Commission Based Pay Compared To An Hourly Wage Influence How Sales Associates Treat And Interact With Customers?

Research questions are answered in several of ways. For our assignment we were asked to answer a question based on observation only. I have experienced different behaviors from sales associates in retail and have wondered if it makes a difference on how they are being paid. My research question is, does commission based pay compared to an hourly wage influence how the sales associates treat and interact with customers? The independent variable is the pay of the sales associate and the dependent variable is the interaction and behavior with the customer. To do this I went to the Woodland Mall and observed three different stores for forty minutes each. There are four different approaches you can take to be an observer. You can be a full participant,

The Buckle did some of the same things, but were not quite as helpful. They would greet some customers but not others and they seemed to help when a purchase was for sure going to be made by the customer. If the customer seemed to be more than browsing then the associates made time and some effort to help them. In Macys, there was really good help in the shoe department, and the makeup and perfume areas. However, the areas with purses and clothing, there was not any interaction between the associates and the

Victoria Secret was the most hands on and they seem to really try and make sales to the customers. They were for the most part fully engaged. The Buckle wasn’t as engaged as Victoria Secre,t but they still helped some customers, and when they made a sale they were more apt to cash out their customer than let the cashiers do it. Whereas Macy’s, did not give much help at all, the areas that had lots of shoppers were left on their own to find what they were looking for. This gives me the conclusion that they are only there to make their hourly wage and to go home. They are not benefiting from selling any merchandise so they do not care to help the customers. The more that you are relying on being paid from a sale the harder you will work to make a sale. Amy from Victoria Secret was going to have a good pay this week from observing her interaction with customers. It was common for the workers with commission to greet more and to help in the fitting rooms as well as find appropriate sizes. What was different in Macy’s is that no one in the clothing helped with any sizes. The associates in the fitting rooms were only there to take care of clothing. I will say that the shoe area was very helpful though. I think this is because they have to get the appropriate sizes for the customers, rather than it being commission based