What part of "I'm just browsing" do some salespeople just don't understand

[LynneSin]

Seriously!

All I've done was put an offer in on a condo. I know when I move I'll need new living room furniture and for lunchtime I thought I'd stop in a local chain furniture store to see what they have and pick up a catalog.

I appreciate that the guy was trying to make a living and I'm not one to shop around sales people - if I like you, I'll definately come back and use you. But I barely could look at any of the furnature without some annoying flunkie bugging the shit out of me trying to push me to make a buying commitment. After the 4th time he interrupted my browsing (to give me a business card and tell me THREE times that he's not here on Wednesday please don't buy then), I couldn't get out of the door fast enough.

I stopped at a second furniture store and not only did I find the perfect living room set but the sales person appreciated the concept that I was "Just Browsing". I grabbed his card and I'll will come back to him in a few weeks to get the furniture once the details of the house buying are settled.

[Az]

1. The part where they lose a commision to someone else

The furniture store industry is nasty. We make a game of it. We try to see how far into the store we can get before someone tries to sell things to us.

[LostinVA]

2. That's why the gods made IKEA, sissie

No one bothers you, and you can grab lunch before you take your furniture home. Plus, some of the couches have made CR's "Best Buys."

[Shakespeare]

3. Amen, and second that.

Their couches are definitely exceptionally well-made, too.

[LostinVA]

7. Yup -- as I said, even Consumer Reports likes 'em

I also like them because alot of the furniture FITS me. I'm short and not too big, and so much of the furniture at other stores is HUGE. I'm not, and neither is anyplace I can afford to live.

[LynneSin]

4. Actually I saw some great stuff at IKEA yesterday

but I really loved the coloring of the sofa set I saw today and the 2nd store. However, I think I'm going to get all my bookcases from Ikea. I need someplace to put my 2000+ Records, CDs and Books

[LostinVA]

5. Their bookcase systems are great

I love the tall Billy ones, with the glass doors. They look tres nice. Some of their leather couches and chairs are VERY nice.

Your FSIL and I have been looking for furniture at IKEA -- we'll need to fill in some gaps... and, we both have a zillion books, etc.

[TommyO]

27. Billy from IKEA ROCKS!

It's inexpensive, easily assembled, and in the Black/Brown finish looks pretty darned good.

[spinbaby]

6. Watch out for the "Billy" bookcases

They look nice but I've found they don't hold up. The backs tend to pop out and the shelves bow if you put too may books on them.

[LostinVA]

8. I've had some for a long time and they've been fine

I also only put heavy books on the bottom.

[spinbaby]

11. If you fill the shelves, they bow

It's been a serious problem for me--I have a lot of books and expect to be able to fill the shelves without seeing a sag in the middle. If you're just going to put lightweight decorative doodads on your shelves, I suppose you'd be okay.

[LostinVA]

12. Oh trust me, I fill in the shelves

I owe a zillion books. I'm a huge reader and I was a book buyer professionally for quite a while.

[spinbaby]

14. Not very heavy books you have there

In the five years or so I've had my Billy shelves, they've developed a very disturbing sag. As soon as I can afford it, I'm ordering better shelves from the Amish place.

[LostinVA]

18. Yes, I do -- I don't know why you insist I don't have normal books filling my bookcases

Jesus.

I even have many of the shelves double-rowed. I know quite a few people who own Billy cases, and they ALL have real books filling them.

[LynneSin]

20. You have real books filming your Billy Bookcases

wowza - how do they do that? Do they prefer video or digital. What kind of genre do they prefer when filming bookcases.

[LostinVA]

22. Smart ass

[LynneSin]

23. Better than being a dumbass

[Sock Puppet]

32. Maybe you put yours together wrong?

I have never had a problem with my Billy bookcases and I have had them for about 8 years.

[Blue Diadem]

36. Particle board will do that depending on the width of the span and the thickness

of the actual shelf and of course, how much weight is concentrated in any one area.

