RUDE and out of line NM SA - long post...

[photomj]

I am so mad today, I just had to make a post about this....

I just got "into" Chanel in October or November. The bug has bitten me! Since that time I've bought 4 bags...the GST, the distressed leather Caviar & Pony Tote, the bronze reissue, and a vintage jumbo flap. Two bags I bought from Saks, one from BBOS and one from a private sale.

In the past few months, I have enjoyed going in the various boutiques to see the bags IRL. This forum has been EXTREMELY HELPFUL in helping me to decide what bags I like and don't like and which work with my lifestyle. Since the price is so high on these bags, I NEED to be certain if I like them because I am a "return" queen!

Anyhow, the SA's at the Chanel boutique in Orlando are wonderful. The SA's at Saks Tampa are wonderful...the SA's at NM Tampa are A**H***S!!!

I've maybe been in the NM boutique six times since November. The past few times, the SA has gotten ruder and ruder. About the 2nd or 3rd time I came into the boutique she started saying: "Why don't you just buy something?" She tries to talk me into buying bags I don't really want...probably just to make the sale.

I dress really casually (designer jeans and boots) but I explain to the SA's that I'm a wedding photographer and own my own studio. That's why I'm off during the week and work on weekends. My husband and I both run our business and we make great money at it, which allows me to buy expensive handbags! (Not that I need to explain this to them, but it comes out in conversation.)

I went into NM on Monday because I was done with a weekend long photo convention and wanted to relax and browse purses instead of sitting in traffic. Some new bags had come in and my SA was there. We chatted a bit and then she said: "People don't buy $2,000 purses...they just come in here to try them on and then leave." I didn't know if she was directing that at me, so I responded that I had purchased 4 Chanels in less then two months time, so I was definitely a "buyer". I should mention that every time I take a bag off the shelf to look at it, she has to go "rearrange" it after me! I've found bags that I love in there before, but if I ask if they're available in another color or size, the answer is always "No, this is the only one we have left."

So, yesterday, I bring my husband in with me because I have fallen in love with yet another bag and I want his opinion on it (he always lets me know if it's "not for me"! Or if it looks too much like something I already have.)

I introduced him to the SA and proceeded to show him the purse. I've talked about being a part of TPF with her before and she got all nasty saying: "I don't understand how women can waste so much time on a purse forum...don't they have "real" lives to live?" I responded to her that the women on this forum keep her in a job...If she was smart, she would let the tpf women know what she had available so she could sell more purses. (What a dumb ass!)

I'd had enough of her so we left.

I sent a local tpf'er in to NM to see my dream bag to get her opinion. She ended up talking to my SA and when she said that she was a "friend" of mine, the SA rolled her eyes at her! Then she proceeded to say that I was always coming in there saying that the bags were bad or they had problems and she's never heard of that before (I've never said any such thing...I've asked if certain leathers would hold up.) THEN she said, in a snotty voice: "Yeah, she brought in her BOYFRIEND to get his approval on a bag."

This may sound trivial but I have been married for close to 20 years and we are both in our 40's! We're well dressed and don't look like deadbeats. WHY would this woman have this sort of attitude towards us! I was FUMING when I heard that. Who in the hell is she to judge me or him?!?!? ARGH!

I ended up calling the dept manager of designer handbags and giving her hell about the SA. I said how DARE she say things like that to a potential customer that I sent in to her. What an ungrateful and nasty b***h.

Anyhow, sorry for the long post and the rant. We've decided to boycott NM Tampa. We'll go to their trunk show and then tell them we're buying from Saks!!!

...I'd advise not giving her ANY of your business....

 

[imonpurseblog]

Sorry this happened to you. I'll bet she regrets saying that when she realizes how much affect this forum has on sales. She's the dumb one for NOT reading TPF. She could learn a lot from us.

 

[missisa07]

That's truly disgusting! She needs to get a job in the stock room instead of a job where she has to deal with CUSTOMERS, since she seems to hate them so much. Don't give someone like that commission. Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience!!!

 

[spiralsnowman]

I'm so sorry you had to go through this, photomj, I feel for you! **hugs** Thank you for the warning, I will not go to this SA.

Please don't let this ruin your experience. I am a Chanel newbie too, and have enjoyed reading your posts and sharing in your fresh Chanel bag excitement and joy.

