[magnolie verdi]

a very big reason why even though i have the money to spend in the higher ended stores i don't like to go in them. i always feel like i have to slap on every piece of designer i own (boy what a sight that'd make). those salespeople can be intimidating...

[pucci_mama]

I never recieved rude service.. going high end shopping maybe because SA' in london are really polite and helpful..

I feel sorry for you guys, it must be so embarrasing though, having rude SA' coming up to you..

[FashionFix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by magnolie verdi a very big reason why even though i have the money to spend in the higher ended stores i don't like to go in them. i always feel like i have to slap on every piece of designer i own (boy what a sight that'd make). those salespeople can be intimidating...

^ I agree

[shopsmuch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tweedy ^Oh my God that's probably the worst experience posted in this thread (I just spent half an hour reading every post). You MUST call the manager and complain. What a horrible feeling it must have been for you.

Agree. Don't let that go...I would be so angry if that was me. What an awful experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spike413 Whenever I've been in a luxury boutique (like LV, Gucci, Dior etc.) I have always gotten really good service from the salespeople. They're very courteous, ready to help and most importantly, not at all pushy (which is odd considering they work on comission). It's weird, considering that I'm young and hardly rich you'd think I'd get crappy service, but that hasn't happened to me yet. I think maybe it has something to do with my attitude, I walk in like I could buy the whole place if I wanted to, not in an obnoxious sense, but I carry myself like I belong there, not like I'm out of my element....I really think that's at least part of why I've never had a bad experience in one of those stores.

I agree with this, I went into my first high end boutique when I was 14 and didn't have money to spend on clothes, and even though I looked years older than I was, I had no confidence about going in there. I was just starting to get into fashion and was just kind of seeing all the pretty clothes up close and personal. I remember the reaction of the SA's when I went in (with my mom), I'm surprised they didn't insist on kicking me out...

But now when I go in, I know the clothes in there and know I can buy things. I think I have the same type of attitude as you, not pompous or obnoxious, but confident, like I'm not even questioning whether or not I should be there...I BELONG in there. Since I learned to adopt that attitude, I have never dealt with a rude sales associate. I guess they look at you and think that you're a serious customer if you can own that level of comfort of being in the boutique.

[nat_attak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tweedy ^Oh my God that's probably the worst experience posted in this thread (I just spent half an hour reading every post). You MUST call the manager and complain. What a horrible feeling it must have been for you.

yeah it was my worst. usually i just get 'the look'. but this guy was just so rude. i shouldv called and complain. i mean comon it's a marc by marc store it's not like thousands of dollar item? it was a horrible experience

[Winter-Blossom]

I was just in the Cent City Bloomingdale's to check out the i love love perfume... carrying my white coach hobo, wearing a polo shirt and rock n republic jeans with just my huge diamond studs in my ears... and this sa comes up to me the moment I got off the elevator and asks me if i need help... usually, that's cool but I knew what i wanted and saw it so I said no, politely.. the same guy comes up to me three other times to ask me if i needed help, each time I said no... So the guy starts YELLING at me that it's his job to help people and if i wont buy anything i need to leave... I was SO upset that I don't think that I'll ever go back to that bloomingdale's in LA ever again... and I have shopped there for YEARS! I mean, over perfume?!?!?!

[kimair]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaffa6 I'm hispanic and plus-sized so I've had my share of experiences with salespeople looking down their noses, or just eyeing me suspiciously. I don't often wear very expensive clothes, but I do tend to buy higher end accessories.

i have had similar experiences...i'm black, and sometimes i get looks. if i'm shopping on the weekends, i'll wear jeans or whatever, but i still have really nice accessories/jewelry, etc. and i get crappy service in the neiman's in sf...saks isn't as bad, but then again, i can hardly find a salesperson on the 2nd floor...

i've had the best service at the marc jacobs store...i know all the SA's and they're great...totally helpful and honest when they need to be.