[Shakespeare]

9. I've had mine for years, packed with books, and never had that problem.

They're SO well made, and I don't know anywhere else you can buy wood veneer bookcases for that price.

[spinbaby]

13. Are we talking about the same shelves?

I'm about to ditch mine for better shelves. I'd buy the Billy bookcases as a temporary solution for something like a kid's room, but not for serious book storage.

[Shakespeare]

15. If you're sure it's the Billy line, then it's the same bookcases.

Very, very well made, and mine are loaded with heavy books (hey, I'm an MA in English, I gotsa lotsa books). The shelves have never bowed, and the back cover has never had problems, either. And they've been through three different moves, too. I have the ones in birch veneer.

They have some that look a little like the Billy line, but which are cheaper (and not veneer) and not as well made. I wouldn't bother with those, but at $79 for the tall Billy bookcase, I can't imagine why anyone would go with the el cheapo one.

[spinbaby]

24. Yeah, pretty sure they're Billy

Birch veneer, too. Most of the middle shelves are bowed and the backs keep popping off whenever I shelve a deep book a bit too hard.

[spinbaby]

25. Here we are

The IKEA page describing Billy:

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/83688210

They have a 30 kg (66 pound) weight limit. I know I have way more books than that in there.

I didn't know you were supposed to fasten them to the wall.

[LynneSin]

26. 66lbs is good per shelf

It'll hold my records then

[LynneSin]

16. That's a concern - I can't put the albums on bottom shelves

and those things can add up in weight.

[Sock Puppet]

31. Albums would be too heavy, but they work great for CDs

...and books of course.

[TommyO]

33. I'll echo a sentiment that others have posted here.

That's definitely not my experience with Billy, though I don't have any of the approximately 32" wide units, all of mine are narrower (I'm royally pissed that they discontinued the roughly 23" wide units). I have the medium width units and plenty of the matching Benno CD towers.

[LSK]

37. no problem with mine

I also use the cheapo Flarke ones for years with no problem.

[guitar man]

10. I know, it's irritating

That's why I carry one of these with me :evilgrin:

http://cgi.ebay.com/The-original-Han-D-Gas-Hand-held-farter-FART_W0QQitemZ110141923529QQcmdZViewItem

[jobycom]

17. Poorly trained salesperson.

I used to train retail salespeople. The first thing you train them to do is ignore the first "just looking" comment, because everyone says that. You try to break them out of their shell, by saying something they don't expect, like "Anything you just looking for?" If they do need help, they will give you an invitation: yes, I'm looking at dining room tables, but I'm not ready to buy yet.

When a salesperson's first response is "Okay, let me know if I can help you," before walking off, customers who actually plan to buy, or are looking for something specific but simply said "just looking" out of reflex (everyone does), get upset and go spend their money somewhere else.

The second thing I trained them to do was to accept the second "just looking" at face value, and only intervene again if they see an opening, such as a customer lingering over a specific item. Then you say something easy, non-committal, like "That's a good one," (or "that's not a good one, look over there" if they are looking at junk) as you walk past, almost like an afterthought, or a conspiratorial bit of advice. If they are really looking for something, they will test you, give you a small invitation. "Really? Why?" That's an invitation to talk about that one product. It's tentative. They are seeing if you really know something, or if you are going to be a pain. If they aren't really looking to buy, most will still smile a little at your tenacity, but not hold it against you.

The thing you never do is try to force yourself in beyond their invitation level. You seek the invitation, but if you don't get it, you don't swoop in for the kill.

I kind of miss sales...

[LynneSin]

19. That's how I was trained

You really have to learn to read people if you want to be successful. When I'm not even looking at your face and slowly edging for the door, I probably could care less that you have Wednesday off.

The guy sucked and the thing is - there was some really nice furniture in there I might of considered. Perhaps I'll go back on a Wednesday and check it out again

[jobycom]

21. Chances are

the problem is the manager, not the salesperson. Otherwise the salesperson would have been corrected by now.

