in breach of contract. But as for the other details ~ the customer is always right, unless the product in question is heroin in which case they're always wrong and the surly gormless borderline-moronic dealer is always most definitely right.

GLEDWOOD said...

As for carrying goods to the car, the shop should always arrange this, unless for example the shop happens to be in Knightsbridge, London, but the car is parked in Moss Side, Manchester. But under ordinary circumstances the shop should really put their back out for you. Sometimes literally!

GLEDWOOD said...

Liz why did you self publish when 40 shades of Grey sold 50 million copies or 50 shade of grey sold 40/whatever... is your book really rude? Were you worried a bog standard publisher would find it too racy?

with royalties from my 1st book I'm hoping to buy a 2 bed flat right opposite Harrods. Wish me well!!