News

Self-service, online options driving customers to avoid salespeople

January 11, 2012

It's no big shock that many shoppers don't like to be continually asked if they need assistance from store associates, but an article in today's NY Times pointed out some consumers specifically shop online to avoid employees.

Intolerance of the traditional swarm-and-greet approach is common, Mark G. Pingol, a vice president at Envirosell, an international consumer behavior research and consulting firm in New York, said in the story. Shoppers are even less impressed as they become more accustomed to self-service retail models or shopping online.

"The element of control, by contrast to the salesperson service experience, is attractive," said Ravi Dhar, a professor of marketing and psychology at Yale. "You feel like you're in control of the entire experience, and people like that. There is this notion for the millennial generation that they don't quite like the style of salesmanship that was going on, since they were raised on online shopping. But it might be becoming true for a larger group of people."

Read more about self-service.