Is it bad manners to use my smart phone to check reviews on products?

No, I don’t think it is rude. I actually wish I would think to do that more often. It’s good to have knowledge of the product before you buy.

Smart consumerism.

If you are looking at your phone, nobody else knows what you are doing/texting/researching/googling/facebooking, pm’ing/Fluthering.

I think that it is okay to do this. In this day and age, it should be not only expected but accepted.

No, that is the point. What I do is discreetly take a photo of the products and then at home check reviews and compare prices.

I might look up prices, show it to the manager and ask if they’ll price match if it’s a big ticket item.

I do it all the time. Smart shopper.

I don’t think it’s rude at all. You’re looking at the products on offer and looking for reviews relating to those products. You’re the buyer. You’re quite within your rights to research which product will best suit your needs from sources you consider to be more objective than a sales person in a store.

In this day and age people do it all the time. And as mentioned they even compare prices and ask about price matching. They even have apps for that purpose.

You’re just being an informed consumer in the digital age.

It would be rude if you found it cheaper on Amazon and left the store.

Checking the reviews seems totally fine

No way, not rude at all. A lot of places price match now – because of the internet – so it’s worth checking for that, too.

I think even if you find it cheaper online and leave the store, that’s not being rude, that’s being a smart shopper, @johnpowell. (smart shopper as long as other criteria meets your needs, like you may not necessarily need the item today)

If you found it cheaper on Amazon, show it to the MOD in the store and see if they’ll price match.

It might be sort-of I’ll-mannered to do that in a small Mom-and-Pop gift shop, but certainly not in a chain.

I have had mixed results, @canidmajor . In one store, the cashier sent me to the manager, who did do price matching and I walked out with the item.

In a different store (more expensive item), I showed the cashier, and she got the manager over, and he basically said “my hands are tied, Corporate office won’t let me”. So I left and placed the order online, and I received it three days later. This was a fairly expensive thing, and they lost out on a $700 sale because they wouldn’t match. (They wanted $799, and online it was $699).

Your results may vary.

@elbanditoroso: In the case you gave as an example, I’d have contacted “corporate” to tell them that they just lost out on the sale because of their policy. It’s also possible the manager was wrong, in that case they’d “educate” him for the next customer.

@jca – too much effort. I had already wasted 40 minutes working my way to see the manager. I wasn’t going to waste more time writing corporate.

If the whole idea of a brick and mortar store is to sell stuff, then it ought to be seamless. I’m the buyer, they’re the seller. I’m not going to jump through hoops.

Retailers ought to realize that putting customers through an unpleasant experience is not a good strategic plan.

@elbanditoroso: I agree it should be seamless and the goal should be to sell something. If I see an opportunity to change things for the future (for myself as a customer or for the next guy), I will take a few minutes, however, and hopefully effect some change.

It’s just smart shopping and using your available resources. Just don’t tie up the shelves for other shoppers.

No, not rude. Reasonable on site product research. Totally acceptable!

I will compare prices online before even venturing to a brick & mortar store. It really depends on my “NEED IT NOW” level. If immediacy is the priority, I deserve to help pay the store’s overhead and not dick them around too much on price.

If it’s an impulse desire, I’ll take a picture and go home to check prices and similar products.

I work in a pharmacy inside a retail store. My side of the business has no room for bargaining. “Walmart has this Rx for $xx!” “So I’ve heard. Downside is you have to go to Walmart.” We can’t and don’t price match prescriptions.
The retail side is entirely different. If you’re willing to walk in our store and you like something, feel free to show proof of lower price elsewhere. It will be matched and you’ll be thanked for your patronage.