Why do Sales Assistants try to guess your size?

#16
Ugh!!! I can totally relate! I had this happen in the most embarrasing of places: Victoria's Secret. Not to brag lol but my breasts are what you might consider big, and I usually buy 34Cs. So the saleslady comes up to me, I ask her to find me a couple in such size, and she just straight up says: "Honey, you're not going to fit in that, you need at least a double D or a 38D!"

I was so surprised I just said... okay! And let her find me those. It did fit a little better lol (my breasts weren't coming out the top now) but it was rude nevertheless!! I guess she meant well but my cousin was laughing her arse off at me.
 
#17
I SO would have complained!! I'm utterly disgusted, what the hell??!!

If any sales assistant ever tried to guess my size, even in some warped flattery, I would not be happy. I tell them my size and if I want opinion on fit I will ask for it
 
#19
I haven't had it happen to me in a negative way, but I'm kind of scared now *blinks* I've had a few sales reps encourage me to try a smaller size, or bring me a smaller in addition to the one I asked for (I look smaller than the size I usually buy) but no one has ever been rude about it. It actually made me feel kind of good. If anyone ever did say something like that to me, I would probably just repeat that I would like to try to the size I requested and if they made a big deal, I would just turn around, leave the store and spend my money elsewhere.
 
#20
Wow I got that from a woman in a nice lingerie shop a few weeks ago! She looks at me and asks "what bra size are you wearing?" I tell her, and receive a "Oh no, you're much bigger than that, completely the wrong size!!" Well no sh** lady or else I wouldn't be in your shop. I was annoyed at her for that, so I left. I went back in two days ago with a friend who had been wanting to check it out, and decided that since the woman wasn't there this time, I'd try on a few bras. One of the SA's started playing guessing games with my size. I told her what I knew I was, and she gave me sizes way too small. And KEPT giving them to me until I said look ma'am, I need a ____, please. Finally she comes in with some in my size and in a style I like. Instead of just handing them to me, she closes my dressing room door and just stood there, staring at me. At this point, I'm thinking nah, she doesn't expect me to try on bras in front of her with her staring at me.....? Apparently yes, because she didn't leave. A W K W A R D. I know this is standard practice in some places, but not with me, lol. I really couldn't get angry and walk out because I was determined to get what I wanted that day, and I did, but at the cost of some of my dignity, lol. I can't say I was thrilled about being groped on by an SA, because I'm pretty good at putting a bra on alone...plus it was a bit weird... :s

Missmustard that was the same with me, I was in a C and they were like noooo you need a DD!! (or in this store's case, an E European size) I was thinking really, my boobs are that big?? Okay so it fits better, but I still don't like it, lol.
 
#21
It's probably weird of me, but I don't mind that. My friends and family will say "that's too small" or "that's too big" about the SAME garment half the time; I guess it depends on how you personally think clothes should fit and that's reflected in the advice you give.

As long as I don't come out of the changing room and the SA bursts out laughing and reminds me that if it rips I have to pay for it, or something!!
 
#22
I had a Nordstroms SA refuse to get shoes in my size for me to try on. I would point out a pair and he would be like "let me check" and then come back and tell me they didn't come in my size. This went on for five or six pairs of shoes before I gave up. I came back the next day and got a real SA who let me try them all on. I ended up buying five of the six pair.

I was livid, but I hadn't bothered to take the bad SA's name.

Every time there's an SA that refuses to sell me something, I spend so much time mulling it over in my head trying to figure out why. It just isn't fair.

---
I know this has nothing to do with size, but it's the same sort of thing.
 
#23
I think some sales people do try to be nice when is comes to recommending sizes. But they have to know what they are talking about. A lot of my friends work in high end department stores. Three of my friends work in lingerie departments at different stores. They say at least 90% of the women coming in have the wrong bra size on and want smaller sizes in panties, girdles, ect...
When they measure and try to get the proper fit most people are happy to finally have things that fit and are amazed that they are a different size in bras than they thought. My friends show them how their clothes hang better with a good fit. Then they deal with the women who insist they are a size small when they are a size large. Or they only are a size 36C when they are a size 40D. So these women buy the very expensive lingerie, wear it and stretch it or rip it and then take it back to the store, complain and get their money back or more merchandise in their smaller size and do it all over again. I personally feel lingerie should only be allowed to be returned if it is new with tags. So many people take advantage of this. Most of my fiends in retail have over 20 years experience and are top SA in their fields so they try to help the customer. The SA you got sounded like she didn't know what she was doing or wanted that jacket. Maybe she was waiting for it to get marked down so she could buy it.
 
