I genuinely don't think that I'm *that* fussy when it comes to customer service. As someone who worked in retail for almost 6 years, I would never want to be the type the customer that employees dread. I also think, though, that the level of customer service needs to be 'on par' with the type of merchandise that is being sold. I'm not necessarily going to expect anything amazing from, say, a dollar store, but if I'm shopping in a luxury boutique, I expect to be treated excellently. Let's face it- luxury items tend to be hideously overpriced, and for me, customer service is interwoven into the brand's image- you shop at Chanel or LV not only because you like the bags, but also because the staff will bring you champagne (for example).
Obviously, another key element of the 'luxury boutique experience' is the quality of the merchandise. When you're buying designer, and paying a lot of money for the priviledge (lol) of doing so, that item better damn well be pristine. No scratches,no tarnishing, etc. etc.
If you've been following trends in designer bags, you'll have noticed that Coach has been trying to increase their brand stature- to no longer be your mother's handbag, but to be a luxury brand comparable to some of the bigger names in the handbag industry- not Chanel or Hermes, obviously, but maybe around the level of entry-level Louis Vuitton. And as such, Coach prices has skyrocketted in the past 5 or so years.
Generally when I go into Coach, I get good to excellent service. The staff are friendly, my items are wrapped and packaged nicely, and I leave the store feeling great about my purchase. This past Friday, though, I had a not great experience, and to tell the truth, it still bothers me a bit.
I needed to exchange a wallet that DH had bought me for my birthday. While he had gotten me the right style, I had really been hoping for another colour, so after getting the okay from him, I decided to exchange it. While looking on the Coach website that morning, though, I saw a different style of wallet that looked absolutely gorgeous- so I decided when I went in that I would get that wallet (the vintage hamptons slim envelope, if anyone is curious).
So off to the boutique I go. I get there, explain I need to do an exchange and everything is okay. I see the wallet on want on the shelf, look it over in person, decide it's really pretty and that I'll get it. While the floor model was a bit scuffed, I assumed that was just because it had been handled by a lot of customers.
I go to the cash to do the exchange. The wallet I was returning, which was still wrapped in its tissue and gift box, was taken to the back, and my SA went to get my new wallet. The actual cash transaction went fine (the new wallet was almost $100 more, so I had to pay the difference), I was handed my shopping bag, and off I went.
About 5 metres outside the store, I realized that the hadn't bothered to put my new wallet in a box. Now, if you know anything about luxury handbag boutiques, you'll know that it's all about the box. The packaging the item comes in is, in some ways, almost as important as the item itself. And while I realize that sometimes stores run out of boxes, the wallet I had returned had come in a box. So why hadn't I got my box back?
I pulled my new wallet out of the shopping bag and decided to give it the once over before I left to go home. And thank god I did. My new, insanely expensive wallet had a huge scratch (like, ripped leather) down the back.
This was really upsetting for me. Hadn't anyone noticed this huge scratch before the gave me the wallet? So I went back into the store, approached the saleswoman and explained I needed a new wallet, showing her the scratch.
The next part of this process was really frustrating. The store had 3 other 'brand new' wallets- and every one of them had a major scuff! I'm not talking about an indent in the leather, but actual damage to the wallet. A few of the salespeople tried telling me that it was the nature of the leather, but come on- other companies use distressed leather (think Roots, for example), and that doesn't mean their products are damaged.
After a few minutes of inspecting each of the wallets, I apologized and explained that I needed to return the wallet I had just bought, and that I'd be buying the one I had just returned back. When you're spending $$$ on a wallet, that wallet needs to be damn near perfect. The salespeople were a bit put out by this, but you know what? It's my money, and they did not have a 'vintage hamptons' wallet which was not damaged. So the cashier voided the previous transaction, and they brought my old wallet out- but without the box. I actually had to ask to the box back. Oh man, this drove me so unbelievably crazy. (It's hard to explain the box thing to people... but trust me, it's important).
So I left the store feeling slightly frazzled, for a few reasons:
- the 'okay' customer service: while the original SA helping me was fine, the box thing really bothered me, as did the snarky attitude when I stated I wouldn't be keeping a damaged wallet. I wasn't being agressive, I didn't yell or throw a fit- I was downright apologetic, if firm in my opinions. But I left the store feeling incredibly embarrassed, as if I had done something wrong- a feeling one should never ever have when leaving a boutique!
- I was honestly a shocked at the poor quality control. Every single wallet had a major flaw. These problems should have been caught well before the item was shipped the boutique. Although the SAs said the leather was 'delicate,' it seemed to me that it was just cheap, more than anything else. If the leather can't last in the box and plastic that it came in, how the hell was it supposed to last in my handbag?? You don't spend $$$ on wallet to have it fall apart in a month. Poor materials = unacceptable.
- I later discovered that a charge had gone through on my credit card, so I'm probably going to have to go in next week to have them fix it... ugh. This is just annoying.
While this experience doesn't mean I'll stop shopping at Coach, or stop using the bags I already own, I'm definitely going to hold off on going to the boutique for a while. The experience was frustrating and embarrassing- and ultimately, incredibly disappointing. I've never had a problem with Coach before- but seriously affected my impressions of the brand. If Coach really wants to be able to justify their high prices, they need to treat their customers like gold. This includes well-made products designed to last, and godammit, it includes gift boxes and proper packaging.
