I work a part-time retail gig.
The shop owner read an article on how to greet/assist customers, and we put it into practice. It makes perfect sense to me, and, as a customer, it really hits home.
When a customer walks in the door, we give them a couple of minutes to orient themselves; i.e., put away their sunglasses and keys, get used to the lighting, glance around the shop, just sort of get their bearings, as it were. We don't say a word to them other than "Hi!"
Then we say, from behind our big, open, checkout counter, "Can I help you find anything today?" They usually say, "No, just browsing," and we say, "Great! I'll be here if you have any questions."
It's a small shop, so there's really no need for us to approach them again. If they happen to be looking at a specific item, we might say, "Oh! I just love those! I bought one for my sister/mom/daughter and she loves it!" Or "Aren't those just the thing?" Or maybe walk over and show them how something works, if that's an issue.
But it has really made me realize how much I dislike being accosted immediately upon entering a shop. (I tend to shop small, local businesses--pre-COVID.) Give me a minute to adjust!
Whatever.
