Dan sent me out shopping yesterday. I went alone and with a notebook in which to write notes about what I looked at. It was time to buy that new stove we've been needing since, well...forever. I looked at three different stores and diligently took notes on what I liked and disliked, jotting down model numbers, prices, and comments on the notepad I'd brought with me. While visiting Sears I was pretty sure that I'd found just the right unit for our kitchen. Just to make sure, and not to buy the "first thing" I saw, I decided to check two more stores. I walked into Colders and of course, immediately a slaesman came to offer help. This was nice and I asked him a few questions, he showed me where to look, and then left me to shop - and write my notes on my notepad. A few minutes later a different salesman "hollered" over at me if I needed any help. I "hollered" back no thank you, another man had already helped me. Salesman 2 then asks me if I'm from a different store, checking out the prices. I immediately think good heavens no! He says his manager is concerend that I'm from a different company and making price comparisons. Mr. Red-Faced Manager Man is indeed glowering at me from behind his compter monitor. In a flustered tone, I said no, he can just relax, I am a customer. Well, the atmosphere was a bit uncomfortable. I continued shopping but felt like I was being scrutinized. SM2 then asked again a few questions about what I was looking for, brands, prices, etc. I told him my price range and what color I wanted, and he then directed me to the new model that had just arrived. I said thank you. SM2 turned to SM1 and appologized for taking initiative with his customer (myself). Well, I was pretty settled in my mind that I wasn't going to give Colders my business anyway, so I left the store, feeling like cameras were focussed on me or something. I didn't like the way I was treated.
Later we went back to Sears to purchase and pick up the "first thing" I saw earlier in the day. We again had a salesman that probably should have been doing something different with his time. He was impatient when it took Dan a "long" time to pull up the van. He was impatient because we didn't know off-hand our license plate number. He didn't seem to want to help put the stove in the van, but asked Dan, "You're going to put it in like THAT? OK, if that's what you want". The man clearly wanted to be somewhere else. For some reason, this man's behavior did not bother me much.
The men at Colders probably had more reason for their odd behavior. I'm sure it is annoying when the competitors come in a sneak around, getting information. I probably did look suspicious.
The man at Sears had no excuse, just was rude, short, and not overly friendly.
So, for whatever reason, I was able to brush off Sears-man, but Colders-men left me with some bad vibes.
There's nothing really to make of this, jsut some observations.
Later we went back to Sears to purchase and pick up the "first thing" I saw earlier in the day. We again had a salesman that probably should have been doing something different with his time. He was impatient when it took Dan a "long" time to pull up the van. He was impatient because we didn't know off-hand our license plate number. He didn't seem to want to help put the stove in the van, but asked Dan, "You're going to put it in like THAT? OK, if that's what you want". The man clearly wanted to be somewhere else. For some reason, this man's behavior did not bother me much.
The men at Colders probably had more reason for their odd behavior. I'm sure it is annoying when the competitors come in a sneak around, getting information. I probably did look suspicious.
The man at Sears had no excuse, just was rude, short, and not overly friendly.
So, for whatever reason, I was able to brush off Sears-man, but Colders-men left me with some bad vibes.
There's nothing really to make of this, jsut some observations.
