Clothes Shopping! - Boynton Beach,FL

I would just be really upbeat, let them know that you're there to help them so if they're needing another size or would like suggestions, be sure and let you know and then BACK OFF! 9 times out of 10, I'll get someone to help me if they do the above. (and I'm the nightmare customer that wants to be left alone!) Best of luck!

I am your customer! I always ask for help. I think it just depends on the person, the time they have, and the ability to let someone help them. When I was younger I NEVER asked for help. Now, I'm annoyed if no one helps me!!

I've been known to go into Ann Taylor and ask them to pick out what I should try on, I don't even go look, I just trust them.

I'd say, watch for people that are a little older :) Like 40. Then, see what they are holding, and try to suggest something to go with it, or an outfit. That 's the kind of help I need.

J.

I really appreciate when the salesperson is understanding. Many are very lazy and and don't care or are SUPER agressive. Both are dealbreakers for me. Lots of times I have something specific in mind, even when I say I'm just looking. What if you asked, "Can I help save you some time today? What can I help you find?" I really hate when the salesperson looks like I'm crazy for asking to find what I'm looking for, especially if you haven't seen or heard of the item/style/etc. Good luck. You are on the right track just by asking.

You have gotten some great advice so far! I've been in retail for over 25 years and am the kind of salesperson that knows what she is doing, yet I never push a customer into buying things. If she is unsure, I will say, "why don't we put that one aside since you are not sure/that's not what you came in for". You bulid trust and they tend to spend more. It takes time to be able to assess what type of customer you are dealing with and how to handle them. This is not something you will learn in a week or two.
A good openig line is, "Welcome to_____, what brings you in today?" Always ask open-ended questions so she can't answer with "no". If she just wants to look, respect that and back off. Eventually she will either just leave or have a question. When I shop, I know what I am looking for, I am not a browser, so I would ask, "do you have such and such?"
Men are easy. They shop last minute and will buy what you suggest. When I ask them, "what size is your wife?" they would answer, "about your size". I swear every woman in Orlando must be built like me according to them! LOL! Ask about budget upfront if you sense money is an issue. Fufill their main need (what they came for) before you add on anything else. Listen to what they are saying and suggest accordingly. Know what you are out of stock on or low in stock. Be honest and be yourself. Working on commission can be difficult when competing with others for a sale. I hope you are in a good environment where everyone gets a chance. Good Luck!

I like it when a sales person is up front and asks me if I need help or would like to look around. If I answer that I would like to look around, then I love it when the sales person says, "Great, I will check on you in a bit, and I will be over here straightening shirts if you need me sooner." Of course, if I am looking for something specific, then take me there.

If you are spending time with me, I often ask if my sales person is commission, so I make sure they get credit. That might just be me, but I like to know if a person is going to get paid for helping me, so I can let them help someone else too if I know I'm not getting much, or try to be more efficient, since their time is money.

I am really turned off by someone pushy, and while I don't mind a suggestion, if I say I'm not interested, I appreciate it when the sales person backs off. I may only buy a blouse one day, but I remember who I thought was helpful, and I will look for you again when I want to buy more items.

It can be hard to pick up signals, because everyone is different, but being up front works for me. Good luck with your new job!

I hate it when I walk into a store and get bounced on, first thing. You need to watch for people’s signals. I get that you have to great and offer, standard protocol at all stores, but then back-off and watch. Be close but don’t hover. If someone is shopping alone and has their hands full, offer to take their clothes into a dressing room or the register whichever they prefer. Be honest, if they have a plaid shirt and checkered shorts, unless you work at a costume shop, stop them! I respect a sales person who stops me from making a fashion mistake, especially when I am alone. Once in the dressing room, stick close because they may want an opinion on how it looks or need a new size. This may be tough if the store is busy because you will be pulled in 50 different directions but it should pay off in the end. Good Luck!

Congrats on your new job! My sister's an excellent salesperson and although I cannot ask her for advice at this moment, I think what she does is she goes up to the people who are looking through a rack and she will say "would you like me to help you find your size?" or "are you looking for a pair of black slacks? I think these over here would look good on you, even better than those, what size do you wear?". She will also comment on their eyes "oh, you have such beautiful blue eyes, this navy top over here will bring them out even more, and it's such a bargain". I know she will look for clothes that compliment the person's appearance, or sometimes look at how they dress and look for a similar outfit, so that she stays within their style of clothing. You wouldn't put someone in conservative clothes in a tiny mini-skirt and halter top no matter how figure-flattering you think it may be.

I know she greets people as they enter because I have watched her do it, and if she gets a "leave me alone" vibe from the customer, she will just hang around their area and pretend to be busy or just stand around and look away, so that they ask HER for help when they need it, instead of going to someone else.

Appearance is very important, believe it or not. She gets a lot of people that comment on how well-dressed she is and they trust her for advice in putting outfits together. Of course, when it comes to selling men's clothes, the men head straight to her and ask her out or ask her if she's a model, so that helps her snag sales.

She also upsells. Say you're buying a white blazer. She will ask about what you plan to put it together with, and offer alternative suggestions ("oh, this blouse would look beautiful with it, don't you agree?") and she will help put the outfit completely. She will walk them over to the shoe department to help select a pair of shoes, and maybe even help them find a necklace or purse as well. The accessories can really make an outfit and she knows that and tries to pass that along to her customers, who tend to be wealthy. She has sold a complete suit, tie, dress shirt, cuff links, and designer shoes to men who were only looking to buy a suit.

Personally, I like a salesperson to help me find my size or help me find something in the same style. For example, if I am looking at a cute Dolman sleeved top but it's a crop top, which means my belly will show, I'd like the salesperson to say "oh, you like Dolmans? Here are some other options in case that one is too revealing for you", instead of having me on a wild goose chase throughout the store. This is even more true if I am with my daughter. I don't want to spend more time than I need to at the store. Unfortunately, no one seems to do that anymore based on my recent experiences at Macy's. I was looking for some white skinny jeans but they only had tiny sizes. The salesperson even pointed out those probably wouldn't fit, but made no effort to find ANOTHER pair of white jeans that might fit. I walked out of the store and decided to buy some jeans on their website instead. I also like getting compliments ("girl, you got some legs! these skinny jeans would showcase them perfectly, and will also show off your waist"). Women are insecure, and just having someone making us feel attractive and helping us look like a million bucks while being friendly and supportive about it can make or break a sale.