I stopped by the mall yesterday to return something that I bought online at Gap. I was able to return the item at the store and the mall is very close to my daughter’s pre-school, so not out of my way.
As I was walking in the mall with both of my kids I was trying to remember the last time I was even there. I think it was last August when I was shopping for school clothes for my 5 year old.
It is a pretty basic mall with Macy’s, Sears and JC Penney as the anchor stores and then Gap, Limited Brands, Children’s Place and others fill it in. I just don’t have much of a need to go there very often.
As I was walking down the mall towards the exit, a woman jumped out at me from her kiosk where she was selling hand lotions. I politely said “no thank you” and she said “it will just take one minute” as she grabbed my hand and pulled me in. In no time she was buffing my finger nails and slathering cream on my hands all while offering my kids a piece of candy to keep them entertained.
“Don’t you just love the feel of your hands now”, she asked, placing a bag of products in my hands. “It is valued at $79.99, but today I give it to you for $39.99”.
WOW, how can I refuse that bargain?, I thought sarcastically. But instead I politely declined. “But you like the products. Why wouldn’t you buy them?” she responded.
Now my patience was really wearing thin. I had let this go on too long. I should have stood my ground at the very beginning and not waste her time or mine, but she was being very pushy and aggressive with me and I was done.
“I’m not here to buy hand cream. I just had to do a return. I don’t have any money with me today and I’m sorry, but I’m not interested”, I said. Just then, my kids who were being extremely patient and good, but of course they were given candy in the beginning, came up to me with very messy hands. The chocolate candy the lady had given them was more appealing to play with than to eat and their hands were a chocolaty mess. Good save, girls. This is one time I’m not upset that you made a mess. As I turned my attention to my kids, I grabbed some wipes out of my bag and we walked/ran away.
This sales person was very aggressive with me and didn’t take “no, thanks” as an answer. My husband thinks I should call the mall and complain, but I’m over it and NOW I remember why I don’t go to the mall!
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We have the same lotion kiosk at our mall too. They must be like this everywhere. You would think the mall management teamwould get wise to how this company is running off mall customers.
We have them too. I never under any circumstances allow them to make eye contact with me, and if they still try to sell me stuff I ignore and keep walking. I feel bitchy but otherwise I end up getting sucked in, and I don’t see any other way to avoid it.
I don’t like going to the mall either. It’s just another way to get me in a less that joyous mood.