Shopping At Luxury Stores

[unplugged66]

Oh man have I had a few bad experiences in luxury stores!

I always get treated poorly due to the fact that I am young and apparently when you are young according to sales associates you don’t have money. The first time I ever walked into a Louis Vuitton store, was the one located on Bloor & Bay. I had just gotten out of school and I was looking for a gift for my mother with my sister. However since I had just gotten out of school I was still in uniform. The minute we walked in this Asian sales associate looked both down on me and my sister. I started to walk towards the case where the men’s wallets were located and I noticed the sales associate gesture to the security guard to pay attention to me. Anyways my sister and I never felt so uncomfortable. That day both her and I had intentions of buying an item or two but due to the fact that we felt so uncomfortable an demised we left the store, felling really down. I don’t believe I have ever been treated so poorly in my life. They looked down on my sister and I and then hinted to the security guard to keep an eye on us.

Another incident which was not too long ago, at the Gucci store located on Bloor & Bay as well. I was walking along Bloor street that day and I decided to walk into the Gucci store, just for the hell of it. Since I had made no plans to go there I was just dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. When I got inside I felt so out of place. I looked around and saw the pouch I had wanted and decided I wanted to see it. I waited for about 10 minutes, until some guy came and served me. He as well looked down at me as if I had no money. At that point I got fed up and started to act a bit more confident due to my past experiences. He only started to treat me fairly once I got a bit of attitude going, but up until the point I said I would take it. He was a complete jerk. Then when he asked how I was going to pay for it, and I said interac and he paused and said “are you sure” as if insinuating I didn’t have sufficient funds. After all the paper work, he rushed me out of the store. It felt crappy but I got what I wanted.

Pfft, I even get treated bad at Holt and yet I have spent thousands there over the past two years. However since I told of this one girl at the Diesel counter, each time I walk in there she always comes to compliment me and so on. So I guess you just have to assert yourself with confidence and awareness.

I still get treated very poorly till this day. However I have learnt that a little attitude can take you a long way. I now walk into luxury stores with confidence and demand that I be treated fair. However this whole situation with sales associates will never change, it’s been like this for years. I just find it appalling that you have to get dressed like you are going to a wedding just to buy something. I just find it hilarious that the people whom work at luxury stores act as if they have some sort of career and PHD yet they work in retail.

 

[Fashion_diva]

Im from montreal so when I go shopping in NYC im going the whole day with no breaks. Crazy walking! I dont feel like wearing nice shoes or anything. I wear a pair of juicy jogging pants too. I do feel like sales people want to look down on people. However, I always go with confidence and never get treated badly because I take control. My mom and friends laugh because i totally out snob them and get them running around the whole place. Saks in nyc is great. People are even annoying -- to many perfume ladies wanting to spray me. Henri Bendel, Bloomies sales people are also nice.

Barneys is the only place I really feel they think they own the place. When i went once (when i was younger) i looked totally a mess. It was the end of the day and i was tired. I went to the Stila makeup counter and this guy was so rude to me. It looked like he thought I was his store! LOL! That did not last for long though.... I totally snobbed him right back. I made him run around for so long and I just bought a lipstick!!! Everyone with me was laughing!

I think at first it is how you look, but after that it is how you act. If you go in looking shy then they will sense that and assume you do not belong. If you look dressed down, but act like u are a billionaire .... the sales people will do anything for u.

 

[vintage_princess]

Im from montreal so when I go shopping in NYC im going the whole day with no breaks. Crazy walking! I dont feel like wearing nice shoes or anything. I wear a pair of juicy jogging pants too. I do feel like sales people want to look down on people. However, I always go with confidence and never get treated badly because I take control. My mom and friends laugh because i totally out snob them and get them running around the whole place. Saks in nyc is great. People are even annoying -- to many perfume ladies wanting to spray me. Henri Bendel, Bloomies sales people are also nice.

Barneys is the only place I really feel they think they own the place. When i went once (when i was younger) i looked totally a mess. It was the end of the day and i was tired. I went to the Stila makeup counter and this guy was so rude to me. It looked like he thought I was his store! LOL! That did not last for long though.... I totally snobbed him right back. I made him run around for so long and I just bought a lipstick!!! Everyone with me was laughing!

I think at first it is how you look, but after that it is how you act. If you go in looking shy then they will sense that and assume you do not belong. If you look dressed down, but act like u are a billionaire .... the sales people will do anything for u.

