Stores / Websites with the Worst Customer Service

[iLoveCouture]

^ 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 ...

Exactly ta-ta. If they don't know that they have a problem, they can't fix it.

 

[lucy92]

i never go to the niemans due to their credit card rule...i remember running to the atm after learning about their cash only or amex or our card rule...and of course the SA treated me like i was pond scum.

 

[kezme44]

i succumbed recently and got their credit card but now i have an amex, so that's going to get canceled.
i advocate for a mass purge of SAs...stalin style

 

[McQueenGirl]

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

I totally agree MTRLBY! The luxury stores in Japan really know how to treat their customers. I remember I went to a lux department store and though I am Japanese, I don't speak much of the language. The SA's were infinity patient with me and they did their very best to speak to me in English. They were so kind and understanding! I could never imagine getting that kind of treatment in the states.

And I agree with you LTEC. The Neimans in Ala Moana is very good unlike most of the Neimans out there. But please write that letter to Nordstroms! I can't believe they would treat a soldier like that If I was there I would have jumped in and given that SA a piece of my mind.

Oh and another good experience I had was at the Michael Kors store in The Palazzo (sp?) in Vegas. There's an adorable Italian woman that works there that was very bubbly and she just cracked me up. I wasn't planning on buying shoes but she was so wonderful and brightened up my day so much that I bought some shoes from her.

 

[isolagirl]

Susan in San Francisco and Grocery Store in San Francisco

As soon as you walk in, they stock you. When I enter I always say if I can browse or have a look" and they ALWAYS stay 2 meters behind me. It gives me the horrible sensation of someone that is breathing on my neck. I can't take it. And as soon as i barely touch something, they immediately say "oh that piece is wonderful!"

They have no idea how to sell nor how to understand customers.

It's too bad, because I would go there more often as they carry a lot of lanvin, marni, commes des garcons, etc...

 

[LetThemEatCake]

And I agree with you LTEC. The Neimans in Ala Moana is very good unlike most of the Neimans out there. But please write that letter to Nordstroms! I can't believe they would treat a soldier like that If I was there I would have jumped in and given that SA a piece of my mind.

I'm actually not a soldier, I just have a Military ID because I work on a cruise ship, which requires you to have a MMD (Merchant Marine Document) to work aboard a vessel. Still, I shouldnt have been treated that way. I did, however, get the name of the store manager and will consider writing a letter, not that I expect anything to occur.

The Neiman's in Ala Moana is definitely very very different than other Neiman's. Every time I went in there I was always helped, complimented, taken care of. The one in Beverly Hills? Forget it. Except there is a nice guy named Courtney in Men's that kept complimenting me on my sunglasses and asking me what I was up to..I dont know if he was hitting on me or what...I went to Cosmetics, the La Prairie counter and asked a woman for a sample of a cream, and some flaming gay came out of nowhere (eavesdropping because he had no customers I assume) and said, 'They never have samples of that!'

 

[fashionista-ta]

Susan in San Francisco and Grocery Store in San Francisco

As soon as you walk in, they stock you. When I enter I always say if I can browse or have a look" and they ALWAYS stay 2 meters behind me. It gives me the horrible sensation of someone that is breathing on my neck. I can't take it. And as soon as i barely touch something, they immediately say "oh that piece is wonderful!"

They have no idea how to sell nor how to understand customers.

It's too bad, because I would go there more often as they carry a lot of lanvin, marni, commes des garcons, etc...

I suspect they're on commission ...

When I worked in retail, I got hazed by a very interesting woman who had worked at the store for 30+ years They were upset because it was a particularly slow summer & I came in & outsold them It wasn't deliberate, of course, I was just doing the best I could with the hand I was dealt.

Anyway, we strictly took turns helping the people who walked in the door. When it was my turn, if I wasn't right with "my" customer at all times, she would come up & hiss at me. I remember this couple telling me to back off, and I explained that [name withheld] would hiss at me if I wasn't with them So you never know ...

But I would just quietly ask the SA's name, explain that you'd like to browse on your own, & that you will be certain to ask for him/her if you decide to try or buy something.

 

[reese06]

As a sales associate myself at the moment, I can say that a lot of stores have horrible customer service but a lot of CUSTOMERS also don't recognize OUTSTANDING customer service and are not used to it.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ I will certainly admit to not being used to it

My expectations were really raised by the experience of being an SA ... I realized how good it could be. I was young at the time & had literally never experienced good customer service. One thing I did learn is how wrong it is to yell at one SA for another's mistake ...