#24
I don't mind people trying to help me, in fact I really appreciate it, because I know it's their job and most of them are extremely knowledgeable about it. But it has to be done with good manners and tact, not loudly blasted statements that are spoken in such a way that the SA believes I'm ignorant.
 
#25
I have had some SA's tell me what they think would fit, but typically it is after I ask. I would not really appreciate that comment at all.
 
#26
i hate it when that happens. i was in zara a few months ago and wanted a particular jumper in black, i already had it in 3 colours (when i find something i love i stick with it) and the SA went to find it and brought over a medium and said " i really think you should try this instead of the small" WTF! i was wearing the small in green i didnt need the medium.
 
#27
I don't know why SAs try to guess your size. Maybe to show how knowledgeable they are about clothing and sizes???? If I were a SA, I would stay FAR FAR FAR away from trying to guess people's sizes! It's such a sensitive topic!!!

I have the opposite problem. I'm short and small-framed, so people often tend to think I'm smaller than I really am. However, I have a sorta fleshy upper body (thicker arms and, ugh, a fatty back), and so extra-smalls rarely fit on me. SAs always insist that I try on the smallest sizes, but they don't fit 95% of the time! Why can't SAs just trust your own knowledge of your body?!?!
 
#28
When I was younger, I worked in retail (a surf shop) & yes, it's a service job & the customer is always right, yadda yadda yadda.... but there are still waaaay too many ladies --- YES, LADIES...the men would typically come in & ASK what size we thought they were & then proceed to try on the suggested sizes till they found one that fit & then quickly purchased it & left. We suggested sizes b/c a lot of the companies weren't consistent in sizing ..which may mean a larger/smaller cut than another company...so a 5-7, may actually fit like a 1-3, or vice versa.

Part of our job (required, we lost points if didn't do this) was to grab other garments/outfits & take them to the dressing room for the customer to try on (while the customer was trying on garments they had already picked out on their own). I hated doing this b/c I was a size 0 -2 then, and I SUCKED at guessing garment sizes for women larger than me...and like gilliana said...most of those larger women tried on stuff that was TOO SMALL and would then proceed to complain about the cut, but refuse to try on a larger size. Grr.

And then there were the tourist that would buy aloha print (hawaiian/flowers) garments ...leave the tags on, wear them to the luau, and come back the next day w/it smelling like cologne/perfume/smoke & want to return it b/c "it didn't fit". Double grr.

With feet, however, I got good at eye-balling & figuring out what size they were. Thank god for the shoe sizer thingy to back me up....girls wanted smaller shoes, men wanted larger ones.... and yes, I wanted them to walk out with shoes that fit, so we didnt' have to return worn shoes the next day or week becuase they finally figured out the shoes didn't need to "strech" & really were the wrong size.

One thing that made me really happy? State health regulations forbade the return of swimsuits....because listening to girls try to return suits b/c "I couldn't get the sand out" of a white suit always floored me.

To close... I actually liked working retail...I got meet people from all over the world & most were really nice.

And no. I'm not in retail anymore! :tup:
 
#29
I agree.

I look smaller than I am, and yesterday a SA tried to tell me I was a 25. (I'm more like a 27) I guess it was flattering, but I was literally arguing with her - "No, really... this doesn't fit."
 
#30
Neeya said:
I don't mind people trying to help me, in fact I really appreciate it, because I know it's their job and most of them are extremely knowledgeable about it. But it has to be done with good manners and tact, not loudly blasted statements that are spoken in such a way that the SA believes I'm ignorant.
Click to expand...

Exactly!! thank you, Neeya. :tup:
 
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