Advice for B&M owners anyone?

[jimdandy]

Originally Posted by neoflex

I am not a bandit, so please don't follow me into the humidor and hound me the second I walk in. Please give me a few minutes to look around and than pop in and ask if I need any help or have any questions. If your on my heels following me in and don't give me a few minutes to myself to peruse your selection I am leaving pretty quickly while purchasing nothing and will never be back. There is nothing I hate more than walking into a walk-in and feeling a hole being burned into the back of my head because an employee follows me in and proceeds to watch me like a hawk until I step back out of the humidor. As a customer I am pretty easy to please but if I feel like you can't give me the benefit of the doubt even for a few minutes to not steal something than I do not need to support your business. At least pretend your coming in to move stock around or check a price or something.

Now, in all fairness, just because you are not a "bandit" doesn't mean that the other half of the people who walk in the door wouldn't consider a five finger discount. I agree that I don't appreciate someone breathing down my neck but it may be necessary to maintain an employee presence to prevent theft. Also, especially if you are the only guy in the store at the time, they may just be eager to try and make a sale. Again, I agree that either way they should be tactful about their methods but it seems we too quickly take offense when 80% of the population would at least consider a "freebie" without supervision.