Need input regarding shop owner behavior
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Khilah Whitfield
Calgon take me away!
Join date: 5 Mar 2007
Posts: 146
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03-20-2007 11:14
Hi Everyone! I just want to say I am enjoying SL and all of its quirks and quarks! Maybe I am being over-sensitive, but I would appreciate anyone's advice on this matter. I was shopping the other day, looking for new clothing/hair, and the shop owner was there. I asked if she would be able to help me find something, and she asked me what I wanted, I told her and then she said: "DUH look on the wall!" I told her I knew that already, but I wondered if she could help me find something specific. She then told me to get a life and proceeded to tell her friends that she is sick of helping noobs. I am still learning, I read everything I can so that I don't have to bother people with mundane questions. Am I overreacting? Is there anything I can do (not an AR, but something like letting other newbies or other shoppers know what kind of treatment I received?) I will no longer shop there; no one (newbie or not) deserves that kind of treatment! Thanks for any input!  Khilah
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Brenda Connolly
Un United Avatar
Join date: 10 Jan 2007
Posts: 25,000
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03-20-2007 11:16
What would you do in RL? You'd leave that shop, never to return. And probably tell everyone who'll listen, so they won't shop there. Not a good business practice on her part.
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tristan Eliot
Say What?!
Join date: 30 Oct 2005
Posts: 494
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03-20-2007 11:19
From: Khilah Whitfield Hi Everyone! I just want to say I am enjoying SL and all of its quirks and quarks! Maybe I am being over-sensitive, but I would appreciate anyone's advice on this matter. I was shopping the other day, looking for new clothing/hair, and the shop owner was there. I asked if she would be able to help me find something, and she asked me what I wanted, I told her and then she said: "DUH look on the wall!" I told her I knew that already, but I wondered if she could help me find something specific. She then told me to get a life and proceeded to tell her friends that she is sick of helping noobs. I am still learning, I read everything I can so that I don't have to bother people with mundane questions. Am I overreacting? Is there anything I can do (not an AR, but something like letting other newbies or other shoppers know what kind of treatment I received?) I will no longer shop there; no one (newbie or not) deserves that kind of treatment! Thanks for any input!  Khilah Unfortunatly the most you can do is just use word of mouth or go to a third party site to post the name of the owner and business and what happened. Posting that info here or in your profile could be seen as griefing on your part. It really is sad when business owners treat customers that way. Of course the main company running the show has set a poor example themselves on how customers should be treated. Good luck to you.
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Khilah Whitfield
Calgon take me away!
Join date: 5 Mar 2007
Posts: 146
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03-20-2007 11:21
Thanks Branda and Tristan...I was worried about being a griefer, which is why I didn't post the name of the shop, but I would be willing to tell anyone in world what the shop is called! 
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Chip Midnight
ate my baby!
Join date: 1 May 2003
Posts: 10,231
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03-20-2007 11:24
Wow, that sucks, Khilah. What I would do is never shop there again, and make sure to tell all your friends how you were treated so they can avoid it as well (don't do it here since naming names is against forum rules). There's simply no excuse for the shop owner to treat you that way. I think you'll find that the vast majority of merchants in SL are helpful and friendly and that what happened to you was an isolated incident.
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Fade Languish
I just build stuff...
Join date: 20 Oct 2005
Posts: 1,760
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03-20-2007 11:25
I wouldn't shop there either.
It's terrible business practise. If they're sick of helping new people, they might as well close up shop now. With SL's current rapid growth rate, new residents are the majority of customers.
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Ceera Murakami
Texture Artist / Builder
Join date: 9 Sep 2005
Posts: 7,750
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03-20-2007 11:25
Sounds to me like the shop owner wasn't very interested in being successful, and hasn't got a clue about what Customer Service means. Take your business elsewhere.
I've walked into large shops before and have been unable to "just look at the wall", for the simple reason that most of the vending pics hadn't rezzed yet. So I have asked staff that were present if they could guide me to a particular selection, on the assumption that they would know their product placement far better than I could. I usually tell them that I can't see well, and that things are not rezzing, and ask if they could guide me to the right area. Most shop staff have been delightfully helpful.
