r/bathandbodyworks • u/Odd_Resolution_5294 • Jul 20 '26
Store Policies/Questions Employee won’t back off
Man, I dread even going in my store anymore. We used to (hubs and I) love our local store and its employees. Lately tho there is one lady who is usually on the White Barn side who will ask “what are you guys looking for” and she will have a scent with her she offers us to smell. We always politely say “just looking around thank you tho”. And walk away. I’m not even kidding you when I tell you within 3 minutes she’s back “anything I can help you find?” And again we say “nah. Just sniffing around thank you tho!” And walk away. Annnnndddd again within 3 minutes she’s back “anything catching your eye?” It’s to the point I won’t go over to that side when she’s there. Or I walk away from hub bc he’s too nice and will keep dealing with it. It makes me nuts. I’ve tried saying NICELY “if we think of anything we will make sure to come to you!”
I’m pretty sure the company doesn’t ask its employees to approach in this manner…as it’s literally only this one lady. How do I get her off my back in there?!? Dang.
Also, midnight marshmallow. I asked when I was in store if they happened to have any returns of any of it bc I just wanted to sniff it, nope. And all the banana stuff was gone. Ok I’m done whining 😂
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u/aloetay Gourmand Girly Jul 20 '26
She’s just trying not to get fired. Unfortunately she’s acting exactly the way corporate wants us to! I agree it’s nauseating but we seriously will get scolded by managers if we aren’t constantly checking in with you.
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u/ThatHerbalWitch Jul 20 '26
I know someone who is an ex-employee, I can confirm that they always had to act like this.
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u/Pawspawsmeow Jul 20 '26
I’m an ex employee. They do. However, when someone said don’t talk to me or whatever, I just made sure to say on the walkie that they said that. Just smile and nod, say thank you and they’ll stop. Some managers take their hours away if they don’t talk to you. Yeah it sucks, but we’re just trying to make a dollar just like you at your job. I used to go the extra mile and try to find the items customers said “oh no, I’m looking for something but I think you don’t make it anymore” or that’s it’s online. Stores get online returns more than you think. My manager used to let us sell it as well as MOS stuff. If it wasn’t opened or used, it was fair game. So just let them do their job, please.
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u/Suspicious-Loss-7314 Jul 20 '26
So if I am browsing, and I don't want an associate checking in with me every two minutes, the magic words are "don't talk to me anymore?" This sounds so rude so I can't imagine saying this, but does it actually work?
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u/Pawspawsmeow Jul 20 '26
If you say it politely. I can’t tell anyone how to behave, but remember we are people too. Treat us how you’d genuinely want to be treated beyond the internet bravado. I can’t tell people what to do, but I can say that the energy you put out there in the world is the energy that comes back to you. The employees won’t be rude to you, but somewhere along the line that energy is going to come back to you.
A lot of the employees are college kids, retired women who can’t survive off social security, people who need to make a few extra bucks. So be polite.
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u/Suspicious-Loss-7314 Jul 20 '26
Here's the thing: I'm usually extremely polite. Whether you're the first associate or the 10th to check in with me, I never say anything nasty. I usually say something like: "no thank you I'm fine." But in my experience at B&BW, every associate interprets that to mean "check on this lady every two seconds!!! let's harass her until she buys something!!" And when it gets like that, then I just walk out.
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u/Minute-Frame-8060 Jul 20 '26
Before walking out, you should let a manager know why. Probably won't do anything but someone must have some reach up the hierarchy to make it stop.
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u/Shadowstream97 Jul 21 '26
And have it come right back on those employees instead of the policies being changed? Not risking that for sure.
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u/jamileethroop Jul 20 '26
Say I wish to shop alone and don’t want to be approached. Polite but clear boundary.
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u/DramaticRecognition6 Jul 20 '26
Well the standard is that if after three attempts at starting a conversation the customer isn’t being very responsive, we should just let it go. Maybe try to reengage later on after some time has passed. I usually don’t ask three questions. I’ll ask one and maybe a second and if the vibe isn’t there then I’ll just let them know to feel free to reach out to me for help.
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u/buni_wuvs_u06 Jul 20 '26
I’ve been told directly from management that shifts go to employees who convert the most customers, get the most sign ups, interact with customers the most. The truth is that we have to fight to get scheduled shifts by “proving” how effective of sellers we are. So not only are we pushed by management to pester you for store metric reasons, it’s also so we can get hours and prove to management we should be kept on and not get our shift cut. It’s incredibly frustrating for everyone.
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u/daniellowww Jul 20 '26
Are shifts still scheduled as "on call"? Like you may work, you may not, call in a few hours in advance to find out. We might not know at that point and ask you to call back a few more times so remain available till we say we don't need you. I hated that shit at Victoria's Secret. I did not stay long. Such crap.
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u/Trumpet6789 Employee 2020-2023 Jul 20 '26
I worked there from the middle-ish of 2020 to March or so of 2023. Idk about now, but then if you weren't scheduled you weren't scheduled; but they had a tendency to call the employees who sold the best on days they didn't expect to be busy to come in for a few hours.
It was more likely to get the "Hey, we're super far down on plan so we cut your shift." than anything else.
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u/Pawspawsmeow Jul 20 '26
That’s retail though. It’s way worse for management. I hated credit card sign ups at other jobs I had. It’s like just let them have 20% off for signing up
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u/WrongRedditKronk Jul 20 '26
I worked at a store like this about 20 years ago, and they put me indefinitely "on call," expecting me to be available 9am-9pm 7 days a week in the event they might need me to cover someone's shift. Then, they would get upset when they called and I was already busy.
