Should not discuss in front of.....

...a potential client.

I was a Neiman Marcus browsing in the Hermes area on Wednesday. While on SA was helping me, another one came by and started talking to her. The second SA was complaining to the first about a client of hers returning items they had bought months before. Now I understand they work on commission however ultimately if a client is unsatisfied with anything at all they should be able to return it IMO.

The more important thing is that even if she wanted to complain about the client, she should have done it when there are no clients around. When I witnessed that conversation, it made me not want to buy anything from either of them.

What are your opinions on this? I would think those of you who are SAs would agree that it was in ad taste and gives clients a bad impression, right?
 
i'm not an SA but I do sort of work in retail. you are right, that discussion was in poor taste. no matter what, you need to remain professional when working in retail. No one is paying the SA to express her/his opinion about clients, just to about the product they're selling...
 
you're right on. I am amazed and think it's ridiculous how some employees or Sa's discuss personal things right in front of the customer as though you're not even there. I really like it when they have to finish their story before even acknowledging you're standing in front of them.

As far as what you describe specifically, yes I've heard Sa's discuss the same exact thing or just speaking negatively about another customer in general. Bad taste. I don't blame you for not wanting to purchase from them.
 
Those sales associates were completely in the wrong for doing that. You don't talk negatively about another customer in front of other customers.

Postitive things about customers are okay, like "That's a beautiful bag! I just sold that to someone who absolutely loved the color!"
(Of course, that needs to be true for it to be okay for them to say it.)
 
That was just not right!!! I worked in retail when I was younger and yes I was on commission too...but I would've never had a conversation like that in front of a customer.....so rude!
 
you're right on. I am amazed and think it's ridiculous how some employees or Sa's discuss personal things right in front of the customer as though you're not even there. I really like it when they have to finish their story before even acknowledging you're standing in front of them.

As far as what you describe specifically, yes I've heard Sa's discuss the same exact thing or just speaking negatively about another customer in general. Bad taste. I don't blame you for not wanting to purchase from them.

uggghhh that's sooo annnoying! I walked into a jewlery store to get the battery changed in my movado, there were 3 SAs working, one young woman who was helping a customer at the time, and 2 older SA's woman & man (the man I think was the manager). the 2 older SAs were deep in conversation when i walked in, I put my bag on the counter, took out my watch and just stood there until they acknowledged my presence (it's not like i was looking around browsing or anything, i just STOOD THERE WAITING for several minutes for them to finish their conversation! )

Thank God I wasn't in b***h mode that day...
 
A good sales associate would break off mid sentence with another employee when a customer walks in.

I'll do that but I'll add a little "excuse me" in there, but I know I can finish the story when the customer leaves.


Bonus points if the customer can join the conversation, too.
 
A good sales associate would break off mid sentence with another employee when a customer walks in.

I'll do that but I'll add a little "excuse me" in there, but I know I can finish the story when the customer leaves.


Bonus points if the customer can join the conversation, too.

I want to say that I am very forgiving if an SA is nice and friendly. This makes all the difference to me and has in many instances.

I just have have no tolerance for an SA acts like I am a bother or actually treats me as though I am interupting them.
 
Unprofessional. I feel so uncomfortable whenever I hear someone complaining about someone else. I would be extremely disappointed in the SAs in this case.