Well-dressed women get better service

If women want the best possible service at a clothing store, they had better be looking fashionable and well-groomed before they hit the mall. A study by Ohio State University, Columbus, found that well-dressed women receive the friendliest and, in some cases, fastest service from salesclerks.

Researchers secretly observed interactions between customers and salesclerks at three large-sized women's clothing stores, timing how long clerks took to greet customers and rating their friendliness. Customers whose clothes were rated as more fashionable and attractive, and who showed better grooming and makeup skills, received better service than those whose appearance was not rated as highly.

"How well-dressed you are is one indicator of your status, and how much money you have to spend," maintains Sharron Lennon, professor of consumer sciences. "Salesclerks believe that a well-dressed person is more likely to buy, and that affects the treatment she receives."

As customers entered the stores, the researchers rated 10 components of their dress and overall presentation on a scale from poor to good. The components were attractiveness of clothing, fashionability, formality, femininity, overall grooming, hair grooming, make-up, clothing fabric, accessories, and purse quality. Friendliness of clerks was rated from highly friendly to highly unfriendly. To rate friendliness, the researchers examined whether and how much the salespeople smiled at the shoppers, how close they approached, and if they continued to perform other work, like folding clothes, or gave their full attention to the customers.

The results showed nine of the 10 components had an impact on the friendliness of clerks. The only item that was not related was the femininity of clothing.

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