Cyclespot Honda, Wairau Rd, you lost a sale

[240]

Sorry Steve I have to agree with the majority above.
I like to browse and will ask if i need assistance.
Each to their own i suppose

[Woodman]

If I were a Salesman and got a response like "I'm a full grown adult, I can ask for help if I need it". My first thought would be ''what a petulant little wanker'' then go and make a cup of coffee.

Actually I would go one further and become uber-helpful and suggest they deal with the opposition. Let them deal with the ass-holes.

[Boob Johnson]

At a minimum you should be greeted/acknowledged. To simply walk around with no interaction isn't acceptable in my opinion.

[biketimus_prime]

Having worked in retail for many years and recently in an industry where the products are expensive luxury items of sorts, all I can say is that Old Steve has a right to be pissed. You have to greet customers, whether they look like they're there to drool over your products or actually purchase something. It doesn't matter, you say hi and then ask them to come see you if they have any questions at all.
That's all it takes. You were polite to the customer and acknowledged them so they know they're welcome and you're happy to aid them if needed.

I absolutely hate pushy salespeople and feeling like I need to make a purchase or fuck off. But when they come and greet me, then leave the door open for me to chat if I want, that's perfect.

No one wants to feel like they're a piece of shit who can't afford something in the store or ignored because they're not a regular.

Those of you saying you'd rather walk up to a sales rep if you need them would be even happier if someone greeted you, maybe talked shit for a minute or two and left you to your browsing. Some may disagree with me for the sake of it, but that's just fucking kiwibiker.

[eldog]

It doesn't matter, you say hi and then ask them to come see you if they have any questions at all.
That's all it takes. You were polite to the customer and acknowledged them so they know they're welcome and you're happy to aid them if needed.

I absolutely hate pushy salespeople and feeling like I need to make a purchase or fuck off. But when they come and greet me, then leave the door open for me to chat if I want, that's perfect.

+1 - I think you summed it up nicely.

[Boob Johnson]

Having worked in retail for many years and recently in an industry where the products are expensive luxury items of sorts, all I can say is that Old Steve has a right to be pissed. You have to greet customers, whether they look like they're there to drool over your products or actually purchase something. It doesn't matter, you say hi and then ask them to come see you if they have any questions at all.
That's all it takes. You were polite to the customer and acknowledged them so they know they're welcome and you're happy to aid them if needed.

I absolutely hate pushy salespeople and feeling like I need to make a purchase or fuck off. But when they come and greet me, then leave the door open for me to chat if I want, that's perfect.

No one wants to feel like they're a piece of shit who can't afford something in the store or ignored because they're not a regular.

Those of you saying you'd rather walk up to a sales rep if you need them would be even happier if someone greeted you, maybe talked shit for a minute or two and left you to your browsing. Some may disagree with me for the sake of it, but that's just fucking kiwibiker.

That's online forums in general, not specifically KB'er.

[Maha]

Actually I would go one further and become uber-helpful and suggest they deal with the opposition. Let them deal with the ass-holes.

Good point, become proactive with redirecting the attitude.

At a minimum you should be greeted/acknowledged. To simply walk around with no interaction isn't acceptable in my opinion.

....anything less and it's pretty much as the OP said, there always somewhere else (if that's the you feel, your choice) When you're potentially looking to spend thousands in most cases, it takes no effort at all to make a customer feel welcome.

Long time no see.

[pritch]

You have to greet customers, whether they look like they're there to drool over your products or actually purchase something. It doesn't matter, you say hi and then ask them to come see you if they have any questions at all.

That seems like a reasonable compromise. I have been pissed-off in the past by being completely ignored. If nobody speaks to me before I leave the staff are consigned to the category of "order takers" rather than sales people.

It can't be the greatest job in the world though, the bike shops I visit seem to have a different sales guy each time I call.

[98tls]

Having worked in retail for many years and recently in an industry where the products are expensive luxury items of sorts, all I can say is that Old Steve has a right to be pissed. You have to greet customers, whether they look like they're there to drool over your products or actually purchase something. It doesn't matter, you say hi and then ask them to come see you if they have any questions at all.
That's all it takes. You were polite to the customer and acknowledged them so they know they're welcome and you're happy to aid them if needed.