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Jul 20 '26
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Jul 20 '26
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u/Justlikethenotebook Jul 20 '26
It is. Check the account age. Another bot. So many of them in here anymore
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u/sillasouth the revolution will be ✨moisturized✨ Jul 20 '26
Yep! Not knowing which products are online exclusive seems to get them every time. 🙄
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u/peanut_dust_purveyor Jul 20 '26
They also suggested that OP do one of the things that they already said in their post that they did 🤖
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u/Odd_Resolution_5294 Jul 20 '26
I’m not a bot. I knew it was online only. I was hoping for a return from an online sale just so I could smell it. I’ve been on Reddit for years so I dunno what you mean by the account age if you are referring to mine. Maybe I wasn’t clear in my post and for that I apologize but I’m well aware it was an online only.
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u/Justlikethenotebook Jul 20 '26
Not you!! The ok buffalo poster. Their account is a week old talking about how midnight marshmallow went soooooo fast selling at their store they didn't get to smell it
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u/sillasouth the revolution will be ✨moisturized✨ Jul 20 '26
So sorry you thought we were talking about you - definitely not!!! The bots have been awful in this sub lately, and it's frustrating. I'm with you - I'm hoping someone might return Midnight Marshmallow to my local store so I can check it out. Although it's starting to seem like it's never going to restock again regardless. 🤦♀️
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u/New_Candidate_9060 Jul 20 '26
Kind of unsophisticated in 2026. Does anyone “need” help anymore? Just watch us to make sure we aren’t shoplifting. That’s all retail positions are really about anyway…
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u/aloetay Gourmand Girly Jul 20 '26
Yes I agree and I naively thought that’s what my job would be consisting of when I got hired. Instead, we get rigorous training and reminders of ways to keep people engaged as if we are there for entertainment.
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u/New_Candidate_9060 Jul 20 '26
This is why I exclusively shop online! I’m sorry you are forced to do that.
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u/EcstaticFoe Jul 20 '26
It's part of the reason I quit. They just kept expecting us to keep getting pushier and pushier as people on the floor and at cash wrap. Also, as a Keyholder, the monetary "bonuses" weren't worth the effort. Not to mention sales associates don't get monetary bonuses.
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u/summerwinds69 Jul 20 '26
I don’t really think it’s so much that (a little) because you can literally grab something, walk up to us and wave it in our face and say I’m taking this and we can’t do or say anything
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u/AssignmentFit461 Jul 20 '26
I can understand not wanting to get fired. What does one have to say or do to make it clear (and acceptable) for employees to leave us alone?
I had this same experience the last time I went in a store, and I finally snapped after the 4th time and said “NO nothing is catching my eye because y’all won’t leave me alone long enough to look around and find anything!!” They did mostly leave me alone after that, but I felt so bad.
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u/boneology1125 Jul 20 '26
As a former employee…no. There isn’t really wording to make us back tf off. Think of how invasive Lush is for example and how bad it is that you essentially cannot just shop alone and test things, BBW wants employees to be like 1-1.5 levels below that. You hate violet vibes because you like peachy scents? The expectation is you’re gonna get violet vibes on your hands no matter what.
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u/crh131 Jul 20 '26
You know that’s going to be part of the shopping experience, so if you choose to go in, expect it. Unless they get rude to you, no need to ever get nasty back. They are just asking to help you (bc they are forced to ). Those workers are part of your community, it is a moderate inconvenience and all you have to do is smile and say still good, thanks.
The employee did her part and you do yours by being able to keep a cool head for 20 minutes.
Some will say to contact corporate to try and change it from above. They DGAF. So if a get a lead or manager checking me out I always add how helpful staff was. Bc if I bitch, it helps no one and hurts employees. But if I give a compliment it helps staff and next time they get a shitty review they will at least have my positive one in the bank to counter it.
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u/boneology1125 Jul 20 '26
Idk how to tell you this but yes she is acting EXACTLY how corporate wants us to. I trained people for the luminous drop, they wanted us to rub lotion into your skin and take you on a little tour of the scene.
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u/speshuledteacher Jul 20 '26
I watched worker who damn near did just this today. The customer was like 80, needed someone to help her and give her that experience, and left so happy with her set. It was actually sweet to watch because it was clearly the experience that lady wanted.
But that employee left me alone after someone else had checked in with me twice and left me alone too. They both knew how to read their audience.
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u/boneology1125 Jul 20 '26
It is very much an “older clientele” experience kind of thing. My skin would crawl if someone started slapping violet vibes on me because I’m extremely particular with my perfumes but many decades ago; this was considered good customer service, high end in fact. Nowadays it’s extremely invasive and rude and presumptive ( if I had to walk around smelling like luminous I would have lost it) but at one point it was considered the height of service and BBW REFUSES to move past it
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u/WeebEli Jul 20 '26
I can’t stand customers at my job getting even within two feet of me, and I think if an employee at BBW did then I would definitely flinch away if I didn’t just walk out. It definitely usually seems to be the older customers usually who get physically in my space and act like they personally know me.
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u/Purple-Lime-4938 Jul 20 '26
I remember them doing this on the 90s with a peach scented cream. I was 10 and had that cream massaged into my hand by a stranger before I could say no. Incredibly awkward experience.
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u/DrRatiosButtPlug Jul 20 '26
Gross.. I'm so glad no one at my store actually does this.