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Hydra Zenovka
Font of Wisdom
Join date: 13 Mar 2007
Posts: 97
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03-20-2007 11:25
Agree - totally wrong behavior on the part of the shop owner. If you "dont want to help noobs" then at least you can be polite about it. I don't think this shop will be around for a long time with this type of attitude.
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Susanne Pascale
Registered User
Join date: 14 Feb 2007
Posts: 371
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03-20-2007 11:33
Khilah,
IM in world and I will give youinfo on a VERY nice shop wher eI work as a slaes girl/greeter. Our job is to HELP potential customers, whether they ar elong term Slers or brand new. ALL are treated with courtesy and respect. I am usually at the shop on Thursday evenings from around 7:00 p.m. SL time to 10:00. I will be happy to help you and if that time is inconvenient, I can send you the landmark and you can check it out. We will be HAPPY tohelp you!!
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Patrice Heberle
Registered User
Join date: 6 Mar 2007
Posts: 23
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Shopowners who don't want to be bothered with customers
03-20-2007 13:31
I walked up to a shop that had a huge sign with NO I will not do this, NO I will not do that right on the front sidewalk, with about six big NOs on it. It could have had the best stuff in SL inside, but I'll never know because I turned around and left. Being met with a combative attitude before I even enter the front door or ask a question tells me all I need to know about how the owner views their customers.
The best way to respond to shopowner rudeness and unwillingness to communicate with customers is to vote with your feet and let them go out of business.
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Rocky Rutabaga
isn't wearing underwearâ„¢
Join date: 14 Apr 2006
Posts: 291
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03-20-2007 13:47
That's so dumb of the rude store owner. The best advertising is Word of Mouth Advertising. Especially in SL, where other forms of advertising are still quite primitive.
Plus, having the store owner on premises is like meeting an SL celebrity. I remember meeting Lee Ludd for the first time and the person who made my AV skin (whose name escapes me now, but it's a great skin) and many others. I was thrilled that they even said "boo" to me, let alone directed me to the right item or even to a competitor's store! How's that for customer service? What's funny is, I remember the store that made the referral and not the store I was referred to...
If you don't want to manage a store, set up vendors in malls. Even then, I get more business when I'm working on a mall stand and someone comes along and chats me up. I can then tell them about my wares and why they rock! Of course, that's MY word of mouth advertising, but I try!
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Hotspur Otoole
Registered User
Join date: 4 Jan 2007
Posts: 95
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03-20-2007 13:59
From: Khilah Whitfield Am I overreacting? Is there anything I can do (not an AR, but something like letting other newbies or other shoppers know what kind of treatment I received?) I will no longer shop there; no one (newbie or not) deserves that kind of treatment!
You've already done the best thing you can do. Eventually she/he will be out of business, it's as certain as the tides. Think on this unpleasantry no longer; there are plenty of friendly shops that will take its place. Meanwhile, the unforgiving forces of the market will do for this shop nicely. H.
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Colette Meiji
Registered User
Join date: 25 Mar 2005
Posts: 15,556
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03-20-2007 14:07
Try their competitors - Most designers are pleasant (becuase you pay them money)
Like others have said dont go back to that store.
Everyones new once. New players buy lots of stuff. Old players have tons of stuff so we usually buy less/ are picky.
If shed been nice to you is a good chance as you had money you would have bought several hair styles from her.
her loss.
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Persephone Milk
Very Persenickety!
Join date: 7 Oct 2004
Posts: 870
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03-20-2007 14:13
I am sorry that you experienced this Khilah. As others have suggested, do not give this store your business and be sure to let your friends know how you were treated.
I think you will find most business owners are much more friendly and willing to help you. I spend hours every evening in my store, greeting customers and helping them evaluate my products. I really enjoy my time with my customers and I feel that getting to know them, and what their needs are, is very important to my business.
