From oct 2010 my educational posts are published only on Pip

16 sep. 2010

The least you should get is a hi

I was sauntering through Stockholm City yesterday - from Åhléns, to Gina Tricot, further on to Stadium, NK, Mathilde and ended up at FilippaK.

Most of these stores present great supplies. Especially Mathilde has completed the garment concept with super matching furniture, candelabras and more. They really offer the full and true unique Mathilde style.

This complete concept thing is relatively new to Swedes, and it feels fun and continental to find these stores a little everywhere. But when it comes to sales Swedes are still generally LOUSY!

I'm thinking about how I between 17 and 25 was employed at Escada, Crisca, Laurel, Laura Ashley and Plagg, and there was never any kind of sales training, or even instructions of the concept!

If I was the owner of a fashionable shop I would really want all my staff to know exactly what I thought my store should offer, what I exptected from them - to give them a chance to improve and learn the art of selling and to optimize my sale. I would talk to them about who our customers were, listen to their experiences from selling - from before and from our customers, and together find the most optimal way to treat them the best, to give them the best shopping experience.

In Sweden you just hire someone, teach them the cash register and put them in the store - silent, evasible, bored... The least you should get is a 'hi'.


Hello! Anyone there? I've got money, I love your stuff - don't you love me???

2 kommentarer:

  1. Are you kidding me? In Sweden, the CUSTOMER says hi first! Because the general attitude is that you're bothering the sales personnel just by entering their store.

    Best regards,
    Fire Everyone!

    SvaraRadera
  2. You're so right. The thing is that the storekeepers don't encourage their staff either - they'd have to tell them how to do it right before firing :-) - also a friend who read this commented on Facebook that 'I get scared if the staff says hi when I'm entering a store' - that's how huge the Swedish integrity is sometimes

    SvaraRadera