It's enough to make a girl want to run to LV and never look back!
To end this story on a happier note, I've started using the wallet I kept, the original one DH bought me, and I'm really happy with it (it's made of different materials- canvas with a patent leather trim and lining). The colour is growing on me, too. And hey, at least this way I didn't actually end up spending any more money!!
Obviously, another key element of the 'luxury boutique experience' is the quality of the merchandise. When you're buying designer, and paying a lot of money for the priviledge (lol) of doing so, that item better damn well be pristine. No scratches,no tarnishing, etc. etc.
If you've been following trends in designer bags, you'll have noticed that Coach has been trying to increase their brand stature- to no longer be your mother's handbag, but to be a luxury brand comparable to some of the bigger names in the handbag industry- not Chanel or Hermes, obviously, but maybe around the level of entry-level Louis Vuitton. And as such, Coach prices has skyrocketted in the past 5 or so years.
Generally when I go into Coach, I get good to excellent service. The staff are friendly, my items are wrapped and packaged nicely, and I leave the store feeling great about my purchase. This past Friday, though, I had a not great experience, and to tell the truth, it still bothers me a bit.
I needed to exchange a wallet that DH had bought me for my birthday. While he had gotten me the right style, I had really been hoping for another colour, so after getting the okay from him, I decided to exchange it. While looking on the Coach website that morning, though, I saw a different style of wallet that looked absolutely gorgeous- so I decided when I went in that I would get that wallet (the vintage hamptons slim envelope, if anyone is curious).
So off to the boutique I go. I get there, explain I need to do an exchange and everything is okay. I see the wallet on want on the shelf, look it over in person, decide it's really pretty and that I'll get it. While the floor model was a bit scuffed, I assumed that was just because it had been handled by a lot of customers.
I go to the cash to do the exchange. The wallet I was returning, which was still wrapped in its tissue and gift box, was taken to the back, and my SA went to get my new wallet. The actual cash transaction went fine (the new wallet was almost $100 more, so I had to pay the difference), I was handed my shopping bag, and off I went.
About 5 metres outside the store, I realized that the hadn't bothered to put my new wallet in a box. Now, if you know anything about luxury handbag boutiques, you'll know that it's all about the box. The packaging the item comes in is, in some ways, almost as important as the item itself. And while I realize that sometimes stores run out of boxes, the wallet I had returned had come in a box. So why hadn't I got my box back?
I pulled my new wallet out of the shopping bag and decided to give it the once over before I left to go home. And thank god I did. My new, insanely expensive wallet had a huge scratch (like, ripped leather) down the back.
This was really upsetting for me. Hadn't anyone noticed this huge scratch before the gave me the wallet? So I went back into the store, approached the saleswoman and explained I needed a new wallet, showing her the scratch.
The next part of this process was really frustrating. The store had 3 other 'brand new' wallets- and every one of them had a major scuff! I'm not talking about an indent in the leather, but actual damage to the wallet. A few of the salespeople tried telling me that it was the nature of the leather, but come on- other companies use distressed leather (think Roots, for example), and that doesn't mean their products are damaged.
After a few minutes of inspecting each of the wallets, I apologized and explained that I needed to return the wallet I had just bought, and that I'd be buying the one I had just returned back. When you're spending $$$ on a wallet, that wallet needs to be damn near perfect. The salespeople were a bit put out by this, but you know what? It's my money, and they did not have a 'vintage hamptons' wallet which was not damaged. So the cashier voided the previous transaction, and they brought my old wallet out- but without the box. I actually had to ask to the box back. Oh man, this drove me so unbelievably crazy. (It's hard to explain the box thing to people... but trust me, it's important).
So I left the store feeling slightly frazzled, for a few reasons:
- the 'okay' customer service: while the original SA helping me was fine, the box thing really bothered me, as did the snarky attitude when I stated I wouldn't be keeping a damaged wallet. I wasn't being agressive, I didn't yell or throw a fit- I was downright apologetic, if firm in my opinions. But I left the store feeling incredibly embarrassed, as if I had done something wrong- a feeling one should never ever have when leaving a boutique!
- I was honestly a shocked at the poor quality control. Every single wallet had a major flaw. These problems should have been caught well before the item was shipped the boutique. Although the SAs said the leather was 'delicate,' it seemed to me that it was just cheap, more than anything else. If the leather can't last in the box and plastic that it came in, how the hell was it supposed to last in my handbag?? You don't spend $$$ on wallet to have it fall apart in a month. Poor materials = unacceptable.
- I later discovered that a charge had gone through on my credit card, so I'm probably going to have to go in next week to have them fix it... ugh. This is just annoying.
While this experience doesn't mean I'll stop shopping at Coach, or stop using the bags I already own, I'm definitely going to hold off on going to the boutique for a while. The experience was frustrating and embarrassing- and ultimately, incredibly disappointing. I've never had a problem with Coach before- but seriously affected my impressions of the brand. If Coach really wants to be able to justify their high prices, they need to treat their customers like gold. This includes well-made products designed to last, and godammit, it includes gift boxes and proper packaging.
It's enough to make a girl want to run to LV and never look back!
To end this story on a happier note, I've started using the wallet I kept, the original one DH bought me, and I'm really happy with it (it's made of different materials- canvas with a patent leather trim and lining). The colour is growing on me, too. And hey, at least this way I didn't actually end up spending any more money!!
