I got "the speech" at an outlet

#47
Lovefrommich said:
Just wanted to share a story. I was at one of my Michigan outlets doing an exchange and one of the managers that rang me up started the following annoying conversation with me:

Her - "Is there something different we could do to help you with your purchases?"
Me - "I don't think so. Why do you ask?"
Her - "Well you seem to change your mind a lot, and I was just wondering if there was anything we could do to help you."
Me - "No, you guys are very helpful and nice, I just see things I like better, and I can't have everything I want, so I have to chose sometimes."
Her -"Oh ok. It's just that we are trying to understand the chronic returners, it's really a low percentage of our customers, but they are a target for this year, something we really need to work on as a company."
Me - "Oh, ok."

I was the picture of sweetness and nice, but I wasn't happy. If it's such a low percentage of customers then why worry about it?! And if I'm within the return policy then why should they care if I exchange? It's not like I'm asking for a refund, I'm getting a different bag - I realize it isn't a sale for them if its an exchange - I work in retail and I get that - but I would never ask a customer about their returns if the tags are attached and they have the receipt and they are are within the return policy!! Obviously they changed their mind! UGH has anyone else gotten this recently?!

Thanks!
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I think the SA should have and could have been more tactful. I definitely don't think she should have labelled you as a "chronic returner" even if you are one. That said, I wonder if she purposely took this more direct questioning to see how you'd respond and look for clues of dishonest behavior? Good for you for being polite and keeping your composure. If you'd have gotten angry and defensive, it might have made them suspicious of you.


I once did an exchange of an LV item. I originally ordered the Trousse Toilette 25 from their website, but when I got it I felt it was too small. I called that same day to exchange it for the King Size Trousse Toilette and they didn't even ask why. They were polite and efficient and I couldn't have been more pleased.


I agree with other posters that Coach may be looking to revise their return policy.
 
#48
I don't think it's a company policy to "understand chronic returners." On more than one occasion, I've been debating between two bags and the SA will tell me that I could buy both bags and return one if I changed my mind. Actually, it's happened more times than I can count. They encourage this because the majority of buyers will not want to be bothered to return and will keep both bags, which benefits the company more than the small minority of returners hurts the company.
 
#50
whateve said:
IMO, this is a totally different situation. Buying a game, playing it, beating it and then returning it for a full-refund is taking advantage. But since the games were used to begin with, there's no way to know how much the buyer used it. This is akin to selling a wedding dress on ebay and then the customer returns it after the wedding.

Any store that has a return policy is going to have customers that abuse that policy, but returning items in the same new condition they were sold with the tags still attached is not abusing the policy. As long as they accept returns, they should let the customer do so without being made uncomfortable.
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lizmil said:
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Exactly my point. If Coach doesn't like it, change the policy but don't entice people with you can return anytime then bi**h when they do.
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lovingmybags said:
I think asking why people return is all well and good, but the way it was presented would have been a huge turn-off for me. Granted, I bring back only a tiny fraction for all stores I purchase from, so it probably won't apply to me; however, I can understand if people need to return when they bought them online or by phone, when there's no stores close to where they live. Or, like some stores are not very well-stocked, and then you need to make a choice buying sight-unseen. I almost always know what I want, even if I buy online or by phone without being able to check things out beforehand, but I can see why certain people may need to take them back.

Being that Coach view buying bags in multiple colors as a possible sign for reselling, I doubt they would be very successful in their way to combat these "chronic" returners, as they call them.
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katev said:
I agree, if the OP has been singled out as a "chronic returner" she may be a candidate for a ban letter. There have been many theories about why some customers get ban letters - and who knows which is correct - but my theory is that you annoy the SAs when you do a lot of returns and they complain and get you banned because it is extra work for them.

This kind of annoys me because many times I have been encouraged by an SA to buy a bag because "you can return it unused at any time if you decide you don't want to keep it!"

It seems like they want it both ways, to lull you into buying stuff because of their generous return policy and then punish you for using the generous policy too often!
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katev said:
I am also certain that Coach's uneven pricing policies contribute to a high rate of returns. I will also return if I find it cheaper and I haven't used it yet.

I just copied the example below from one of my posts last year. I know that this is real because I saw it with my own eyes. Coach is a business and they have a right to charge whatever they want, but they shouldn't be surprised if they get a lot of returns and exchanges when they play pricing games like this!

Last April I found the burgandy Bleecker Legacy Leather Utility Tote 70721 being sold by Coach (the exact same identical bag) at 4 different prices and all at the same time:

Full price = $568
PCE price = $426
Factory Online Sale price = $305
Outlet price = $196
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Thanks ladies for saying so much of what I was thinking!:biggrin: At the end of the day, Coach is to blame for their return policy and other practices that help lead to returning. If it's not working for them, they need to change it or quit the b***hing. You can't keep doing what you do and expect a different result. And, if they want to stay in the game, they need to watch how they treat people because, they are already on thin ice and really can't afford to lose anymore customers.
 
#51
The only time I have returned...maybe 3 times has always been stuff I ordered online FOS. To be honest, and the SA's agreed, the product I thought I was buying online ended up being way diff in person. Always for me it has been that the bag is way bigger than expected and I even too the time to see and copare the measurements they had online.

