It is more and more evident,that sales assistants don’t only sell their products, but they push goods that you do not need.

This one time I went to buy gas to OMV. I took gas for 2000 crowns and while paying the lady started offering a wafer, and if not a wafer then I will definitely take a pack of skittles, or a car fragrance. She had all this lined up in front of her, as if she was playing monopoly. I dont have the energy that I don’t feel like a wafer or skittles, and that I don’t like the scent of the car fragrance. I say no without stating why and she switches to a heavier strategy. She says she gets points for every item sold, and that points mean money and I am basically taking that money away from her with my attitude. Here they reached the top, if the top is complete degradation of their staff.

From OMV i run straight to Billa. They are cool until the point when I come up to the counter to pay. Then Citibank’s jocose clowns come asking if i have a company or personal account. I reply that I don’t want to have anything to do with their company. The only thing i hear is far why….? why….? I say to myself that this is a store with fast moving consumer goods, so these things just happen.

Couple days later I went to aspecialised Kjus store. It is expensive and probably luxurious. The sales assistant fires his first question at me after about three seconds: Have you ever been here before? No, not yet. Second question came when I was browsing the first aisle. Do you have some Kjus products already? No, I am leaving. I probably wouldn’t buy anything even without these nosy questions, but maybe I would come and buy something some other time. Like this I know i will never come again.

It seems that salespeople have stopped being advisors and helpers. They have become product pushers.

Martin Lidický