"I do not care how nice your store is..." Topic

…if you do not greet me when I come in the door or give no more than meager recognition of my being present then you will not get my custom. On top of that the folks playing games in the store seemed a generally surly lot and I soon left without spending a dime. A pity as I had traveled far. Well I can cross that one off the list.

On the other hand, do more than say "Can I help you" and I'm out the door.

Didn't you just move to Texas? What store was it?

Perhaps it's coming from the fact that I grew up with a family that owned a small retail business back in Ireland which genuinely valued above all else customer service (which imo is that any visitor is to be treated with discreet friendliness and not accosted and pestered to purchase something) While I naturally find myself extremely sensitive to the attentions (or lack of) in any retail business with very few exceptions my expectations have become extremely low and rightly or wrongly I now really accept it as just a fact of life. In fact rather than being too reactionary at uncourteous or exaggerated pestering attentions when I encounter the exception I reward it by both returning the courtesy and if possible offering my patronage

Funny, I could care less if I am greeted when I walk in, since I find that annoying, and feel as if I'm being sized up by the staff to determine if I'm a shoplifter, robber, etc., etc..

The ones that really bug me are the ones that continually ask if they can help me, and hover about.

I do like to be greeted and helped at the counter though, at checkout, but usually by then, everyone has scattered to the four winds, so internet shopping is generally preferred in many cases.

It is nice to see stuff up close, and in person, occasionally though.

I'm with Mako11 on this. There's a store which I compare to an used car lot. They are polite and friendly, but they keep trying to steer me to something else. I come specifically to buy N-product, but they lead me over to where X-product is and upsell its merits. Oh so coincidentally the X in X-product stands for the exponential increase in price over N-product.

Fortunately, the actual local store will greet you when you come in, but they assume you will ask for help if you need it (if you are a regular). A new customer will be greeted and told something like, "Feel free to ask any questions you might have", so acknowledgement but no pressure to buy.

There was a store that was open briefly a few years ago.
I stood at the counter ahemming loudly to get the OWNER's attention. He called out "Be right with you!" I had to wait five more minutes. He was playing a computer game and couldn't tear himself away from it to take cash out of my hands.

But to get back to the OP's point…
All I expect from any store is that they be open at convenient hours and have stock I am interested in buying.

I am not wanting the hovering or pushy type of store clerk either. However, as someone who works in an environment where customer service is key, you acknowledge a person when they enter your place of business, ask if you can help in some way, then let them inform you whether or not the want your aid. After that you allow them to decide when or how they can be helped. The important thing is to be welcoming. All I got from the person behind the counter was a curt nod at best, and as I stated I went over to the area where gaming was taking place, said hello, and was greeted with looks as if I had grown a second and possibly a third head.

Yes I just moved to Dallas, Texas. I have already found one excellent game store (Texas Toy Soldier) although I've had rotten luck trying to get in a game at that store. If you must know the store I visited today is called Area 51 in Denton, Texas. While it appeared as it might have been a good place to shop and possibly game at, I will not be returning. Just up the road I found the Reaper Miniature game store and it was a very pleasant experience. I spent money there and even though it is out of my way I will be going back.

We are in nerd-country with this hobby. Social interaction is not the best skill of the wargaming crowd.

Don't talk to me, don't give me advice, don't ask me if I'm OK, don't tell me to 'have a nice day', and certainly don't try and get me to buy something which isn't what I came in to buy. You can say 'hello'.

If I want something else, I'll ask.

I have a store (action figures, not wargaming though) and I've found that striking the right cord with each and every client that walks into my shop is one of the most difficult things to do. Some of them are very receptive to personal attention; others like to be left alone and more than politely greeting them will scare them off without buying; a type of client likes to be given several alternatives, even when they were looking for a specific figure; on the other hand, other clients would resent if they even just suspect that you are trying to sell them anything else. Regulars are not a problem; you know them well enough to know how they like to be treated. Problem are those who walk in for the first time, or just casuals.

