Unprofessional sales people

[DaveInLA]

Wow, it sucks to have some of the experiences you guys have had. I'm 29, look 22, and generally dress down (polo shirt, jeans or shorts). I usually wear my Seiko (or sometimes Timex). I've walked into many ADs, and have never been ignored. I've never felt like they didn't want my business.

What I don't really appreciate, though, is overly aggressive salespersons. It's usually someone who knows nothing to very little about the watches themselves. If I say I don't like one particular model, he/she will quickly peddle another one.

One of my best experiences came at Ben Bridge, where the very friendly saleswoman treated me with great respect and seemed genuine. Obviously, she wanted to sell a watch, but she never made me uncomfortable. She gave her honest opinion (I think), and didn't say that everything looked good on me. In contrast, other ADs (one Omega one, in particular) kept on saying "it looks good, it's perfect, perfect!" when I held an oversized watch over my 6" wrist. The Ben Bridge experience was nothing like that; if they gave decent discounts, I'd get my watch there.

[TempoKing]

...Hey People...

Do you ...KNOW/SEE.... why Grey dealers thrive..??

1. No insults
2. No Degrading looks
3. No smart ass remarks
4. No fraud
5. No lack of attention
6. No Cluelessness
7. No humiliation
8. No failure to deliver
9. No lies
10.No nastiness

Great discounts, Great attitude, Great availability of those hard to find Rolex watches and no unfair taxation.

...May I take your order please....

[BigHat]

Bummer the way you and others have been treated, especially at the major chains like "The Big T."

I guess I have run into a good salesperson and store manager at their Pentagon City store. Get treated well and receive good deals.

Best I can guess is it's a heavy traffic issue. Realize that there is never an excuse for bad manners, but having worked in retail as a teenager I got to deal with more a-holes than even the devil deserves. I bet these mall stores get 200 people browsing for each even moderately serious customer. Again, I don't condone their behavior, but I can understand it.

[Hatchet]

One thing I have noticed by reading this thread is that some of you guys dress like bums to go watch shopping.

[jdc]

It's quite sad how self important and snobby some people can be, in and out of stores.
I am with Eleanor Roosevelt on this 'no one can make you feel inferior without your consent"

[zak98]

there are just too many options out there for purchase of fine watches. no need to even deal with a staff or person like that anymore.

[skeen]

Originally Posted by Hatchet

One thing I have noticed by reading this thread is that some of you guys dress like bums to go watch shopping.

That's quite funny. I always try to dress pretty well - so, I wouldn't be surprised if you're not going to get too much attention wearing no watch, a wife beater, mashed up old shorts, scruffy shoes, glancing at $10,000 watches.

I don't think I would tend to give someone like that the time of day either, unless they specifically inquired and I could see they knew their stuff.

It's no excuse to treat someone badly, and it's a bad sales tactic to judge a customer, but more often than not, these salespeople are correct in their assumptions if they see someone looking like that, that they're going to waste their time.

I would say that shopping for an expensive watch is just as good an occasion as any to dress well. It doesn't always say so much about the character of the store, or the salesperson if they judge you for looking like a bum, more than it says about the bums going in the store wasting their time.

Of course there are always exceptions.

[danberger]

I was in Harrods London yesterday - the fine watch room..... tried on a Panerai 233 - really great watch but at 7,400 sterling a bit rich for me at the moment. Salesman pointed out the price rise due on 1st September, he was very polite and I took that as useful information. Off the main watch room is a Rolex room...... not one SS Sports model in there. I was wearing my GMTIIc and asked about the Deep Sea - said he might get one in November / short supply etc etc....then claimed that the Sea Dweller had not been discontinued. I just wouldn't dream of buying a watch from these untrained monkeys !!!!

[Mort]

As I have posted before, I am one of the few people here that have had nothing but good experiences with Tourneau. Over the last couple of years, I have bought several watches from them including my fathers TT Date.

I have dealt with the same person every time and spent several hours there when buying and have never seen anyone being rude or snippy. Still I am sure it happens.

Maybe they are nice to me because they know I am in sales of a similar type of business(high end writing instruments) or maybe I have never gone in with any expectations of being treated rude based on some of post I have seen on forums. Being in sales, I know what it is like being on the other side of the counter. Still if anyone was ever rude or made comments I did not like, I would complain to a manager and most likley not go back.

When I was in NYC last winter, The Tourneau was real busy, but the sales people did not give me any attitude and showed me some Breguet's knowing I was not buying.

I agree thier prices can be kind of high, especailly on Rolex, but on other brands, I have gotten some reasonable discounts and pretty good trade allowance.

Again, I am not pro Tourneau, just saying it has never been a bad experience with me.

I do have to say since I have found a good local grey dealer, I have bought two Rolex's from them, and will most likley continue to buy from them if they have what I am looking for. I like being able to site down and have watches brought out, the privacy and not having to deal with mall traffic and crowds.

