Okay, so, one thing that REALLY irritates me is when I'm walking thru the mall and someone working at a kiosk stops me and/or interrupts my conversation with someone else to sell me their product! IF I WAS INTERESTED, I WOULD HAVE STOPPED TO INQUIRE!!!

Today: I ran into a store to make an exchange; I left my Mom in the car. This chick came out of nowhere and tried to interest me in "eyebrow threading". When I tried to politely tell her I wasn't interested, that HEIFER told me I NEEDED IT!
I yelled at her and asked her if she was telling me there was something wrong with my face?!

I apologize to those of you who do this job; it's an honest living. HOWEVER, please do not harass people.

Plus the gewgaws they sell are generally shite.

I get annoyed with the lotion people. I don't make eye contact with them and just keep walking.

I hate it too. Dont know about there, but here they're always like " Hi gorgeous...gorgeous?!" Like some cat call Some queens not going to sell me it if I dont want it already

Well, I've certainly encountered far worse things than goodlooking Israelis flirting with me and exfoliating my hands.

...Shame I always have to tell them "not interested" afterwards, though.

JuliePurplehead said:

I always come across the lotion people! I just always say no thank you and walk away

chocolate1 said:

they didn't!! i hate when they walk up and put shit on you,while they are 'asking' can i show you our product?? what if i'm allergic!!??!! it's rare but it's possible..
and if you needed it, i'm sure you would have taken care of it...

peb319 said:

"I'm allergic" how about that! I'm using that one

the pixie photo people always accost us in K-Mart to get portraits of the kids done. They lurk in the toy aisles.
My husband got pretty sick of them. Once when the lady said "would you be interested in a free sitting and discounted prints of the kids" he replied "but have you SEEN our kids?!?
the lady started looking frightened.

ZombieKitten said:

I actually AM allergic. I hate the ones who THEN try to tell me that their stuff is "hypo-allergic".

One of my students came in one time with a bad rash on the backs of both his hands. He said he let some cute girl put some stuff on him at the mall!

ZombieKitten said:

that allergic thing doesn't always work, they sometimes don't even wait for your answear before they put that shit on you..i'm waiting for the next one to grab me..some of them look like they'll wrestle you down...
tell them ' i have allergies, i'd need to know what's in it first..all natural doesn't mean allergy free...

it's actually against the malls' rules. Those kiosks, when they first open, they behave. after a couple of months, when the mall see that they are good, they look the other way.
I worked in a kiosk. I hated approaching people. Thankfully this job required too much bullshitting and so I was not qualified for it, since I kept telling clients how shitty the products are.

chocolate1 said:

yeah like hypo-allergenic works for everyone..you know what really doesn't seem to work on them? honesty..
i tell them i don't want it or need it...and they don't seem to believe it

ArielB said:

at one particular mall i've been to,they kinda walk up on people...
and well...i don't like walking by them anymore...

chocolate1 said:

sue the bastards!!!!

peb319 said:

you could always run away screaming if nothing else works
or use mace

I just tell them I'm not interested and keep on walking...its that simple.

Well, when I started this thread this afternoon, I was so pissed! How DARE she tell me I NEEDED to have my eyebrows done?! It's not like I looked like THIS:




And depending on the mall, it's not that simple. At one mall near me, I literally turned around and screamed: "Don't U DARE follow me!" And he yelled back, "What's YOUR problem?!" So I told him. Loudly. We got into it, and I had to report him to the mall. My sister was mortified!

missfee said:

really, sometimes it's not...

In no specific order, the kiosk folks who make me want to the worst:

Lotion folks (my wife said the Dead Sea lotion folk are the worst...but I love getting my hands washed, lotioned and massaged by the salesgirls... )
Exhorbitantly priced computer sales folk
Independent cell phone sales folk
The folks who sell the flat irons (straightening combs)
The idiots who sell the aromatherapy neckerchiefs....

and the absolute worst ones are the massage folks....

peb319 said:

why? its only difficult it you make it that difficult. you don't have to stop and let them try to sell you something you don't want to...so if you stick around and listen, then its on you....if you walk away then you have nothing to lose. its your time and money.

missfee said:

no i've learned how to get by them...it doesn't keep them from talking though..
and my face turns red so easily...

missfee said:

Actually, in some cases even if you avert your eyes and keep walking...or you look them dead in the eye and politely tell them they keep coming...like mall zombies or some shit!!

peb319 said:

sometimes i get caught off guard and they're already finished saying a paragraph of their pitch, which at that point insinuates something about my character if i tell them i am not interested.
[Edited 11/23/08 19:04pm]

Cinnie said:

snarling or growling at this point might be appropriate

ArielB said:

Ariel, in my experiece a lot of employees at those kiosks, both in Canada and the U.S., are Israeli. What sort of programs are going on that that would be the case? Are they in cooperation with some type of work-study program?

reneGade20 said:

you hit the nail on th freakin' head! I used to work in the mall and I hate those bastards. Especially the cell phone people and the aromatherapy people. There's a guy at the mall I used to work at that is a huge douchebag. He approaches all of the young girls and basically blocks them from walking. I was walking in the store with my sister and nephew and dude basically started walking with us. Me being the brother that I am, moved him out of the way and kept on walking.

But right near him is this woman who sales cell phone accesories. I absolutely hate this heffa

I always try to sell some shit back to them...

Kiosker: Hello Sir would you like to try this...

Me: No, but I'm sure you're looking to buy some window coverings today, let's set up an appointment, is Thursday good?

RenHoek said:

I just ignore these people..smile and keep walking.

I hate the lotion people - they are sooo obnoxious. I had my first encounter with the flatiron people yesterday. I don't see why they don't get that if people do not approach you, they're not interested!