 

[mewlicious]

Honestly, I've felt a rude vibe at many of the Chanel places. I'm almost 30 and while I know I look younger -- like you I try to speak knowledgeably about the item and do my research. Yet a SA at Chanel dared to say they don't do the Classic Flap Jumbo in lambskin. Hello -_-;; It's part of your business to know, only my hobby.

I'm sorry you had to go through that and Chanel or Neimans is still retail and retail needs to be customer friendly. Their job is to make us happy and buy not to act like jerks. I feel like this gets repeated so much yet the personalities of some SAs are just soured. Let's hope Neimans and other places has the smarts to replace the bad apples!

 

[gMbt]

Okay,that was extremely rude!I'm glad you reported her to someone.
Sometimes Chanel SA gives me attitude too.They probably think I'm too young but still,that gives them no right!We are actually doing them a favor by shopping and buying things...seriously!Sometimes they just made a face like WHY AM I EVEN HERE?!Some SAs need serious etiquette lesson.Obviously they should know that people who walk into Chanel are potential buyers!

 

[bagwhore83]

How rude of the SA to treat you like that. I hate it when they act all snobby thinking they're God just because they work for a glam designer in a department store. And i will bet that the SA doesn't even have as many bags as the TPFers so who is she to talk abt us in that way!

 

[lotusflwr]

Yuck. I hate snotty SA's. Like mewlicious, I also had a rude & unknowledgeable (Saks) SA tell me that they do not make the classic flap jumbo in lambskin... after I went through the entire "Flaps/reissues" reference thread, too!! =_= W/e. I'm glad you complained about the SA and I hope she gets what's coming to her =P

 

[Celia_Hish]

OMG....sorry to hear that, If i'm in your shoes, i will be REAL MAD & FURIOUS, this SA is non-professional and how can she commented that. Luckily i do buy stuffs from NM but not tampa.

Well, i do agreed that there are some bad SAs or those GOOD SAs, but i do hope that the management will screen thru their staffs and make sure they have good attitude and providing good sales service to customers. This is really important. Well, she sounds like she is a POTATO, haven't seen the real world yet...*LOL*

 

[i_wona]

God, where is customer service going?!

I'm sorry that you've had this experience - it drives me crazy that SAs forget that they are there to provide a service. Even if someone is a time-waster, they still deserve to be treated with courtesy at the very least. A good SA will know how to extricate her/himself from a bad customer without resorting to rudeness.

But even worse, you're a legitimate, productive and committed customer! It just goes to show that some people can get through an interview, but it doesn't make them able to do the job. I'm glad you reported her - I'm a firm believer in letting management know when you're dissatisfied, as they may not know what's going on in their shop, or other people may have made the same complaint, which you then backup with your complaint.

She's probably too caught up in meeting her monthly budget - couple this with a big mouth and a lack of brains and the poor customers suffer in the end!

 

[jessi5786]

I'm so sorry you had a bad experience!

I'm pretty young, 21, and I look even younger, so I've had many negative SA experiences because I guess they don't take me seriously. I like to really get to know a bag before a spend a lot on it, I mean Chanel doesn't even have an online shop so there's no other way to see the product besides tPF and IRL! I hate feeling the SA's eyes on me every time I look at or touch something. Sometimes I feel that they don't know that their job is to serve the customer, not to judge who is and who isn't able to buy from their company. It's so frustrating and sometimes, it makes me not want to buy "designer" items!

 

[echo_23]

Okay,that was extremely rude!I'm glad you reported her to someone.
Sometimes Chanel SA gives me attitude too.They probably think I'm too young but still,that gives them no right!We are actually doing them a favor by shopping and buying things...seriously!Sometimes they just made a face like WHY AM I EVEN HERE?!Some SAs need serious etiquette lesson.Obviously they should know that people who walk into Chanel are potential buyers!

ITA! I'm young too and when I've gone to my local Chanel boutique one SA is always there and stares me down like I don't deserve to be there then whenever I ask her something about a bag she acts like I'm wasting her time and should feel lucky that she would even talk to me. I usually avoid it like the plague and go to Neiman's but I took my mom there with me last month because I wanted to send a bag out to be refurbished. The SA was so snobby that I decided I'd hang onto the bag and go back later when I could deal with a real human being. My mom couldn't believe how she treated us and couldn't understand why someone would drop $2-3,000 with that kind of service. I thought about it and felt terribly because my mom was right. They should be more than happy to have anyone in their store because they are dependant on us to make a living- not the other way around. Why should she be looking down at me- she's the one working at the store! I get far better service at McDonalds! That's ridiculous! I just don't understand where some of these people get off acting like they are Coco herself and can determine who should be allowed to wear their bags. Because of that I won't be going back again except for refurb work-and I'm definitely asking for a different SA.