Don't be discouraged by this Khilah. Second Life residents are almost always much more friendly than the unfortunate soul you had to deal with.
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Winter Phoenix
Voyager of Experiences
Join date: 15 Nov 2004
Posts: 683
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poor customer service?
03-20-2007 15:03
Ive encountered such business owners. Taking out their frustrations on customers, or writing those " screw you I dont want to be bothered with this and that" stuff in their own profiles. Would I do business with them? No. Would I recommend their business to others? No. In fact, I would discourage anyone from shopping at a place where the customer is not respected. Got a problem with a specific customer? Be tactful, be polite, and fake a smile. They may have lots of friends who will be listening to their story about what a lousy business owner you are. Businesses exist by the sheer grace of people coming in and spending their hard earned cash at their establishments. If you dont take care of the people who allow you to ply your trade, then to hell with you. I dont care if you are the finest craftsman in all of SL, I'll buy from the second finest craftsman ( or the 20th) out of spite. These smug attitude types need it wiped off their face. Tar and feather the rude bastards! Send them onto the downward spiral to bankruptcy.
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Brenda Connolly
Un United Avatar
Join date: 10 Jan 2007
Posts: 25,000
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03-20-2007 15:17
As a Power Shopper here in SL, I wouldn't mind knowing who this merchant is, if you would like to PM me here or by IM in game. If I have shopped in that place, I will no longer do so. And I will spred the word to my friends.
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Yiffy Yaffle
Purple SpiritWolf Mystic
Join date: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 2,802
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03-20-2007 15:40
I can understand both sides of this story. There is a HUGE number of newbies in SL so it can get extremely frustrating on us content creators to help them all when they come to us. However she took the wrong approach to the situation. You innocently asked her a question and she snapped at you. The correct way to handle it was to give you some quick info or tell you that she is currently not in a very helpful mood right now, please try to look around a bit. When i get approached like this, i tend to give out quick help. For example if someone comes to me asking for info on a product i didn't sell them, but was the creator of that merchants vendor, i usually tell them to go back and recheck the vendor and see who it's OWNER, not the CREATOR, and to contact them about it. it's obvious the merchant they bought it from used my vendor system hehe.
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Zaphod Kotobide
zOMGWTFPME!
Join date: 19 Oct 2006
Posts: 2,087
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03-20-2007 15:54
On the other hand, there are a number of very popular and well known content producers who go out of their way to help anybody who needs help, no matter how Noob the customer may be. So I don't know what sets you apart, or this shop keeper apart, from those who are able to deal with new residents with a good, positive attitude. And I'm speaking of people with rather high volume product movement, and thus high volume support load. There's no excuse for that kind of attitude. I think my response to this particular shop owner would have been to quote Edina Monsoon from AbFab: "You only work in a shop you know - you can drop the attitude" Then I'd leave, and go shop elsewhere. From: Yiffy Yaffle I can understand both sides of this story. There is a HUGE number of newbies in SL so it can get extremely frustrating on us content creators to help them all when they come to us.
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Dnel DaSilva
Master Xessorizer
Join date: 22 May 2005
Posts: 781
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03-20-2007 16:39
It is a sad commentary on the attitude of some 'business' owners in Second Life. I am still amazed when I get people surprised that I IM them back about a question or respond to thier emails and they act so grateful. *I* should be the one that is grateful, for the fact that they have bought or are interested in my products. I have so much gone to the extent of stating clearly in my profile that I WILL get back to you, because so many people in SL are used to some designer 'snobs'.
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Darius Lehane
Registered User
Join date: 18 Apr 2005
Posts: 180
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03-20-2007 16:43
My advice: don't do anything. Charles Darwin points out that such things are... self correcting.
