Great service. You could try on 3 different pairs of sneakers in foot locker and the guys working there would lace up every pair for you. Or go into a Belk department store and walk around the men’s section. Someone would appear whose purpose was to help you. Need a size? They’d check in the back. Need a different color? Here it is. Today the foot locker doods just toss the box of shoes at you before dissappearing forever. Department stores (all of them owned by Macy’s essentially) are lonely and understaffed by people who seem unfamiliar with the product.
Date: March 4th, 2018 7:01 PM Author: self-absorbed dashing chad
to some extent, this is a VOLUME issue. before the flood of cheap junk from china, consumer items were pricier on an individual basis, and so stores/salesmen had more incentive to cultivate a loyal customer base which made less-frequent (but higher-value) purchases. now, in the era of disposable shit, nobody on either side of the transaction gives a fuck. a good microwave used to cost like $400; now you can get a more-or-less disposable one in a box from a poorly-arranged wal-mart shelf for $25.
Date: March 4th, 2018 7:04 PM Author: vigorous hell
It's also a shift from a commission to a non-commission model. Commission sucked because nobody cared about what they were selling as long as they made the sale, but non-commission sucked because there was no motivation to do anything.
Date: March 4th, 2018 7:05 PM Author: Judgmental Swashbuckling House Associate
that's because no one takes pride or gives two shits about what they sell anymore, nothing is hand crafted or anything to be proud of. It's gussied up plastic garbage off a Chinese assembly line
Date: March 4th, 2018 7:55 PM Author: vigorous hell
Well there's also no hope for repeat business anymore, and the front-line salespeople are just hourly employees. What one place sells is often what every other big-box store sells, what Amazon sells, etc. I really do think there needs to be a middle-ground between a pure-commission "make the sale no matter what" model and a model where a dude is paid his hourly wage no matter what.
The biggest opportunity is in service businesses. I've moved apartments a couple times, the company I found was great; I recommended them to everyone I know. Similarly, I found out recently that a family friend was using my A/V contractor because it was recommended to them by a friend, who had another friend who recommended them, who had another friend who recommended them, to whom I had recommended them in the first place.
Honestly, just being helpful and not an asshole is becoming a lost art.
Date: March 4th, 2018 11:47 PM Author: ultramarine crotch headpube
right, and because items are interchangeable or identical, every asshole will be "just looking" at the store and buy it online to save $3. customers are responsible for the lack of service too.
but i'm never convinced that we've GAINED in affordability what we've lost in service. it seems like things are slightly cheaper on the whole, but not so much as people want to claim, especially factoring in quality/service decline.
obv, in some areas, like computers/cell phones, the affordability is much greater. but that is a special case.
Date: March 4th, 2018 7:11 PM Author: self-absorbed dashing chad
that's probably true. there is also the NATIONALIZATION effect, in which locally (or regionally)-owned stores were overtaken by giant conglomerates. megacorps don't like to have inconsistent sales behavior across stores, so the whole culture of "personal service" or special deals was eliminated in the interest of corporate efficiency.
Date: March 4th, 2018 11:35 PM Author: bat-shit-crazy lemon goyim
Macy’s and Sears have become absolute shitshows, to the point where when you find the one item you want to buy, it is difficult to locate an employee who will take your money. You can still get good service at Bergdorf, Saks, Nordstrom, etc. The downside is that those stores are as expensive as fuck. But better to get one good quality item that fits than three pieces of ill-fitting Chinese garbage on sale.
Date: March 5th, 2018 9:51 AM Author: Puce Theater Stage
I went to Sears over Christmas, it was unrecognizable. Disorganized piled of crap, empty shelves. It looked worse than the worst Kmart in town when I was growing up.
Date: March 4th, 2018 11:41 PM Author: Cruel-hearted soul-stirring place of business
my first job as an under aged employee was in a shoe store. one time I sold shoes to my math teacher, she needed heels for her wedding. i didnt get commission on the shoe sales, but i did on the shoe polish and whatnot
Date: March 5th, 2018 12:40 AM Author: french step-uncle's house
i hear you but at the same time i don't like store salespeople. i just want to take my sweet time browsing or know exactly what i want and don't need help. if i have to interact, i inevitably have to play dumb to ward off the high pressure sell.
the shoe store salesman gatekeeper to the different sizes is also annoying as i like to try on different shit and put it back and don't want to feel obligated to buy.
Date: March 5th, 2018 7:55 AM Author: Bonkers irradiated space
I recently contributed to this decline. tried on some shoes at footlocker, went home and bought them online. dude in the store was solid and even made a good recommendation