Stores / Websites with the Worst Customer Service

[scivolare]

funny I was going to come in here and say Chanel. I had the worst CS at the boutique in Paris...or `worst` I say because I didn`t get ANY service at all. After about 20 minutes of trying to get help I left.

This doesnt go for Japanese Chanels though...or any place in Japan for that matter. You can go to a grocery store and get 10x better service than anywhere in the west....

Of course, the whole *idea* was to buy something from Chanel *in* Paris.... but screw that...fuhget it...not worth it...

Wow, I've always had a pleasant experience at Chanel. The girl at the one in Paris was so friendly (it surprised me), and everytime that I go to the one in Houston - I am always treated very well.

 

[scivolare]

The bad experience I had was in Neiman Marcus Houston. The bad service wasn't directed to me, but my friends who were with me and I didn't like that at all. My friends were being followed through the store, they were being discouraged from touching anything, and were being completely ignored when they asked a question while the SA's were being completely nice to me. The bad treatment they were getting vs. the good treatment I was getting upset them so much that they told me that they were going to wait outside the store for me. Also one of the ladies at the NARS counter nearly bit my head off because I didn't want to buy a bronzer she suggested. Why the hell do I need bronzer when I'm already super-tanned naturally?

I was just there yesterday, and won't ever shop there again. I think that it's a pretty tell-tale sign when they only accept their own credit card and American Express (which is laughed at everywhere outside the U.S.).

 

[McQueenGirl]

I was just there yesterday, and won't ever shop there again. I think that it's a pretty tell-tale sign when they only accept their own credit card and American Express (which is laughed at everywhere outside the U.S.).

God I hate that! And then just when you are about to pay and you whip out your Visa they look at you and tell you, "I'm sorry but we don't accept Visa." Then you have to leave the store, go down the escalator to the Galleria's basement level/food court/ice staking rink, walk to the opposite side of the basement level and then wait in line to withdraw money from the ATM. But I rather do all that then apply for their stupid credit card. I won't fall for their marketing tricks!

 

[scivolare]

God I hate that! And then just when you are about to pay and you whip out your Visa they look at you and tell you, "I'm sorry but we don't accept Visa." Then you have to leave the store, go down the escalator to the Galleria's basement level/food court/ice staking rink, walk to the opposite side of the basement level and then wait in line to withdraw money from the ATM. But I rather do all that then apply for their stupid credit card. I won't fall for their marketing tricks!

Oh I just left. I knew I could get what I wanted at Nordstroms (which I did), so I told the lady that I just wasn't going to bother with all of that. And was stopped by 3 other ladies apologizing, and I just rolled my eyes - I mean, come on! Visa is the most widely accepted card in the world, and Neimans doesn't accept it. Bull.

But my mom and aunt stopped, and my aunt was visiting from England so she asked what they do with foreigners, since they clearly won't have a Neimans card, and American Express is not accepted anywhere outside the U.S. (regardless of what they tell you in the ads), and they said they have some special offices downstairs that will let you scan your visa and get a Neimans gift card. LMAO!

 

[MissMagAddict]

^ I actually got crummy customer service in a Nordstrom's last weekend It wasn't the front line really, it was management and the actual customer service department. I had somewhat of a special request, and the way they handled it ... I've asked for the exact same thing in another Nordstrom's with absolutely no problem. Hell, Target has done it for me with no problem. I'm afraid I wasn't very Zen about it either I marched back to the counter where my stuff had been swept aside and demanded to be checked out immediately Normally Nordstrom's is a great experience ... this store is the bottom of the Nordstrom's barrel in this area, and it doesn't seem to be well-managed ... at all.

You should email or call the store manager or district manager & tell them about your bad experience... Nordstrom is known for their customer service & upper management doesn't like to hear stories like this. My Mom had a bad experience once & talked to the store manager about it... they took care of her problem & also sent her some beautiful flowers & a lot of candy.

 

[modern_romance]

whoever said that zara has awful customer service you are absolutely correct. just so unhelpful and patronising when you ask them a question. i always find that they give you hateful stares and such too.
my most annoying experiance in there was when there was a fairly large que for the till, one girl was serving while the manager looked through one of their department books and a further two sa's just chattered and didnt serve anybody. if we did that where i worked there would be hell to pay.

 

[fashionista-ta]

Oh I just left. I knew I could get what I wanted at Nordstroms (which I did), so I told the lady that I just wasn't going to bother with all of that. And was stopped by 3 other ladies apologizing, and I just rolled my eyes - I mean, come on! Visa is the most widely accepted card in the world, and Neimans doesn't accept it. Bull.

