Store "Greeters"

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The recent post about how people feel when they see a police car made me think of another question: how do you feel when you walk past someone who greets you as you enter a store - like in Walmart? Not that they all really greet you, some just stare at you or look you over.

I don't mind greeters so much, but I hate salespeople who follow you around trying to help you. In fact, there are certain stores I won't even go into because they are too freaking intrusive. I realize some people might like it because they might like the sense of being "waited on" or receiving "individual attention" but for the love of Pete, teach your sales people to recognize peoples' "back off" signals and leave them to shop in peace! LOL!

It was me who posted the police car thread, but this is a better one.

I wish I'd thought of it.

These people are unbearable, I try to avoid them, if possible.

The worst time is late at night when I am the only one going through the door and then they focus all their attention on me. I feel so vulnerable at that time.

It's even worse when it happens in Britain, because it's so alien to British culture.

It came over here from America fairly recently.

I don't like it. I try to get by them as quickly as possible without saying anything or making eye contact. I just want to go in, buy my stuff and maybe look around a little, and get out without chit chat.

Greeters stress me out. If I awkwardly wave and say hi and they aren't paying attention, I seem weird. If I just breeze past and they say hi, I look like a jerk. If they're paying attention and I awkwardly wave and say hi, I seem weird anyway.

I'm with the majority here and don't like them either; especially since I try to be independent. If I need help, I will ask them. If I don't need help, then I don't need help. I also feel self-conscious when they spot me or ask a question, which in turn makes me anxious.

I like the police car post. I feel conspicuous. That's why it naturally led me to thinking about greeters

I am always relieved to get past the greeter. I find it worst when I am entering a store. When I am leaving, I feel like I can duck out easier. I always hold my receipt so that they can see it. If I don't buy anything, I find it hard to walk out. That should make the corporation happy.

I don't mind security-types who just smile and nod, but the overly-familiar, overly-chipper ones who want to know how my day has been (as if I'd tell a total stranger) really get under my skin.

this.

I walk by them, keep walking, and if they say something I will say "hey" or "hi" and walk past. Leaving is the same thing. I think the reason they are there has more to do with issues of stealing and security.

I like getting past them too but I know I just have to do that and I am done with that part.

I am not concerned with them. If they check my receipt on the way out, I don't like it, but I know that's what the greeter's job is at that store. This experience causes me to think it is so bizarre how people willingly live in such a way to always be under surveillance. And I would and have analyzed it a little bit.

It is harder for me if I am buying something and the person tries to talk to me about something. If there is waiting for some reason.

The first time I came across a greeter was going into a Gap shop in Glasgow, and this person I didn't recognise said, "hello!" and smiled at me. I said, "hello" back, than spent quite a while racking my mind to work out who it might be as they seemed to know me, then I noticed that they were saying "hello" to everyone who came into the shop, and worked out that they must be getting paid to do it.

I'm getting used to it now, but I really think it's uneccesary. At least if they're wearing a shop uniform you know it's their job, but it's worse in shops where staff wear ordinary clothes, as I have great difficulty recognising and remembering the names of people I do know, without being confused by these people.

And it is alien to the culture here!

I am the same way I hate having someone tell me what I should buy. Im either just browsing or I already know what I want.

Worst thing is when I have to go search for new clothes (which is very annoying and exhausting for me) and the women in the shop just won't leave you alone even after you told them a hundred times that you're ok on your own.

When I was a child I couldn't even do anything about it when my mother was with me, and I could actually get an overload from when someone tried to help me into or out of clothes.

I hate guards, it exasperates me, but in my country it's been so for decades and they check your bag and body too when going in. The reason they try to make you talk is a security measure, that's why I cooperate with the chit-chat, even start talking nonsense to them before they ask, to make their job easier. Especially in war times, I try to be cooperative with the poor guys, they're just trying to make a living like all of us. But some days I just can't bring myself to talk and I'm like grrrr when I have to answer.

Greeters don't bother me. They just stand there in Wal Mart and say "Hey, how you?" and I either nod, or say "hey" or whatever. Because everybody knows everybody in this town, there isn't any formal "Welcome to Wal Mart, how are you today?" type thing.

It was awkward for a while though a few years ago because the big tall lady greeter there is the one who ran over my dog. She didn't mean to, my dog ran right out in front of her, I saw it happen, she couldn't stop. We even offered to fix her car but she wouldn't let us. She would always apologize for hitting her, even months after.

Hi Moondust,

I never thought about places where there is conflict when I posed the question. I guess I shouldn't mind the discomfort so much. I don't like it, but I live in a peaceful place. I should try to remember that when I go in a store from now on.