"It isn’t whether you are really ignoring your customers, it’s about how they feel!"
I was at a retail outlet when i realized that these are a perfect example of a place for a customer to feel ignored - a basic mistake almost every department store does, thinking it's addressing the otherwise most commonly committed mistake by it's competitors around. I'm sure everyone reading this would agree that shoppers do not like to be interrupted or "hovered upon" by the sales staff, but at the same time want assistance to be available when needed.
I conducted a survey to understand and validate what forms the basic content of this article. My sample department stores were mostly the ones which did not have high-enough-to-boast sales. Most customers in such stores complained that the staff was too busy among themselves to pay attention to them. Customers had to excuse themselves to get help, after which, the staff (in most of the cases) went back to being busy amongst themselves.
I too had a similar experience once and that store lost me forever! As a customer you want to be heard and be treated well. The last thing you want is a rude staff making you feel ignored. This kind of careless behavior from the staff makes a customer feel hurt, rejected and unwanted. It's a huge loss not just in terms of repeating (let alone loyal) customers and retention, but also in monetary terms, because of customer defections and abandoned purchases.
The problem doesn't end here. Another side of the same coin is the stores which have sales people hovering over a customer as soon as s/he enters the store. They keep following you trying to sell as many products as they can, making you uncomfortable. One will have to think twice before entering such a store ever again.
Clearly, there’s enough room for improvement and bridge this gap between these two acute practices. This presents us with an opportunity to gain a real competitive advantage by maintaining a perfect balance between these two extremes.
