fragileclover
Velociraptor
Joined: May 22, 2009
Posts: 496
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 Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 12:58 pm Post subject: |
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I understand that people who come up to you in the store and ask if you need help are just doing their jobs, but it's my least favorite thing, ever!
It totally flusters and annoys me. I'm just like...go awaaayyyyyyy!
Delphiki: how do you even manage doing a job like that as an Aspie? I'm in a social-type job, as part of my job is hospitality/reception, but people have to come to me and ask questions, not the other way around. I turned down extra hours the other month when they needed someone to stand at a table and stop people coming in to talk to them about whatever thing it was they were advertising. NO WAY!
_________________
Aspie Quiz: AS - 141/200, NT - 77/200 (Very likely an Aspie)
AQ: 34/50 (Aspie range)
EQ: 32 / SQ: 68 (Extreme Systemizing / AS or HFA)
Diagnosed with AS and Anxiety Disorder - NOS on 03/21/2012 |
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Colinn
Outside The Looking Glass
Joined: Apr 08, 2012
Age: 22
Posts: 2190
Location: Scotland
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| Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 1:27 pm Post subject: |
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I don't enjoy shopping in stores most of the time, especially for clothes, those people are vultures. Any clothes shop I go into I will be asked the dreaded "can I help you with anything?" within 60 seconds. Give me a chance to actually look and I will get back to you! I also don't like it when you are after a particular item and they just claim they don't have it instead of bothering to look it up on the system or in the store. Online shopping has definitely been a good advancement for people like myself!  |
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Delphiki
Launchie
Joined: Apr 15, 2012
Age: 23
Posts: 1350
Location: My own version of reality
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| Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 1:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Colinn wrote: | | I don't enjoy shopping in stores most of the time, especially for clothes, those people are vultures. Any clothes shop I go into I will be asked the dreaded "can I help you with anything?" within 60 seconds. Give me a chance to actually look and I will get back to you! I also don't like it when you are after a particular item and they just claim they don't have it instead of bothering to look it up on the system or in the store. Online shopping has definitely been a good advancement for people like myself! |
Even if they were asked about that recently, or know there department well? I don't see why I should have to look at a spot that I saw yesterday to verify what I already knew, that the product wasn't there. Now you could say that it ended up being there, will I would not have said that I knew we didn't have it then
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Trolls exist! They steal your socks, but only the left ones. I wonder what is up with that? |
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Delphiki
Launchie
Joined: Apr 15, 2012
Age: 23
Posts: 1350
Location: My own version of reality
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| Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 1:36 pm Post subject: |
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| fragileclover wrote: |
Delphiki: how do you even manage doing a job like that as an Aspie? I'm in a social-type job, as part of my job is hospitality/reception, but people have to come to me and ask questions, not the other way around. I turned down extra hours the other month when they needed someone to stand at a table and stop people coming in to talk to them about whatever thing it was they were advertising. NO WAY! |
It isn't too bad, it is just a scripted response. May I help you, or can I help you find something? If yes help them, or find someone who can. If no then don't. At the end of both say something like have a good day. Or if I am feeling it "have a wonderful walmart day" (made that up myself)
My coworkers can definitely tell I am...quirky. I make odd comments a lot and jokes, have let most of them know I don't get sarcasm. But I act cheerful almost all the time so their isn't much of a reason for them to be bothered with me.
If a customer is frustrated about something/ranting I will try to find someone else to help me, I would not be able to deal with that well.
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Trolls exist! They steal your socks, but only the left ones. I wonder what is up with that?
Last edited by Delphiki on Wed May 09, 2012 1:54 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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bnky
Velociraptor
Joined: Nov 20, 2011
Posts: 479
Location: Kent, England
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| Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 1:53 pm Post subject: |
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So,
the assistant followed the script.
Knew exactly where the item was.
Gave you their choice of the options.
Wasn't aware that they were making you uncomfortable.
... OP, can you be sure the assistant wasn't an Aspie?
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Colinn
Outside The Looking Glass
Joined: Apr 08, 2012
Age: 22
Posts: 2190
Location: Scotland
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| Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 1:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Delphiki wrote: |
Even if they were asked about that recently, or know there department well? I don't see why I should have to look at a spot that I saw yesterday to verify what I already knew, that the product wasn't there. Now you could say that it ended up being there, will I would not have said that I knew we didn't have it then |
Well sure, if they state that they've checked the inventory for that item already I would be fine with that. But sometimes you will just have someone say they don't have any in an unenthusiastic tone, which makes me think they just can't be bothered. I know being any kind of sales assistant isn't a pleasant job, but a bit of communication and friendly attitude can go a long way. |
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NotaHero
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: Feb 24, 2012
Age: 30
Posts: 53
Location: Manchester, UK
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| Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 2:03 pm Post subject: |
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I don't like random people bugging me while I'm out shopping, I'm usual frustrated enough as it is. What I think adds to the problem is the wrong focus on sales instead of service. I usually try not to get too bothered by the person as they are usually just following a set of rules that someone high up in the company decided are good ways to get more money. If only the companies instead of spending their time training their staff to make sales gave the staff that time to research what they were selling then that would add some real value to the process.
