Is It OK If A Sales Man Constantly Follow You In A Mall Or Departmental Store?

Hello Dear Dev! I think most of us get irritated or annoyed because of these sales men who unnecessarily interfere and indulge themselves in our shopping activity thus paying a spoiling game!!!! May be this cab be their job or they are supposed to attend the customers,but they are not suppose to spoil the shopping mood of the customer!!!! I think , the management should understand this and these sales men should be trained and told not to poke their noses where it is not needed! In fact they should be told to attend a customer who in fact is in actual need! Thanks for the response dear friend!!!!

Actually these sales men have their target to complete, then only they get the proper salary. thats why they do so, like following customer and all things. I should improve my words. I dont hate salesmen but I hate the Sales man job.....

Yes Dear Dev! It sounds logical! Possibly they must be having some targets to be achieved per month and to complete this these sales men must be after the customer and trying convince them about the products which they are suppose to promote! It is their duty they are doing , but then there has to be some thing called mannerisms and they should follow it! I appreciate your views and your amendment when you said you don't hate salesmen but you hate their job! Well said ! I too do agree with you! Thanks !!!!

Hello Dear Thatgirl! Yes, I can understand that! In fact everybody of us like to shop by ourselves only! we get a satisfaction of getting the things of our choice at the competitive rates if we shop all by ourselves, that is without the interference of the sales men! It is really funny thing that the salesman want to tell you about the qualities of a product about which we already know and he constantly keep on telling the price of the product when t is clearly labelled there!!!! Yes, the sales persons who are standing on the roads to guide the customers into their shops are generally seen at busy Markets where each shopkeeper employ such agents to draw the crowd int their shops! I too never get prey of such touts and I always stay away from such shops, because of loosing my privacy there!!!! Dear walking, I think this phenomenon varies from place to place and I think this sort of things are generally seen in the countries where we get the labour at cheaper rate as this job doesn't require any technical qualifications! So I think since the country like US the labour cost is very expensive you may not have such sales men at the Malls! I am not really sure about it , it is just my guess! Do you have Sales men there in malls or Departmental stores there in US? Please respond! Thanks for participating and responding! !!!

Wow I don't know where you guys shop but it sounds like they are very into harrassing you. LOL

@walking2010: LOL right?? I know they don't do that in your place often coz I can hear my friends from the States complaining about that at times LOL

Yes, dear shepherdSpy! You are absolutely right! I think for shoplifters the authorities are having their own security personals on duty with different uniforms and moreover today with CCTV every thing is under observation and strict vigilance of professional people! I am talking about the sales men who try to poke their noses when it is not needed! Like you said in Departmental stores and malls we have things arranged in a systematic manner with price tags and in fact we don't require any assistance at all! But this over indulgence of sales men, really irritates us!!!! yes, in fact, it is the normal mannerism that the ales men should having wished us should ask if we would like to have their help or not! If denied then they should leave us alone to have our own shopping at our leisurely pace to have the fun and enjoyment of shopping!!!! Yes, it happens some times because of unwanted interference we may leave the shop in fit of irritation with some bitter experience to recall later on! Thanks for responding!!!!

Hello Dear madam Hatley! How are You? !!! Oh my horse is now all yours!LOL!!!! Now coming to the discussion,believe me this point was never there in my mind that these people are following us thinking that we are the possible shoplifters or thieves, till I have initiated this deduction! Till now I have had an idea that people have this notion, but now after going through your response, I am really shocked to know that the persons following us are actually their detectives in the disguise of salesmen ! I am really felt bad when the clerk told you that he knew about it and these people were instructed that way by the management to keep an eye on every one as all of the customers can be possible thieves! This means it is a gross insult to every one visisting the shop or the Mall! I wouldn't have entered such shops if I was told like that! That is too much! In spite of having CCTV cameras fixed at every nook and corner of the Malls and departmental stores and having a professional team of professional security persons, these people don't trust their customers! I wonder where the mutual faith in the people got vanished to? Under such circumstances the management should shut down such malls or departmental stores instead they should open a traditional counter type shops to cater their clients or customers! I am really displeased at the end to know that how a respectable lady of your age was treated at the shop! It was really too bad for the people to be like that! Well life is like that, with the changing times,everything is getting changed in the name of evolution and vanishing faith seems to be a part of it! !!! Thanks dear for responding! All the best!