[Taitai]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winter-Blossom So the guy starts YELLING at me that it's his job to help people and if i wont buy anything i need to leave...

That is simply atrocious. I hope you complained to the manager! No one should ever say that to a customer. You should be able to stay in the store the whole day, not a buy a thing, and still be treated well.

[*BergdorfBlonde*]

Thank goodness I've never had such experiences. I was lucky enough to find the sweetest, most helpful SA at LV Forum Shops (Las Vegas) and my sister and I were asking her if we could try this or that and in the end we ended up buying lots of things ONLY because she was so nice and carried 10 boxes of shoes for us to try

Also, you find VERY nice SAs at Sephora. There was one in Aventural Mall (Miami) who was very sweet to me.

[thras]

I can't believe the amount of trouble you guys have had in high-end boutiques and department stores! I get incredible service everywhere I go in Toronto, even if I'm walking in and out for a few minutes (any and every Bloor St. store). I guess it helps that most often it's with my mom - who SA's are afraid to approach (too classy ) - but I think it really depends on your attitude when you walk in. For example, when I was first growing up in my early teen years, I'd walk into Holt's with complete confidence, irrespective of how I was treated back then (as a kid). Now, I walk in, and not only do all the SA's greet me by name, they also go out of their way to show new items! Mind you, they tend to stick to the Richmond and McQueen (of which I was shown a $1200 cashmere knit with dress shirt collars, and which I politely declined), but nevertheless, you can't seem intimidated or shocked by anything. After all, it's only money. If you don't have it, you don't have it. Politely explain you rather look at Prada/Costume National/Boss, and more often than not, they'll understand your budget, or at least what's insanely out of your budget!

When it comes down to it, it's all in your attitude. If you walk into a store and stare into the SA's eyes and look confused when they approach you, of course you should expect to be treated poorly. Walk in, ignoring everyone and everything, and see how eager they are to be nice to you! If you can't handle that, it helps wonders if you have a classy mom dripping in diamonds

[loves]

A bit ot, more on service than on the kind of store. I'm working part-time for very popular makeup brand and am happy that I never look at customers/browsers in "that way".

Needless to say I've had some customers who take a long time before buying a certain item while others just buy without hesitation. I don't know why some SAs can be so snooty. I mean being an SA, you're paid only SO MUCH and instead of being snooty, you should be empathise and understand why someone has to think hard before parting ways with their hard-earned cash.

I'm only selling makeup and already I can see and sense some women feeling out of their element at the store. What more a luxury brand boutique? People should just aim to be nicer. Then again I've met customers who are just out to belittle you and order you around just because you're an SA Or the worst is you greet them and they don't even flick a look your way. So rude.

The best customers in any store state firmly and politely when approached that they're just browsing and will call out if they need any help. This way I can focus on customers who really need my help while leaving the browsers to do their thing.

Personally I've experienced both ends of the spectrum. If I were carrying a nice bag or dressed nicely, I'd get SAs just pushing things on me (I don't like this much actually). There are times when I'm just very casually dressed and I get ignored by SAs. Too bad they so blinded by blings and in-your-face brands, they don't cast down their eyes and look at my very understated but very expensive watch

[BrothaG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thras I can't believe the amount of trouble you guys have had in high-end boutiques and department stores! I get incredible service everywhere I go in Toronto, even if I'm walking in and out for a few minutes (any and every Bloor St. store). I guess it helps that most often it's with my mom - who SA's are afraid to approach (too classy ) - but I think it really depends on your attitude when you walk in. For example, when I was first growing up in my early teen years, I'd walk into Holt's with complete confidence, irrespective of how I was treated back then (as a kid). Now, I walk in, and not only do all the SA's greet me by name, they also go out of their way to show new items! Mind you, they tend to stick to the Richmond and McQueen (of which I was shown a $1200 cashmere knit with dress shirt collars, and which I politely declined), but nevertheless, you can't seem intimidated or shocked by anything. After all, it's only money. If you don't have it, you don't have it. Politely explain you rather look at Prada/Costume National/Boss, and more often than not, they'll understand your budget, or at least what's insanely out of your budget! When it comes down to it, it's all in your attitude. If you walk into a store and stare into the SA's eyes and look confused when they approach you, of course you should expect to be treated poorly. Walk in, ignoring everyone and everything, and see how eager they are to be nice to you! If you can't handle that, it helps wonders if you have a classy mom dripping in diamonds