| Quote: | | There is an obvious difference between someone who is just browsing or deciding among similar items, and someone who is having trouble finding even the section where the item is. |
Sad thing is it's easier to do the same response rather than assess the situation. And there's me thinking it was just aspies that got thiss wrong! |
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bnky
Velociraptor
Joined: Nov 20, 2011
Posts: 479
Location: Kent, England
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| Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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| NotaHero wrote: | | And there's me thinking it was just aspies that got thiss wrong! |
Some aspies work in shops. I have. We're everywhere  |
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howzat
Phoenix
Joined: Aug 24, 2007
Age: 26
Posts: 1722
Location: Hornsey North London
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| Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Its part of their job really as that is how their make a sale i suppose. |
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edgewaters
hibernating
Joined: Aug 17, 2006
Age: 40
Posts: 2426
Location: Ontario
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| Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 3:30 pm Post subject: |
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| SilkySifaka wrote: | | I worked in an electronics store a few years back, and the extended warranties were the bane of my life, nobody wanted them and if someone doesn't want something I won't try and force them. |
I never get them, but I do appreciate hearing the details. They calculate the price and duration of an extended warranty based on a 50% fail rate over a set period of time, so it tells you something about the actual durability of what you're buying. So, if they don't volunteer this information, I always ask. |
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SilkySifaka
Lemur
Joined: Apr 23, 2012
Age: 27
Posts: 1396
Location: UK
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| Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 3:35 pm Post subject: |
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| edgewaters wrote: | | SilkySifaka wrote: | | I worked in an electronics store a few years back, and the extended warranties were the bane of my life, nobody wanted them and if someone doesn't want something I won't try and force them. |
I never get them, but I do appreciate hearing the details. They calculate the price and duration of an extended warranty based on a 50% fail rate over a set period of time, so it tells you something about the actual durability of what you're buying. So, if they don't volunteer this information, I always ask. |
I didn't know that! |
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1000Knives
It's not difficult if you know how.
Joined: Jul 09, 2011
Age: 22
Posts: 4538
Location: CT, USA
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| Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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I think what a lot is, by just looking around by yourself, they think you're "up to something" ie, going to steal something. Probably some portion is that. I used to, when people asked if I needed help finding something, I'd say no and I'd look suspicious. Eventually I figured out to just let the salesperson do his job, and take me wherever. Makes my life easier, as he knows where it is and I don't.
Even if their ideas aren't as insidious as thinking you're going to steal something, a lot of times the salesperson just wants to develop a rapport with you. Make some smalltalk, tell you about sales that are happening, whatever. So by establishing the personal connection, you're more likely to come back to the store. Personal connection helps you, too, as especially in the case of a smaller business, you often get "good guy pricing" and, let's say you wanna buy a drink, and you only got $2 on you and it's $2.50, they'll often just let you go at $2, or they'll let you have for free, say, sandwiches or bread they're gonna throw out, things like that. I understand totally how sometimes you wanna just be left alone to look around, and to a point, salespeople do, too. The solution for that, if you don't want the salesperson helping you, tell them "Ah, thank you very much, but I'm just looking around/browsing right now, thank you though." Better, though, is let the salesperson find you the initial item you're looking for, and if you still wanna look or examine more stuff, after they guide you to the item you want, you say "Ah, thanks for helping me, I'm gonna look around a bit more by myself if you don't mind, though, thanks." Or something to that effect. If they immediately hand you the cheapest item, and you don't want it, just say "oh, thank you, but I'd like to look at the others and compare them a bit before I buy."
So yeah, the solution to the problem is basically, you gotta communicate with the salesperson.
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Too kawaii to live...
Too sugoi to die! |
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xmh
Toucan
Joined: Jun 26, 2011
Posts: 283
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| Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 6:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | I don't enjoy shopping in stores most of the time, especially for clothes, those people are vultures. Any clothes shop I go into I will be asked the dreaded "can I help you with anything?" |
I tend to do most of my cloths shopping in supermarkets or cheaper stores which tend not to bother you much.
There is one shop, selling suits, that streamlines the process nicely. First they measure you, then take you to a rack of clothing that is all your size. This makes the buying process a lot quicker, and therefore less painful.
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A lot of staff are forced to up/suggestive sell items to customers. A lot of the time they are just going through the motions (so that if you were a mystery shopper you would not mark them down) so a simple no would do. A major national electrical chain always suggests the same item every time (you would think they would offer different items each week or month to grab regular customers). |
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redrobin62
Phoenix
Joined: Apr 03, 2012
Age: 50
Posts: 3818
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 7:02 pm Post subject: |
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| @Collin - People like you and me will be the death of mom & pop stores because we primarily shop online! |
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Colinn
Outside The Looking Glass
Joined: Apr 08, 2012
Age: 22
Posts: 2190
Location: Scotland
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| Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 7:34 pm Post subject: |
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| redrobin62 wrote: | | @Collin - People like you and me will be the death of mom & pop stores because we primarily shop online! |
Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike going in store all together. I still enjoy browsing games and such when I'm in town. But even the shops I do go into are big chains, not that many family run shops where I live. Well apart from local takeaways that is, which I do support a fair bit financially  |
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