Yes Dear Salonga! This is a really annoying thing that a person is following us , thinking that we may steal something from the mall or departmental store! This idea never struck me before posting this discussion as I always used to think that because of CCTV cameras and the security arrangements they have in big malls and departmental stores I thought possibly the problem of stealing or shoplifting is almost solved! But having gone through few of the discussions till now I think still some people running such Malls or departmental stores still don't have faith their customers and they keep the people to guard us in the disguise of salesmen!!!! Otherwise also, even a genuine sales man tries to follow us every time ,it is too annoying and irritating! They would be similar to unwanted or uninvited guests and they may spoil all our shopping mood, as we loose the freedom and privacy! There are many things like comparing the prices, looking at the quantity and quality, searching for any good substitutes etc., which is the privilege of a customer and for doing all these things we need privacy and these sales people really gate crash our privacy!!!! Yes, in spite of telling a sales man not to follow us , if he till follows here would be no option other than leaving the Mall or the departmental store! Thanks for the response! !!!

Hello Dear Biach! First of all Warm Welcome to Mylot! You are absolutely right! This type of behaviour by the salesmen is very annoying and naturally anybody would hate such behaviour! Yes, it gives a bad feeling that the person is following you because you are up to doing something wrong like stealing some goods or shop lifting! This really irritates one! Yes, in fact, these people are suppose to stand at a distance without disturbing the customers as the customers require privacy of their own while shopping!!!! Yes, in the event of deciding upon some thing such behaviour fro these people really make us more confused and instead of narrowing our choice to one we prefer to leave the Mall with an unsatisfied souls!!!! Thanks for the response and liked your efforts in the form of your interesting inputs! All the best!!!!

Hello Dear Logogirl! It is true, we generally can't stand when some is following us throughout the Departmental stores in the name of helping! It irritates me a lot! Well since I go for shopping once in a month and I have to travel a long distance o reach the Mall or Departmental stores, I can't leave the place like to to come back on later date and time! It is understood that in case some help is needed like fetching some thing from the top racks or lifting some heavy things we may require some help and during that time we can take the help of these people! Well for having clothing material or dress it is always better to take some one along so that they can be help for us, like our relatives or friends! I appreciate that you take your mo for that purpose! Thus it is naturally anticipated that the persons in the Malls or Departmental stores are meant for our convenience and not to disturb us or to spoil our moods! Thanks for the response!!!!

Hello Dear Jaiho! Yes, these annoying sales men are not found when we require them most! When we want to know about a product and want to have a demonstration of it , we don't get these people around to help us! Other wise these people are seen hovering all around us for no apparent reason!!!! I think ,this is one of the practical way of keeping these people away from us just by telling them that we will call them if required till that time not to disturb us! !!! Yes, it is understood that they are doing their job,but while doing so they should not annoy the customers or irritate the customers! they should take care of the mood of he customer! a happy customer can buy many more things than he/she actually require in the enjoyable hopping mood! I recall cancelling some good things because of such irritating behavior from ales person which I definitely would have bought! Thanks for the response!!!!

That is true dear Sender! It may be intimidating also some times, especially to female customers in big malls and departmental stores, if a sales man is following her for no apparent reason! Basically every customer or client needs to have a freedom while shopping and this is disturbed by any one the entire joy of shopping gets spoiled, so it is natural if such things happen repeatedly then the customer will bound to search for another Mall or shop where he/she can feel better or have a better ambiance and does the shopping! I think because of the pressure from the management side these sales men should be behaving like this! It would be too inhumane to ask them to mind their own business as these people are not really well paid staff and they can be reprimanded for any silly reason by the management! So it is a difficult situation, and the best thing I feel is to tell these people politely that we may call him if needed till that time he may not disturb us! Thanks !!!!