[mfer]

Ok, we are all super educated on Rolex's and what they cost, what is popular, etc. I would say that we are less than 1% of the Rolex population! Most people don't know jack about their Rolex's and these tactics work on the majority of the people there. Most don't know about discounting, etc. It is hard to blame the sales people when they do this as they get away with it so often. The same way with many car deals (not all). I was talking with my dealer I just bought from and I said something like "Why do they even have sticker value?" His response.... "You won't believe how many people pay sticker!" I guess if I was the sales man, I would try to get more money myself.

About being treated poorly b/c of a quick judgment... There is NOTHING positive about that at all. Judging people does nothing buy cost them sales. I have been judged before and told I didn't have my facts straight. Needless to say, I never go to that AD. Luckily there is a good one in my town (Simon's) that treat me very well on my first purchase and my second (even better ). I stop by from time to time just to chat and say that I'm just here to drool today. Not buying. They are more than willing to just let me try them on and talk the talk. B/c of this, I have referred two other sales their way. Not much I know, but I've only been buying watches for about 8 months!

[SLS]

Originally Posted by Hatchet

One thing I have noticed by reading this thread is that some of you guys dress like bums to go watch shopping.

I own my own retail business, and if there is one thing that I have learned is not judge a customer by what king of clothes they are dressed in or car they pull up in, as there are many people who just do not care about material appearences. Pretty much a basic rule of retail sales IMHO. I try to treat everyone how I would like to be treated, regardless of appearences.
~Scott

[Ed Rooney]

You know, most of the time when I browse a watch shop, I am in the area for some other reason. I am certainly never dressed up, because I don't need to dress up for work. Only lawyers and suit salesmen wear suits anymore. I walked into one with shorts and a t-shirt, plus a very fiine Sea-Dweller on my wrist. I'm pretty confident I was the only visitor during that hour. There were 4 staffers in there, and all proceeded to ignore me. Sure, maybe I wasn't buying that day, but part of sales is planting a seed. Any watch salesperson who gets annoyed with tire-kickers is in the wrong business.

Originally Posted by skeen

That's quite funny. I always try to dress pretty well - so, I wouldn't be surprised if you're not going to get too much attention wearing no watch, a wife beater, mashed up old shorts, scruffy shoes, glancing at $10,000 watches.

I don't think I would tend to give someone like that the time of day either, unless they specifically inquired and I could see they knew their stuff.

It's no excuse to treat someone badly, and it's a bad sales tactic to judge a customer, but more often than not, these salespeople are correct in their assumptions if they see someone looking like that, that they're going to waste their time.

I would say that shopping for an expensive watch is just as good an occasion as any to dress well. It doesn't always say so much about the character of the store, or the salesperson if they judge you for looking like a bum, more than it says about the bums going in the store wasting their time.

Of course there are always exceptions.

[Mort]

Originally Posted by SLS

I own my own retail business, and if there is one thing that I have learned is not judge a customer by what king of clothes they are dressed in or car they pull up in, as there are many people who just do not care about material appearences. Pretty much a basic rule of retail sales IMHO. I try to treat everyone how I would like to be treated, regardless of appearences.
~Scott

I agree with you on that Scott. I have always fallen in to the the thought, treat everyone like a potencial customer, or else someone else will.

I never judge my customers by what they are driving or what they are wearing. They may be dressed like a bum, but could afford to buy anything they want.

[skeen]

Don't get me wrong, I certainly don't condone that kind of behavior. I'm no salesperson, and I even I know you should "never judge a book by its cover". But it's easy to see where some of these people get that mindset.

I'm a pretty regular looking 22 year old, when I popped into a watch store to look at their collection, I was wearing a baseball cap, and I was dressed fine - not well, but fine. Looking at me, I certainly wouldn't have thought I would be able to buy a watch.

However, the manager gave me all the time of day, and revealed the Panerai from his safe that I'm wearing right now. He had no real reason to assume I'd be able to get this, or any watch in his store - all he knew was that I was interested, and like someone said, planted a seed.

Well I walked out with it, and they're now a Rolex AD, and I'm more than confident I'll buy from them again. The manager and I are on very friendly terms, so much so that I've been invited to play golf. Now that's a good salesman!

The reality is, though, that most of these salespeople don't know anything real about watches, and are just looking for their commission. It certainly doesn't make the situation right, but it does make it understandable.

[codymac]

FWIW, The nice lady at Tourneau never called me regarding the vintage IWC I was looking for. She has said she's put out word with her IWC rep and get back to me after speaking with him. Oh well.

Not surprised, really. The place was an absolute zoo when I went in and I can't imagine the volume of tire kickers they get through there. Mental note - never go to a mall on the weekend.

OTOH, a smaller local jeweler who just picked up A. Lange & Söhne was all too eager to show them to me when I dropped by one evening to look at a Grande Lange 1. By the end of the conversation, the watches on the counter easily added up to more than the value of my house. And once she found out I was an Omega fan, she loaded me up with Omega catalogs, leaflets, etc. Wish I'd been looking to buy that evening as I'd have gladly let her earn a commission. I'd have been happy to spy the Lange through the glass, let alone fondle every one they had in the case!

