L’Occitane en Provence

I recently re-​visited their store in Natick Mall, and their attitude definitely improved, and now it is much more pleasant to shop there.

I went into the store already knowing what I was going to buy. I greeted the associate that was working in the front area. I asked her to point me in the direction of the men’s section. I proceeded to pick up the items I wanted and paid for them. The sales associate was courteous and professional.

Alright, so here’s the deal: the Natick Mall upped the ante and filled itself with all manner of expensive stores that make the drive there worth it on a day when I’m not in the mood to be run over by Italian girls in expensive shoes in the Pru. And the branch of this store in the Pru is great, and I frequent it more often than I probably should because their Verbena scent is heavenly and I wear too much of it too often.
But last weekend I happened to feel like mall-​shopping (I know. Don’t judge me.) and when I made my way into the Natick Mall L’Occitane, I was immediately offered assistance by an older lady with dark brown hair. No thank you, I know exactly what I’m looking for — a travel size Verbena spray that airlines won’t deem dangerous and confiscate on my way to my best friend’s wedding in a few weeks. And while I was contemplating paying $ 20 for a tiny bottle of something I already owned when I could just buy an empty atomizer and fill it myself, the lady continued to offer to help me. Repeatedly. Every minute or so while I continued to browse. And then went behind the counter and did not take her eyes off me for my entire length of stay in the store.
Now, listen. I’m an attractive, well-​dressed girl. I’m not a sketchy teenager, I don’t wear baggy clothes, carry overly large bags or insinuate that I am going to shoplift in any way. The blatant loss prevention techniques being employed here were way unnecessary and incredibly offensive considering I came in pretty prepared to buy something specific that I wanted and then wanted to browse the shop some more after I found it. Some gentle encouragement from this woman would have been all it took for me to buy the bottle plus more overpriced tiny travel items because I just love to spend money.
Dear Mature Saleslady with Brown Hair:
Blatantly staring at pretty girls who want to be left in peace to look around your store before they buy something completely overpriced that they don’t actually need is an ANTI-​SALES technique. It pissed me off.
So I put down the bottle and bought it at the Prudential Center the next day. Good job, brown haired saleswoman. Really effective technique you used there.