But my mom and aunt stopped, and my aunt was visiting from England so she asked what they do with foreigners, since they clearly won't have a Neimans card, and American Express is not accepted anywhere outside the U.S. (regardless of what they tell you in the ads), and they said they have some special offices downstairs that will let you scan your visa and get a Neimans gift card. LMAO!

Now that is good to know!! Now that we have Barney's and a primo Nordstrom, Neiman's is just a distant (rather unpleasant) memory ... I think last time I went there was for Ferragamo, but now we have a Ferragamo boutique too

I assume that American Express must give them big bucks ...

Flowers and candy, MMA, that is tempting

 

[mkd1187]

I had a semi-bad but very annoying experience at Bloomingdale's in Soho. I wanted this John Hardy bracelet, and literally stood there looking around to make eye contact with someone. It was a little bit before closing, and one girl was reading a magazine, and the other SA was chatting with her boyfriend - who I assume was waiting for her to get off. She totally saw me but every time I looked over - she would avoid making eye contact.

It took literally 15 minutes and I finally stormed over and said "sorry to interrupt!!! But I want to BUY something!!"

She ended up being really nice... but still!

 

[aris]

funny I was going to come in here and say Chanel. I had the worst CS at the boutique in Paris...or `worst` I say because I didn`t get ANY service at all. After about 20 minutes of trying to get help I left.

This doesnt go for Japanese Chanels though...or any place in Japan for that matter. You can go to a grocery store and get 10x better service than anywhere in the west....

Of course, the whole *idea* was to buy something from Chanel *in* Paris.... but screw that...fuhget it...not worth it...

well Chanel Vienna is the worst! closely followed by Chanel Zurich.
Las Vegas Chanels - there are several shops - perfect service!
Munich -nice, London nice - both on Sloane street and new Bond street
Paris is so-so - too many people!

 

[LetThemEatCake]

I hate Nordstrom! Despise it! Loathe it!! OK, it's actually just the Flagship store in Downtown Seattle on 5th and Pine I dont like. Actually it's a toss-up as to what department you're in. Get this. I usually purchase from Nordstrom Store #4 in Bellevue, WA because I have some very good friends in Cosmetics there that I've been customers of for a long time. I was downtown however one day, didnt feel like making the eastside commute, and attempting to return some skincare that didnt work for me. The total return price was like $500-something. Naturally the register at the cosmetics counter didnt have that much cash so I had to go up to Customer Service, where you think they'd be chipper and go way OUT of their way to be friendly. I attempt to get my cash back, and for this, they need a photo ID. I dont drive, so I dont have a drivers license, yet I have a military ID which is the same, has my photo, an ID #, etc. The woman just stares at it like I've pulled out a gun when I hand it to her. She tells me, "I've got to check and see if this is accepted here," and gets on the phone, calls someone, "Hi do we take Merchant Marine Document as an ID for a return? Says issued by the US Coast Guard." I'm standing there feeling like a terrorist or something, just getting slowly heated. She hangs up and says that my ID isnt acceptable, that it doesnt have enough numbers to enter into the system!? I call her a.s.s. out because I've used this as my ID for years, and returned items at another Nordstrom with it, and never had an issue. She doesnt say "I'm very sorry" or anything to try and calm me, (I wasnt hysterical, but visibly agitated) instead she grabs a gift card and puts the $500 on it! Like I want to keep shopping at your store? No, I wanted my cash! Long story short I purchased stuff off the gift card, then returned it all for cash another day. The same day I was looking at Rick Owens in the Collectors department and a lovely woman was right on me, asking if I wanted to try anything on, have a seat and some water, so...Nordstrom's is very hit and miss. I still dont like them though, except for my friends at Bellevue Store #4.

To whomever mentioned Prada and Dior in Honolulu, I know those are great stores, and that mall, Ala Moana, gets SO HOT! I was living there a couple years ago and I sweat pretty easily, (15 mins of cardio and I'm drenched) and just from walking around I had pit stains but everyone was friendly and acted like they didnt notice.

I love the Neiman's at Ala Moana...the women at the Natura Bisse counter are so nice!

 

[MTRLBY]

as for the barneys new york IN new york, on 60th and madison..
i went into the menswear department, typical very stuffy customer service.
as for the men's co-op, its not as bad, but its not the best customer service either.
i was actually surprised last weekend, when i asked one of the older gentlemen working in the suits section, where the restroom was, and he actually walked me to the nearest one, and i wasn't even carrying a barneys shopping bag either!

