1 /5 ch vi: I had a really uncomfortable experience at the Neiman Marcus in Stanford Shopping Center today, specifically in the ROW section on the second floor.
I was quietly browsing some pants when a sales associate approached me and offered help. I told her I was just looking, but she kept suggesting to help anyway. A little later, another associate came over, took the pants from my hands, and started a fitting room for me. At that point, the first associate came back, became visibly upset with her coworker in front of me, and the two of them essentially started arguing over who was “helping” me.
It was incredibly awkward to stand there while they were competing over me like I was a commission, not a customer. When I asked if this was commission-based, she said yes and then proceeded to hover around me until I went into the fitting room. The whole thing felt tense, unprofessional, and the opposite of a luxury shopping experience.
I understand commission-based sales, but there’s a way to do it with grace and class. Neiman Marcus is supposed to represent a high standard of service. I really hope management trains their staff to work as a team, not fight over customers on the sales floor.