After four years I, more or less, am able to identify subsconsciously each type of client and treat them accordingly. Sometimes I fail (with an English client I inadvertedly invaded what he considered his personal space, and he became very upset… just cultural, I think, as in Spain personal space doesn't, commonly, extend beyond 40 cms; apparently in England is a bit wider, or perhaps it was just that client in particular). Anyway, I have become to realize that in doubt is better to sin by excess than by defect, as more potential clients will become upset for lack of attention than for being too attentive.

What I never do is forcing a client to buy something he or she doesn't want to buy in the first place. If I can't provide what he or she is looking for, not even by ordering it from my provider specifically for that client, I inform them of other shops in the area that I know that might have in stock the product they wanted. The client appreciates the help and in more than one ocassion they have come back to my shop to buy stuff that I carry. It has also another advantage: since we -my partner and I- started with that policy, other shops repay us in kind, steering potential customers to our shop when they ask for products they do not stock but that we do.

Anyway, there is no behaviour that is fool-proof. Very important too: you must realize that, from time to time, you will be forced to interact with people whose social skills are less than optimal, or just simply very private. In those cases, I just maintain a low profile and limit myself to the most basic rules of public behaviour; a polite "hello" and that's it.

A friendly greeting and Hello should be pro-forma, even "Can I help you?" should not be frowned upon as long as said person remains behind the counter.

My usual reply is that "I'm just wandering around aimlessly" and that pretty much sets the tone for the rest of my visit.

So, I can see both sides here. YES, please do acknowledge my presence, otherwise leave me alone.

That would be 'chord'? Unless you flay your customers in an appropriate way?

Sometimes I wish!

Nope, is "chord". Truly.

Just a hello is all I am comfortable with.

I hated going into GW stores and having to explain my preferences.

"Can I help you?" or some derivation of that is all I need. If you can, I will let you know.

It is just good business sense to greet the customer and make sure your cohort of customers/friends playing in the store are at not offending others overhearing their gametalk.
AND please make sure that the gamers are not blocking the merchandise.

There probably are national differences here, but I suspect the English default is that a nod and a smile is all that's desired, maybe a "hello" if you're particularly gregarious…. ;-)

It's far easier to ask if you need help, than to politely fend off the over-attentive when you neither need nor want assistance, so that tends to be the preference over here. Now staff who outright ignore you are another matter entirely, but "unobtrusive" is a good default setting – I'd certainly be happy with the OP's "meager attention" as long as staff are helpful when actually approached.

I have no store where I live that has historical miniatures of any interest to me. There is a hobby shop, Smitty's Dayton Model Railways, that is mainly model railroad and plastic kits. The former is good for terrain and the latter for aircraft for me.

The owner and his assistant are perfect in their dealings with customers. Friendly, polite greeting, offer to help, but not bother you. They will answer any questions about how to use a product or even something else they do not sell. Quite often when buying something they will offer little tips that may be helpful. I very often drive 20 minutes to get there to make a purchase I could have done in a 10 minute drive, just because I appreciate them.

While it is not a wargame store at all, there is a saddlery in Sheridan, Wyoming, Kings, that is fabulous. I tell the owners that going in their store is like going into a good friend's home. If they sell anything I need, I buy it there. That is true even though sometimes I could buy it for less elsewhere. Their boot selection is limited. That doesn't matter. I still buy all my boots there. I wait to buy certain things until I am in Wyoming, just to get them from Kings.

Both of these stores know how to build customer loyalty.

Tom

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. Don't give up, there are generally a great group of guys there. Social norms in Texas can be a bit confusing at times. There used to be a bumper sticker that said, "Howdy! Welcome to Texas. Now leave!" So in a nut shell you may find that just because we are helpful and polite doesn't mean we like you and when we are a bit clannish it doesn't mean we don't.

…if you do not greet me when I come in the door or give no more than meager recognition of my being present then you will not get my custom

Then you would just LOVE GW stores. They are trained to practically mug you!

A while ago, I was greeted by an overly enthusiastic and awkward teenager. I gave him the old "Just looking. I'll let you know if I need any help." as if to say "Boy, I crap bigger than you." He left me alone.

Another time, I was met by the manager. He started with a more balanced approach. I said, "What? No hard sale." with a laugh. He replied "I guessed you probably knew what you were doing." We proceeded to have a pleasant conversation as I browsed and got the couple of paint supplies I needed.