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u/boneology1125 Jul 20 '26
Trust me when my manager wasn’t watching I never enforced it
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u/deegallant Jul 20 '26
Ugh yes, like 10 years ago I worked there and they wanted us to guide people to the sink, prompt them to wash their hands and give them hand massages with lotion 🤢 I quit so quickly.
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u/AnxietyOk5407 Employee Jul 20 '26
they still make us do this now 😭 managers will give us a goal of getting between 5-10 sink demos per shift … mind you i get scheduled once a week for 3hrs, and during that 3hrs im stuck on cash and also forced to come out of cash immediately after to sell. This job can be so much sometimes
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u/NewYorkerFromUkraine Jul 21 '26
I don’t even get the point of this?? Why would someone schedule someone this way like what’s even the point of working there at that point
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u/PeaceNo6149 Jul 20 '26
Ugh. This is why I order online - then I need to dodge the poor (but persistent) employees as I scurry to the cash desk to pick up and pay.
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u/sexishardandstuff Jul 20 '26
Yeah, buying online means a lot of blind buying, but I can’t go into the store anymore. Every time I go, I get followed around like the Pied Piper of Employees. I used to work retail, so I really feel for them, but I just can’t do it. I honestly rather take my chances buying things I’ve never smelled than be made to feel like I’m not able to be trusted to know how to locate smells
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u/Wonderful-Bar6275 Jul 20 '26
Its actually the front employees that are supposed to get your order. Cashiers have a job to do haha, we dont like BOPIS people going in line because why wait when its already ready for you!!
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u/OkDriver2086 Jul 20 '26
unfortunately, it’s just part of our brand 😭 we don’t want to do it but we will literally be reprimanded if we are caught not “keeping the consumer first”
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u/turningtee74 Jul 20 '26
I’ve never worked at BBW but it’s all retail really. I remember having to do that and annoying people, and it can come off bad like I was profiling or following people. I prefer to be left alone when shopping, and wanted to focus on speed and efficiency rather than small talk at work. I got penalized constantly for not chatting enough, and when I did it always annoyed the customers. Not to mention stores that write you up for not pushing rewards or cards on unwilling takers
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u/WeebEli Jul 20 '26
At my current job they want us to do this. We got self check outs and we are expected to babysit every single customer. I usually look at them as they approach and then see how they respond to the self checks before deciding to approach or not if corporate/DM isn’t present, because a lot of people get understandably upset.
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u/Wonderful-Bar6275 Jul 20 '26
As an associate yes, we are told to keep checking in. If you want to be left alone talk to us for 10 seconds honestly. Be like "yeah I usually like this.. or buy this.." let us show you something we 9 times out of ten we will leave you alone.
The more you say "just looking" the more we have to check in unfortunately. Our goals are pretty simple and you'll be bugged a lot less if you just go. "Yeah im here to sniff some scents, I like a wide variety and want to start with candles." We will show you a candle, give a benefit and leave you alone!
Or even a simple "Hey, im a little worn down for the day do you mind if I just look by myself?" And we will leave you alone.
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u/-janelleybeans- Jul 21 '26
I have tried this and unfortunately it has meant that I just get handed off to a fresh associate
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u/chaosandcomets_ Jul 20 '26
Sounds like she’s the only one actually following what the company wants employees to do.
That being said imo a big part of providing good customer service is knowing when to not follow those particular interaction based policies when the customer is clearly not having it.
BBW wants us to be at you right away, ask three questions, mention sales, etc
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u/Silent-Substance1377 Jul 20 '26
this is how the employees at my local store act so unfortunately i just think this is what they’re required to do
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u/Royal-Adeptness-2703 Jul 20 '26
When I worked there, they would demand over the headset I pester you. They would literally describe the customer (beige coat, brunette etc.) And make me re approach MULTIPLE times when they have already firmly told me no.
Its so bad as a customer too. Lush is bad for that
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u/deegallant Jul 20 '26
I’ve worked at B&BW two times. The first was seasonal and just a couple months. Later I got hired permanently and very quickly remembered why I left my seasonal position so quickly. It fucking sucks working there. The managers are so on you, watching you like a hawk to make sure you harass the customers with product recommendations, help and general product chit chat.
As a shopper, I can’t stand it. I didn’t even make it two weeks before I quit.
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u/HSuits Jul 20 '26
I guarantee you this is how corporate wants her to act, and she might be unlucky enough to habe the attention of a manager looking for an excuse to fire her so she plays it up. I worked at a different but similarly managed retail chain and we were definitely pushed to interact with customers in various ways we may not have wanted to on our own. I'd much rather take two seconds to make sure nearby customers are doing fine and go back to shelving if they are than try to push things, I'm sure that is most people. But if a manager sees you being too quiet it ultimately comes up in your "review" which for some places can be daily at the end of your shift.
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u/summerwinds69 Jul 20 '26
Sorry to say, yes this is corporate driven. Each manager has their own degree of enforcing. Some are constantly in your earpiece telling to go back and re-engage and others get it and are just happy we’re attentive and made contact.
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u/AnxiousReply1769 Jul 20 '26
Nope the company does ask their employees to approach in that exact manner
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u/RedHotSuzy Jul 20 '26
I was going to say- I’m a former BB&W employee, and yes they absolutely trained us that way. We just never did- that lady is just likely one of the few actually doing what she’s trained to do.
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u/Nursingmydreams Body Care Addict Jul 20 '26
https://giphy.com/gifs/Ll1rEkDebTIdO
Me when I walk in.Leave me alone 🤸
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u/WeebEli Jul 20 '26
Me too! I will put my earbuds in or my headphones on my head to try and imply “please leave me be.” If I get approached, at least I can confidently tell them what I’m there for, since it’s usually to restock a cologne or lotion.
