Interesting adventure at the Stickley gallery...

Ayyyyyy….....what’s wrong with rednecks? I are one…..lol.

-- Carl Rast, Pelion, SC

“Guess we didn’t look rich enough to purchase their stuff.”

If it’s anything like the Stickley store near me, that’s the shtick. They leave you alone and let you browse.

Don’t take it personally.

-- - Please help keep Lumberjocks an enjoyable escape by refusing to participate in political discussions. Simply spit out the bait and ignore the thread...

Sam Walten, the founder of Walmart always drove an old pick-up truck where ever he went.

-- waroland, Mount Juliet, TN

Had about three auto dealers in the course of a day lose a sale because of that, we decided we were ready to buy and went out ‘as is’ – in old (but clean) jeans and flannels and our crappy old car…. At the fourth dealer a salesman came out and talked to us, and ended up selling us a (used) van. The first of four used cars we have bought from them to date.

I put almost 100k miles on that van in nine years, many of them hauling hundreds of pounds of books for the bookstore I owned. When we inherited Dad’s van, I sold my old van to a buddy who used it for a commuter car for the last four years… It finally died last week.

Both of the cars in our driveway tonite are from that dealer… (I’d taken Dad there to buy his van.)

Funny story about the latest one though… The salesman looked us up in his computer and noted we hadn’t bought a car from them in about six years. He asked us why we hadn’t been back and what they could do to have us come back more often. I told him “well, sell crappier cars”. He looked confused and I had to explain – we didn’t come back too often because they kept selling us damn good cars.

We don’t go back too often because of that, but we do go back.

-- Derek, Bremerton WA --

I like to be left alone. If I go in to look then I am looking. If I go to get something then I know why I am there and what I need. If I don’t find it I can ask.

If they hover I will leave.

-- Measure once cut twice....oh wait....ooops.

Don’t go into a Circuit City to purchase a computer with work clothes on. I’ve never been treated so poorly.

What, just ‘cause I don’t have a buisness suit on I don’t have any use for (or knowlege of) a computer?

Best Buy loves me!

-- http://www.grandprairiewoodworks.com http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6453794

I tried buying a refrigerator at the blue L word store. I asked at the service desk 2 times for someone to be sent back to wait on me. I even said ‘Please’. The third time I went up to the service desk, ( I had looked at all the appliances by that time and was very board) she asked if anyone went to wait on me. I said “No, but that’s OK. I’m going to Sears, they tackle you on the way in. I’m sure someone there will take my money.”

You shouldn’t have to beg someone to take your money.

-- Berta in NC

Mike – “I like to be left alone. If I go in to look then I am looking. If I go to get something then I know why I am there and what I need. If I don’t find it I can ask.

If they hover I will leave.”

My view is the same. I go into a store to browse or to pick up something specific. I hate it when I am accosted as soon as I walk into the front door. Someplace like Radio Shack are even worse when you walk in you are attacked and you tell them you want to be left alone the vultures keep coming back. Almost to the point that you feel like they think you are a shoplifter or something. However when I do want someone to answer a question or to check out, it is a Waldo search at times.

I went to PetsMart and stood at the front counter/register for ten minutes before someone came up to check me out.

I guess the thing is that you have to take it in moderation and dont take it too personal but I am still the type of person who has no patience and will walk out for the most part.

-- "Love is like standing on wet cement, the longer you stay the harder it is to leave...and you can never go without leaving your prints behind..."

One minor point…
Why weren’t you in your shop building Stickley-inspired furniture?
Okay… I’d wander a Stickley furniture store if only to get ideas or joinery details, or inspiration… but then I’d still not want a salesperson tailing me!

-- If Stradivarius was alive today, he'd be using Gorilla Glue.

I do, once in while. I was just in there getting inspired!

-- http://newmissionworkshop.com

I am in Mike’s camp. Leave me alone, and if I need something I’ll ask. Hopefully someone will respond.

-- Chip -- Manchester, Connecticut "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."

I like some sort of friendly acknowledgment when I arrive in a store or vendor’s booth. The sales person should be friendly and ask if you need assistance and then either assist you or let you browse on your own if you tell them you’re just looking. They should then give you some space and time and then ask again if you need assistance to make sure you’re getting the amount of attention you want. Simple etiquette to make a person feel welcomed to brose or buy. I used to work at my mother’s shoppe that sold oriental dry goods, cooking items and catered items. People would walk in off the street out of curiosity and I would always say “Hello, let me know if I can help you.” I also gave them little tid bits of information of items they were viewing so they would feel inclined to inquire and possibly purchase them. Even if they didn’t buy anything that trip, they should feel comfortable enough to return and maybe bring friends.

It’s amazing how they don’t train sales people that way. Just like a good waiter/waitress, sales people need some basic training.

-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe

I bought a pair of denim overalls for my husband for Christmas, as he wanted a pair to work around the house in and I told him we should go to the Brooks Brothers Clothier suit sale with him in them to see how the sales clerks would behave, as he needed some new suits. He decided not to go, so I don’t have a story to tell.

-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe

LOL, MMH, I have a story for you.

I went to the local ‘sale’ at the Joseph A. Banks store. It was supposedly a 60-70% off sale. I walk in, and the cashier, a middle aged woman, is in a full blown, heated argument with a younger couple. Seems that they wanted to “return” some clothes they didn’t have a receipt for, and they WANTED CASH RIGHT NOW! She was calmly trying to tell them they could only get store credit, but they were adamant about cash. I made my presence known by asking some dumb question, and moved to the other side of the register an looked at some coats. The couple was swearing and getting more agitated by the minute.

The next thing you know the young man is next to me asking if I could help him. I asked him what he wanted, and he said he’d take the store credit, which was $225.00 and sell it to me for $100 CASH. I went up with him to the register, and the clerk was harried, and these people were getting scary angry. Spit flying out of their mouths, etc. SOOOOO, to calm down the situation I told him I would give him the $100. The clerk issued him the $225 store credit, I gave him the $100, and they went on their way cussing, tipping over stacks of clothes, ripping down a sign, and leaving the store.

I asked the clerk why she didn’t call the police, and she said she was the only one in the store and the phone was way in the back office. So I called the police on my cell phone, they came in, took our statements, and meanwhile the store manager came in. He reviewed the security tape with the police and what this couple had done was go around the store, grabbed some clothes, then took them to the register for a ‘return’ without a receipt!!

So there I am, standing there with at $225 gift card from illegal activity. I hand it over to the police, get questioned by one of the officers to make sure I wasn’t ‘in’ on the scam, a wave from the clerk and that’s it. I’m out $100, no coupon, no pat on the back, no nothing!

I was not too upset because I did the right thing, but you think a 10% off coupon or something would be nice.

Epilogue: They caught the couple 3 weeks later doing the same thing at the local Gap. They had been doing it for 2 years up and down New England.

-- Chip -- Manchester, Connecticut "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."

No good deed goes unrewarded.

-- Sell it here> http://woodworkerslist.com

it’s what is inside that counts…as long as you can walk away content with your own actions then all is well!

(I agree with the “acknowledge the customer’s presence” – preferably with an honest smile. After that… just come over if I need your help.)

Magnificent clock by the way AND a cutie doing the Vanna White.

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)