In general GW ranges from very good to very annoying customer service.

Yes Joker I tend to avoid the GW stores because of the over the top approach to customer service. It is not the yun'ns fault. They are working on commission and either do not know better and/or not trained better. As I stated earlier I am not looking for effusive fall down on the floor and worship me because I am the customer type service.

do not know better and/or not trained better

It's training what fails. My bussiness partner is a former GW manager and he explained to me the difference between ignoring the client altogether and over-enthusiasm. It is more difficult than it looks to strike the correct balance between both extremes! Good trainers know how to teach the employees how to find that balance.

A view from the other side in general retail.

Our managers are always watching us to see how we greet customers, it's one of the key issues in the customer feedback survey and low scores reflect badly on them.

There is a theft deterrent element, on Friday morning we all took it in turns to smile and say hello to the Rumanian shoplifting team who had come in a bit too early, we were well staffed and not really busy. After half an hour they gave up, bought a couple of things and left.

If you want to experience being completely ignored by staff at a GW store try going in in uniform. I went in to the local store looking for a particular paint color and had to pry the clerk out from under the counter to pay for the stuff.

If you must know the store I visited today is called Area 51 in Denton, Texas.

Aaahhhh..Denton…"The Home of Happiness"….

And North Texas State University, (NTSU)…

That pretty much sums up your problem right there….

Don't talk to me, don't give me advice, don't ask me if I'm OK, don't tell me to 'have a nice day', and certainly don't try and get me to buy something which isn't what I came in to buy. You can say 'hello'.

If I want something else, I'll ask.

Honestly, if you go into a store with that attitude Martin, um…why do even go into a store ???

And if/when the counter clerk decides to ignore you, then really….who is to blame here?

Murphy, it is the British way.

I used to work in retail management and customers over here really don't like to be bothered by staff. You usually know when a customer needs help because they lift the head and start looking around for someone!

I reckon Kallman would never get to buy anything if he came here!

When the Disney store opened in Britain they made the mistake of having a greeter at the door. The most positive response was usually a blank stare…

Honestly, if you go into a store with that attitude Martin, um…why do even go into a store ???

To buy things…. :-p If assistance or a conversation is desired, the customer will initiate any dialogue deemed appropriate….

Murphy, it is the British way.

I used to work in retail management and customers over here really don't like to be bothered by staff. You usually know when a customer needs help because they lift the head and start looking around for someone!

Exactly. :-) The default setting for us Brits, and especially us English, is "we will engage with the staff if we want help; beyond a token acknowledgement we do not expect the staff to engage with us unprovoked"…. ;-) Obviously if it's a regular haunt / we actually know the staff it's a different matter, but around strangers "reserved" is our default setting, especially in the cities.

I reckon Kallman would never get to buy anything if he came here!

Poor bloke would probably starve to death…. ;-)

A simple "Can we help you find anything?" is nice, then leave me alone :)

You guys are some really tough customers. If the store person says: a) too little, b) too much, or c) the wrong thing, you're not pleased. Put yourself in their position. They don't know you or what your interests are until you interact with them a bit.

Wargame customers run the gamut from no social interaction required to prissy little bitches that you could bend over backwards to help and it still wouldn't be enough.

That sentence also works without the word "wargame"…. ;-)

….ditto

+1 to Dom!

I think it's reasonably straightforward to figure out someone's body language to determine whether a simple nod and smile is sufficient. I love some of the differences in people's attitudes here; I especially enjoyed Martin's no $@&/ attitude 👹

Just went into a new gaming store that opened close by me. I when I came he the guy behind the counter was all over me. "what do you play?" "what are you looking foe?" Then I would stop to look at something and he would say "let me tell you all about that." I was there less than five minutes and I left. I have never been back since. Too bad, because I didn't even get a chance to really find out what the store had to offer. Just hate being bugged.

It isn't rocket science, actually. Not all small establishments with great customer service survive, unfortunately, but they do survive more, make more, and have more repeat visits. In this, 'hobby stores' are likely no different from any others. Factor in wishful thinking – as in, not always flogging or stocking what you think others should be buying, plus location, pricing, and selection, and you begin to imagine a profile that might – just might – withstand the internet shopping juggernaut in order to survive, although it is hard to imagine a great many surviving much longer in the face of this relentless competetive force.

