I have worked at both Coach and VS for about one year separately. I do not deny that the sales people are pushy, we are pushy b/c we get yelled at for not being pushy. At VS we were expected to get 3 clients to sign up for the Angels Credit Card a shift. If your average was less than 1 a shift per week you would get severely lectured/ yelled at/ and if this type of “poor” performance continued then the associate was written up. As w/ VS at all Coach stores there is absolutely no commission. All associates must make a monthly UPT goal of an average of 1.5 units per month. So every transaction under your name is added up and if the average is less than 1.5 items for the month you are written up, regardless of the dollar amount you sell. People at Coach are pushy because there is constant stress to make UPT, if you are written up 4 times you are FIRED.
Here is some advice to get ppl at these stores to ease up on you…
At VS, just lie and say you have the credit card even if you don’t, no one will quiz you on it lol. That way the associate can be heard by the manager that she is doing her job by asking if you have one.
At Coach: just say “I’m just looking around I’LL LET YOU KNOW IF I NEED HELP, WHAT IS YOUR NAME?” that way they can give you their name and if u need help ask, they will back off if they feel that you will be loyal to them.
And now here is a little soapbox about working in retail in general:
As a full time college student I work retail b/c it is one of the only line of employment that fits around my schedule. Luckily this summer I was able to escape the retail nightmare and got an office job. Working retail can be extremely stressful, other girls as well as myself would go home in tears because you would not believe how rude some customers can be. While you are a client in the store you deserve to be treated with respect and I wish more people would treat the associates with respect as well. I have had people yell at me b/c of prices, return policies, lack of a certain product, none of which are even partially under my control. I have greeted people in stores only to have them deliberately ignore me, turn their back towards me when they respond, or give me a very snippy, “JUST LOOKING!”
I also know that some sales people can be complete rude jerks, I have definitely experienced that as well but for all of us nice ones at there please make an effort to look us in the eye, say hello back, and let us know if you need help.