A Different Sort of Annoying Greeter

Disagree. Anyone who follows me around the store babbling on about the product with nary a word from the customer isn't interested in the customer. They are interested in their commission. She's muted, and happily. My next visit will be much more peaceful.

OH, well, being called "master" may have had me stay in the store just a tad longer.

OK, I switched to my XP computer and it did do that. So it isn't totally uselesss. Just mostly.

LOL! ... those sites actually bring a small degree of traffic. I don't happen to be a big fan of the vote-for-listing thing, but some folks do use those sites for crusing SL.

Course, I contribute for SLTTD, so I'm slightly biased.

What I disagree with is that you didn't say anything to her. You just wandered around like a jackass without saying go away. I'd find much more sympathy for your problem if you told her to STFU and to leave you to shop, but you didn't.

Personally I hate when owners are around, or people that work there, or, for that matter, bots modeling clothing. Are they bots? Are they someone getting paid to camp there? Are they store helpers that will suddenly spring to life if I walk near? If they are just bots, will they become self-aware and send IM's to each other giggling about me?

Ironically I've only had this happen twice. I was at a store wandering around and someone IM'd asking if I needed help. I am, despite appearances, nervous around strangers and not good with crowds, etc. So I was panicy. I noted what I was trying to do, find a bikini, they said they might have something and would look. I continued to stumble around in the lag. Then I got an IM telling me where to go, with a TP. I looked at the address, that store it was, and used it. Found what I was looking for with their help. Bought the item, left. How does commission work in this situation? In SL? I didn't buy it from them, I used the vendor thingie. And it was the creator's store, not theirs, nor an branch. They never asked me to say anything to anyone, or otherwise indicate that they helped me to anyone. So how does this sales commission work in SL? Have you thought about this issue? Before you just assumed she was some money hungry whore interested in pulling your wallet out and sucking it dry of lindens?

The other time someone greeted me in a store, they had some tag to indicate they were a sales person, they said hi, I said hi. I expected something more but nothing. I'm standing there looking at stuff, they are standing there doing nothing. I shrugged and continued shopping. They stayed by the door near their mute twin (as in non-talking, not as in I muted them).

Again, it was what you did, not what they did that I disagreed with. If they did that, and didn't leave me alone when I noted I just wanted to shop and would ask for assistance if I needed any, then I'd have left.

Who says I need sympathy? I did my thing, and when she annoyed me sufficiently, I muted her. I'm not the one who has the problem - their store now has the problem, because they have a customer (maybe - I may not return at all) who cannot be communicated with via this annoying girl.

Nor do I appreciate being called a jackass.

I'm sure they will cry over the lost business.

I used sympathy because I couldn't think of another word to use and I shouldn't have used the word jackass.

Oh, let me continue, I have to answer the question asked of me:



It's called the transaction history. Sale is made. Sales girl is on duty when sale is made. Thus, commission. Pretty straight forward, isn't it?

But this is purely academic. I have no proof that this person was on commission. I can only suspect as much, because after ten minutes of listening to her rave and selling-point and point-out and make-note, she never caught on that I didn't want to speak to her. Hell, I could have muted her at the damn door and she wouldn't have known the difference. All talk, and no observation. That is not a salesperson, that is a vulture. My position stands.

This is another one.
http://www.b-places.com/

Don't know much about it, but I see their vote kiosks around a fair bit.

I think hiring a RL person to chat up customers in a virtual world about ones product via chat box and IM sounds a bit high pressure, and analogous to RL phone solicitation. It would certainly be a turn off for me, and I would consider mute to be the VR equivalent of hanging up on them. Not a pleasant situation for either party! I still view my personal space in SL very differently from my personal space in RL. I simply do not have enough visual and verbal cues in SL to read a persons mood or intentions as easily as I can in RL. I wouldn't expect the other person to be any more adept at reading my mood either. That, in a sense, makes it even less effective than phone solicitation because of the lack of verbal cues (unless both parties are using voice).

If I'm at my store I introduce myself (sometimes, when I'm not too busy) and let people be. If they have questions I let them engage me first, then I am happy to talk "skin" with them.

This thread brings up something I have been wondering:

How would people respond to an AI information panel in SL, a web based chat bot that could answer specific questions about store product instantly when no one else is around? Too elaborate, or too impersonal? Would people use it, or opt for email correspondence instead (even if it takes several hours to get a response)?

I'd probably use it when no one else was around. I'd rather ask a human, personally. I don't have anything against sales people, I prefer them to bots and scripts I'm fairly sure. Its the ones that hassle me endlessly when I don't ask for help that make me nuts.

You know those bots that come hover near you when you enter a sim or a store? Absolutely 100% no less annoying than a smarmy salesperson. I darn near orbited one the other day, and would have, except I would likely have gotten AR'd for it.