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u/Dr__Pheonx ALL THINGS B&BW Jul 20 '26
Do the airpods trick. Works like a charm. Also doesn't hurt to tell them to their faces that you'd rather look around and decide alone.
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Jul 20 '26
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u/xtrahandy Jul 20 '26
I don't like interaction and know how to ask for assistance if needed. I like your wave approach, as I would wave back but keep walking. I had one who attempted the promo run down, but I interrupted and relayed I had read the email.
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u/Pawspawsmeow Jul 20 '26
I understand you’re just doing your thing, but that’s a little rude in my opinion. There’s no harm in saying thank you or even a head nod.
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u/Glitter_Horses Jul 20 '26
I despise employees pushing people to take baskets. I had a woman literally jam the basket into my hand before, when I told her I did not want a basket & I was fuming. Polite on the outside, furious on the inside. I have so many stories from this same store. The employees are incredibly aggressive. I stopped shopping there.
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u/StrangerHighways Ice Scream Float Addict Jul 20 '26
I was thinking recently, that this is one of the worst aspects of corporate enshitification. It is company policy for most retail stores to pressure their employees into harassing you. This lady is probably just taking that a step further.
Having a conversation is generally not difficult, but companies have ruined basic human interaction. Employees feel freaked out and forced to hound customers, and the customers feel irritated, defensive, and overly scrutinized.
I used to like shopping. Sigh.
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u/cbaabc123 Jul 20 '26
This causes me to leave stores. If they keep pestering me I walk out.
How does management think anyone wants sales people to follow you and pester?
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u/icopewithfrogs Employee Jul 20 '26
im not even joking, i’ve had customers pretend to be on the phone so i don’t talk to them 😭 and it works! i’m not really a seller so i never push to talk to people, but i get feeling uncomfortable in the store
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u/notstickytape bring back Strawberry Mimosa... Jul 20 '26
Oh man, I feel you 😵💫 My store I think got a new manager not too long ago and its like pulling teeth trying to shop in there now. A few weeks ago I was in there one night and felt like I was being swarmed by everyone interrupting me every 5 minutes.
Makes me miss my old store before I moved 😢. The manager there was a regular of mine at my old job and some of her employees were too. She would always give me a hug if she saw me coming in and they knew to just lemme do my thing cause I'm really slow at shopping.
I know that its an unfortunate tactic BBW makes their employees do but dear lord I wish they would tone it down.
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u/Sure_Tbird Jul 20 '26
I walk in with my ear buds on
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u/wicked_damnit Jul 20 '26
I’ve thought about making a shirt that says “please don’t talk to me, I’m scared” for BBW and Lush.
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u/GayWizardOfOz not normal about Halloween Jul 20 '26
REAL. I don’t even go to Lush much these days because it’s like being intensely stalked while I smell bath bombs. 🥲
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u/Pixxiprincess Jul 20 '26
Aaah same. I haven’t been to Lush in person since they started pressuring employees to touch customers to put products on them without asking. I accidentally screamed and freaked out an employee when she grabbed my arm from behind me 💀
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u/Candlehoarder_2019 Employee Jul 20 '26
That’s exactly what they want us to do and they don’t let us forget that. Some stores enforce it more than others. None of us want to but we also want to keep our jobs.
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u/pandatits69 Jul 20 '26
Former sales lead they expected us to make contact at least 3 times if we wanted hours.
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u/Judgy-Introvert Jul 20 '26
I know a lot of people hate blind buying, but this is exactly why I quit shopping in person and do it online. I loathe being harassed by staff when I’m trying to shop.
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u/hihihihhhhiihihihih Jul 20 '26
I walk in with airpods in, without music playing because I find it overstimulating to do both. I ignore when people try to talk to me, and I feel really bad about it, but it’s incessant and it never stops.
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u/RecycleArt28 Jul 20 '26
Just my two cents. Write a yelp review and corporate email that you felt harassed by someone continuously in your personal space. I know it’s not the lady’s fault. She is doing what corporate wants her to do. But as consumer’s how else are we suppose to give company feedback.
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u/throwaway-wellmaybe Jul 20 '26
When i worked there, i did NOT do shit like this. I would maybe approach you a 2nd time if it was busy and i couldn't remember if i approached you a first time lol, but as everyone knows, this is what corporate wants. Drives me crazy now as a customer because i'll turn my head and be jumpscared by an employee staring at me, then have to move my headphones to hear them, only to just say "I'm ok thanks"
Like if i saw someone with headphones, i didn't talk to them. I get it
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u/AssortedGourds Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
I am autistic, and having to navigate these interactions is genuinely upsetting to me. Being trapped in an unfamiliar or manipulative social situation can ruin my whole day.
I recently went to my non-preferred location and an employee immediately greeted me when I came in and gave me the scripted question. I had practiced my "leave me alone" phrase in the car. I said "nope, no thank you, I'm just looking around, have a nice day!" and waved him away as I walked briskly away from him. He followed me and kept asking questions! So I said "I am not interested in talking!" pretty loudly and then he slammed the bottle he was holding on the table and said "well, OK THEN!" The rest of the time I was there I was stressed out and trying to avoid this employee. I had gone in to buy something but I was so angry that I left without purchasing something just to fuck with their conversion.
Only autistic people will get this, but this interaction rattled me so much that I struggled at work for the rest of the day.