I totally agree its your attitude. Well put

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ After yet another of these experiences this week, there is almost no customer behavior I could fault ...

I stopped by the new upscale Nordstrom's. Had a good experience in the shoe dept where I ran into a great SA who'd transferred from another Nordstrom's, but when I stopped by the designer dept to see what was new, it was another story. Here comes the SA with her sorority attitude ... she compliments my coat, and asks me "who's it by." When I told her (it's my fun coat, not designer, more contemporary priced but who cares--that's what makes it fun), she sniffs "oh!" & turns on her heel & walks off, never bothering of course to find out if I have questions.

Earlier I had called the store to find out if they were having any designer trunk shows, and the SA who answered the phone didn't even know what I was talking about--said she would be happy to put one together for me I politely explained that I meant for fall, asked when they would be getting books for the line I was interested in, etc.

Now I am putting up with the fact that these SAs don't know what they're doing and shouldn't be working in the dept in the first place. I'm answering their stupid questions. And then this child has the gall to give me the message that if I come in not wearing designer from head to toe, I shouldn't be there.

I went on to the new vaunted restaurant, only one in the country, and was served raw chicken.

So when I got back to the office, I called the store manager to let her know of my experiences that day. She was very nice, the conversation was satisfactory, and I felt confident that she would take steps to improve the situation. I was still steaming though.

I specifically go to Nordstrom's for the service, and in this case, for merchandise I can't find anywhere else. It's absolutely ludicrous for me to be treated nicely (very nicely) when I'm buying jeans for less than $100, but treated like s*** when I'm contemplating spending thousands of dollars.

I think we need to complain and keep complaining until the situation changes.

I also will say this ... the next SA who's a b*tch to me had better be prepared for me to turn on her. I prefer to go thru life with claws well sheathed, but I am gonna be prepared next time. I should have dragged her *** back over and insisted she identify every label of every piece of clothing she was wearing, and then given her my sincere opinion of each.

I am not gonna take it any more

 

[southerncutie]

generally, i've had excellent service in the DC area... the salespeople have been so kind and helpful when I've gone shopping. I went to Neimans, Saks, etc. in a hunt for a formal dress for a friend (who is picky and, to be frank, bitchy) and they all bent over backwards to help us. The Neimans at Tysons and Maza Gallerie? ♥ so fabulous!

 

[Pastry]

I should have dragged her *** back over and insisted she identify every label of every piece of clothing she was wearing, and then given her my sincere opinion of each.[/B]

I am not gonna take it any more

thank you. i knw H&M by heart ans i can tell you with confidence that most of the sales associated at holt renfrew here wear not stella mccartney, but stella cmcartney by h&m ....and not knowing what a trunk show is?

 

[darkintragedy]

I agree with the age factor and how you "present" yourself. It seems that the younger you are, the less attention/respect you get because they don't think you have enough money.

Bahh.

 

[katy]

In London - i've said it before in other threads but I love and would highly recommend Liberty as a positive luxury store experience. The SA's have always been incredibly nice to me and very knowledgable about their product - they seem particularly good in the bag department. As a plus the building is an absolutley beautiful example of art noveau style - shopping and culture in one, what more could you ask for!

They are streets ahead of those in Harrods, Harvey Nicks and Selfridges - I have had some very negative experiences partcularly in Selfridges, though it is so huge with so many concessions it is hard to generalize I guess.

 

[travis_nw8]

^wow, i've had the opposite experience at liberty's- most of the sales staff are students and pretty useless- with the exception of maybe homeware. the menswear staff is pretty poor in particular. but the store is so pretty and there are some hard to find brands- so i'll forgive it...

 

[vintage_princess]

I found my Liberty experience fine..the SAs were quite friendly but I dont go there much to be honest.

 

[juzuxel]

I went shopping to San Fransisco and here are some of my experiences with luxury strores...

Chanel: Great service allthought I'm really young and all that many of the SAs were asking if I needed help or is someone helping me already. Everything went smothly in there and I was happy after buying a necklage for my mom.

Marc Jacobs: Quite helpful service but there were too many SAs in that store. One was opening the door which was nice but then there were at least 5 other SAs and because the store is pretty small that was kind of odd but I got good service so not too much to complain.

Gucci: I went in tried to talk to the SAs noone paid any attention and they all were trying to look bussy! They all had to help this young gay couple from Asia who were buying the whole shop! SO I just walked away!

