[bht96]

When I go to a store I usually wait until the last resort to ask for help to find anything (it depends how anxious I feel that day). I will walk around a large department store three times if I have to. Why? Because, I am afraid that a clerk will engage me in conversation and I will sound stupid. This is so f-ing silly and stupid in itself. This is why my SA really pisses me off.

Also, you know when you walk into Best Buy and someone at the front has to greet you and ask how are you doing? And when you are looking for an item, usually someone will ask you if you need any help? I hate that. I hate it enough to avoid going back. This friendly customer service must be satisfying to most people because I know the management is pushing their employees to go the "extra mile". It makes me angry that I can't be normal and enjoy when someone asks me how I am doing. He might as well be saying, F*** you as I come in the door. It wouldn't make much of a difference.

Another thing that is bothering me is that I go to LA Fitness every morning to exercise. Well, there is this guy that works there that always tries to start a conversation with me when I walk in to when I am actually sprinting on the treadmill. Dude, I am completely out of breath. Do you really think we can make some stupid small talk right now?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if I actually wanted to be social like all the normal people out there? Apparently, it's normal to want to be asked how you are, or if you need any help when you don't ask for it, or have a conversation when you sprinting and your heart rate is up over 170 bpm. Or is it? I want to improve my social skills and am really trying to but there are some cases where I just don't want to deal with any crap from employees trying to be overly-friendly. If they are, I don't go back in many cases. I wonder if this bothers non-SA sufferers to at least a small degree or if they couldn't care less.

Can anybody relate to what I am saying? Does it anger you when you are constantly being hounded about needing help in stores when you aren't asking for it, etc.?

 

[Perfectionist]

Also, you know when you walk into Best Buy and someone at the front has to greet you and ask how are you doing? And when you are looking for an item, usually someone will ask you if you need any help? I hate that. I hate it enough to avoid going back. This friendly customer service must be satisfying to most people because I know the management is pushing their employees to go the "extra mile". It makes me angry that I can't be normal and enjoy when someone asks me how I am doing. He might as well be saying, F*** you as I come in the door. It wouldn't make much of a difference.

I worked at Best Buy as a cashier. When the store was slow, I was supposed to stand near the front of the checkout and greet people. It's policy, they want every customer to have been approached within 30 seconds of entering the store

If it helps, there was at least one socially anxious greeter out there, who was desperately hoping you would somehow veer off course or turn the other way so I wouldn't have to engage you in some sort of awkward attempt at friendly conversation. Until I quit and ran far, far away.

In general, yes, I have the same issues. I feel very overwhelmed when I walk into a store and I see the store clerks all zooming towards you to say hello. It makes me wary of entering certain types of stores where I know tehy work on commission or are big on customer service. I just want to be left alone.

 

[UltraShy]

Does it anger you when you are constantly being hounded about needing help in stores when you aren't asking for it, etc.?

Yes, several years ago while shopping for a new stove (the old one that was always a piece of junk died after 20 years), I ended up having to fend off numerous over-eager commissioned salespeople. I'd say "We're just looking".

One after another would approach eager to get a sale, but all they got was me more angry. The last one asked what we were going to use it for as she wanted to "assess our cooking needs". I wasn't even aware this was something in need of assessment, did you?

If not for SA stopping me, I've have been the most sarcastic jerk around and told her that we have food that is cold, sometimes even frozen, but that we prefer our food to be hot. And then ask if they sell any models that can turn frozen food into the hot food that we greatly prefer. I wonder if these dim bulbs would have been bright enough to know that was totally dripping with as much sarcasm as possible?

 

[Bredwh]

This friendly customer service must be satisfying to most people because I know the management is pushing their employees to go the "extra mile".

No I'm pretty sure everyone hates this.

 

[LALoner]

When your in a chain store with overly friendly salespeople you hate it. Then when you go to a mom and pop store and pop says "what do you friggin' want?" you hate that too and wish you were at Starbucks. I think the grass is always greener on this issue.

 

[shyvr6]

I normally don't like asking for help because I like to do my own thing.

 

[likeOlikeH]

I can relate completely to what your saying, I have found that using "I'll let you know" when they ask if i need help is what works best for me. But i have a job as a sales associate so i know what it's like from both sides. My SA really makes it hard for me to go that extra mile with customers besides the obligatory greet and helping them if they have any questions directed towards me, it's awful

 

[Garg]

I don't like going to stores because of SA. When I go to a store I like to just do my own thing with NO ONE around and no one judging me on what I'm looking at. If I can't find something or need help, I usually try to solve it myself, but if I run into a worker I may ask for help, usually they see I need help first.

At smaller stores like BlockBuster I hate going there because it's usually the same employees there. I feel like they don't want me there and are judging me, and a few times I've had to ask a couple questions / had a few small problems so it just feels really weird going in there. I try to go these ones as little as possible, mainly if they have the same employees always working.

One time I was at Walmart late at night, shopping for a meal or 2. I guess I must have seemed really strange, because one of the guys that stocks the food asked me "Are you alright?" I said "me? ya i'm fine" and he looks at me and goes "You sure?" He was just trying to be nice and all, so it wasn't all that bad, but it made me think I must seem really weird shopping alone or something.

I definitely prefer to have no social interaction at all at stores, just ignore me.

 

[Laika]

I completely agree. When I go to a store, I like to be left completely alone and just browse at my own pace. It makes me so anxious when the workers come up to me and ask me if they can help, even if they're just trying to be friendly. If I really, absolutely needed their help, I'd ask, otherwise I just want to keep to myself.
Sometimes I won't even go into a store if it's really empty, because I'd be the only one there and the employees would flock to me or at least I know they'd be watching me the whole time. I prefer stores that are a little more crowded (but not too crowded, because that makes me anxious, too :? It's best when there's just the right amount of people.)

 

[sidekick]

It annoys me, but isn't too problematic, thankfully. Unless they like sneak up on me, then I'm startled and annoyed and it turns into anxiety.

Perhaps you could try listening to an mp3 player (or even just have the headphones on). They give you an excuse to ignore anyone talking to you unless they're really in your face and shouting at you, and I can't imagine a store employee doing that.

 

[Ashram]

No I'm pretty sure everyone hates this.

The only reason they do it is because it deters shop thieves. If you make eye contact with a store worker, apparently you're less likely to follow through with it, or something. That's what I learnt in training for my current job, anyway...not that I ever bother to greet people.

 

[Madison_Rose]

Oh, that's interesting.

I can't stand stupid, pointless small-talk in any walk of life.

 

[SVIIC]

Yes, I ****ing hate when people approach me in a shop when I'm just looking. FFS, I need to look in order to assess whether or not I'm interested in anything that's on show and I certainly can't tell whether or not anyone is going to be of help if I don't even know yet what it is they might be able to help me with.

 

[solasum]

Trust me, they don't want to talk to you anymore than you want to talk to them. I work in retail, and no one I work with likes to greet people because they don't like it, but we have to because our managers could write us up. Greeting is supposed to make potential thieves feel watched and to help people find what they need. Ultimately, it's not because they think you want to be greeted, but because it prevents theft and gets more sales.

At least I don't work in a clothes store. The last time I went shopping, the person who got me a dressing room asked for my name. Apparently they ask for your name these days?! I think that's ridiculous. And then they come back to your room and say, "_____, how's it working out for you?" which I hate. Oh well, it's not like they enjoy it either.