I really don't see anything wrong with returning if not used. If the tag is still on then everyone has a right to inspect it in store with their own eyes.
 
#52
lacey_stiletto said:
You ladies are dead on. Thank you.

I'm sorry the OP was addressed in the terminology the manager used. I do think Coach should change their return policies and make it crystal clear to all it's employees what it is. However, if I were the OP I'd take this conversation as a sign that Coach has flagged me as a serial returner and I could very well be in line for the infamous ban letter. In which case, it's a bit of a favour for the manager to tip her off to that fact. Most people get a very rude shock at the counter when the ban letter gets delivered! (Not saying that mode of delivery is right either, btw...)

Here's hoping Coach gets it's return policy AND training/communication issues in order!
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Oooh, would someone (who's better than I am at navigating the search functions!) mind directing me to an older thread that explains/discusses this "ban letter," you are referring to? Or just fill me in quickly? (newbie here) I've never heard of a company doing this, so I'm intrigued...
 
#53
lovingmybags said:
I think asking why people return is all well and good, but the way it was presented would have been a huge turn-off for me. Granted, I bring back only a tiny fraction for all stores I purchase from, so it probably won't apply to me; however, I can understand if people need to return when they bought them online or by phone, when there's no stores close to where they live. Or, like some stores are not very well-stocked, and then you need to make a choice buying sight-unseen. I almost always know what I want, even if I buy online or by phone without being able to check things out beforehand, but I can see why certain people may need to take them back.

Being that Coach view buying bags in multiple colors as a possible sign for reselling, I doubt they would be very successful in their way to combat these "chronic" returners, as they call them.
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Does anyone happen to know why on earth they would think this? I could see buying the same bag in the SAME color multiple times as being a possible/probable red flag for reselling (otherwise, why else would you need to do that?), but aren't there tons of buyers who just adore one style that's perfect for them and buy a lot of them in different colors?? I'm not a huge fan (at this point, that could definitely change haha) of most of the different styles/collections I've seen so far (very new to Coach) other than the Phoebe - I'm assuming a lot of folks here feel the same way (have a definite favorite style), judging by all of the different Clubhouses?!
 
#54
bobbyjean said:
I don't think it matters if they are or not. The SA was wrong and very unprofessional at what she said, how she said it and where and when she said it.
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I do agree with that. I mean, there is something to be said for 'tact'. Word choice does matter, and not just for definition's sake, but connotation as well. It's usually better to err on the side of politeness, rather than rudeness. Some people just don't work like that, unfortunately. :sad: In the OP's case, it would also be relevant to see/hear how that SA acts to other people as well.
.
 
#55
I think the saddest thing of all, and the biggest reason I am so disappointed in Coach, is that they now want different customers. They are all but abandoning their loyal customer base in hopes of attracting higher end shoppers, for lack of a better term. To me Coach has always been the epitome of affordable luxury for working women. Seems they now want exclusivity like LV.
 
#56
momtok said:
I do agree with that. I mean, there is something to be said for 'tact'. Word choice does matter, and not just for definition's sake, but connotation as well. It's usually better to err on the side of politeness, rather than rudeness. Some people just don't work like that, unfortunately. :sad: In the OP's case, it would also be relevant to see/hear how that SA acts to other people as well.
.
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Some people just don't work like that..I agree 100%.
 
#57
accessorygirl2 said:
I think the saddest thing of all, and the biggest reason I am so disappointed in Coach, is that they now want different customers. They are all but abandoning their loyal customer base in hopes of attracting higher end shoppers, for lack of a better term. To me Coach has always been the epitome of affordable luxury for working women. Seems they now want exclusivity like LV.
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My boss said one day "loyalty is a thing of the past, it's all about the numbers now."
 
#60
Reitelle said:
Instead of dealing with returns, you could always just sell the item on ebay at a profit. I have done it a few times and I see a lot of other people doing so as well.
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Yes, that's exactly what I don't understand if Coach supposedly tries to crack down on ebay reselling...what else then are people to do but try to resell it, if they change their mind and no longer want/need something, but they're worried about this ban thing and/or getting flagged for being a chronic returner? I don't think Coach can have it both ways. I was attracted to the easy return policy because it actually meant I wasn't stuck w/regret purchases, like with KS's final sale policy on their clearance (and especially the surprise sales, where you really don't get a chance to see it in person because they are older/sold out items.) The first time I visited a Coach outlet, I had to ask several times to make sure I was understanding correctly the return policy, as I had just assumed if I bought something on clearance, there would at least be a time limit.

ETA: However, KS is doing GREAT in NA, whereas Coach isn't, so that might be where Coach is headed and why, as maybe these final sale purchases are really working for KS (I know if faced with a final sale only during a flash sale, I almost always err on the side of buying, figuring I can deal with getting rid of it later if it doesn't work out, but I've never heard anything about KS tracking things like returns, targeting resellers, sending ban letters, etc...) Isn't, ultimately, that a win for the company that they got my money, regardless of whether I'm going to love it and keep it or get rid of it on ebay or craigslist? Lucky for them they don't have to deal w/the loss and hassle if their policy did allow me to return it.
 
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