Store Promotion Etiquette

So today I get Im'd by a customer complaining that theres another customer in the shop stopping everyone and giving them landmarks to her own store and she thought I should know about that. Okay I think that sounds annoying but not real sure how to even go about handling that...

Do I IM the girl shes tellling me about and say that its bothering some of the customers? I feel really uncomfortable doing that especially since I saw in her profile that she is wearing my stuff and I dont want to like offend her or anything , maybe she doesnt know another way to advertise :|

But this has been an issue lately as far as customers coming in and giving out landmarks to other stores etc and I really dont have a problem with that I mean if they are just having a one on one convo with someone and would like to give them info on another place. I think theres a difference between that and just standing around hassling everyone.

Is it ever okay to promote your store in anothers store? Is it rude to tell people where to go to find things in your opinion " better" , etc etc..

Just curious how people feel on this issue.

You're way too sweet, Six. She obviously didn't care if she offended you, did she?

My position is that this is not an actionable thing but it IS in extremely poor taste.


As you say, you can't stop people from sharing landmarks at random. It's the merchants who go to other people's stores and undercut the competition that I have an issue with. If it got bad enough, I'd just ban them from the land -- but not before I tried to reason with them, ask how they'd feel if I did it in their store.

My further action would depend entirely on how they reacted. If they're reasonable and understanding, problem solved.

Hi six! Thanks for showing me the forums.

Everyones gonna be mad at you for showing me now.

I would quietly ban her from your land and then leave ...you don't need to say anything to her, she knows better, I'm sure.

I can never be mad at Six. Even if she let in juvenile delinquents like you

I'd spank you but you'd enjoy it too much.

Would you spank me on your plastic covered furniture?

/old jokes never get old.

You ban her.

I am a RL full time promotions type guy, and the exact same rules apply to SL. Promo works where basically if anyone gets annoyed, and they have a reason to, then it's not ok.

McDonalds doesn't goto Burger King and starts giving out McDonalds coupons.

Instant and permanant ban for being a stupid jackass.

Six, she is using the popularity of your store as a platform to sell her own. It's unethical and underhanded and sleazy.

Ban the bitch.

Ok, ok, ask her nicely to stop, first. If she doesn't stop then ban her. She may just be dumb, but I kinda doubt that.

*Hides*

All I said was ZOMG ur one of those spazzes I read about But your not totally spazzy !!!

zOMG LOLZ!!!!!!!111111one

It's okay, people seem to think I'm an articulate asshole. I'm okay with that actually. Plus I'm like SL famous.

Im a JELLYFISH , at least all my friends tell me I'm so spineless when it comes to dealing with ppl like this LOL. So I just pretend to be afk ALOT

Put up a small tagboard that can contain LM's to other shops, request anyone actively advertising that they put stuff up on your tagboard as you do not allow solicitation on your property.

This lets you look like a good guy while also enforcing your own rules in a very fair and non confrontational manner

I like this approach. Also, make sure to put up visible signs that say, "No solicitation, please." You may want to not use my exact spelling, as I cn't speeell 2 weeel

raudf, if they DIDNT use your spelling theyd be spellin it wrong

As a customer it's annoying at best to be shopping and someone start handing me stuff.

I've had people come in my own shop and start trying to sell me "better" products than what was in this store. LOL It was all I could do to keep from asking "Would you like to buy a clue from this store..

I thought of this too, but then a poacher like this would piss me off so much I'd be reluctant to help them

Six, I need to give you "bitch lessons", hon. I've gotten pretty good at it lately, I'm told *sweet smile*

Yeah Cindy has had YEARS, and I mean YEARS, lots of them...

A whole lot of them...

...Of practice. She could totally help

Grits

/Stresses the amount of years Cindy has had practice some more.

Time for your Gerber's and a nappy, Grits?

/me hits you with a prune

I agree with this totally too. But I also would question her and find out her motives before I would ban her. She might not know she is doing something wrong. I mean yes I would think that she would, but if she is just handing out her LM to her store and not bad mouthing yours then she might think it's okay. See alot of quick draws here to ban her without questioning. Take the time to explain to her that it is not something you are comfortable with. And I would take up Lupus idea and put up a tagboard too.

This person is trying to steal your customers, therefore taking busines away from you, and using the land you pay for and the popularity of your store to do it. Don't hesitate, ban them.

I am opposed to the idea that you should have to put up signs to tell people what should already be common sense. They just add one more grey box or blurry image waiting to rezz, one more texture load to the server. One more ugly sign that most people will avoid reading because they are sick of advertising.

Gonna tuck me in babycakes? I'm all ready.

I don't get why Six should feel pressured into offering free advertising to anyone who wants it, on her heavy traffic property, no less. What is she, the employment office for her competition? Let them work for it like she did.

/bitch mode

Six, I don't know if this happens at your store. But I often accompany my partner to ETD (very late nights).

And not one day passes without a bunch of escorts trying to solicit me (hello partner field?). I checked around at that time, and wow, more than 70% of the store was escorts from a certain club. Same deal the next day and the day after.

So that might be something you might want to keep an eye out for too. Cause it's damn annoying when I'm just chilling and some min wager thinks I'd pay for sex0r.

Simple, you don't allow competing vendors of your particular niche product on your tag board, so while her tagboard may have 5 different clothes places it would have no other hair places, then you hit a clothes place off that list and you would see tags for 3 or 4 other hair places.

Think of it as not only acting as a bit of free community advertising, it would also build a "network" of vendors.

You could even make the tag board so it has endorsed and unendorsed products, say Six said "My hair goes well with outfits from here _________"

If you look at it like that you could see how what starts as a simple tag board can get much more interesting fast ; )

It would be poor taste for a hair maker to go to Gurl6 and scream zomg ___ hairs are better. But for a clothing designer its a little less so ; )