[astcell]

Originally Posted by sombunya

I've had a similar experience when buying a car. I was put under major pressure to buy when I said from the outset I was only looking and left my checkbook at home.

There are way too many places to buy cars, and watches, to take an ounce of crap from anyone.

FWIW, Ben Bridge in Brea, CA treated me quite decent, I think.

The local dealer here filled out my credit app for me and ran my credit WITHOUT my signature or authorization. I was angry and left. Two days late they made me such a sweet deal (to get me to sign the paper) that I went back and grabbed it.

[NonServiam]

Originally Posted by SLS

I own my own retail business, and if there is one thing that I have learned is not judge a customer by what king of clothes they are dressed in or car they pull up in, as there are many people who just do not care about material appearences. Pretty much a basic rule of retail sales IMHO. I try to treat everyone how I would like to be treated, regardless of appearences.
~Scott

Exactly. As a college student I worked part time for a watch maker who was an Omega/Tag/etc AD. The first thing he taught me was to treat every customer with respect and as a potential for a great sale. No matter how they dress. There are a lot of watch nerds out there who don't dress up. Repeat sales might even be a bigger possibility with the "fan"-crowd than with the businessman looking for an expensive watch.

[Art161]

Originally Posted by dotcomakazee

Sarcasm is an advanced form of humor, you know.

Thank you SO much for pointing that out, Einstein.

[BigHat]

Originally Posted by Ed Rooney

Only lawyers and suit salesmen wear suits anymore. .

If only this were true.

[f16570]

Take your cash elsewhere.

[Timber Loftis]

Originally Posted by Hatchet

One thing I have noticed by reading this thread is that some of you guys dress like bums to go watch shopping.

It's a test.

And to be honest, I've noticed that the richer you are the less you care about these things. The guy who wanders into the store wearing a hawaiian shirt or a wifebeater shouldn't be presumed to be anything.

When I watch shop I welcome the dealers to incorrectly judge me or lie to me. It helps me separate the wheat from the chaffe.

[ThatOneGuy]

Originally Posted by Timber Loftis

It's a test.

And to be honest, I've noticed that the richer you are the less you care about these things. The guy who wanders into the store wearing a hawaiian shirt or a wifebeater shouldn't be presumed to be anything.

When I watch shop I welcome the dealers to incorrectly judge me or lie to me. It helps me separate the wheat from the chaffe.

So true. I recall a story my father told me about meeting J.R. Simplot several years ago. Mr. Simplot was dressed like a farm hand, old jeans and a denim jacket. Dad said, you'd never know the guy owns half of Idaho.

[ct.matt]

I hate going to ADs, especially in Europe. Had great experiences in NYC at Lange, Journe, and JLC though. Those people loved to chat and talk watches, offered coffee etc. when I had no intention other than to drool all over their watches. You could tell though that the staff were also enthusiasts and keen on watches.
In Europe, authorized dealers that sell Patek or Rolex are the worst but I have also been met with unbearable snootiness at LV and Hermes. Encountered it just this week in Berlin, Munich, and Dusseldorf. I'm a professional 30 year old from LA and speak fluent German. I dread going into these stores from being sized up and down by the security guy at the door to the condescending greeting by the staff as if I'm a leper or wasn't worthy enough to spend my hard-earned money there. Ironic that Mr. Stern of Patek talked about the boutique experience and how staff should be inviting etc. just this week in the Hodinkee interview. With no inventory and the staff being total turn-offs I don't see a point in going to these stores anymore. Yet, I hope they're eventually forced to change their attitudes or close their brick-and-mortar stores.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by Luminor

My uncle went into a Tourneau .

thats enough... no need for more words

[brandrea]

Well the price increase is 10 years in the making

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by brandrea

Well the price increase is 10 years in the making

im really dreading the day it happens. Then whatever AD said it most recently all of a sudden has inside info. I hear it constantly and they have no idea.

[beshannon]

Originally Posted by Luminor

My uncle went into a Tourneau

[thesharkfactor]

Holy thread resurrection Batman!

[padi56]

Originally Posted by ct.matt

I hate going to ADs, especially in Europe. Had great experiences in NYC at Lange, Journe, and JLC though. Those people loved to chat and talk watches, offered coffee etc. when I had no intention other than to drool all over their watches. You could tell though that the staff were also enthusiasts and keen on watches.
In Europe, authorized dealers that sell Patek or Rolex are the worst but I have also been met with unbearable snootiness at LV and Hermes. Encountered it just this week in Berlin, Munich, and Dusseldorf. I'm a professional 30 year old from LA and speak fluent German. I dread going into these stores from being sized up and down by the security guy at the door to the condescending greeting by the staff as if I'm a leper or wasn't worthy enough to spend my hard-earned money there. Ironic that Mr. Stern of Patek talked about the boutique experience and how staff should be inviting etc. just this week in the Hodinkee interview. With no inventory and the staff being total turn-offs I don't see a point in going to these stores anymore. Yet, I hope they're eventually forced to change their attitudes or close their brick-and-mortar stores.

Originally Posted by tyler1980

thats enough... no need for more words

Just what is the point in replying to a thread thats 10 years old.