Giant opened at Setia Alam on 12 August 2010. The layout is rather like nearby Tesco’s. You have to take the escalator to the first floor where the hypermarket is located. Giant’s entrance is located on the far left after you get off the escalator. You have to pass by many hazards before you get to buy your groceries in peace.
The hazards come in the form of sales people who want to entice you to buy anything from induction cooker hobs to perfumes to water heaters to children’s encyclopaedia. I don’t want to sound rude, so I usually just brush them off with a “No, thanks.” But some people can be really persistent, especially if they spot you with a full trolley. A loaded trolley seems to be a magnet for these sales people, shouting out, “Hey! I’m loaded with lots of money and stuff! Come sell me more goods!”
So there I was, trying to avoid the eagle eyes of the sales promoter after I’d done my shopping. (Never lock eyes with them, that’s an invitation for them to approach you.) From the corner of my eye, I saw one young woman striding purposefully in the same direction I was heading. I know where she was headed : me.
Excuse me, dkdkkek lwketcmdkk ekeke e iiieiekk dkellwlsekkee k kkekk ueuoeoie llskeke, free recycling bag. Her elevator speech was gibberish to my ears, honest. I don’t know what she was peddling and I don’t want a free recycling bag. I think a better method to get customers’ attention is to carry a small card, about A5, with big bullet points for the main selling points of the product. They can still babble their elevator speech but for those who aren’t really listening, at least the card can be shoved at them, politely of course.
Then there are the credit card canvassers (CCC) lying in wait at the check out counters. Again, a loaded trolley is a big magnet to the CCCs.
Do you have a Giant-xx card? No? Very easy to apply.
You say, Sorry but I’m in a hurry.
But it will only take one minute to sign up.
Haha, right, if you can do things at fast-forward mode of 20X.
I’ve been on the other side before. I was an encyclopaedia sales rep about twenty years ago. I was one of those fellas who would hang around the mall trying to entice you into my stall so that I can show you my books. I know how hard it can be. I know how demoralizing the situation can get when everyone just pushes you away with a No, Thanks or when they just plain ignore you. That’s why I always try to be as courteous as I can to these people. They’re just earning an honest living.
So it’s “No, thanks” for me.
If this doesn’t work, the line which always does is : I’VE GOT IT ALREADY.
Indeed these sales promoters do get in our way always. But some are nice. When you say “no thanks” they in turn reply with a “ok thank you ma’am” and this is where my heart melts as my sympathy goes out to them. How many customers can they ‘trap’ in a day? If you don’t get any, there goes the commission. So I totally agree with you – we should be courteous to them as they’re earning a living the hard way. Like you, my daughter too was on the other side and I know the feeling.
It’s a dog’s life, Ilene, but good for building character, ya?
Oh yes, “I’ve got it already” definitely works. Though if it isn’t true I feel kinda bad about it…
WP, I usually say it only if it’s true la but sometimes I bend the truth a little. Children’s encyclopaedia? I got already but I didn’t tell them it’s not the same set, haha.
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