Bad Service Makes Luxury Shoppers Spend More Money

Shoppers who are snubbed in luxury stores are more likely to spend money.

Rude clerks motivate people to pull out their credit cards and spend, according to a recent study by Darren Dahl, a professor at the Sauder School of Business in Vancouver, and Morgan K. Ward, an assistant professor of marketing at Southern Methodist University.

"Indicating that some people don't fit with fancy brands motivates those individuals to prove they do - by making a purchase," The Wall Street Journal writes.

The rude clerk effect only works at high-end stores, according to the study. At cheaper retailers, poor service drives people away.

Still, the rude service was still a net-negative for the brand because it left a bad impression on the consumer.

"For luxury brands, the best strategy is to give good service," Dahl told The Wall Street Journal.

The researchers asked more than 350 people what they would do after a rude encounter with sales staff. They then had 100 people meet with someone posing as a salesperson and recorded their reactions to different behaviors.