Shop sign goes viral for allowing customers to be left alone
![The holy grail of beauty shopping has gone viral for the best reason. [Photo: Getty]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/ajBVAobfO7iDMxFZBPZMIQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com/creatr-uploaded-images/2019-11/5e605c20-0092-11ea-9db6-b6faf48802d9)
Beauty-lovers’ favourite overseas store (*cough* come back to the UK *cough*) has gone viral on Twitter this week for allowing customers to shop in peace - but only if they want to.
Sephora divided its shopping baskets at the front of the store.
By carrying a red basket, it signifies you’re open to being talked to by a shop assistant. If you choose to carry a black basket, it means you would rather shop alone.
The tweet was accompanied by the caption: “There is a fellow introvert on the Sephora customer experience team who deserves A RAISE RIGHT NOW.”
There is a fellow introvert on the Sephora customer experience team who deserves A RAISE RIGHT NOW pic.twitter.com/4Aan7lUyVD
— Cami Williams (@cwillycs) November 4, 2019
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Being asked if you need help whilst shopping is a bugbear of many people who prefer to browse alone. Sephora seems to get this and the Twitter community were absolutely thrilled by the development.
Hundreds of people called for Lush to adopt a similar rule in its stores. The bath and body company, renowned for its customer service, was described as “too much” by some.
One tweet said: “Oh god please put this in Lush, I want a bath bomb but it’s like an assault course of cheery horror in there!”
“Lush, please, please consider something like this. Sincerely, a customer with anxiety who uses your products to calm my mind but can’t shop in store because it’s an accessibility nightmare.”
Unfortunately in retail, your bosses are always badgering you to talk to people to "improve" customer service. What I don't understand is why managers don't use common sense and realise it just annoys people and makes them leave quicker 🤦🏾♀️
— Jessica (@jessica_is_mexo) November 5, 2019
@LushLtd please, please consider something like this.
Sincerely, a customer with anxiety who uses your products to calm my mind but can’t shop in store because it’s an accessibility nightmare 🤷♀️— Amy Barrett (@amybarrett31) November 5, 2019
Oh god please put this in lush, I want a bath bomb but it’s like an assault course of cheery horror in there!
— Hannah Tempest (@palindromic_Han) November 5, 2019
And from a marketing standpoint, this puts a basket in the hands of people who may have only planned to window shop. A win for the customer and for the store.
— John (@dorkistry) November 5, 2019
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A large number of shop assistants rallied in the comments of the viral tweet to explain their frustrations to customers.
One of the more liked tweets said: “Unfortunately in retail, your bosses are always badgering you to talk to people to "improve" customer service. What I don't understand is why managers don't use common sense and realise it just annoys people and makes them leave quicker.”
Others were suitably impressed with the beauty brand’s marketing efforts. “It puts a basket in the hands of people who may have only planned to window shop”, one person shrewdly observed.
The move is a simple and cost-effective way of making anxious people feel more confident to shop and for that, we’ve got to give Sephora a round of applause.
