pushy salespeople
third party vendors
walmart
aggressive salespeople
third party vendors wandering around stores
Overly Aggressive Salespeople
By StacyB
@Srbageldog (7716)
United States
November 10, 2017 8:37pm CST
One of my biggest pet peeves when shopping is running into those overly aggressive salespeople. You probably know the type. They have booths in the middle of the store (or mall) and hound you anytime you walk past, whether you make eye contact or not. I always try to sneak past them and if they do notice me, tell them I'm not interested and then walk off before they can get another word in. I understand this is their job and they have to earn a living, but damn. Leave me alone.
Walmart always has these third-party vendors set up right next to their discount movie bin in the electronics section. Which means I can't look for movies in that bin without them hounding me. My mom says she even avoids going into the electronics section altogether because they are such a nuisance.
Yesterday I went to Walmart with my mom and sister, and we were down an aisle looking at picture frames. We were nowhere near those vendors' booths and thoughts of being pestered by them was far from my mind at that moment. So imagine my surprise when one wandered up and started in on her sales pitch! I was totally taken aback and angry that she would wander down an aisle to bother us while we were shopping. I quickly interrupted her with a curt "Sorry, we're not interested," and then she tried to switch tactics by complementing my sweatshirt, but I was already annoyed. It's bad enough having to avoid certain parts of the store so as not to run into them, but now they're wandering around preying on shoppers in other parts of the store, minding our own business? What the hell?
I wish stores would stop letting these third-party vendors set up shop. I wonder if they're aware how annoying they are and that most shoppers do NOT appreciate being hounded by pushy salespeople. No, I am not interested in switching cell phone providers, or internet carriers, or cable packages, or whatever the hell they are selling. I wasn't interested the last time I was in the store, and I'm not interested now. Maybe I should start wearing a sign saying "Not Interested."
Do you have to deal with pushy salespeople like this? How do you handle them?
11 people like this
10 responses
@AmbiePam (85497)
• United States
11 Nov 17
That sentiment is why a lot of stores no longer let Salvation Army bell ringers work in front of their stores during the Christmas season. Of course bell ringers are nothing like the pushy salespeople, but no one likes to feel they are being hounded.
3 people like this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
11 Nov 17
Some of those Salvation Army bell ringers are downright horrible, at least around here. A couple Christmases ago there was one who yelled at me that I was a horrible person for not donating and kept demanding why I wouldn't donate when I walked past without acknowledging him. I was broke at the time and didn't have any spare change on me, but regardless I don't feel like I need an excuse as to why I'm not donating. I used to always donate to them but after that I never will again.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85497)
• United States
11 Nov 17
@Srbageldog I have gotten looks before and I want to say, lady I have already given twice to that bucket you just weren't the one to see me do it!
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
11 Nov 17
@AmbiePam I don't remember the bell ringers being so inappropriate back when I was a kid (although maybe I just didn't notice.) Either that or the people they are hiring now just lack manners!
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (458212)
• Switzerland
13 Nov 17
@Srbageldog You are right, they push too much, they invent excuses to push you to buy products you do not need.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
13 Nov 17
That would annoy me too. We have the cellphone vendors and also people trying to sell beauty products. One girl once tried to "persuade" me to buy her products by informing me I had terribly dry skin...which just had the effect of angering me. Insulting people is not a good way to get them to buy your products!
1 person likes this
@Ithink (9980)
• United States
11 Nov 17
@Srbageldog I have had a lot of practice with the look with 8 kids! 
I don't know I would go and complain and see what they say. If they say it is corporate then Id complain there. It is ridiculous to have people bug you when shopping and looking around.
I don't know I would go and complain and see what they say. If they say it is corporate then Id complain there. It is ridiculous to have people bug you when shopping and looking around.1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
11 Nov 17
I try to scare people off with my "leave me alone" look, but it doesn't always work! I have considered complaining. I wonder if our local store has any control over the vendors who set up shop there, or if I would need to complain to their corporate office.
1 person likes this
@marlina (154166)
• Canada
15 Nov 17
@Srbageldog I have no time to waste listening to aggressive and desperate salespeople.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
13 Nov 17
Good for you! Maybe if more of us did that, they'd get the hint and leave us alone.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118449)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Nov 17
If I am in a good mood when those vultures hound me, I'll play a game with them, and tell them things like "I am an undercover agent, I'm on duty right now so please don't disrupt my surveillance," or "I'm a secret shopper, and your overly aggressive sales tactics are going to score you lower ratings when I report back to your employer." And if I'm in a particular nasty or bad mood, I will just say to them point blank, "Get up out of my business before I punch you in the face." That always works! LOL
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
13 Nov 17
Haha, that's fantastic! I should remember to use those lines. 
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
14 Nov 17
@moffittjc I will start coming up with some off the wall stuff to say to them...switch it up from "You have to ask my husband about that!" (My boyfriend always says he's going to use that excuse too...lol.) Maybe I'll start in on them about all my woes and make them regret talking to me!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118449)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Nov 17
@Srbageldog Good luck with coming up with some fun lines of your own! Or, you can borrow my lines if you want to! Whatever works!
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (66921)
• United States
11 Nov 17
Our walmarts dont have them.. thank god. Thatd get so annoying.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
11 Nov 17
Ours has had them for at least the past 5 years...it is VERY annoying. Our 99 Cents Store recently started allowing them to set up shop in their store, too. They are stationed right at the front of the store so you're forced to pass by them when you walk in.
1 person likes this
@shivamani10 (11038)
• Hyderabad, India
11 Nov 17
How could they get entry in? This is important to know. Catch hold of the management that allowed such people inside causing embarrassment to the visitors.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
11 Nov 17
They set up booths inside the store, so I assume they have permission to be there. They really are a nuisance!
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
11 Nov 17
I have learned to lie. Tell them thanks but I already got that, they leave me alone.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
11 Nov 17
I sometimes will use the line "Sorry, you have to talk to my husband about that" and then walk off. I told my boyfriend I use that line and he said he was going to start using it when they hound him too.
1 person likes this
@Mr_Anomaly (790)
• United States
11 Nov 17
Here's an experience... A while back on my apartment search ventures, I came across an apartment on craigslist that sounded like a perfect match... so I called the number, and the guy was very friendly at first talking about the place... then all of a sudden, he was trying to sell me access to their website service which is supposed to match people up with apartments and housing.. I was getting irate because I realized that the property that was posted probably didn't even exist and it was just a ploy to hear about their crappity crap rip off garbage. The guy said access is only $185 bucks/year.... WHAT?? I CAN SEARCH FOR APARTMENTS FOR FREE.... WHY DO YOU THINK I TOOK A GANDER ON CRAIGSLIST IN THE FIRST PLACE? (thought it... didn't actually say it). When I turned him down and said no thank you... he pauses for a second as if it wasn't the answer he wanted to hear... and had the nerve to say... "Why not??". BEEP... HUNG UP.
Yes I do get easily frustrated with aggressive sales people, I'm sorry to hear you had to deal with one too!
1 person likes this