 

[iLoveCouture]

LETC -

I worked at Nordstrom in DC for years and as long as it was a government issued ID, they should have given you the cash! They have to enter the info on the ID into the system for cash returns which is why they needed it. If I were you, I would send a letter to the store manager and describe your experience so they can make sure that this does not happen again.

 

[MTRLBY]

i almost forgot about good customer service,
dior homme on 57th street in new york has consistently good service.
theyre not overly friendly, but you feel comfortable, and not inferior shopping there.

and OF COURSE, almost all luxury stores in japan are amazing.
the designer stand-in shops in seibu department store in shibuya are great.
i was looking for the y-3 stand in shop, and asked a yohji SA where i could find it, and he led me all the way to y-3, which was 6 floors beneath us

 

[fashionista-ta]

LetThemEatCake, sounds exactly like the "Customer Service" I encountered at Nordstrom's, except in a different location. It's like they're dying to tell you no. And same thing, I was treated like a parolee or something--as opposed to a loyal Nordstrom's cardholder & customer. They need some mystery shoppers if you ask me ...

 

[kezme44]

hermes on worth avenue in palm beach, or for that matter any boutique in palm beach except for the chains (saks, etc..). so incredibly stuffy. i honestly don't get where the snottiness of the sales people comes from. i mean, you are a sales person, you don't actually own the store, why are you feeling so important. if you are not going to spend $2000 in hermes don't even bother going in. the service is terrible. one time i went in to buy the h-hour watch and i was given a scratched version and the sales person's comment was "well, it gets moved around from safe to safe, so it normal" another time, i went in to buy the h belt and i was given an attitude just because i asked them if they could order it for me. i guess it's difficult to order something for someone if it costs less than $1000. if you don't own a black amex, you are treated like ****. i don't even bother anymore, now i just go to bal harbour. some of the sales people seriously need a reality check. i was in a nonconfrontational mood otherwise i would have given them one....

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ I really think the answer to what is up with the snotty SAs must be that they are people who don't see the value in themselves, so they work at a prestigious place in order to attach that "label" to themselves. Therefore they believe they are Hermes, or whatever ...

Has Hermes won a Nobel Peace Prize or something that I haven't heard about? Otherwise it's just leather and scarves and perfume in an orange box with ribbon ...

 

[LetThemEatCake]

LETC -

I worked at Nordstrom in DC for years and as long as it was a government issued ID, they should have given you the cash! They have to enter the info on the ID into the system for cash returns which is why they needed it. If I were you, I would send a letter to the store manager and describe your experience so they can make sure that this does not happen again.

Yeah I'm familiar with their need for a photo ID to enter into the system for a cash refund, but the fact that I was bold-faced LIED to, told that my ID wasnt acceptable, I was shocked because I'd never been told that before, and I've always used this particular ID. I just might take your advice and write a letter.

LetThemEatCake, sounds exactly like the "Customer Service" I encountered at Nordstrom's, except in a different location. It's like they're dying to tell you no. And same thing, I was treated like a parolee or something--as opposed to a loyal Nordstrom's cardholder & customer. They need some mystery shoppers if you ask me ...

I would love to be a mystery shopper, however I'd probably give myself away to a person that treated me bad, because I'd want to say something about how rude they are. It's just un fathomable how up their own **** some people are, when all they are is a SA.

 

[MissMagAddict]

LETC -

I worked at Nordstrom in DC for years and as long as it was a government issued ID, they should have given you the cash! They have to enter the info on the ID into the system for cash returns which is why they needed it. If I were you, I would send a letter to the store manager and describe your experience so they can make sure that this does not happen again.

iLoveCouture is right... this is totally unacceptable & should never have happened to you LTEC... I would have pitched a fit to the store manager.

I hope it's OK to post something positive in this thread... so here's my latest Nordy story... 5th & Pine Seattle... I have been clearing out the clutter in my apt & I found an Issey Miyake L'eau D'Issey Candle still wrapped with the price & N sticker on it that I bought 10 years ago... it was around $60.00. I took it back & said to them... I know this is really old... but it is still wrapped with the price sticker on it... would it be possible to return it? The SA was very courteous & had to check a couple of things about the code to enter... etc... since it was so old... but they gave me my money back in full & were lovely about it & one of the other SA's even gave me some cologne samples I was interested in as well.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ I probably need to contact the district manager as well ... once again made the same request at Target yesterday & once again they were super nice to me. It's a PITA & I don't like to complain, but it's true they need to know they have a problem ...

 

[iLoveCouture]

^^ Thats good to hear MMA.

I remember we did have a few weeks with mystery shoppers and the managers got all of the reports on what they thought - it really helped if you ask me.