Try this. Throw on your jeans and a sweatshirt and head to your favorite shopping center, the non-ghetto kind. Willow Bend and the Galleria are great but if you're really up for it, head over to Northpark Center.
I guarantee what you will find 80% of the time is a lack of customer service. GUARANTEED. Why you ask? Because the hourly retail workers (which is only a derogatory term when said individuals behave as follows) are sure you can't and won't buy anything. Not only that, they have been trained to think it's acceptable to act like they are better than the paying customer.
And who have they been trained by? YOU. That's right. By continuing to shop there, continuing not to say anything, and continuing to be over the top nice to the sales associate in hopes they acknowledge you, you have said their behavior is OK.
Normally there are exceptions to the rule. Stores like Nordstrom have a reputation to be un-Neimans-like but recently, I have found that not to be the case. The Nordstrom at the Galleria is beginning to bare an ugly resemblance to the Neimans at Northpark. Yikes people. Just like I am happy to tell you how wonderful the sales associate at Michaels (Park & Plano Pkwy) was this evening, I will no longer hesitate to challenge you to change what is acceptable behavior from people who are there because you are spending money with them. Do not diminish the importance of being friendly, always, and never snooty, but do not continue to enable this embarrassment in retail.
As the valued customer, you have the right to spend your money where it is deserved AND to wear what you want while doing so. As the employee who wants a job with a company that has not gone under due to lack of sales, you have the responsibility to earn your customers' business and never make assumptions about people based on their appearance. That older gentleman in overalls did just in fact pay cash for a new Lincoln... you just never know.
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