‘I got written up for refusing to pester people’: Shopper walks out of Lululemon after being approached 6 times in 10 minutes. But are the workers at fault?
There's good customer service, and then there's pestering. It seems some stores don't know the difference between the two—and it's costing them customers. A Lululemon shopper says companies need to learn the distinction between what actually makes for a good shopping experience and what will turn people off.
In case you're not familiar with the brand, Lululemon is a popular athleisure brand. It is known for its expensive leggings (which can easily cost $98 to $118 retail) and loyal fanbase.
Do less, please
"I literally could not ... stand it in there anymore," influencer Veronica (@veronica.skaia), who has 130,000 followers, says about her time in Lululemon.
Her viral video has more than 620,000 views. In it, Veronica explains that her little sister's birthday is next week, and she wanted to gift her some leggings or joggers that were in line with her school uniform.
She says she headed to the bottoms section. There, she says she went back and forth between two styles, unsure of what her sister would prefer, what was appropriate for school, and what would fit.
Trying to figure it out, Veronica says she stood off to the side with some of the bottoms in hand while she analyzed the school's uniform guidelines on her phone.
"Tell me why these ... sales associates. I'm not joking. I counted six times in [10] minutes," Veronica says, annoyed.
Over and over, she says they asked the same thing: "Hey, are you finding everything OK?"
Now, Veronica says she was empathetic toward them, sharing that as a former retail worker, she knows it's the managers and corporate that make them do this. But she notes that doesn't make it any less annoying.
"When I tell you it made for the most uncomfortable shopping experience where I literally feel like I couldn't take a step or take a breath without someone asking me if I was doing okay," Veronica says.
She says she thought it was especially rude when she was on the phone, and an employee interrupted her mid-conversation to check if she needed anything.
"I just got so ... fed up that I just put the leggings back," Veronica says as she heads to another store where she hopefully had a more peaceful shopping experience.
@veronica.skaia Yes im actually finding my way out of your store you seagulls also it was 6 times in 10 minutes like let me BREATHE #lululemon #lulu #lululemonstore #lululemonemployee #eatoncentre #toronto #rant #storytime #torontolife #torontotiktok ♬ original sound - Veronica
It seems the list of complaints is mounting about the in-person shopping experience going downhill. Here are some other common complaints.
Too many locked items
Several customers have taken to TikTok to complain about the rise in locked items, with some saying that if they need to ask an employee for help, they just won't buy the item in-store.
Not only are retailers losing business in the moment, but they might be inadvertently directing dollars to their competitors. One person told the L.A. Times that while they’re not proud of it, if an item is locked at the store, “I’ll just give Daddy Bezos my hard-earned cash” and buy it on Amazon instead.
Retail corporations have largely taken these measures to combat organized retail crime (like the case of a California woman who stole nearly $8 million worth of beauty products to resell on Amazon). But everyone is facing the consequences.
Retailers know that this frustrates shoppers. They also know that it’s losing them money to the tune of a 10% to 25% loss in sales, the L.A. Times reported.
“These measures are last-ditch efforts,” David Johnston, vice president of asset protection and retail operations at the National Retail Federation, told the California paper.
Predatory store cards
Workers are under pressure to sell store credit cards to customers even after they've made it clear that they're not interested.
And the thing is, a store credit card rarely offers the best terms, often translating to low credit limits and high interest rates, CNBC reported.
But they're not all bad, and they may be beneficial if the loyalty program will save you money in the long run.
Annoying self-checkout
Customers generally have split opinions on self-checkout machines. They are sometimes faster than the standard line and can be a more comfortable experience for introverts.
But people have also complained that they shouldn’t have to do the job of a cashier just so a corporation can save money. Additionally, what’s supposed to be a quick and easy process can quickly get bogged down.
Even some companies have noticed that their beloved self-checkout machines (which many retailers have implemented to save on labor costs) have become a money pit. People steal from them both on purpose and by accident.
Major retailers like Walmart, Costco, and Wegmans are already rethinking their checkout strategies, CNN reported.
Commenters react
"If they ask more than once, it gives me vibes that they think I’m shoplifting, not that they want to help me," a top comment read.
"I used to work at lululemon and it’s the managers for suuuure," a commenter shared.
They continued, "I got written up for refusing to pester people lol like read the roommm Rachel, I can’t talk to that woman who said she’s fine 3x already."
"I feel like retail nowadays is either they won’t stop pestering you or you can find NO ONE LOL," another wrote.
The Daily Dot reached out to Veronica for comment via email and Instagram direct message, as well as to Lululemon via email.
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