[Pithlet]

30. Or it's possible that was how they were trained.

I worked in retail sales for awhile years ago, and one job in particular really was the pits. We had to shake everyone's hand as they walked in the door, and we could not ever take "just looking" for an answer. I didn't stay at that one for very long, but I'm certain I was considered an annoying flunky more than once. I could tell by the looks on their faces before they fled the store in horror. We all hated it, and no one ever stayed with that establishment for long. This was luxury goods. We just had an idiot district manager who knew nothing about sales.

[AllegroRondo]

28. Go back Wednesday

and when a different sales person swoops in on you at the door, say you're already dealing with this guy.

[Rob H.]

29. That irritates me, too

When I say, "I'm just looking," I actually mean it. If I have any questions, believe me, salespeople, I'll come find you. Following me around isn't going to do anything but motivate me to spend my money elsewhere.

[Initech]

34. Car salesman are the absolute worst at that.

I went to go look at the new Mitsubishi Lancer and the guy just would not grasp the concept that I'm still looking at cars. If I was ready to buy, I would have said that I'm ready to buy.

Then I went to go look at the Pontiac G6. I had been looking at them the night before while I was waiting to get my car serviced. The guy picks me up in the car, and the guy tried to sell me the damn car while I was on my way down to the dealership, where I had got my car serviced the night before! Now really, if I was going to buy a new car, why the fuck would I take my current vehicle in for $300 worth of maintenance? :argh:

And I'd probably need three extra posts to explain the Buick salesman from hell when my parents were looking for a new car.

[LynneSin]

35. I learned my selling skills with cars

and I knew that pushiness does NOT make you successful

[Initech]

38. Nope.

I hesitate to buy from pushy salespeople. So far Honda has pissed me off the most because their dealers don't like to haggle. And that sucks because the Civic Hybrid is my first choice for a new car.

[LynneSin]

39. They won't haggle for awhile, be lucky if you can pay sticker price on that car

When new cars with high demand come out, like the hybrid, many dealerships will add way more in than just the sticker price. They'll put tons of dealer mark-ups knowing that there is such a demand that folks will pay those prices.

I sold one Dodge Viper, one of the first year editions when only 250 were made. It was a $50K sticker car but trust me, we charged well over $50k and the guy gladly paid it for the luxury of having this car.

[AllegroRondo]

40. Honda lost a sale with me over that

their sales person was PUSHY and would not give me a straight answer on anything. I ended up going with Toyota.

[TommyO]

41. I will never, ever, deal with a pushy salesperson for a car

There are other dealers, and other makes out there that appeal to me.

That said, I really like the Saturn Aura, and they have the least pushy salespeople out there (at least at the three dealerships I've visited)

[Rob H.]

42. They must do that everywhere

I stopped one day at a Jeep dealership, idly looking, and I had someone try to sell me a Wrangler Unlimited after I told him I was just curious. I'd had a Wrangler years earlier and wanted to see what the then-new four-door Wrangler was like. I told the guy I was just looking and why and he wandered off. He then returned with the sales manager and tried to turn him loose on me.

The sales manager actually asked, "What's it going to take for me to get you into this car today?" (I HATE THAT!)

I just said, "Nothing. I'll tell you the same thing I told him: I'm just looking. I can stand here and say it all day if that's what it takes for one of you to get the point." He left me alone after that.

The best experience I had was buying from a dealership when I was living in Idaho. I told the salesdude which car I was interested in, and since my dad had bought a car from him a couple of months earlier he tossed me the keys and said, "Here. Take it for a drive. See you when you get back." That's one time I was actually glad to give a car salesman my money.

[hippywife]

43. If I get one that wants to hound me

I tell them in no uncertain terms that I am just looking at the moment, I want to be left alone to browse, and if they don't leave me alone, should I find something I want to buy I will find any other sales person on the floor to get the commission.

That usually works.