Hello Dear thesids!!!! This idea never struck me! Who would like to waste this much of time in a Mall or departmental stores just for sake of the AC facilities, especially people like me who hardly get a chance to escape out of our Golden jail,which normally do once n a month! LOL ! Regarding the second aspect of the discussion, I think today even a small shop is having CCTV cameras fixed at various points! So there is no way that any mall or Departmental store will be left without fixing CCTV cameras! They have CCTV cameras in each and every nook and corner of their Malls and departmental stores and they also have footage of the recordings at least for a month or so! Apart from that they are having some electronic chips fixed in costly items which helps in giving out signals/alarm at the gate if they are not removed by the person at the cash counter, so these things can't be stolen any way! Lastly they have a full time security check up personal who checks the bill and tally the bags which we are carrying in the trolley while leaving the store! So with so many strict precautions I think it would be very difficult situation for any person to steal from such places!!!! Regarding the incidence occured with you, I find it too funny and intelligent punch you have given to that poor person who was acting as your body guard through out the shopping! I wanted to know about the expressions what he had on his face? It is good that you have made a complaint without mentioning any one's name! This I appreciate because by doing this we can get the facts to the management and at the same time we are not axing the career prospects of a person who , may be diligently performing his duties! It is a different thing that while ding so he has forgotten the minimum mannerisms and etiquette! Thanks for the response with a nice experience of yours , you encountered at the Mall! All the best!!!!

Yes Dear Jennyze! You are right! This thing never occured to my mind! Possibly by irritating us and harassing us they want to get of us and they may go back to their favorite pastime of chatting or FB-ing! I must appreciate your thoughtful imagination and capability of analysing a thing very critically! Keep it up! Thanks !

Hello Dear Jennyze! Yes, may be by saying so you can have some escape from this people! But in spite of that I doubt if these people will spare you! in fact every one knows that we require privacy and some tome to decide on , before making any purchase, but this is the typical way sales people they act to annoy us!!!! Yes, some may be really trying to help us and they may be after us to help in the case we need any and i appreciate this type of attitude and approach!!!! But the other feeling with which they are following us makes me gt irritated! For the mall owner or shop keepers every customer is a prospective shop lifter and he want his sales persons to keep an eye on them! This is ridiculous and I hate such thought! I would prefer to walk out the shop to have my shopping some where else whee I will get my freedom and peace of mind! Thanks for responding! !!!

and many of the shop attendance just got bored waiting for us to decide and followed us to get us irritated and leave the shop quickly so they could get back to whatever they did before we got in,,, and the most probably thing is chatting and FB-ing...

Hi Pahak! Normally I also do the same thing like you! I simply walk way from that section to come back there later on! But what is he guarantee that there in the new section we are not spared? I think because of unemployment or underemployment people want to join such services at cheaper wages and they are perhaps asked to so by their management so that they will get maximum sales! But in that attempt they are not realising the fact that they are basically attacking the freedom of a customer and putting him/her in a embarrassing position! Thanks for the response!!!!

Hello Dear Ur4mae! Sometimes I think it is the pressure of the management on them that is making them to act so! Otherwise, can't these people understand from our body languages that we are not wanting them around us when we are picking up our things!!!! We have been provided with comfortable trolleys all we need is to pick up a product and having seen the price we need to decide if this is to be dropped in the trolley or to be placed back in the respective rack where from it is removed! We in fact don't require any help at such places! But unfortunately the story is different and invariably we encounter one or other sales person who may be over enthusiastic and come forward to extend his helping hand, without realising or having realised ignoring the fact, that he is becoming a head ache for us! This is really annoying!!!! Yes if these things are repeated in a particular Mall I too would like to change my shopping Mall as we have plenty of them in a row on a single street! Thanks for responding!!!!

Dear Secretbear! That is the whole problem, instead of extending a helping hand these people hover around us, of course o the ground only like military hover crafts! Possibly these people are taking us granted for professional shop lifters! LOL!!!! Yes, if the sales man is there to give some details which are missing on the label or if they have any promotional scheme about any product then t is something different! But apparently for no reason if some one constantly follow us thinking that we are going to steal the good from the shop, then it would be better to leave the shop instead of facing such humiliation!!!! I really fail to understand, can't management realsie the fact that by asking their persons to do so they in fact are loosing their valuable customers! Are they not human beings? can't they understand the human psychology? I really fail understand this point! Thanks for responding!!!!

Hi Dear Secretbear! You are right, we can launch a complaint against this issue with the management! But the fact is that, which I have come to know about it through various responses in this discussion, that the management itself is asking these people to keep an eye on their customers under the disguise of sales persons so that there won't be any shoplifters in the shop or the departmental stores! Thanks for the comment!!!!