I don't believe it's all about your attitude. It will definitely help but to some SA's, if you look 'bad' in their eyes, they're going to TREAT you bad.
I remember reading this magazine where they had this report of the same woman visiting a street filled with high-end stores, the first time wearing a 'Lindsay Lohan homeless'-outfit (AKA rockstar under cover), and the second time wearing a wonderful outfit and professional make-up.
The stores the woman visited in her first outfit treated her like she was the worst person on earth, making comments like "... but it is VERY expensive" etc.

When she walked in the stores the other day, perfectly groomed, the SA's couldn't keep their hands off of her and kept showing and showing more items. The only comment they made then was that she looked amazing and very much like a movie star. They had not the slightest worry about her budget.

Come on, most SA's are so stuck up their *** because they work for a designer label. They somehow get the feeling they actually designed all of the clothes and set up the entire brand. The attitude THEY carry should change, not that of normal people.

[vintage_princess]

Quote:

Originally Posted by katy I always find the assistants in Selfridges pretty rude and never there when you do need service and Harrods is the absolute pits for rude SA's.

I agree with the SAs at Selfridges! Most of them are so bitchy and stuck up because they are working there I have to say I have had much better customer service from SAs from boutiques like Chanel, Chloe etc. They are much more friendly and it actually makes me feel better buying from them.

[doo888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrothaG I remember reading this magazine where they had this report of the same woman visiting a street filled with high-end stores, the first time wearing a 'Lindsay Lohan homeless'-outfit (AKA rockstar under cover), and the second time wearing a wonderful outfit and professional make-up. The stores the woman visited in her first outfit treated her like she was the worst person on earth, making comments like "... but it is VERY expensive" etc. When she walked in the stores the other day, perfectly groomed, the SA's couldn't keep their hands off of her and kept showing and showing more items. The only comment they made then was that she looked amazing and very much like a movie star. They had not the slightest worry about her budget.

Ah, this reminds me of the film 'Pretty Woman' when she's on Rodeo Dr. looking for a outfit!

[Fade to Black]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrothaG I don't believe it's all about your attitude. It will definitely help but to some SA's, if you look 'bad' in their eyes, they're going to TREAT you bad. I remember reading this magazine where they had this report of the same woman visiting a street filled with high-end stores, the first time wearing a 'Lindsay Lohan homeless'-outfit (AKA rockstar under cover), and the second time wearing a wonderful outfit and professional make-up. The stores the woman visited in her first outfit treated her like she was the worst person on earth, making comments like "... but it is VERY expensive" etc. When she walked in the stores the other day, perfectly groomed, the SA's couldn't keep their hands off of her and kept showing and showing more items. The only comment they made then was that she looked amazing and very much like a movie star. They had not the slightest worry about her budget. Come on, most SA's are so stuck up their *** because they work for a designer label. They somehow get the feeling they actually designed all of the clothes and set up the entire brand. The attitude THEY carry should change, not that of normal people.

Karma for you! The last paragraph on your post is so on point and perfectly reflects what is wrong with the service in the high-end retail industry right now. I don't care if you look like a million bucks or you're slumming it that day, the stores' SA's should treat everyone with respect, as you never know who could be the person who makes the big splurge that day...any poor shopping experiences at such luxury stores are a reflection of the sales' problem, not the consumer. If they got a problem then they're not getting my money.