Stores / Websites with the Worst Customer Service

[Frenger.]

Topshop Oxford Circus - depends on who you get, but it can be awful.

I also had quite a bad experience at Oxford Circus Topshop, everyone was rather bitter, not that I expect them to be particularly nice and jolly...just not particularly bitter. I gave the girl back two garments from the changeroom, they weren't properly hung up, and the she kinda glared at me with this really cold expression and said 'thanks...' in an almost sarcastic way. I'm not quite sure if your supposed to hang up your own stuff in England, but in the shop I used to work at you certainly didn't...It was expected that the SA's would do it for you.

I was on the other side of the shop in another changeroom and I passed one garment (I hung it up this time ) and I just hung it on the rack. (I thought I was being polite, I always thought it was cute when people did that where I used to work) and the lady, standing about 1 metre away says in this really bitchy tone "Um, can you give that to me"
I kind of felt like a massive idiot the whole time, but At least I bought a cute pair of jeans
Even in Sydney, I enter a shop and the girl downstairs is really bitchy and the girl and guy upstairs at the cash register are soo lovely and talkative. SO I dunno, I could have just interacted with bad people.

 

[Thefrenchy]

Louis Vuitton, Avenue Montaigne - Paris: the problem was their youngest SAs. Those boys felt like they owned the boutique! I had been walking in the boutique for five good minutes, the place wasn't crowded at all and none of them offered their help. They, instead, were chatting and had this annoying attitude... As I was on my way to leave, an older SA showed up out of nowhere and asked me if I had found what I wanted. I said that I hadn't and mentioned that none of the guys offered their help. She was sorry and asked me if she could help. I agreed, she offered me to seat and brought everything to me.

I noticed that the problems were often because of young SAs. I don't know if it's because I'm basically their age and I don't seem too nice or if they just lack professionalism but it's annoying.

 

[lucy92]

i would hazard a guess that a lot of rich people are fed up with SA's and poor service...(excerpt from a wsj.com)
Post-Recession, the Rich Are Different


What's showing up in the latest research is a broad-based caution—a sudden aversion to salespeople, a tepid response to ads focused on brand images, and a new interest in price-shopping. In Harrison Group's first-quarter survey of consumers with a median income of $275,000, 38% said they wait for items to go on sale, versus 31% in 2010.
....Nor do they want salespeople hammering away at them. Only 2% said they trust salespeople—down from nearly 50% four years ago.

 

[Frenger.]

Wow! 2% thats very interesting...
Although I can't actually think of a reason why you would ever trust a SA...

 

[Desi]

Maybe that is why I have to grab random shoppers to voice their opinion on a piece a customer is appraising?

 

[memoiana]

I'll echo everyone else and say Zara too, I once heard a tannoy message to call a manager to the till in SPANISH at a London store.

I'm a student and I work part time as a sales assistant, my managers are very strict about how we approach customers, not to follow them around if they're happy to have a look around and not to chat about our personal lives on the shop floor, etc.

Sometimes we get customers who really want to have a chat while they're shopping and sometimes it's obvious when a customer just wants to be left alone. I once had an awful experience where I could not offer the lady a refund because she didn't have a receipt and it was a sale item from a few seasons back. She wouldn't take an exchange, so she decided to start screaming obscenities, including calling me a 'stupid b***h' alongside a homophobic slur at my manager. Not a very nice experience!

 

[lifeistiffanyblu]

wow memoiana thats hardcore!^

 

[blackkohl]

Urban Outfitters! Only on a few occasions have I gone into my nearest store to receive good service! I mean, come on, surely the sales assistants can at least smile?!

 

[Lacroix]

All of the Browns boutiques in London have the most pretentious and suspicious staff. It's damn right rude how they follow you around a few paces, literally tailing you with judging expressions on their face either thinking a) you can't afford to shop there and/or b) you're about to steal. It's a combination depending which store you're in. I've always ended up going to Harvey Nichols to get whatever it was I wanted from there so they've lost money from a bag or pair of shoes I would have spend hundreds on.

French Sole in London also had rude staff that can't be bothered. And the Louboutin in Motcomb Street has pretty poor service with blase Staff. The Mount St Louboutin has some nice SA's though

 

[beduina]

All of the Browns boutiques in London have the most pretentious and suspicious staff. It's damn right rude how they follow you around a few paces, literally tailing you with judging expressions on their face either thinking a) you can't afford to shop there and/or b) you're about to steal. It's a combination depending which store you're in. I've always ended up going to Harvey Nichols to get whatever it was I wanted from there so they've lost money from a bag or pair of shoes I would have spend hundreds on.

