i think that the SPGs in department stores aren't there to boost up sales. they're there to boost up egos that would lead to boosting up sales not only in their respective counters but to the whole department store's income.

i mean, look at it this way. they have a snotty air around them that says 'i'm gonna only offer this perfume or this piece of clothing to those who look rich' and they DO. so for a mall-goer such as you and me, the pattern is clear. these people will only offer you stuff if you look 'decent' enough to even consider buying it. i've experimented with this for years. if i come to the dept store wearing shorts, flip flops and carrying NOTHING, they won't even pretend that i exist. but hey, look what happens the day after when i walk into the same spot wearing my houndstooth midi skirt, white shirt unbuttoned down to there, a beautiful necklace and heels up to there? they'd be surrounding me like bees to the hive while i would just ignore them, pretending to be busy with my nokia communicator. but then i'd feel appreciated (hence the ego boost), and i'd come back to the same spot to feel the same rush. and in my next visit, i'm bound to buy something even though it's not from their counter.

it's a huge conspiracy! (for women, obviously)

so i don't blame them for being there, nor their employers. if we can draw the line -i usually snap at them and tell them to keep their distance-, we don't have any problem. the message i want to convey to the employers is:

STOP CALLING US 'KAKAK'!! Jesus!

i'm an only child and am so very proud of it. i don't need thousands of 'sisters and brothers' from thousands shopping malls.

wow. this is a LONG response :D

i love you ;)

so, they are doing the reverse psychology shit. aarrghhh... what should we do *shaking fists*. you know i dont even feel that i'm being appreciated, everytime they do that i feel like my space is being crossed. in the perfect world (my imaginary world) i'd be goign around swinging my cricket bat if they dare to come close to me hahahah

Love this particular post. Love the fuckin' language too!

Well, the less pain in the ass first. Didn't Bush do the same thing too after 9/11? All those NSA people in the airport? He did it for the same reason - security. Fear is powerful.

The more pain in the ass -- it ain't that bad with SPG over here in KL. I haven't been back for some time, but I thought most of my friends in Jakarta 'enjoy' SPGs. Perhaps in different events and for different reasons...

bleu

The only reason that keep my mouth shut and let the security open my trunk is because all of these repetitive annoying procession created more jobs for these people, even though they are actually financed by the customers.

SPG, telemarketers, salesmen are tough people with tough job. They have to face countless rejection every single day. Some of them are smart, majority are not, and that explains why they will become SPG for a long period of time. Same thing with their bosses.

Just let them do their jobs, who knows that you will need their assitance one day.

well... you can't say let them do their jobs JUST BECAUSE the jobs actually lay food on the table. they have to think about other people too, they need to ask themselves; "self, is this the right way to attract customers?", "will this job make people bitchin' and end up hating me?", and more importantly "is my job going to make people happy or uncomfortable?". they are working in the people service industry for crying out loud!
and it's not like the security at malls are preventing anything from happening anyway... i doubt that kinda "inspection" will do anything good.

i'm not saying that mall's security and spgs aren't decent jobs, i'm sure they're excellent jobs, you just need to know how to do it right.

and hey... if we should let other people do their jobs, then we should certainly quit bitchin' and let mr. bush over there does his.