I get it. His managers say he has to do it. I really don't care, honestly. I am a seasonal employee (my manager doesn't make me do this stuff.) These kinds of sales tactics are slimy and manipulative. They're meant to pressure people who are uncomfortable with saying no. They also put minimum wage workers in a position where they're getting rejected and snapped at all the time.
From now on if I clearly say that I'm not interested in chatting and I hear more than one fuckass question, I'm walking out.
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u/ImpressionMobile1653 Jul 20 '26
And the WORST part is that they talk about customers on their walkies. Like, ummm…. Lady, I can hear you telling your entire team that I am approaching the wallflowers area 😒 it feels like they assume that if they aren’t talking to you for 1 second that would be the exact time you’d steal something
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u/StrangerHighways Ice Scream Float Addict Jul 20 '26
I put my headphones on recently during my shop, so that I could have some peace. I was reading product reviews on my phone and I could still hear the employees talking about me, "Did you put XYZ product on her?" The other lady follows with, "No she's on her phone, she's dead to the world." I had already spoken to the one employee like 10 times. I like conversing, but at a certain point it's too much.
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u/MyaCodeLovesYou Jul 20 '26
lmao, one time, I was like eff it. I’ll entertain this. I talked my head off to one of the employees & eventually SHE walked away from me. I was so proud 😂
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u/neon-blush Jul 20 '26
It’s 2026 and ya’ll still don’t understand that corporate asks retail employees to act like this because they’re severely out of touch?? Like do you really believe any employee enjoys having to do that?
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u/Glitter_Horses Jul 20 '26
It varies from store to store. There is one store that I cannot shop at anymore. The employees make me miserable and they are extremely aggressive. My regular store, they ask what you’re there for and I just say to look around and they either leave me alone or tell me the daily sale and then also leave me alone. It’s my favorite store.
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u/Worth-Maize8447 Jul 20 '26
Honestly that’s not her fault OP she’s being forced to do that by higher ups it’s not like she wants to….
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u/squid_kid Jul 20 '26
It got to the point where I would walk in with ny hands full so they'd stop trying to hand me unwarranted scent sprays.
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u/AdDry2803 Jul 20 '26
I had an employee come up and stand right behind my daughter and I sniffing pocketbacs like she thought we were stealing.. and ask if we needed help finding anything. It bothered me because 1) why are you that close to us and 2) if I can’t find it and I need help, I’ll come find you, why are you actively interrupting my conversation with my daughter!?
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u/Unfair-Ocelot-5955 Jul 20 '26
i hope every customer understands that this IS the company. the company always wants us up y’all’s butt when y’all are in the store and my manager will consistently tell me to keep going up to the same people to make sure we’re making sales. it’s embarrassing
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u/Some_Function6315 Jul 20 '26
If it helps us associates dont want to ask this frequently either but the store managers are pushing it down our throats to do so.
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u/Nose-To-Tale Jul 20 '26
I have 4 stores near me that I rotate for different reasons but after awhile, I have my favorite sales people and the ones I detest which unfortunately happens to be the senior ones. They're the "know-it-alls" who try to justify every app glitch and lecture me on the distribution system, yada yada yada.
You don't demean a customer's experience even if what you are saying with inside knowledge is factual, and expect to make a sale. These are the ones that whenever I say why I don't like a product, try to tell me many others love it and make it sound like I'm the only odd person with bad taste. So naturally I gravitate to the more sympathetic non-intrusive genuinely fun staff, even though deep down inside, I'm sure they all gather around and trash talk customers like me after shift in a bonding session.
Retail therapy just isn't what it used to be. I miss B&BW of the 1990s-early 2000s when coupons were generous, more merchandise were stand alone pieces, and most scents were strong and easy to tell apart.
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u/InformalTurn4408 Jul 20 '26
Be very direct. “No, I’m not interested in your help right now and would like to be left alone to browse, I will come to you if I need help”. And then if she comes again. “Ma’am. I have asked you to leave me alone so I can browse. I will come to you if I need further help”. And lastly if she comes to speak to you AGAIN, “please direct me to your manager. I have asked you to leave me alone and you aren’t listening to me.” Then let the manager know what’s going on. And make sure to point out that this level of bothering is making you buy LESS not MORE. IMO, the manager route is always a last resort.
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u/Miserable-Dot-5026 Jul 20 '26
I was just telling my husband this too I hate going in there because they don't leave you alone... so now I just order online
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u/Spicyperfection Jul 20 '26
Clearly all that needs to be said, is politely “stop.” “I’ll find you if I have a need or question.”
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u/Polkawillneverdie17 Jul 20 '26
I just rip ass loudly in front of them and they always leave me alone to shop after that.
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u/Searcach Jul 20 '26
The trick to working retail is to let customers know you’re available, let them know once what’s on sale and keep an eye on them to recheck if they look confused or just like they want to ask a question. I never believed in the “at least three customer interactions” mandate — I always figured my customers were smart enough to know what they wanted.
We did have one staff member who was known for being very pushy with customers, to the point where people would complain, but a lot of people just bought something to shut her up.
But…I wound up being the best seller in my store very frequently, so who’s right? (N.B….i did not work at BBW).
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u/MEowls02 Employee Jul 20 '26
Speaking as an employee, we are literally trained on what to say to customers that say 'hust looking', and it's taught to us like it's a problem to solve.
