This is for general supermarket shopping (Coles, Woolies, IGA) not JB, Big W, Officeworks etc.
Eg. You're browsing products for your weekly shop and a nearby employee engages you with a simple:
"Hi, How are you today?
Is there anything I can help you with?"
Regardless of whether or not you actually require assistance
I dont think its solely for purchase decision, but more helping you look for the product/brand you want. Some people might not be tall enough to reach the top shelf, or aren't looking at the right aisle- I've done this before. If they dont do this, there's gonna be a bunch of people complaining about lack of customer service and threatening to leave and purchase from a competitor instead. Cant please everyone!
I find it odd when I'm in a supermarket. It's only happened a few times in my life, but having dated someone who worked at Woolies in the past, I heard that they're 'trained' to do that in case it's a mystery shopper.
Not sure how true that is, so perhaps someone here with experience in those supermarkets could confirm/deny?
But yeah, basically my ex's mate (both worked at the same Woolworths) was caught by a mystery shopper - the report later said that he failed to greet/acknowledge the customer and offer assistance (so the mystery shopper engaged first to ask their question). The shopper then asked where a product was, and the employee merely told the shopper which aisle it was rather than physically take the shopper to the product (which was expected as per the official training, apparently).
I found all that quite amusing since I had no idea what they were trained to do and I'd never been asked by staff before despite often being around them in aisles or passing by them. I felt pretty sorry for this kid for being lectured by his boss for losing points on such extreme expectations lol but that's the world of customer service for you.
So yeah, years later when a young, enthusiastic boy working in Woolies said HI HOW ARE YOU?! with this big newbie smile and asked if I needed any help, I just smiled back and knew he must've been brand new with the training still fresh in his mind. You could tell how new he was by his energy, too. lol not yet jaded and bitter…
But back to your question (holy crap has this turned into an essay or what)…
Personally, it annoys me sometimes, but it depends on the store. It would just be weird being asked it in a supermarket, but regardless of the store I just try to be polite back to them rather than show the annoyance… cos you know they're just doing what they're told. I'm sure some of them hate stalking customers around and asking the same question all day lol.
I'd politely say thanks but I know what I want to be nice because probably the manager critter made these peons do it.
What next? Hi, I'm Tracy and I'm your shopping assistant for the day. Gack!
On a few occasions I've had sales assistants come up to me at supermarket asking if I need a hand with anything.
Must the neanderthal look I have when I enter these places. I thought it was a nice gesture and stopped me pacing isles looking like an orangutan on heat - looking for that obscure item.
+1, would date.
Like most, I'm more than happy to be left alone, as long as staff are genuinely polite and useful when you do ask the something.
I've actually found supermarket staff to be generally both of those things and actually really enthusiastic to be briefly distracted from the boredom of whatever it is they're doing at the time.
In big retail generally, Bunnings, still, in my experience, set the benchbank for genuine and useful help. A real culture of that instilled there, I think.
In contrast, I've come seriously close to actual fistfights over the years with some music store staff. Lots of clueless twerps with attitude issues, who don't take kindly when you call their bluff on their thin veneers of hipster-driven 'knowledge'.
Yep, almost a few cases of 'clean-up in aisle one' there…
I've actually found supermarket staff to be generally both of those things
PLEASE!!! Where is this legendary supermarket you speak of?!?!
hipster-driven 'knowledge'
Hahahaha.
I work at a small store so I think it's being polite to acknowledged a person eg. "Hi how are you going?"
Let them walk around for a bit and if they seem a bit lost/don't know what they're looking for, then ask them. But even then, I've had people snap at me for it.
In big retail generally, Bunnings, still, in my experience, set the benchbank for genuine and useful help. A real culture of that instilled there, I think.
LMAO You've obviously never been to my local Bunnings. I'm sure it's the worst Bunnings store in the country.
@Geewhizz
Haha went to the Bunnings in Caloundra a few months ago to look for an advertised light ,anyway looked and looked nah can't find- next minute a teen(youth/lad) dressed in a Bunnings uniform running all over the place till stock was found :)
Maybe your local Bunnings needs some youngsters too ;)
In a supermarket if you cannot find what you want it does get frustrating if you are in a hurry to look for something or you are just thinking on what to buy" eg would you like help in choosing the best milk for you?!"
In places like jbhifi, ow, dicksmith, it makes more sense cause many people arnt familiar with technology, like printers, CDs and laptops.
I don't really care, if someone greets me, then I'll greet them and let them know that I'm just doing my weekly shopping. I don't see why it would be annoying to have someone greet you.
But if they don't that's fine too, because I don't really need help at Woolies/Coles.
Sometimes, I'm not overly familiar with where everything is and a quick direction to aisle 5 etc would be helpful.
I know you said in supermarkets, but I'm sure it's the same there as where I work - we are all told that we need to say hello to everyone we encounter as we never know who is a mystery shopper. The managers get disciplined if we achieve below a certain score each month, and one of the biggest things is if the mystery shopper was greeted by a certain number of team members during their visit.
Personally I hate being pestered in a store. Just leave me alone and I'll ask for help if I need it.
yeah i kinda hate it too, that's really annoying especially if the person insists on helping or giving suggestion.
No thank you, I'm just browsing.
Why would you need someone to help you make a purchase decision at woolies? It'd just be a waste of time.
When you go to a supermarket, you're there to buy the bare neccessities of living (food, toiletries) and it's very likely you know what you're going to buy and you're also most likely going to just buy whatever is on special price.