French Sole in London also had rude staff that can't be bothered. And the Louboutin in Motcomb Street has pretty poor service with blase Staff. The Mount St Louboutin has some nice SA's though

I've been to each of those boutiques (except for French Sole) you mentioned and you're absolutely RIGHT. They should drop the attitude they only work in a shop (this comes from someone who woks in retail btw). At the end of the day they are the ones missing out on commissions BIG TIME
I also agree with Mont Street having nice Sales advisors along with Harvey Nichols.

 

[Deleted member 1957]

its not a fashion store but I did get the worst customer service of all time @ Best Buy! My goodness worst shopping experience ever thankfully its s reflecting in their sales

 

[glitterpeacock]

It's damn right rude how they follow you around a few paces, literally tailing you with judging expressions on their face either thinking a) you can't afford to shop there and/or b) you're about to steal. It's a combination depending which store you're in.

It's foolish when staff underestimate the power of good customer service. I had a similar experience in a MANGO shop in Manchester. I went in for a really specific item and couldn't find it. The shop assistant followed me all round the store not once saying a word to me and watching as if I was going to take a mannequin and run with it. I've not been in since.

 

[lucy92]

i was in H&M last night browsing a rack and a sales assistant came up behind me and said "i need to get in there" (he had a stack of clothes in his arm and wanted to restock it i guess)

before i could turn to move away, he started restocking and hanging items pushing me out of the way

i dont even know why i bother going in there anyway, i rarely find anything to buy.

 

[Margaret24]

Armani Exchange

 

[modela]

Honestly , i have been on this ''i just don't give a **** ""fase lately...so when i was at Hugo Boss and the SA kept following me , i told her i didnt need her assistance and if i did i would let her know.Poof! She was like OK and walked back.I just dont have the patience anymore.And another thing if i get treated rudely , i just dont let i go anymore ..instead i ask for the manager.

 

[lucy92]

ive had a few experiences where i've asked a sales person where a particular item is in the store...they tell me they dont know and "what we have is out there". when i've said "dont worry - i'll ask the manager" ive had sales assistants run after me offering me to find the item immediately.

i'm also really tired of stores pushing store credit cards to customers/me at every available opportunity. usually it happens when i already have cash out in full view of the salesperson.

 

[missbluejean]

It's damn right rude how they follow you around a few paces, literally tailing you with judging expressions on their face either thinking a) you can't afford to shop there and/or b) you're about to steal. It's a combination depending which store you're in.

That's exactly the look I got at Lanvin Hong Kong.

I've had good experiences with various Miu Miu stores. I like that their SAs aren't too nosy with anything I approach.

*not clothing store but Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf definitely deserves a mention when it comes to worst service.

 

[The_Ida]

I must say that I've had really good experiences with H&M staff. Once I was returning an off-white blazer that I thought was white when I purchased it which I told the SA...she said "I know exactly what you're looking for!" and she ran out and got me a white blazer that was just perfect (the size was perfect too), and that I haven't seen when I looked through the store. I think that white blazer is my favourite thing in the whole world. She could have just ignored me and taken the off-white blazer back without asking me why I was returning it, but she didn't.

 

[senorgemma]

I don't know if it really counts because I didn't buy anything and I was never going to, but I got a fantastic experience with a Chanel SA in Melbourne, Australia. I went with my friend and it was such a tiny store so all eyes were on us as we walked around it...we got some bad looks from most SA's but then one came up and asked if we needed any help and we said no thankyou we're just looking and she asked if we would like some catalogs or anything? So she went to the counter and got catalogs for us, at first just the current season but then she went out the back for like 10 minutes and came back with four more catalogs!!! She was very very very nice, asked us about school and if we had an interest in fashion and what we wanted to do in the future, even stayed chatting when the store suddenly became a little busier!

 

[aynoray]

Forever 21 is AWFUL
upstairs, in the building, there are 6 different rooms. I was searching for a specific pair of shorts that i had seen the previous day, so i knew they were there. I ask the first room lady if she knows, she tells me to go look in the 3rd room. I go, i ask, and look, and it's not there, and the lady says 'oh go look in room 5'...so i go, again it's not there, and i ask in every room.and eventually NO ONE KNEW? where these shorts were, but most of all no one even looked! They all told me to look in different places! AND THEN finally i ask if PLEASE CAN SOMEONE HELP ME and reluctantly one of the ladies say 'uhh..sure...'...so she 'leads' me into rooms, 'trying to find' these shorts, but stops at every shorts she can find, and convinces me that they are much better "oh these are so cute! try these!" NO . I've been here an hour and you lazy bums can't even help me? seriously? i was furious haha

And for good customer service...Dior in Paris! rue de la montaigne. Maybe it's because my grandma (who i went with ) has been a loyal customer, but they treat you so nicely! they have guards to open and close doors, and they knew their customers by name!! And offered champaign!! and if she asked to see anything-anything, even if a purse could be made in a different color or material, it was 'biensure' possible. They were so welcoming. But i guess for the prices, they better be hahaha