Customer Service Complaints: Just Browsing

I thought I would begin today with a brief rant about the “just browsing” response.

It is completely nonsensical and unrelated to anything that I’ve just said.

I’ll pop it into a scenario…

“Hi, how are you today?” I ask the customer as they enter my section.

“Just browsing”

You see, I was under the impression that the question I asked them was how they were meaning a response like “good” or “bloody awful” would have been appropriate, not just browsing.

Now I understand customers have a fear of sales assistants try to force product on them and they therefore believe that all communication with us must be nipped in the bud, but give me a break. I’ll let you in on a hot tip, greeting you as you walk into the section is our job, and we are not going in for a kill.

It isn’t the simple response that annoys me, but also the smug look they give you when saying it. The look that says I have simultaneously figured out and beaten you game you silly little sales person.

Turns out it isn’t a game, just our job.

So next time you go shopping and are greeted by a staff member, don’t be a jerk, answer the question. Turns out they will probably leave you alone. If you don’t take my advice you will probably get a staff member like me who will then just mention…

“That’s great…was actually just asking how you were.”

And then I stick to you like glue and actually put on the hard sell.

Retail is a battlefield.