 

[McQueenGirl]

I'm actually not a soldier, I just have a Military ID because I work on a cruise ship, which requires you to have a MMD (Merchant Marine Document) to work aboard a vessel. Still, I shouldnt have been treated that way. I did, however, get the name of the store manager and will consider writing a letter, not that I expect anything to occur.

LOL, I should read more carefully . I saw the words "Military ID" and "Marine" and just ran with it. Anyways you should not have been treated like that.

 

[sill]

it's not a store but, i hate it when the SA runs by the dressingroom and asks if you're ok in there.. i just want to be alone when i'm in the dressingroom

and i definately hate it when they go inside.. i mean
who does that?

 

[iLoveCouture]

Sill, believe it or not, I have come across lots of clients that want me in the dressing room with them. They just want my full attention and don't care if I see their goods. I don't mind, its actually flattering that they trust me so much to be in their personal space like that.

I recently had a dose of bad service at the Kate Spade store in Georgetown, DC. I went in with my mom and grandmother and one of the SA's kept staring at us and I caught her looking us up and down like criminals. I look her in the eye and she still does not say hello or see if we need any help with anything. We didn't end up getting anything, but geez - greet your customers if you want them to come back later and stop acting like you're too good to say hello!

 

[tuttyfruit]

I usually get great customer service wherever I go.. well I think it's great customer service.. it's just that it gets annoying.. I'm happy w/ a greeting and a "May I help you with anything?".. but sometimes there are S.A.'s that are up my ***.. and I hate it.. if I have selected something they always ask to reserve a dressing room but I get impatient while shopping and I usually never try clothes on.. Okay.. Asking once is alright (and I guess they're trained to do that) but some keep asking every 5 minutes.. it gets annoying.. I also don't like when S.A.'s ask if I'm okay and if I like w/e I'm trying on and if I want to try something else that I might like. Hmmm.. No..

I don't like S.A.'s who won't let me browse the shop in peace..

I don't think I've ever had a bad experience.. except one time when I paid something in cash.. the S.A. looked annoyed.. and it took FOREVER for me to get my change.. I noticed most S.A.'s expect their customers to pay with credit card.. Most assume you'll pay w/ CC. I always use cash though.

 

[haute femme]

I work at a pretty small Gap store and our customers are very cooperative and gracious for the most part... although some people want to be tended-to like they're divas but I just go with it...

as for our service, it's much more friendly than some other retail stores in my mall. I personally think the worst service is in the smaller, cuter boutiques. I just feel looked down upon when I'm in there. but whatev.

 

[baRose]

it's not a store but, i hate it when the SA runs by the dressingroom and asks if you're ok in there.. i just want to be alone when i'm in the dressingroom

and i definately hate it when they go inside.. i mean
who does that?

Ha ha! I hate that too. They usually ask right when I’m close to being nude and even though they are not coming in, I just feel strange with them hanging out outside my door.

They would never come inside unless I needed help though (back zipper, etc)

 

[reese06]

They're trying to make sure that if you need another size that you don't have to put all your clothing back on and then go looking and have to repeat the process. I expect this, especially when I'm in a high fashion store, when it doesn't happen and I need a size, I'm quite annoyed.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Agreed. Some of what's being described here is actually good service ... although of course tone matters--there's a right and a wrong way to do the right thing.

 

[Starry_Night]

I'm not a huge fan of the sales people at Jeffrey in NY. Every time I've ever been in the store, the sales people have always seemed to follow me around - to the point in which I've felt that my personal space was being invaded. I've also had a few sales people who were either overly pushy, or who simply made strange comments.
It's a shame because despite the fact that the store has a great shoe selection, I've never wanted to stay for very long. However, the store has a pretty strong following, so I might be the only one who gets freaked out by the staff at Jeffrey.

 

[baRose]

Yeah, I think its the tone. And I'm also just painfully shy sometimes.

You're right, it is good customer service because I would be pissed if I need a different size and my SA didn’t offer.

 

[á la Balenciaga]

I usually get great customer service anywhere I go. I went to Vegas just recently and I walked into MaxMara @ caesars palace, omg, they were super friendly!