Today has been full of spring fever :-) The day so far has been buzzing ( pardon the pun) with plenty of happy customers looking for some sunshine fun.
It's been a busy day, with lots of peeps shopping for strap-ons and lots of out-of-towners travelling in to shop with us.
Fab group of ladies pop by to try on corsets. They are fun, giggly and pretty excitable, especially around the vibrator table (it tends get women that way!) They ask one of us if she uses the vibes on show.
This is always a difficult one.
Sharing experiences with other women is exactly what we're about. This is why we are known as "Team Sh!"; a collective persona which allows us to share without revealing individuality.
Why?
There are peeps for whom individual boundaries are a mystery or a challenge; some don't just step, but positively leap over them. Sharing personal experience can blur boundaries.
And then there are the phone calls, not just from guys, which start with us with delivering straightforward advice to the caller's questions and then the penny drops when they ask 'and which one do you use...?'
Warning bell. Pervy territory.
The other downside to offering recommendations is what feels good for one women may not be for another.
A newbie especially, is often bowled over by the choice of toys which can her feel overwhelmed, a little insecure and, unfortunately, ripe for being "sold" pretty much anything....
But we want our customer to take home a toy that's right for her, not one that's right for us. No point in one of us gushingly recommending a g-spot vibe, when the customer is a clit-girl, through and through (even though she may not yet know it ;)
Selling her a £100 vibrator, when she's never used one and is on a budget is also a no-no.
Better she takes home a toy to satisfy her AND her purse and she's likely to return to us when she's ready to upgrade...
Suppliers too have been known to over step boundaries; supplying the team with free models in the hope push more of their toys doesn't work at Sh! Team Sh! cannot be bought!
The Sh! handbook trains us on boundaries and how to safeguard our own and our customers' personal space and safety.
Probing questions can be just as threatening to customers so we never launch straight in with a 'do you want your vibrator for clitoral stimulation??' We're taught to explain differences and to ask indirect questions which helps customers choose the right toy without ever feeling quizzed. So, to the giggly group of ladies, we reply "Oooo we've tried quite a few!" along with a cheeky wink.
This opens up the discussion - and the vibe table - to much exploration of pleasurable experiences, rather than restricting choice to the individual preferences of one member of the team. Later they all skip downstairs ( another thing we've noticed - a visit to Sh! often does that to a lady's step!) The shop is suddenly filled with squealing - they have discovered the nipple pumps and are all giving them a go...
TALES FROM SH!, THE UK'S FIRST WOMEN'S SEX SHOP
(SADLY CLOSED SINCE COVID LOCKDOWN)