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Cocoanut Koala
Coco's Cottages
Join date: 7 Feb 2005
Posts: 7,903
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03-20-2007 17:12
From: Rocky Rutabaga That's so dumb of the rude store owner. The best advertising is Word of Mouth Advertising. Especially in SL, where other forms of advertising are still quite primitive. Plus, having the store owner on premises is like meeting an SL celebrity. I remember meeting Lee Ludd for the first time and the person who made my AV skin (whose name escapes me now, but it's a great skin) and many others. I was thrilled that they even said "boo" to me, let alone directed me to the right item or even to a competitor's store! How's that for customer service? What's funny is, I remember the store that made the referral and not the store I was referred to... If you don't want to manage a store, set up vendors in malls. Even then, I get more business when I'm working on a mall stand and someone comes along and chats me up. I can then tell them about my wares and why they rock! Of course, that's MY word of mouth advertising, but I try! Lee Ludd, very helpful guy. I'm pleased to say that I have never had wretched or rude behavior such as you experienced by any store owner in SL (minus one old prune who banned me preemptively from his shop because he didn't like what I wrote on forums, and was nasty to me to boot), so I think this is an anomaly. You just got a bad luck of the draw. Moreover, all my customers have been wonderful - I have never been treated rudely by any customer, EVER. Put that together with I have never been treated rudely where I have been shopping, EVER, and I think it's safe to say you won't run into this very often. In fact, I think it's probably safe to say you'll likely never run into anything this bad again. coco P.S. " I think my response to this particular shop owner would have been to quote Edina Monsoon from AbFab: "'You only work in a shop you know - you can drop the attitude'" hehe - I love that - it applies to shop OWNERS, too!
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Wilhelm Neumann
Runs with Crayons
Join date: 20 Apr 2006
Posts: 2,204
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03-20-2007 17:58
sounds like the shop owner is burnt out and should close shop or just let it run itself. Honestly if you want to create and not "help noobs" dont stay in the store, but again I wish I had the time to hang around my little shop to help out i am so busy just making stuff and can't split myself in half but honestly it looks like the guy has burnout and should just leave the game or let his shop run and leave the game before he/she ruins any reputation they might have had.
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Chip Midnight
ate my baby!
Join date: 1 May 2003
Posts: 10,231
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03-20-2007 18:38
I can be difficult to know exactly how to greet or treat customers browsing in your store. I used to always make it a point to say hello to anyone I encountered in my store, but I started to notice that half the time I did that (or more) they'd run away! It really started to give me a complex. I know when I'm shopping in the real world I generally wish to be left alone and I sometimes find it annoying when clerks keep coming up to me asking if I need any help. I always politely decline (unless I actually have a question). So now I'm never quite sure what to do. I want to be friendly an helpful, but on the other hand I don't want to make people feel like I'm "hovering." I'm sure many of the people who instantly run for the hills don't even know that I'm the store owner. Either way, when approached politely for help, there's simply no excuse for reacing rudely, even if you want to run over to the nearest wall and start hitting your head against it.
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Cocoanut Koala
Coco's Cottages
Join date: 7 Feb 2005
Posts: 7,903
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03-20-2007 19:04
I feel the same way, Chip! If I'm walking through my shop and pass a customer (or a money tree picker) I say hiya and continue walking.
If someone comes up to me, even if I'm talking to a friend, I figure they need something, and give them my attention.
Otherwise - they can always reach me for help (and sometimes do), but you know, I don't want to hover, either.
coco
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Gaybot Foxley
Input Collector
Join date: 15 Nov 2006
Posts: 584
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03-20-2007 19:38
Wow, what a mean shop owner. I would just tell your personal friends not to go there to save them from hideous customer service. There is probably no need to tell the world because with that attitude, she wont be in business long. How can someone afford to be rude to customers in SL with all of the competition? If she can't handle being nice to customers, she could at least pay someone a few Linden dollars per hour to greet people and tell them where products are. Take :::B@re Rose::: for example. I go there, and I am usually welcomed by quite a few greeters and customer service reps. just dying to help me while they show off some :::B@re Rose::: products. You even win prizes just for browsing the store. The prices there are very affordable. Find a place with good products and customer service and make a landmark there. 
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