UAE consumers speak out on biggest annoyances while shopping

Poor service that people have experienced is increasingly driving them to buy products online. Antonie Robertson / The National

DUBAI // From being followed around by staff to being given the hard sell for items they do not need, consumers have spoken about their biggest annoyances while shopping.

Among the biggest issues was the lack of knowledge some store staff had regarding the products or services they were supposed to be selling.

“It’s pretty common to go into a shop and ask a member of staff about a product and see them just read the side of the box out to you,” said Nadia Farooqi, 35, from Canada.

“It’s very frustrating because you want to get good advice before you buy something and it doesn’t fill you with confidence that you’re getting it.”

Emma Pearce, 31, from the UK, said pressure from shop staff to buy more expensive items was also tiresome.

“It really puts you off from going back if you know all they want to do is sell you the most expensive thing,” she said.

“I’ve also noticed that some staff take it upon themselves to offer other items in addition to what you asked for and just don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

“I’ve got so fed up a few times that I’ve just left the store without buying anything.”

Poor service that people have experienced is increasingly driving them to buy products online.

“I pretty much do all the research on something online and depending on how urgently I need it, I will usually buy it on the internet,” said Abdul Zeman, 27, from Pakistan.

“The only time I go into shops now is if I’ve done the research and it’s quicker to buy it there and then.”

The internet is also a way of sharing bad experiences in shops.

Ankur Gupta, general manager for MetaScale, which provides analysis of big data for well known United States retailers, said this made it crucial for businesses to take customer service seriously.

“It’s vital, because at the end of the day the personal experience a customer has could determine whether they never shop with you again or if they become a loyal lifelong customer,” he said at the Future Retail Summit at the Address Hotel, Dubai Mall, on Tuesday.

“In the old days when someone had a bad experience in a shop they would tell their friends. But now it’s not uncommon for consumers to go to social media and then their experience becomes something that thousands or even millions of people might see.”

Shop workers must also “be able to explain a product or service in a simple way that gets across what it’s about”, he said.

“If that is done, customers are more likely to return and more willing to sign up to other things that you may want to sell them.”

Although the amount of online trade in the UAE has increased significantly in recent years there would always be the need for shops, he said.

“It’s not a case of all shoppers switching to online if they don’t like the customer service – they are far more likely to go to your competitor,” he said.

Mark Johnson, International Retail Operations Head, Landmark Group, said it was crucial for sales staff to have a consumer’s trust.

“The trouble is that the term ‘customer service’ has a different meaning for different companies,” he said.

“Customers are a lot more savvy these days so it’s more important than ever for shop staff to be well-informed and trained.”