Know Your Customer

Now that I have a child my shopping needs have changed. Drastically. I love shopping. It's awesome. But I don't have time to shop now. Ever.

I used to spend 3-4 hours in a store scouring and trying on items. I could go 2 or 3 days in a row after work, during lunch, whatever. I definitely do not have that luxury now. I could go at lunch, but for EXACTLY an hour or less. Why? Because I need to come home and take care of my child. I can't really go after work. I could go after she's in bed, but in all these situations my time is constrained either by my child or by the store closing.

I could take her. On the weekends. But stores are busy and crowded and meltdowns occur in about 1 hour of time. I could go without her, but that sacrifices family time. That means I need to get in, get what I need, and get out.

Ordering online is my new thing. Stores like Zappos that offer free returns are my mainstay.
I also shop online for things that I eventually buy in stores. By the time I go to the store I know EXACTLY what I want to look at/try on. This minimizes store time. Personal shopping is another helpful thing. Department stores offer them for free. You call ahead, say what you want. Make an appointment, try a billion things on that THEY get for you (they know where things are, can get you more sizes, etc.), buy what you need. Move on.

That's why I was SUPER IRKED when I went car shopping yesterday. The sales person tried to "sell" me on the car. Really?

I told him I wanted to pay no more than a certain amount.
He said, "No, lets find the right car for you first."
I said, "No, tell me what it costs to add the features and then I'll decide which ones I want and which I can live without to stay within my budget."
He asks, "How are you paying?"
I say, "Cash."
He says, "No, a monthly payment is better."
Really?

I'm holding a screaming child. I'm chasing after her in the lot. Do you think I have time for this? I know what I want. I know what I need. I don't have time to be "sold" to. I don't have time to leisurely look at cars and drive them. In fact, I can't even drive them because it requires me putting a car seat in all the cars I want to test drive. Then getting said screaming child into the car seat MULTIPLE TIMES. Hell no.

Know your customer. See a busy mom who knows what she wants chasing after a child? Find out what she wants and needs. Get to the point. Give her your card so she can move on. Same goes for almost EVERY retail experience.

It almost makes me want to sell cars to moms only just so I can be sensitive to their needs. What a pain shopping is now that I have a kid!