Maybe you can suggest to the management that. The next time you go shopping in that particular place where the sales persons are annoying, you can leave a suggestion to the supervisor.

Hello Dear Theonlyone! Generally it is observed that these sales men they follow us silently without any emotions on their faces, as if we are the shoplifters and they are the agents to nab us! I too feel irritated on this approach! I fail to understand in spite of having so many CCTV cameras fixed at the various locations in the shop or the Mall, still such people are employed by the authorities to keep an eye on customers, which pinches me a lot! Yes,if these people have broad smile on their faces and approach us with a friendly way ti help us then the matter would be a different one! But the way they chase us around the mall as if we are the culprits makes me sick and I prefer to leave the shop or Mall in such circumstances as I want my freedom and privacy when I am on my shopping spree! Thanks for responding!

Hello Dear UmiNoor! Yes, that is the whole problem with these sales men! They are not seen around when we need them the most! Instead they are seen loitering around at that time! They other wise constantly follow us to irritate us as if we have entered the shop to shoplift some things! Yes, I see a point in your discussion that they may not wanted themselves to be get accused of not bong helpful to the customers, so they may be after them all the while! What ever may be the thing, these people should understand one thing that customers need privacy and they should be left alone to have their choice and pick and only o be helped if they need any! This will suit both the customers and to the sales persons too! Thanks for responding!

Hello Dear Allknowing! May be these people are employed for this purpose only, or even some people may want them to be at their backs to have the feeling of being attended to! That is absolutely fine at such circumstances! But the situation becomes annoying when these people start chasing you all the places and and indirectly making you over conscious to browse the things you require and to compare the process you wanted to with other similar items!!!! I personally feel that i should be left alone so that I can spend sufficient time and have a thorough look and check of the goods I want o purchase and having satisfied with the quality of the goods, then I would check the price if it suits my budget or not! These things can't be done in presence of some stranger! Sometimes I politely ask them to leave us alone so that we can mange our shopping and I further tell them they would be called if required!!!! But now having started this discussion I have come to know that some shop keepers are employing these people to keep a watch on the customers who could be possible shop lifters and they are keeping an eye on the customers in the disguise of a salesman! This is too much, I must say is ridiculous! I hate this thinking of the shopkeepers! When they can't trust their customers then they shouldn't have opened a shop like this in first place! What do you say dear friend? Thanks for responding!!!!

Hi all Knowing! Yes, many a times we feel these CCTV equipment a frustrating one as they are using these things to record every movement of ours in the shop! It is very annoying experience!!!! I agree if you really need some one to help you to claer your doubts if you have any genuine problems as these people are actually meant for this purpose only! !!! I am happy to know that you have a pleasant experience with this sales person and you draw pleasure in your shopping spree because of these people! Thant is a good thing to know! All the best! Thanks for your comment!!!!

I have shopped at several places abroad and it is worse there. They have CCTVs everywhere. Even if you scratch your head or elsewhere it is recorded!. As for me I am quite odd I like these people helping me get what I want. I will say for example specilly when I do not know what that texture is called "Can I have something that shines and has fine lines" and they will add "you mean velvet?"!

Hello Dear Moonlightsong! Yes , I can understand about your irritation! I think your friend is right! Some times I too feel the same thing as if these people are suspecting us as the shoplifters and following us!!!! You may be right, in fact they also don't want to do this annoying job, but they may be asked to do so by the management and that's why they are constantly following us!!!! Yes, under such irritating circumstances and annoying situation it is always better to change the shop and to to the place where we can have a peaceful shopping! I like shopping and I want to enjoy the total event of the shopping , so I can't tolerate any interference! Thanks for responding!!!!

Hello Dear Bellamommy! Yes, many of us tell them to not to bother us! but in spite of this these people are constantly following us and make the situation annoying one! The thing becomes much irritating when they try to simply follow you everywhere without uttering a single word as if they are watching every movement of us! This gives me a feeling of snatching away from privacy!!!! Yes, this is a harassing situation and most customers hate it!!!! We understand that this is their job and they are making their bread and butter out of it, but then they should have a consideration and behave politely without hurting the customers and taking care of their privacy! their job is to help the customers in case if it is needed and not to put them into irritating situation, which often they do! Thanks for the response!!!!