8 Things You Should Know About Your Local Sample-Lady:

1. They are paid less if you don't buy their product.
Most sample-ladies, otherwise known as sales reps, demo specialists, or product reps are either paid by commission, or are paid by sales "skill". I say "skill" because,  for example, the sample people at Costco (CDS) are paid an hourly rate, and no commission. However, they are judged by the amount of sales they make, compared to the amount of samplers. They are also expected to sell 2.5 times the sales of the same product last week. Sometimes this works at their disadvantage; imagine a new product comes out by Tollhouse week one, everyone wants to buy it. But, when the samples are being given away, people either realize the cookies are too dry, or too small, or too sweet-- what ever! This woman is working while odds are against her to sell two-and-a-half times the sales of the product when people thought it might be something they were interested in.

Now, I promise I'm not just rambling. The important factor about this information is that if these women don't sell 2.5 times last week's sales, they will lose their hours the next week. This leads to number two:


2. Their job is not easy.
Some days they may have "easy" products, but most days they don't. Keep in mind there's usually a reason why these companies pay people to try to sell their product. It's either an awesome hidden gem, or more often it's terrible/near it's expiration date and the company (or in some cases the store itself) is trying to move the product off the shelves.


3. Small talk brightens their day.
However, there is something you can do. You want to make a difference in someone's life? All it takes is a simple "hello", and "thank you" when you take the product. You could even ask how they're doing. All of the demonstrators I've spoken with have told me how much they appreciate when someone says thank you, or smiles at them. Just remember, they're on their feet all day dealing with rude customers and grabby children. This leads to number 4...


4. They hate when you say things like "Ooh, it's lunch time?"
Sampling the store's food is not a free service to you. The product you're eating, as well as the wax paper it's sitting on comes out of someone's pocket. If you're not interested in the product, what's the point of trying it?



5. They remember you.
Alright, so you admit it. Maybe you're the type of person that takes sample after sample and giggles about it when you slink away. Maybe you were rude to the demo lady, or told her to hurry up. Maybe you let your five kids take five samples a piece, and didn't pick up the garbage they dropped when they walked away. A sample lady never forgets; and don't be dumbfounded if there's a "mystery surprise" in your food next time, or the food is conveniently not finished cooking every time you walk to their cart. Sample ladies can be a delightfully passive-aggressive breed.

But on the other hand, say you're one of the customers that was polite every time. You engaged in short conversations, used your manners and didn't just pretend to be friendly so you could continue eating. They remember you, too. And you will be the first to know if a product is going on sale next week, or get the biggest, prettiest sample she's got.


6. They are not allowed to tell you to stop taking seconds, but they really wish you would.
Unfortunately, your local sample lady is not allowed to tell you to stop, but this means she's also not allowed to tell anyone else to stop. So if you're staking out the bratwurst, wait ten minutes until the next batch is done, and suddenly a swarm comes and batch two is missing: this is not the sample lady's fault.


7. If you harass a sample-lady, you can get banned from the store.
Here's where the truth comes out, I worked as a product rep for about three years through high school and my start of college. Unfortunately, there was a lot of customers that came to feast that were beyond rude. They were insulting, would call me names, grab me, would not leave me alone when I made it perfectly clear that I was at work, and didn't want to go out with them on Saturday: and the sad part is that this is not uncommon. It's a normal occurrence for many demonstrators, and most of the women at my particular store would have to report someone to the manager at least once a month.

It's not worth losing a Sam's Club membership because you've had a bad day.


8. They're people, too.
If you grab 5 samples of chocolate cake and then explain that you can't buy it because of calorie-restrictions, you will be mocked. If you're rude, you'll be badmouthed. All these ladies want is the same thing as you want; as little stress as possible at work. So if you can help it, try to be one of the people that makes them leave that night smiling. Don't ask them why they don't have a "real job", because what they do is not as easy as it seems. They can't take tips, but if you notice they're doing a good job- tell them! They are not out to get you, or to sucker you into buying something- they're there for the people that want to buy the product. (And maybe the people whose kids won't let them leave without it.)