Those were the only luxury stores that I had time to go (only 1 hour to shop) but I liked Chicagos boutigues service much more!

 

[travis_nw8]

yesterday- i was looking for a croc clutch for my sisters birthday at chanel- i found the staff lacking product knowledge and the service poor- i was left to stand in the middle of the store for at least 10 mins waiting- so i left and i'll pick it up when i'm in back in paris ( where the service is exceptional).

 

[style_expert]

I'm living in Paris for almost a month now. Yesterday it was the first time I paid a visit to the new Louis Vuitton 'Palais store' (or don't know how they call it) on the Champs Elysees. This is now the biggest LV store on the planet with 6 or 7 floors. I expected quite a lot and while the architecture might be spectacular, the whole experience was really bad. Once you enter the store you get the feeling you're in a Chinese or Japanese ultra chic supermarket. Don't get me wrong, I've nothing against Chinese, Japanese or other Asian people, not at all. But this new store is just so crowded with Asian people who really buy a lot (I have no clue how they can pay it all but that's another story). There are sooooo many SA but they all seem occupied with clients (which didn't bother me at all, because I wasn't buying anything) The point is that with this mass sales the whole exclusivity of buying a $1500 bag is getting less exclusive. It really looked like a supermarket. When leaving the door there was a SA saying goodbye in 4 languages (not in French BTW) to the clients like a robot. Maybe I was just on the wrong time at the wrong place, but I've heard more complaints about this LV store. The store located on the nearby George V avenue was very quiet.
I didn't like LV very much, but now it's very likely I won't buy a LV product ever again. I think it's far better to keep a store smaller, more intimate and more exclusive. It's not supposed to be a Walmart!

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Did you check out the no light/no sound elevator while you were there?

I remember my aunt giving me one of her blouses after she saw someone of another race wearing it. I found this quite laughable at the time, and thought the whole incident really showed her up

Now you've probably made an excellent decision wrt LV But at the same time, I think it's important to love the things you love for what they truly are vs their status or exclusivity. If you do that, no one can ever ruin them for you.

 

[travis_nw8]

the ground floor of the new vuitton superstore is madness- but i had a great time at menswear on the first floor - friendly sales assistant, large private fitting room and champagne(though awful)- and i found the coat that both london stores were unwilling to transfer for me.

 

[style_expert]

the ground floor of the new vuitton superstore is madness- but i had a great time at menswear on the first floor - friendly sales assistant, large private fitting room and champagne(though awful)- and i found the coat that both london stores were unwilling to transfer for me.

Yes they indeed have every single piece of every single collection. That's true. I've been on the menswear department but it was very crowded so was the womens wear, shoes and luggage. But like I said, perhaps I was there on the wrong time.

I waited for the elevator for almost 5 minutes, but at the end I've never seen it. Well, I can always go back! I live on 10 minutes from the store!

 

[Pinky*]

i agree with ta-ta.. its pretty unavoidable anyways.. where would profits be without mass sales to these people who will spend $1500 at the drop of a hat.. unless all luxury brands start raising prices to promote more exclusitivity (which they already have.. there was an article somewhere here on TFS about this.. my wallet has taken notice as well ) .. nowadays exclusitivity doesnt really mean the same thing anymore.. its much more marketing..

 

[haruki]

Those of you who are having trouble shopping in fine establishments either need to learn how to snap your fingers real loud when you walk into a botique, or you need to start spending more money. Those are the only two ways I know of to gain the respect of snooty sales associates unless you are asian. If you are asian you have their respect the second you walk through the door, unless you have buck teeth. If you are asian and have buck teeth you have to show them your credit card in order to be treated with respect. Gays can get away without spending money to get respect, but they usually need to snap a few times.

 

[travis_nw8]

^ too true...

 

[Pastry]

Those of you who are having trouble shopping in fine establishments either need to learn how to snap your fingers real loud when you walk into a botique, or you need to start spending more money. Those are the only two ways I know of to gain the respect of snooty sales associates unless you are asian. If you are asian you have their respect the second you walk through the door, unless you have buck teeth. If you are asian and have buck teeth you have to show them your credit card in order to be treated with respect. Gays can get away without spending money to get respect, but they usually need to snap a few times.

this may be true, but this is the queeniest thing i've ever heard...the bottom line is, a bad attitude from the sa is unacceptable, they're just SAs. this shouldn't even be a topic for discussion in the first place.

unfortunately it is.