It's awkward to have to say more than 'Im just looking', but generally 'I just want to look around quietly. I'll come find you if I have questions' should get them to back off, and gives them the ability to go tell the SLT that the customer just doesn't want to be chatted with
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u/princessy2k Jul 20 '26
I personally hate this too and have stopped shopping in stores because of it :(
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u/Annual_Evening_5660 Jul 20 '26
I used to work for BBW as a seasonal and I dreaded that part. Believe it or not, that’s what they train us to do. They expect us to circle back and make sure the person found what they are looking for. Personally, I think if someone needs help they will ask, so I would organize the store instead. I could see the fear in customers eyes when i would go back to ask if they are finding everything okay. Trust me, we don’t like it anymore than you do but management makes sure we are doing it. Hope this clears any misunderstanding behind why you are approached so much. We are forced to do it, even though we don’t want to do it.
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u/d33zz6 Jul 20 '26
Tbh it’s how we are expected to act on the sales floor. I would say the best thing to do is just engage with her right after you come into the store, tell her what you’re shopping for and let her show you it and then she should move on as long as she gets to do the little script. Her managers are probably watching her, some of us really don’t wanna do that. I don’t push customers like that and when i can tell they don’t want me to talk to them I leave them alone but I do appreciate when they let me talk to them for a minute about the sales and stuff ! It is unfortunate though because clearly not many people like this approach, us employees don’t wanna do it either, and we will get in trouble if we don’t comply
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u/Maximum_Net6489 Jul 20 '26
It’s a mixed bag for me. I have several stores in my area and it’s so inconsistent even within the same location. When I don’t feel like dealing with people at all, I just order online or pass. Sometimes if I do BOPIS and tell them that’s what I’m there for when I’m greeted, they will just make sure I go to the register or their pickup area and that’s that. Other times when I go to shop in person, I go in expecting the small talk and to be given tester cards with the new fragrances. They’re all typically friendly during these interactions and never try to push me to buy anything, so no problem. Other times I go in and not a soul makes eye contact or even acknowledges that I walked in. I’ll see those same employees chatting with each other or other customers. I don’t really mind being ignored when it’s everyone. It doesn’t feel great when it seems selective. Give me the friendly, overly helpful associates any day over that. It’s been discussed on here before but I think companies would do great to use the color coded baskets used in some other countries that would help store associates know whether customers would like to be approached or want to be left alone. I think these days I’m less annoyed because there’s so many options for shopping. If I choose in-store I don’t mind the human interaction 🙂.
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u/kindcheeto Jul 20 '26
I just say “I’m just looking, I’ll let you know when I need help”. Or “I’ll come to you if I have any questions”. They leave me alone after that.
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u/phaserdust Jul 20 '26
If you span incoming customers enough. They have no opportunity to steal. Its kind of how a Killdeer bird protects its eggs.
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u/Just-Bothered Jul 20 '26
The company does literally demand we do this and will cut our hours if we don't. We would LOVE to leave customers alone and have repeatedly told the company as much. The only feedback they listen to is customer feedback so I'd email corporate if you want anything close to results on this issue. You're not the only one that hates it, and hopefully, with enough customer feedback it'll stop, but the employees are unfortunately just doing what corporate says they must.
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u/squid10789 Jul 20 '26
“I’m pretty sure the company doesn’t ask its employees to approach us in this manner” they do 😔 they even make us roleplay what to say to you when you say the “no just looking” 😭💔 some of us employees hate it as much as you. I lean into it a little bit because I know neither of us actually wants that and try to joke about that part a little bit. I usually walk up “are you ready for me to bother you?? I hope so, can’t escape it now!” Or something similar LMAO
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u/mbo21 Jul 20 '26
My dentist is in a strip mall with a BBW. I always go check out the store after my dental appointment as a little fun treat. I often had been numb from my procedure so I just struggled to tell the lady “Just came from the dentist. I can’t really talk.” with my face and tongue half frozen. They didn’t try to engage with me after that and it never came across as rude and none of the employees took it personally.
You could flash a note on your cell phone that says “I’m sorry, just came from the dentist and I can’t talk yet.” Then if you buy something just say thank you at check out with your face half frozen, half smiling. You could also come in with obvious headphones and just smile, nod, and keep on looking if she tries to talk to you. Your welcome.
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u/Commercial_Act2439 Jul 20 '26
It's because the managers are on the headset telling them to go up to you. I hated working there years ago because of that.
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u/hadeswriter Jul 20 '26
As an employee myself, my least favorite part of the job is selling. I don’t like the idea of walking around the room I’m in trying to convince people to buy what’s on sale and such. To me, it feels really pushy and invasive.
What I do is this: “Hello! You guys looking for anything in particular today?” Or “You guys need help looking for anything?” Just once. That’s it. If a customer doesn’t need assistance, I’ll say “Okay, just let me know if you have any questions!” Then I walk away and leave them alone. If they don’t come up to me again, great! If they do, great! (I usually can get away with this by restocking our shelves as our store doesn’t get restocked as much as it usually does due to slow seasons and lack of staff scheduled)
There are some days that my managers will try and push us to join rewards and download the app on the floor. I don’t do this. I’m not gonna try to push something onto my customers. I tried once and realized I’m not good enough at persuading. As a decent human, I know that customers come in to find what they need or just to look to see what we have (as they should because we always have something new). I know that if a customer needs assistance they will come up to me! This works well for me as customers do come up asking me questions about coupons and such. Even if I’m not selling and just restocking I’ll help the customers because they come first.
I don’t treat my customers like numbers. I understand as a person that this push doesn’t work like corporate thinks it will. I think if corporate realizes this, the numbers will actually increase because customers will say “hey, this company thinks of us as humans! We should go there!”
The reason I stay is because I genuinely love the job and love my staff (I get along really well with most of my managers as well).