I absolutely hate pushy salespeople and feeling like I need to make a purchase or fuck off. But when they come and greet me, then leave the door open for me to chat if I want, that's perfect.

No one wants to feel like they're a piece of shit who can't afford something in the store or ignored because they're not a regular.

Those of you saying you'd rather walk up to a sales rep if you need them would be even happier if someone greeted you, maybe talked shit for a minute or two and left you to your browsing. Some may disagree with me for the sake of it, but that's just fucking kiwibiker.

About it really,other side of the coin is in the car sales industry theres or at least used to be when i was selling em (7 years,2 for Ford 5 at a Toyota stealership) an unwritten rule that whoever had 1st contact with the person then dealt (or not) with them if they went down the path of actually buying a car...easiest way of doing that from my point of view was a simple hello etc was very easy to pick up on the ones that just wanted to have a walk about so you would many times just leave it at that other times people where there to view a specific car etc etc.Worked for me and the best money ive ever made was selling cars.

[F5 Dave]

At the point a customer is clawing over a bike a salesperson should be paying attention. Even if the customer has been a tyres and oil kinda guy up till then he could have finally got some money together. I've been virtually crawling under a bike and still no response. I'm not going to fukn beg for a test ride.

[98tls]

That seems like a reasonable compromise. I have been pissed-off in the past by being completely ignored. If nobody speaks to me before I leave the staff are consigned to the category of "order takers" rather than sales people.

It can't be the greatest job in the world though, the bike shops I visit seem to have a different sales guy each time I call.

Went from selling cars to selling bikes,tough old world selling bikes for a few reasons mostly i guess is the big difference in walk ons,i was lucky in that i was beside the owner the only salesman so made a living at least.In my experience at least (cars) you had far more chance of dealing with someone if you were out in the yard doing something and there was plenty to do on a daily basis,still remember the crying that used to go on at the end of each month with salesman moaning about a lack of units sold,was always the ones that did nothing but sit in the office.

[Laava]

Years ago when I bought a new ute, I was ignored completely by all the new vehicle salesmen in our local dealership. So I wandered through the used car section on my way out and Joe came up for a chat. I asked him if he would get the commission if I bought a new ute through him, end result, he got the money.

[jasonu]

I've been virtually crawling under a bike and still no response. I'm not going to fukn beg for a test ride.

But Dave you have no money and everyone knows it...

[Boob Johnson]

Good point, become proactive with redirecting the attitude.


....anything less and it's pretty much as the OP said, there always somewhere else (if that's the you feel, your choice) When you're potentially looking to spend thousands in most cases, it takes no effort at all to make a customer feel welcome.

Long time no see.

Indeed has been a while.....been focused on cars more of late but moved back to Auckland last year & have recently bought Mag & Turbo Tyre & Service Centre in New Lynn. Am looking into doing bike tyres too.

[Old Steve]

Like biketimus-prime, I'd have liked an acknowledgement that I exist, a "Hi, give me a wave if you want anything" sort of welcome. At this dealership I felt like putting my arm in front of my face just to see if I could see through it too. Yeah, I don't like being pestered, but I do like to be acknowledged.

I might not have been buying right that moment, in fact I'm waiting for my Aussie superannuation to clear into my account so I won't be buying for a week or 10 days. But when I do buy, I won't be buying from Cyclespot Honda in Barry's Point Rd (Thanks Maha, I'd actually driven down from Wairau Rd).

Now the salesman at Holeshot Suzuki came up to me while I was looking at an M50 and said, "That one had saddlebags and a sissy bar on it, but we've taken them off to put the sissy bar on another bike for a customer but we can bring it up to any spec that interests you at a moments notice. Have a look around and give me a yell if you want anything." I then entered into about a minute or two's conversation, then he left me unmolested to my tyre kicking. From getting just that right balance of welcoming and being left alone, I'll deal with Holeshot Suzuki in future.