Personal Shopper Job: Qualifications and Requirements

While it is certainly a personal shopper's job to help you find the clothing you desire there is no guarantee they will pick the right kinds of clothes as some people think. Personal shoppers are human too, and what they might find stylish you might end up hating with a passion, keep that in mind when you are with your personal shopper, whether they be an in store one or an independent consultant.

We'll shop till you drop your wallet. If you are using an in store personal shopper you generally wont' be charged for their services however, if you are using them to help you and they are on commission, most likely you will be pressured to buy something. It is in the store shopper's interest to get you to buy what they suggest, since that results in no sale for them otherwise.

In contrast independent consultants can break banks simply by the rates they charge. Most shoppers will charge a flat hourly rate in addition to charging for certain special items or items over a certain limit.

While the charge for using their services can be an arm and a leg, they generally only help you shop for necessary things and don't usually suggest products just for the sake of buying them.

We have a passion for fashion The problem with professional shoppers is that the industry is not exactly organized with one national credential. While there are certainly professional organizations that aid people in trying to help pick out professional shoppers by offering a certification, there certainly is an abundance of shoppers without a certification. Some personal shoppers and style guides believe that a formal college education in fashion helps while others disagree completely and only feel that they need to understand the business side of things.

We've mastered the soft sell. Personal shoppers know it's in their best interest to keep customers happy. The better experiences a customer has had the more likely they will be willing to come back. While there is the occasional shopper that may not know what they are talking about, style consultants, especially those who work for high end designer stores or big department store chains generally are style savvy and do their best to find the things that will suit you.

We don't always get along While some independent stylists actually enjoy the help of in store shoppers and don't mind sharing the cut of the client's money, the store shoppers through purchases and the independent shoppers through an hourly rate, not all shoppers play nice this way. In fact, some stores have blacklisted independent shoppers because they simply don't make their customers happy and return everything they bought, which can sometimes be thousands of dollars worth.

Leave your modesty at the door. Preferences and purchase history are becoming easier to keep track of now. When people go into a store, they are notified of specials and sales by shoppers as well as online. Since an in store shopper will only stick to their dressing rooms they don't really know what goes on in their customer's lives, whereas an independent shopper sometimes meets with a client in their place of residence to look over wardrobe selections and fill in the blanks. Some shoppers are of the impression messy closet, messy life, and that can be a little humiliating for the customer.

You definitely need a therapist. A relationship between a shopping professional and their client can get personal really quickly. The shopper will be exposed to vulnerabilities and flaws that the client may have and the client may feel that they can talk to their shopper about anything and everything. The truth of the matter is, shoppers usually do their best to be as much out of your personal life as possible, and if they see some perceived flaws that are interfering with your daily life, be prepared to get referred to a therapist.

We have eyes for your husband. Men generally don't want to spend too much time in the store. They generally want to look great and be done with the whole thing. The same can be said if he is trying to find clothes for his wife or significant other. In fact some men have sworn by their personal shoppers, saying their efforts made them a hero in their partner's eyes.

Our services can be addictive. The great thing about having a personal shopper almost at your beckoning call is you can get shopping done anytime you need to. If you feel like staying in and relaxing while they shop for you than great. If you don't want to deal with crowds after a long day than your shopper can help you out. On the same token however, this can be a catch 22. Using a shopper can get pretty addictive, and you may end up starting to use them when you don't really need to.

We're responsible for your promotion. While some professionals would like to hope and think it is their skill that got them their raise or promotion, the truth of the matter is it can be a number of things. It's been proven on many occasion if people like the way you generally present yourself and look really nice more will go your way. Some people are of the idea the more you take care of yourself the better you will take care of other more pressing factors, like your job.

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