> stylists and customers can have fairly close relationships and it was pretty common to exchange numbers so a stylist could alert the customer of new items the

> stylists and customers can have fairly close relationships and it was pretty common to exchange numbers so a stylist could alert the customer of new items they might like. I'm sure you're probably well aware of this, but for those younger than 30 who might not have relevant experience, this was standard practice among commissioned sales staff at all department stores until roughly the turn of the millennium (that was roughly the end of the line for most stores even offering commission, so the concept of a professional salesperson quickly died in favor of cashiers who have no stake in the transactions). I had such a job as a teen, at a store which would be considered very middle-class. This was 2001. Being a dork, I read all the handbooks and manuals, and they explained all about prospecting -- how to keep a book of all my customers, to keep track of all their important dates and things. It suggested sending them letters telling them about new items they might like, gift ideas, etc. Today that store is still operating, but zero employees have any incentive to even provide any form of customer service, let alone build relationships with customers. Nordstrom is thankfully much closer to how things were, but it's sad to me that now you have to be pretty loaded to afford to shop somewhere that offers customer service.