Rude sales staff have third of plus-size women walking out of shops

London, May 8 (ANI): Shop assistants who seem too eager to flatter would-be customers into buying that expensive dress, are more likely to insult them, a survey has revealed.

The study found that the biggest anxiety for a third of women shoppers was staff who were "pushy, unhelpful and made comments about a customer's size."

The response was so negative that Weight Watchers, which carried out the study, has joined forces with Debenhams to launch a training scheme which will teach assistants to give more positive advice.

34 percent of the 1,000 female shoppers polled by the slimming group said that the behaviour of an assistant had been so rude that they ended up leaving without buying anything.

40 per cent said that they regularly found shop assistants "unsupportive and unhelpful", with one woman said to have been "mortified" after being told she "looked like a frump."

Another said she was left feeling paranoid after a shop assistant told her a dress made her arms "look fat", and she ought to find something that "covers you up more."

A third shopper was told rudely by a bra fitter: "Your back size is too large so I can't help you."

She later discovered the store had plenty of bras in her size, but said she was so upset she would never shop there again.

The report revealed the reality of clothes shopping for those who are uncomfortable with their weight.

Far from being one of a woman's favourite pastimes, it can prove distressing and disappointing.

"I've had enough of skinny, clueless shop assistants who don't have the first idea about what it feels like to go clothes shopping when you're overweight," the Daily Mail quoted one Weight Watchers member as saying.

"I need real advice on what works and what doesn't and I don't seem to get that anywhere," the Weight Watchers member said.

Weight Watchers is now working with Debenhams on a training scheme to help the chain's staff give customers supportive, constructive and helpful advice.

"These unfortunate experiences show how necessary training schemes like ours are," Louise Roe, a Weight Watchers style consultant and presenter of TV show Plain Jane, said.

"It will help assistants by suggesting new, positive ways to advise customers trying on clothes in an empathetic and constructive way so that they enjoy their shopping experience.

'It is a win, win situation. A happy customer is more likely to return and they are also more likely to make a purchase if they think that the person serving them actually cares how they look and feel in an outfit," she added. (ANI)