 

[gMbt]

they are dependant on us to make a living- not the other way around. Why should she be looking down at me- she's the one working at the store! I get far better service at McDonalds! That's ridiculous! I just don't understand where some of these people get off acting like they are Coco herself and can determine who should be allowed to wear their bags. Because of that I won't be going back again except for refurb work-and I'm definitely asking for a different SA.

I totally agree!
Haha!It's funny how you say they act like Coco herself!Yes they are snobbish.
Not to say that there're no good SAs out there..there are some that are grateful towards us customers....but a limit on the 'unprofessional' ones would be nice especially looking down on customers because of their age or how they are dressed.Sometimes when I dress down,I'm too intimidated to go into Chanel!But I mostly use my Chanel bags and watch so at least I can walk in proudly with that.

 

[mmmpurses!]

I live in Tampa and I am pretty familiar with that sales associate. Actually there are SEVERAL bad sales associates in Tampa, there is this man in particular he works the home dept area and he went ballistic one day when I was looking at some Waterford vases because (ready for this one?)... okay he said 'hello' to me first as soon as I walked in. I said hello back. He then turned around and walked away in opposite direction from where I was heading.

I didn't think much of it, just said fine, whatever he must have something else to do, didn't pay much attention to him. Anyway I was looking to buy something for my new home, and was looking at the $5k waterford vases for my house in awe. seriously thinking about purchasing one. Then this other sales associate, her name is Mary (not your Chanel SA) walks up to me and says hello too and justs starts chatting a really nice conversation with me. Great. I am comfortable with her, I ask her questions about the vase, etc. She infoms me about an upcoming signing event going on - that I can buy, or reserve the vase, etc, get it personalized for my new home. I was thinking fantastic.

I am moving towards the register with the SA to finalize the deal. Along comes back the man who first said hello to me, I guess by now he realizes I wan't just looking but a serious buyer and he approaches Mary (the SA) asking her about me... 'she's buying that 5k vase? and starts arguing with her. Saying you can't have her, I saw her first. I was like are you kidding me. Acting like a 5yr old. So he gets into this argument with Mary in front of me. I said to him, all you did was say hello and immediately turned away from me. did you offer me assistance? He then starts lecturing me. That I am not supposed to do this or that.... that I am supposed to buy from the first SA I see. unreal. I was like excuseeee me. I was disgusted and excused myself - went towards the bathroom where I saw the store manager behind the customer service counter and complained about it. Store manager apologized profusely and offered me some options regarding the vase which I declined because I didn't want to end up with something at my house reminding me of this.

After that I received a letter from the store manager with a personal note apologizing again and sending me a $100 gift card towards anything in the store. I have since put the whole thing behind.

After all of that I stick to my regular SAs for everything. I have one upstairs and two downstairs I give my biz to. I won't boycott the store because (except for that one event) I have overall always had excellent service there. Usually I like to stick to my St John associate for everything I buy upstairs - she is a fabu lady her name is Phylis, and another SA I like to work with is Jason (in shoes), very nice young man. Also another lady at handbags (right now can't remember her name but if you are interested I can look for her card and can pm you with this associate's name).

 

[x joie]

I'm so sorry for your experience. I had an awful experience at NM as well (in SF) and after that, I decided that I would never shop at NM again. My experience was similar to yours- a rude SA who decided that I was not worth his time and talked badly of me to other associates. I was disgusted and went ballistic on the department manager on the phone. If you are still angry, I would recommend you call HR and speak to them about the incident. I am only 20 years old (and look like I'm 13) so I'm sure the SA thought there was no harm in talking to me or treating me in that manner. He thought wrong. Not only did I speak to his manager, who apologized profusely, but I also called the head of HR. And I did not mince words. I am usually a polite person but he really messed with the wrong person.

Last time I checked, he was no longer employed by NM. (Vindictive? Maybe. But I believe in karma. Even if I had to play a little part in making sure he got his..)