How can I help people when they are choosing a car seat?

rosey2007

Active member
I like to help people when they are choosing a car seat, but I feel that I may not be using the right words. When I see people in the store looking at car seat it is so hard for me to keep my mouth shut. When I do talk to them they give me the "deer in the headlights" look. I feel that I am giving them too much imformation at once and they do not know how to take it in. Should I keep my mouth shut, or what can I say that is easy for folks to understand :eek:.
 
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wondering1

New member
Find out what their needs are and try to speak just to their needs. Is safety a concern? Is ease of use a concern? Is price a concern? Once they've opened up about their concerns, then you'll know what to say that speaks to them. If they don't open up, then they don't want your help. If they do, then give them info on a local car safety check point for installation questions, too!
 
i normaly offer help to those who are standing there looking at the seats and just staring not really touching the boxes or trying to read info. people who are often reading the info have an idea of what they are looking for.
for those who look lost i often ask if they want a recommendation since i have two daughters and have tried many seats. if you let them know you have wasted (or not wasted as we like to chage seats often) $ on seats that didn't last long or were hard to use. they often want to know what works. then just ask them what they are looking to spend. also if they are lookig for a certain color (girly, match their car etc) most times i see these people at walmart and the seat selection in limited. luckily here our target is pretty much next door. so i recommend a couple seats to them and let them know about calling the fire department to get it checked to make sure its right.
when they tell you the seat they think they need i usually ask the age and size of child. around here people aren't accepting of erf but are open to hwh seats. i take that into consideration...if they are going to use the seat ff for a 18 month old i see no reason to recommmend a convertible if the child fits in the nautilus....but i do make it clear to people that the 3-in-1 seats and such only use the harness to 40lbs
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
I usually offer info when I hear people voicing confusion over comparing seats, when two people are arguing over an issue (quietly... I wouldn't get in the middle of people with raised voices), and, ever since I had Ruthie, I get people who come up and ask me, because they assume that a mom with at least 2 kids knows her way around carseats...and the older Ruthie has gotten, the more that happens, since it's obvious that my kids have been through every type.

I worry about the ones who come to me, simply as they don't know if I know correct info or not, but I know that I do, so I give it, and give resources to back them up, so they know to listen for them in the future.

I think you just need to do it from a "btdt" perspective. "Oh, I had that seat" or "A friend of mine had that seat" (even if you didn't and you just know the bad points, it sounds better) and then explain what you or the friend didn't like and did like, and then recommend a seat and tell them why.
 

April

Well-known member
I've been known to offer unsolicited advice a time or two myself....:whistle:

I usually find people either looking really confused, arguing, or picking up a 3-in-1. Usually if it's one of the first two scenarios I just try to make eye contact and say something like "Its a tough decision hey? Who are you shopping for?" And then go from there. I try and get age, height, weight and budget before making any kind of recommendation. I have found almost everyone very receptive. Especially if I say something like "You know, considering the information you've just told me, I think the TF, EFTA, etc. (whatever the case might be), would be a great option for you, and here's why...."

If I see someone picking up an AOE or the like, I usually start with something like "Oh I had that seat and I hated it (lie, lol). My ds grew out of it before he was 2.5 and I ended up sepnding twice as much in the end because I had to get another harnessed seat." People tend to think with that approach that I'm just trying to save them money, which seems to be a pretty good motivator. They usually ask "Oh, so what seat is better?" And then I point them to the EFTA or tell them about the TF. (Because its usually at Walmart that this happens.)

Every time except one I have managed to "convince" them to get a decent seat for what their needs were. The one time it didn't go so well was when I talked to them at TRU and pointed them to the TF at Zellers on sale, and then I ended up having to go to Zellers for something and I saw them again there and I think they thought I was some sort of whacko, lol. Oops.

And I'm pretty sure TJ's hates me because I haven't bought a seat from there since last year and I'm always hanging out in their car seat aisle. Plus I'm always asking about whether they're getting the Monterey, GN, Frontier, etc., or telling them about the Frontier harness issues, etc., and I think I make them feel a little bit out of the loop. Most of them are okay, but there's this one manager that I know doesn't think highly of me. Then again, maybe its my kids. She seems to not like it when I bring them all in at once.:shrug-shoulders: I kinda thought with a name like "TJ's the Kiddies Store" they wouldn't mind if you brought kids in.:confused:
 

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