Do personal shoppers typically work on commission?

From this source

2. “We’ll shop ‘til you drop your wallet.”
Department stores typically do not charge shoppers for in-store personal-shopping services. Yet because most personal shoppers work on commission, “You will definitely feel pressured to buy something,” says Michelle Madhok, CEO of SheFinds.com, who worked as a personal shopper for Nordstrom early in her career.

Nordstrom spokesman John Bailey says the service is designed to create a stress-free shopping environment: “We never want our customers to feel pressured to buy something,” he says.

Personal shoppers, from my understanding, are members of one’s domestic staff and are salaried personnel. If they are taking commissions from stores while working as a personal shopper then there could be an ethical problem—a conflict of interests. I certainly would get rid of my personal shopper (if I had one) immediately if I found that they were getting commissions from stores for patronizing them with my money. I want my domestic staff to be dedicated to me and my household, not have split allegiances with commercial interests that don not necessaril have my best interests in mind.

Oh, are you talking about commercial personal shoppers? Ok, nevermind.

Oh, no, @Espiritus_Corvus, I’m not rich enough to have domestic staff. I meant personal shoppers who work in stores.
Anyway, my follow-up question is:
If they’re NOT on commission, would you tip them afterwards, and if so, how much?

GQ. Here is an Etiquette Guide to Tipping. Down near the bottom in the Misc. category, it states, Personal shopper or salesperson at department store – Nothing.

When I worked at Bloomingdale’s they worked on commission, I assume it is still the case, but it might have changed. If they now get an hourly wage, it still would also be supplemented by commissions or bonuses of some sort. Saks and Nordstroms likely also have at least part of the pay tied to sales if not all.

Personal shoppers have the advantage of being referred customers, their clients tend to be higher price point clients, they usually have more flexibitlity with their hours and they shop the entire store for a customer without obligation to being present in a department for floor coverage. Their disadvantage is they don’t get to benefit from walk in store traffic, they have to be proactive in getting and maintaining clients. When I worked retail in Boca Raton personal shoppers usually made between $40k and $70k depending on the store and their skill. They can make more.

Anyone can use the service, you don’t have to be buying Armani and Chanel. If you already know the items you need you can give them a list and they can ring it all up for you at their register and it all gets done for you without having to walk all over the store, they do the walking for you.

For men who don’t like to shop I think it is a great service. The personal shopper will have everything already pulled in their size, coordinating outfits, all accessories, even cologne and the gifts he needs to buy for his wife or staff.

No tips at department stores, it usually is a store policy, but a surprise gift every so often was nice from our best clients. A tin of cookies, chocolates, that sort of thing we received now and then.

Oh, wow, @Pied_Pfeffer and @JLeslie, thank you for your excellent answers!

You are very welcome.

The only time I have used the services of a personal shopper was not for me but for my SO’s mother. He gave her a gift card to a dept. store for her 80th birthday. It was obvious that due to health reasons, strolling around the store wouldn’t work. Fortunately, the PS was available. It was a positive experience for her.

My SIL used to use Nordstrom’s PS. They would call her up whenever new stock arrived in her preferred brand, clothing came in that would fit her overly tall and sized 13 shoe child, and to alert about any sales coming up. It was a win-win situation.

Unless you love spending hours browsing through areas of a dept. store, a personal shopper is the way to go. It’s just a matter of booking an appt., providing as much information upfront as possible as to what you want and are willing to spend, and then trying on the clothes they picked out in the privacy of a plush private room while sipping on a cappuccino.