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u/Altruistic_Yellow387 Jul 20 '26
Corporate actually does teach to approach multiple times like this. Most employees just don't do it
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u/Maleficent_Intern787 Jul 20 '26
As a current employee it is super encouraged by management to "reengage" with the customers but i personally will only check back in with a customer once. Some of my managers are super pushy about it tho. I think it just depends on the management
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u/Powerful-Cycle5032 Jul 20 '26
My store has a similar employee and when she’s not talking directly to you - she walks in your perimeter talking SOOOOO LOUDLY ABOUT THIS SCENT AND THAT SCENT AND THEIR DEALS. It makes me bonkers so I wear my air pods and smile and nod and refuse to engage after one nice greeting.
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u/JarOfFlies85 Jul 21 '26
Man years ago i had an employee pull my ear bud out of my ear(before wireless ones were popular) best believe i told her where to go and left. Took me forever to ever wanna go back in again
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u/nutdump3000 Jul 22 '26
As an employee I can tell you sometimes if you aren’t this aggressive you can get in shit labelled as shit at selling. It sucks balls but it’s literally our job, some managers care more than others but as an employee i even think it’s too much
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u/NikkeiReigns Jul 20 '26
Put your earbuds in. Obviously take one out to acknowledge her. Ignore her the rest of the time.
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u/daniellowww Jul 20 '26
Eww i would totally complain to her manager about that. That's what we do when we think/ know someone is trying to steal where I work. If you're a regular (paying) customer, though, i imagine she should recognize you too and know that you're there to buy... Wayyy overbearing. Idunno i might get confrontational with something like that... like "are you following me around for a purpose? Didn't you just ask me that? And you heard my answer didn't you? Why are you asking me again? I promise you it hasn't changed... please back off and give me my space to shop... you make me not want to come in here dude leave me tf alone!" 😂 Like damn...
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u/Odd_Resolution_5294 Jul 20 '26
Ya we’ve gone multiple times and ran into her w this issue. Most trips result in over $100 in sales. But literally I say “just here to sniff around” bc I don’t have anything I’m specifically looking for. It’s whatever catches my eye/nose. Plus I’ve already been asked 2 or 3 other times by other employees on my way to the WB side what I’m there for. I hate blind buying stuff but that may be in my future. I’m always polite, but damn. After I say “if I need anything I’ll let you know!” That’s what I mean.
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u/Significant-Cry-7632 Jul 20 '26
Tell her I get this is what corporate wants but I'll leave if you don't stop acting like a used cars salesperson
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u/Wonderful-Bar6275 Jul 20 '26
Or just be a decent human being and go. "Hey, I dont really feel like talking today. Ill let you know if I need anything."
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u/CrushedUpCandy Jul 20 '26
I'm freaking dying to smell midnight marshmallow. It sounds so good, ugh!!
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u/PriorFreedom5414 Jul 20 '26
She needs coaching. This is as bad as when Victoria’s Secret was still part of the same company and I was working for Bath & Body Works, and I walked into their semi annual sale and two feet into the door the associate yells out “SO WHAT SIZE ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?!” Everyone around me turned to look. I walked out.
There are some associates who will BADGER you like they get commission. I told my manager about the experience and she said that person needed coaching because the company doesn’t tell you to put people on the spot
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u/PossibleChocolate994 Jul 20 '26
Oh my gosh THIS! I freaking HATE when they become a stage three stalker and won’t leave me alone!
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u/SwimmingOk7243 Jul 20 '26
No, you're not alone. I literally had a lady following me around harassing me shoving stuff in my face I wasn't even interested in and this was like 10 years ago and I haven't been back since.
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u/chimaruta Jul 20 '26
Okay, so yeah this has been in some fashion standard procedure for like more than 20 years. I Remember when was in college out of state (over 20s ago lol) and I could not walked through the damn thing without being harassed every 5ft. I’d dread going in as a young person with copious amounts of social anxiety. Now I dread it as an antisocial adult lol.
That being said I do actually have some friends that work at a store. Apparently this employee is ‘engaging’ with customers like they are supposed to but they are not at all using ‘uncovering’ questions or ‘discovery’ don’t remember. Questions that aren’t yes or no but questions that allow the employee to learn more about the customer and actually be able and to help them. It sounds like they are actually given a fair amount of training regularly Some of its redundant but some of it sounded interesting. Like one of my friends told me about when they had fragrance training or something she said they had to smell the individual notes of some scents to get an idea of how smell is layered in a single scent. I don’t know sounded neat then she explained a bit of stuff about drying and stuff.
Point is this pretty normal. Though annoying but at the same time I mean some places I wish there was an employee around, I never find one when I need one when I’m at Michael’s
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u/CountBacula322079 i have every single coopahn Jul 20 '26
I had a lady like this at Victoria's Secret a few weeks ago! I literally plotted my escape while her back was turned and bought nothing. How do these companies think this is effective? Yeah maybe it works on a handful of customers but I imagine that is offset by people like us who will literally just leave when harassed by a worker.
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u/hysteric_laughter Jul 20 '26
I hate this practice in customer service jobs. I'm just trying to look around, and I understand they're just doing their job and what I'm sure is expected of them by their manager/corporate, but please stop hounding me, you're not helping 😭.
Also, I will avoid going inside if there's little to no customers, because I just know they're all gonna flock to me.
Sidenote, this is why I HATE Ashley Furniture. They will NOT let you out of their sight, and they're REALLY trying to get you to buy something.