It's good to actually see human sales people, and if they aren't good at it perhaps a little helpful advice to encourage them, who knows they might be wondering if they could sell stuff in RL

Breathe, dear… there – better now?

Ooh! Traffic getter? Where does one even find these doohickeys? Never mind! Thank you – Can’t hurt
That’s” RAWR!”

*blinks* Good grief, that explains things...

I've noticed that when I don't ignore customers while building, they tend to TP right out. All I say is, "Welcome to DiamonX Studios! If you have any questions or comments, just let me know, otherwise, please don't mind me."

I mean, I'm building. I'm not going to get down off my adjustment stand (or quit what I'm doing) to chase you (general use) around the freaking store until you buy something. I'm simply being polite, acknowledging your existence in my world. Is there something wrong with that?

Also, I've noticed that with a few exceptions, people tend to be skittish if the owner is there. Hence why I have an alt for modeling and building. *shrugs* I've stopped trying to figure it all out. Makes my brain hurt, it does.

Beats me ... though I think people tend to be inside their bubble when shopping, and the thought of someone popping that isolation scares 'em right off.

Actually, the only help I typically need when shopping is if I'm in a particularly large store, and I need to find a specific thing. Where are the doohingie scripts? Do you carry neon-glow scripted mohair? Whereizzit?

edit: see, it's that spelling thing I was talking about. :/

I don't know about others, but for me it's because if I don't see anything I like or want to buy, or if I was just browsing and had no intention of buying just yet, I worry that the creator will take it as an insult or be hurt. "This person came to my store and looked around and didn't buy anything! What's wrong with my stuff?"

You know, I think you're right on. I believe I've had this buried in my subconcious ... and come to think of it, I know I do something similar in RL, too. How many times have I not wanted to enter a store just to get, say, change of a dollar - instead, I'll buy a small item for the change in return?

OK, I'll play devil's advocate on this one.

First off, I hate RL shopping. And I hate overly-helpful sales people too. But...

I love to find an upscale store in SL, like Blaze or Armidi. I love it when a salesgirl comes up to me and welcomes me. I love it when I ask her where to find something and she shows me right away. I love it when she suggests something that I never even thought of, and it turns out to be perfect.

Not the nagging, in-your-face sort of thing you describe, Ghosty...being a good sales person means knowing when to back off.

But I enjoy feeling pampered.

Usually they are people who are paid to camp there -- but people who have been screened by the store and employed to do that, not random campers. They do serve the useful purpose of letting you see the outfit on an actual avatar, rather than just a flat picture. Most of the time they are AFK, but in one store (Sintimacy) I have had them ask me if I wanted any help.

I agree, Lindal, in a medium-to largish store, I like having a staff person on site that I can ask where to find something...and barring that, I appreciate having one of those posters on the wall which says "Susie Snowflake is online - click here if you have questions." More sales have been lost because I cannot find the item.

However, once I've told the staff person, "thank you, I am just browsing"...please don't pester me!!!

I'm going to have to test that one out - sneak up on somebody and say "BOO"!

Seriously though, I haven't felt like I scare people off when I'm around my store. I guess my avatar looks friendly enough.

Oh, I think it's my feminine side in action. I am a shop-a-holic, even in RL.

I hate malls, but I love to shop. Go figure.

And having someone there to ask a question of goes a long way. Even those 'I'm online' things are better than nothing. I just SO hate being pestered!

im with the pampered train of thought PLUS..somedays i know what i came in for and because they have rearranged the store, cant find it. i LOATHE trudging about looking for the ONE thing..so a well positioned sales person would be a godsend for those occasions.

i NEVER approach people in my store...it feels weird dunno why, like im pestering..i generally hide myself away..or leave...how weird am i ! but i DO love it when someone asks me for help in my place...maybe cause i love to talk :0)

I had a store owner do this for me some time back. I wanted to purchase some furs for a lady friend, and the owner offered to model them for me. They were pricey, so I said sure, that's probably a good idea.

Well, she modeled not one, but several outfits for me. Instead of a single fur coat, I ended up buying the entire ensemble - and I was so pleased that she had taken so much time for my business, she got a 10% tip besides.

That's the kind of salesmanship I need. Not constant pratter as I wander the store.

I stopped doing it so much as Raudf, because (as now being an example) I'm usually working in the workshop. But if I leave the workshop to set up a vendor, handle a customer, I greet whomever is there. About half will vanish, even having stood there for a long while before the greeting.

As Trill, I do it most of the time, because she's usually on the 'sales floor' or in the landing zone. I'd say less vanish with Trill than with Raudf, because Raudf's name is on the vendors/freebies and such, while Trill's is only on the building.

But as Quaintly suggested, this could account for this.