The hard sell: You go girl ... as in, please go away

Susanna Tjokro, Contributor, Jakarta

As I entered the shop, one of the shop assistants immediately came toward me. "How can I help you?" she asked with a smile.

"Thanks, but I'd like to look around first. If I need something that I cannot find by myself, then I'll ask you".

"OK," she replied with another smile.

I thought she would leave me alone. I was wrong. That girl followed me wherever I went. Help! I was annoyed, but in the name of politeness, I let her be my unsolicited bodyguard-cum-guide.

I picked up a tube of face mask.

"This is a very good product. It's a peel-off mask," she said.

"Yes, I know. I've used one tube before," I replied with a smile.

Maybe I didn't look like an English-speaking person (whatever that means today) to her. She believed that I needed help, desperately, but just didn't know it.

"It gently removes dull, dry skin to reveal a young, fresh- looking complexion. Apply evenly to your face..." she said, translating the words from English into Indonesian for me.

"Thanks for your explanation, but I can read it by myself," I said, again with a smile.

"Ok, but look at this one, this is also a peel-off, let me explain all about it to you."

"Thanks, but no. I'll just take this one," I replied politely.

"Is there anything else that you need, mam?"

"I don't think so, but I'll look around."

I thought she would leave me this time. I was wrong -- again. At first, I couldn't understand why. Was I wearing a glamourous dress, so she thought I was a rich girl who would spend lots of money? No. I had on pants and a shirt, casual style.

Perhaps she would get a promotion (head salesgirl?), or she would receive some commission for me going on a spending spree in the store. Actually, neither of the above are a problem, unless the person in question tramples all over the customer in the process. Bingo!

I walked toward a shelf that displayed soap. But before I could pick out any of them, she did it for me, launching into an explanation that the soap was imported from England, blah blah blah.

Enough was enough.

"Thanks, but I don't need anything else and I really mean it."

On the way to the cashier, I took some moisturizing lotion from the shelf. I was glad that she didn't have enough time to open her mouth to urge me to buy some other lotions.

I thought the torture had come to an end. Ah, not so fast.

When I was waiting for the authorization for my credit card, she reared her not so ugly head again.

"I think your hair is dry. You must buy Vidal shampoo and its conditioner because...."

Before she finished her sentence, I replied, "Thanks, but I don't need anything else".

When I was signing the credit card receipt, the girl opened her mouth again: "Have you tried our imported Vitamin C?" This time, I was exhausted.

"No and I'm not interested," I replied firmly, grabbing my receipt and credit card as soon as the cashier gave them back to me.

Then I walked away, sneaking a look to see if she was following me.

Last week, I went to that mall again to buy some face soap. I almost entered that shop again, but stopped immediately as soon as I saw that girl.

She was busy, on the trail of some other hapless woman.

But another one spotted me and made a beeline in my direction.

"Could I help you?" she asked politely.

"No, thanks. I've gotta go now," I replied in a hurry and walked away.

Obviously, they had all been trained in the same hound 'em- until-their-resistance-is-weakened philosophy, and to never, ever take no for an answer.

They obviously never heard of the saying that the customer is always king, or queen. But I really wish they had learned that less really is more in giving prospective customers' advice, instead of pushing them out the door with their persistence.