How Do Department Stores Work?

[phetaroi]

I live on Suk Soi 24, so I often walk through The Emporium Department store. I've always wondered why there are so many clerks. So today, with a little time to kill, I counted the number of clerks on the first floor (solely cosmetics). I counted 126 clerks. Now let's say in the 5 minutes it took me to wander around, a few moved about...although mostly it was a pretty lethargic bunch, so let's say a more conservative estimation was 112 clerks...for about 10 customers.

I just don't get it.

[Boater]

same with a 7-11 , sometimes they have 7-8 staff on duty yet no one to serve you.....

[mahtin]

One tampon one product?

[givenall]

What I don’t understand how all these people can do this to them? Just stand around every day in a useless situation and don’t even think about their wasted lives

[IanForbes]

That is why they only get 150 to 200 baht a day in wages. There is 10 people to do one person's job. Look how many staff there are in any given bank, but only one or two tellers to serve the long line of customers.

[Slaps]

Seems to me each brand name have there own staff, was in Homepro the other week buying telies and air, the English speaking assistant helping me walked around the store shouting Samsung and Mitsubishi and the staff appeared

But your right so many doing nothing

[senshusband]

I hear what you're saying, but I like it and find it more helpful than 1 person per 20 customers. If I am looking at shirts, there is someone there that is assigned that area. If I want to look at socks, there is someone who is in charge of socks. When I need something I tell them what I am looking for and they go straight to it. Saves on me walking up and down the isle looking up and down trying to find something. So my response would be that it is simply a matter of customer service.

[ballpoint]

Seems to me each brand name have there own staff...

Precisely. The majority of the department stores here work by renting space to each brand. Each brand will then employ one or more assistants to sell it. Therefore, in, say the jeans section, whereas a western store would have a few sales staff, a Thai one will have a few Levis, a few Wranglers, a few Big John, a few Mc, a few Lees, etc etc. Even if each brand had only two staff, you'd still end up with more than 10 people selling jeans alone.

[Atmos]

there are so many in our local Homepro (Chalong) would guess at an average 10-1 ratio staff v customers. SportsWorld similar.

I've often wondered if there are staff inside the bigger appliances - suspect they also inhabit fridges etc too

[Moonrakers]

What I don't understand how all these people can do this to them? Just stand around every day in a useless situation and don't even think about their wasted lives

Cos' they are paid to do, not think.

[Curt1591]

What I don’t understand how all these people can do this to them? Just stand around every day in a useless situation and don’t even think about their wasted lives

I don't understand how anyone can spend much time in Thailand and not realize how privileged most of us are.

[phetaroi]

I hear what you're saying, but I like it and find it more helpful than 1 person per 20 customers. If I am looking at shirts, there is someone there that is assigned that area. If I want to look at socks, there is someone who is in charge of socks. When I need something I tell them what I am looking for and they go straight to it. Saves on me walking up and down the isle looking up and down trying to find something. So my response would be that it is simply a matter of customer service.

Not sure if you were responding to me (the OP), but if so, I wasn't complaining about it, just wondering how it works.

Although, sometimes I just wish they would leave me alone and let me actually look over the merchandise. And, instead of answering whatever question I have, telling me the discount. Grrrr! But, I'm still

[mdechgan]

there are so many in our local Homepro (Chalong) would guess at an average 10-1 ratio staff v customers. SportsWorld similar.

I've often wondered if there are staff inside the bigger appliances - suspect they also inhabit fridges etc too

I kinda get annoyed at homepro now. The one near my home on some days more staff than customers. So when I just want to go for a looksy something like 4-5 people stand around me showing me this, recommending that, etc. Most of these people don't know anything about what they are selling.

I did find out however that some of the people in homepro are not homepro employees at all. For example samsung and LG regularly send their sales staff to each homepro location dressed as homepro employees to push their products. Last month I went to buy a new refrigerator. I already selected a particular samsung model from many months of research. When I went to buy this employee said samsung isn't good please pick this LG model its bigger, better, etc. I was amazed how could someone not recommend a purchase. Later I found out he was a LG employee. I was stubborn and still picked my samsung and am happy that I did.

Edited February 28, 2010 by mdechgan

[senshusband]

I hear what you're saying, but I like it and find it more helpful than 1 person per 20 customers. If I am looking at shirts, there is someone there that is assigned that area. If I want to look at socks, there is someone who is in charge of socks. When I need something I tell them what I am looking for and they go straight to it. Saves on me walking up and down the isle looking up and down trying to find something. So my response would be that it is simply a matter of customer service.

Not sure if you were responding to me (the OP), but if so, I wasn't complaining about it, just wondering how it works.

Although, sometimes I just wish they would leave me alone and let me actually look over the merchandise. And, instead of answering whatever question I have, telling me the discount. Grrrr! But, I'm still

I understand that. When I'm in the States I can usually get a pretty good "what is the best for the money" answer. Not so in Thailand, most of the time. I don't know about PTC's, RTA's, and BYU's. I know "this cost B5.000 and it good for maybe 4 year." I just want to know the quality of the product.