That said, four recent anecdotes from 'the industry', broadly defined. Generally, I like to be left alone in any store, of any kind, but a pleasant, unobstrusive greeting and the genuine offer of assistance, plus a tidy, well-organized and intuitive stock go a long ways to getting my patronage.

To wit:

1. a large hobby store in Anaheim, Ca., otherwise renowned for good customer service, in person and on line, from which I have ordered without complaint in the past, visited in person this August: no one greeted me or offered assistance, one staff member talked loudly on a cell phone about a personal issue during most of my visit, the historical gaming material was – to put it mildly – an utter mess. Prices were high too. I left after 20 minutes or so, without buying anything. I won't be back.

2. a larger-than-average model store in Toronto, Ont., specializing in air and armor, that I visit rarely but whenever work takes me there, as it did this month, popping in on my way to the airport: quickly greeted by friendly staff, asked what I was looking for, told about a couple of specials, and directed to pristine shelves exactly where I needed to go, and no one bothered me later to 'have a chat': I spent $70 USD, and would have spent more, save for airline baggage allowances. First-rate in every respect, and I'll be back – again.

3. a specialty used book store in Minneapolis, MN, with plenty of history titles, on my first recent visit: greeted promptly by a friendly proprietor who gave me quick, accurate directions to well-organized shelves, and checked in once to see if I needed help, then a quick chat upon check-out, with info offered about his on-line presence: I spent $150 USD and now browse regularly on line. Superb.

4. an simple online inquiry to a well-known European on-line seller resulted in several helpful email exchanges and a couple of phone calls – all of them prompt, polite, and professional, followed by several orders (four to date, I think), totalling some $600 USD, and more to come (as wanted but unneeded 19th-century armies continue to grow!). All orders were fast, accurate, and met with the proprietor's thanks. I'm a happy regular, prepping another order right now.

In short, it doesn't take much. But the little it does take seems routinely to defeat too many retailers. I don't bemoan their passing.

War Panda…. I believe Martin is from Yorkshire.

There is an old saying, 'you can always tell a Yorkshireman, but you can't tell him much'!!!

LoL… It all makes sense now 😉

"Welcome. May I be of assistance?"

If yes, aid as requested.

If no, "Enjoy browsing, and let me know if you need anything."

Repeat as necessary.

There you go. Simple rules for effective customer service/greeting.

Parzival, according to Martin, that simple exchange is too much for him…and will completely him off if you do that….

And believe me I know Martin is not alone. There are some that suspect that that opening exchange is merely a prologue to the opening chapter. While others will see that as a cold business line. Best reading it on an individual basis. Crazy creatures us humans

Boy, we'd better start wearing signs on our chests that say "leave me alone" or "chat me up" or variations in between. Otherwise the poor clerk will not know what to do.

I agree with Parzival, but I will add: (1) say "please" when you ask me for the money; and (2) say "thank you" when you receive it. I always say "please" and "thank you", so a shop where they can't be bothered with basic courtesy doesn't get my business.

How do you people handle ordering at a fast food place or a drive thru? I bet your head must spin around with foam coming out of your mouth.

Some of the places you visit should be thankful they don't get your business. You'd probably make a worse customer than a shopper.

Chain stores now operate with the barest possible minimum of staff. One employee per register area,one manager on floor, one employee on floor. In adition to serving you, the employees and manager are expected to do all the task that twice the number would be doing 10 years ago. Woe betide if these task aren't done on time. So cut us a little slack my friends,were usually trying to do three things at once. Sometimes we are having a bad day. We try to do it all and serve you,in spite of bare minimal training and zero respect from home office.

I'm from London, so I regard Martin's approach as a little over sociable.
The "-off, and leave me alone" setting is the norm, not the exception, and that applies to all shops, for everyone, not just wargames ones (unless one is female of course, in which case its different.

As Dom has noted, it is the British way.

interactions are kept to the minimum required, and the (generally) accepted approach is for the customer to initiate dialogue if it is needed.

Amen for the British approach. I am all for that!

Wished that was followed here in the US.