Smooth Selling

One of the biggest turnarounds stares you right in the face: that of the shop girl. Not too long ago,the sales staff were either aggressive cloying people or just hired hands to pull out stuff from the shelves. But these days,they are well-polished individuals,considered mavens,who are trained to read wealth as a customer walks in.

This Sunday,Gucci at Mumbai’s Galleria was filled with busy shoppers,thanks to their half-down sale. I was clearly in the mood for a browse,but well-attended to by a sales girl,who helped me flit between their canvas messenger bags and their artsy iconic 1973 bag with equal ease.

But at Ferragamo,just above the Gucci store,the salesman had no time to indulge me. I asked for something,he didn’t have it he said and walked on to the next customer. I just trudged over and saw something similar in the men’s line which would’ve worked for me just fine if the salesman had the skills.

At the Louis Vuitton store at the Taj Mahal,I’ve rarely walked out without a glass of champagne and/ or a cookie,even if I haven’t made a purchase. Each of their sales staff is well-versed with their collections,colours,stocks and cheaper options. Ditto with Christian Dior.

These are all high-end stores,you may argue. But at Sisley,at Palladium last week,I walked in looking for a dress made of 100 per cent wool. I was led to one McQueen-style plaid dress on one rack at the end of the store,amazed the staff would be so well acquainted with the fabric components.

Of course,polite manners and product knowledge are mandatory. But the most important tool of a salesman is when he can make you want to buy instead of trying hard to sell.

Most high-end retailers are shedding their snooty image for warmer service. Browsers are to be treated as well as the ladies in Louboutins. The old practice of treating underdressed customers with contempt is bad business and quickly fading. Especially since luxe labels are driven by the sales of their lower-end goodies: accessories,bags and shoes,not ultra expensive clothes. These are bought mostly by the middle-class shoppers.

Good service is also culture-specific. The French and American stores have swanky VIP rooms where they serve canapés,salads and mini sandwiches to their shoppers. Italy of course lets you bring your pets indoors,even at Rome’s chichi Via Condotti. After all,shopping for Prada shoes here is no different than buying basil at the local grocer’s.

After-sales service is crucial and no one can compete with the US. My mean (or clever?) Indian friends who live there often return goods a year after wear and tear only in exchange for a free new pair. My Chanel jelly slippers were replaced by a new gratis pair by their Delhi store,last year,when they couldn’t fix the old pair. Surprisingly,so did a local shoemaker at the Oberoi’s shopping complex when a pair of handmade slippers that I purchased for Rs 1,500 fell apart.

In his book,The Rise of Fashion and Lessons Learned at Bergdorf Goodman,the former CEO of the New York department store,Ira Neimark,says customer service makes the luxury business tick. “Salespeople are parallel what the sparks plug in a car — they make things happen.”

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