[mca]

Seems to me each brand name have there own staff, was in Homepro the other week buying telies and air, the English speaking assistant helping me walked around the store shouting Samsung and Mitsubishi and the staff appeared

Knowing some of the weird nicknames Thais give their kids they're most probably the staffs' real names

[happylarry]

When I am looking around and stop to look at a certain thing and get attacked by an assistant or six I just walk on. I cannot stand being stared at as if I am about to pick up a fridge and walk out of the door with it.

I explained to my wife about how much potential money the stores are losing by not allowing people like myself to look around unhassled and she agreed and said most Thai's dislike the attention themselves too.

I suppose the stores make enough out of the so called " hi-so Thai's " who enjoy having their countrymen grovelling to them.

HL

[CWMcMurray]

Each brand needs to hire their own sales people... so the staff can add up really quickly.

It does get really anoying if I want to compare brands as you end up needing to talk with a half dozen different sales people who will all tell you the same thing... our brand is better.

The other thing that can be difficult is if you want to make more than one purchase, but different brands. I remember a few years ago I tried to do this in Central department store and was told that it "can not be done".

On a side note, my wife was aproached by "The Mall" in order to open up a store and what they told her was that in order to open up "inside the department store", she would need to hire her own staff and that all sales would need to be paid to the Mall and then after 45 days, the Mall would release the funds minus their 32% commision....

[canuckamuck]

I like to think that entering a Homepro is like being a reciever in an American football game. I like to use a hitch and go pattern and get deep down field, unfortunately they often give me double coverage. It would be better if I had some lineman to run interference.

[jimmyredcab444]

same with a 7-11 , sometimes they have 7-8 staff on duty yet no one to serve you.....

what kind of person needs service at 7-11 .

[jimmyredcab444]

What I don't understand how all these people can do this to them? Just stand around every day in a useless situation and don't even think about their wasted lives

I don't understand how anyone can spend much time in Thailand and not realize how privileged most of us are.

very true. it must suck not to be hi so in thailand and have to survive here.

[mdechgan]

same with a 7-11 , sometimes they have 7-8 staff on duty yet no one to serve you.....

what kind of person needs service at 7-11 .

Not service, 7-8 staff but only one cashier open.

[Heng]

What, they aren't there for applause and throwing rose petals before you when you shop?

[Sarpedon]

same with a 7-11 , sometimes they have 7-8 staff on duty yet no one to serve you.....

what kind of person needs service at 7-11 .

Counter service when I want to pay my bills.

[Tonto21]

I hear what you're saying, but I like it and find it more helpful than 1 person per 20 customers. If I am looking at shirts, there is someone there that is assigned that area. If I want to look at socks, there is someone who is in charge of socks. When I need something I tell them what I am looking for and they go straight to it. Saves on me walking up and down the isle looking up and down trying to find something. So my response would be that it is simply a matter of customer service.

Not sure if you were responding to me (the OP), but if so, I wasn't complaining about it, just wondering how it works.

Although, sometimes I just wish they would leave me alone and let me actually look over the merchandise. And, instead of answering whatever question I have, telling me the discount. Grrrr! But, I'm still

_{Maybe they could have a word with the OP, I’m sure he could find them lot of really interesting and fun thing to do with there time! He’s just knee deep in exciting thing to do. OK, Piss taking aside….. I avoid looking at anything to close in the shops for fear of being assisted to death.}

[CarlBkk]

Each brand needs to hire their own sales people... so the staff can add up really quickly.

It does get really anoying if I want to compare brands as you end up needing to talk with a half dozen different sales people who will all tell you the same thing... our brand is better.

The other thing that can be difficult is if you want to make more than one purchase, but different brands. I remember a few years ago I tried to do this in Central department store and was told that it "can not be done".

On a side note, my wife was aproached by "The Mall" in order to open up a store and what they told her was that in order to open up "inside the department store", she would need to hire her own staff and that all sales would need to be paid to the Mall and then after 45 days, the Mall would release the funds minus their 32% commision....

And I'm pretty sure Central do something similar: allow a distributor to rent floorspace by the m2, allow them to employ their own staff, approve their display and then enjoy a very low-cost rental. If sales are seen to be very good they're likely to go direct to the brand using their buying power to secure a licence directly instead.

However, I prefer having no queuing to pay and staff always on hand to look for things instead of the "no staff to be seen" shops back in the UK where looking for something makes you feel as though you've just asked a huge favour.

[phetaroi]

Maybe they could have a word with the OP, I’m sure he could find them lot of really interesting and fun thing to do with there time! He’s just knee deep in exciting thing to do. OK, Piss taking aside….. I avoid looking at anything to close in the shops for fear of being assisted to death.[/sub][/size]

Gee Tonto, what's wrong with wondering how something works and taking 5 whole minutes to try and figure it out?

[jimmyredcab444]

same with a 7-11 , sometimes they have 7-8 staff on duty yet no one to serve you.....

what kind of person needs service at 7-11 .

Counter service when I want to pay my bills.

ill defend 7-11. they always have attendants to service you. they rarely complain when i buy 10 baht thing with 1000 baht bill

[mahtin]

ill defend 7-11. they always have attendants to service you.