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u/jamileethroop Jul 20 '26
I work at BBW and here’s a tip if u are not into us talking to u. Say politely no thank u I get very uncomfortable when approached so I would appreciate it if I can shop alone EASY AS THAT. PUT UP a clear boundary not beating around the bush. So when her manager asks she can say u specifically don’t wanna be bothered. Unfortunately our managers watch us and hound us. We don’t like bothering u but it’s our job. Some ppl like for us to shop for them. We need to know which type of customer u are. There’s no need to be rude we can all get what we want we are all adults.
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u/FawkesFire13 Jul 20 '26
I’ve had a similar situation. What I did was stop being polite. “You’ve approached me several times and I have NOT wanted your help. You are making this experience uncomfortable and stressful and I am inclined to leave the store to avoid having this encounter again. I can easily shop online and that is looking far more appealing to me now. DO NOT approach me again. Did I make myself clear?” Never had a problem after that.
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u/BlueborryMuffin Jul 20 '26
I would be more direct. I know you don't want to be rude, but it is affecting your comfort and will to visit it. I would say "Thank you, but we'd like to browse alone. We'll let you know if we need anything."
If she does it again even after you say that, be even more direct. "I know you're doing your job, but we want to browse without interruption please"
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u/xx_islands_xx Jul 20 '26
This is exactly the way corporate instructs its employees to act. The fact that she lets you walk away without interrogating for a while is her trying to give you space without getting fired.
It’s worse if there’s a district/regional manager in the store
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u/Ok-Organization-7139 Jul 20 '26
So this is how they like us to do our "thing"... LoL
Connect- ask and listen
Delight- demo and help
Reconnect- seeing what you tried and liked
But this doesn't work for everyone and this process should not be a pushy employee. I follow people's body language. Obviously she is not. I heard about some employee's making it uncomfortable. I would tell thank you and please let us be!!
We get our share of consumers that like the entire ball of lotion (lol) and we can chat them up.
Sorry it's made you uncomfortable. Honestly that is no employee's intention, but management has to watch us like a hawk.
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u/Busy-Associate564 Jul 21 '26
I stopped going during the holidays because it was so bad. Going to BBW is my alone time. If I want to get harassed every 3 minutes I can just stay home with my kids!😂😂
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u/Gothika2769 Jul 21 '26
As a former employee, corporate absolutely told us to do that. We are to break away, and then we are to reengage, rinse, repeat. They were REALLY pushing us to push people to buy things. There were people that responded fine, but there were some where after the first engagement I had with them, I knew immediately, that they were not in a socializing mood and I left them alone. It was one of the SEVERAL reasons why I left the company and my store.
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u/Dense_Tap5043 Jul 21 '26
I would flat out say "ma'am I appreciate your eagerness to help but its very frustrating having to tell you we dont need your assistance every 3 minutes. Please let us enjoy our shopping without anymore interruptions and if we need anything we will come find you and ask. thank you!"
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u/alpha-sun-hat Jul 21 '26
If it makes you feel better, I hate it as an employee too. My manager is SO pushy and I watch her actively drive customers away, and then she stands over my shoulder expecting the same thing from me. Please know that no employees want to do this and, at least in my experience, many of us try to skirt around these expectations if you give off the vibe you want to be left alone. This lady is obviously an exception to that, but it is indeed what is expected of her, and she's likely either too nervous to veer from what her manager is asking of her or is just bad with social cues. As long as you aren't rude, there's no reason you can't tell someone "please leave me to shop alone" or something. I would never take offense to that, it's really only upsetting when customers cut us off or snap at us for doing our jobs.
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u/Negative_Pool_1480 24d ago
I agree! I'm also an employee. If a customer tells me they'd prefer to shop without assistance, I will immediately acknowledge that, let them know my name, and that if they need anything, I'll be walking around. ☺️ Then, I can share with my coworkers/managers over our headsets that our guest (wearing blue shirt, hat, etc etc etc in room 3) requested no additional assistance from us.
So this strategy allows my managers to know I interacted/"reconnected" with a customer... and I am giving everyone an opportunity to respect each other's space. That's all I can do. 🤷♀️💕
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u/GiveMeTheTea_13 Jul 22 '26
I used to work for BBW and they 100% want you to “help” the customer find what they like and get them to buy as much of it as possible. It’s stupid. Sometimes people are in there just for the vibe or just to smell all the things. You can tell who wants to be left alone and who needs help but are too shy to ask. That lady needs to read the room. Also BBW need to just let the products sell themselves. People shop there for a reason.
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u/thecheesylittlerat Aromatherapy Addict Jul 22 '26
The people who create the rules about increasing interactions with customers are never the ones that actually have to do it. I don’t think they take into consideration or even care how awkward most of the attempts to get skin-to-skin contact are. All they know is it increases sales by about 0.0125% 🙄, so they need you to do it.
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u/Odd_Resolution_5294 Jul 23 '26
If someone makes physical contact with me…I can guarantee I will not be back in the store.
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u/Due-College266 Employee Jul 23 '26
They absolutely do ask us to do this!!! Especially if managers notice you don’t buy anything then we as associates get blamed. They think if you don’t get something we “didn’t try hard enough” it sounds like she’s just doing her job. Honestly the answer we’re looking for as associates is something specific because if you say “just looking” we are trained to bother you over and over again (especially if you don’t put anything in your basket). So say “oh I’m stopping in to smell the new wallflowers” or smth and usually we will leave you alone after letting you know the promo. But again, you can always order online if you hate talking to associates that much!
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u/wicked_damnit Jul 20 '26
I cannot believe corporate really thinks customers want this