Where’s Paul Blart when you need him?
A Consumer Reports blogger reports on a recent run-in at the mall:
I was accosted by an overzealous saleswoman hawking nail-care products from one of those portable kiosks. The woman pounces on me like a starving lion charging a zebra, grabbing my pinky, and polishing the nail with some handy-dandy diamond-dust-impregnated buffing pad as though it was Aladdin’s lamp.
Unfortunately, to avoid being devoured by annoying salespeople, shoppers have got to act like lions themselves (starving lions, if need be). After getting over the shock of the episode, CR offers some tips for keeping predator salespeople at bay, including:
Use effective body language. You needn’t scream, stomp your feet, or make a scene. But you’re better off avoiding eye contact, chitchat, smiling, and other gestures that make you appear approachable. I wish I had taken my own advice. Remember, when all else fails, you can turn around and walk out the door.
Another option: Just say, “Back off.”