Being polite may not always be good, especially when it comes to selling luxury branded stuff as poorly treated customers are more prone to buy such items, a fascinating study finds.
"It appears that snobbishness might actually be a qualification worth considering for luxury brands like Louis Vuitton or Gucci," said Darren Dahl, a professor at Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia in Canada.
For the study, participants imagined or had interactions with sales representatives - rude or not.
The people who expressed an aspiration to be associated with high-end brands also reported an increased desire to own the luxury products after being treated poorly.
However, the effect only held true if the salesperson appeared to be an authentic representative of the brand.
Also, the rudeness of sales staff did not improve impressions of mass-market brands.
The study will appear in the forthcoming issue of Journal of Consumer Research.
