Are we using the recession as an excuse for lousy service.

[klacey1]

eliza, did you look at Nordstroms to see if they have the same coat or was it a Macy's house brand?

Please, whatever you do, don't go to Nordstrom to see if they have the coat! If you all think Walmart treats their employees poorly, you'd be shocked what a company like Nordstrom (who prides themselves on customer service) does to their employees. I have TONS of stories from when I worked there this summer. They're truly a terrible company, with idiotic management.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Please, whatever you do, don't go to Nordstrom to see if they have the coat! If you all think Walmart treats their employees poorly, you'd be shocked what a company like Nordstrom (who prides themselves on customer service) does to their employees. I have TONS of stories from when I worked there this summer. They're truly a terrible company, with idiotic management.

HEY, its only us here...

go ahead and post the stories, we wont tell anyone!!!!

hehhehehehee

RUM?

 

[klacey1]

Thanks DVC sadie,
I actually found a nicer one at Nordstroms by the same manufacturer and Nordstroms will ship it to my house (for free, with the hanger)...

Nordstroms has also found a new customer.

Nooooo, OP! Nordstrom is evil! Shop at Bloomies! (Equate it with Walmart-- like I said, I have terrible stories!)

 

[klacey1]

Haha, Nordstrom is awful! As I'm sure most of you know, Nordstrom does not have a return policy. You can bring back something you bought 5 years ago and we have to take it back. In fact, my friend who worked in the "at home" section had to accept back $5,000 worth of lamps, etc. that someone had bought literally 6 years prior (and dilligently kept the receipts, which you don't even need to return at Nordstrom!)!!!!! This put their department -$4300 for the day-- just because some woman finally got sick of stuff she bought and obviously used for 6 years!!
A woman bought a pair of jeans at the beginning of the summer from me, and came back with them three weeks later. I was on shift, and my manager was also there. The jeans had clearly been worn out-- they smelled like cigarettes and had ripped hems where a heel would have caught on them. They also had a huge hole in the crotch. She expressed no desire in replacing the jeans and I lost commission (translation-- money taken out of my paycheck!) for a woman who was cheating the system. When I complained to my manager, she yelled at me and told me that this is the way Nordstrom is and I'm not a team player.
My manager was literally the dumbest person I have ever met in my life. Literally. I have absolutely no idea how she rose in the company. I also got yelled at continuously for not "being in charge of my own business"-- translation, I wasn't making the store enough money because I refused to push customers to buy things they didn't want, just so my paycheck/Nordstrom's pocket would get more money. I would NEVER be that type of salesperson! They showed us numerous training videos about how we could trick people into buying things they didn't want/said they couldn't afford-- literally!
I am ALL about good customer service, and I would go the extra mile for my customers (a customer called my department once because another girl I worked with [who was also evil, and a commission-stealer] had forgotten to take the security tag off a pair of jeans. My manager forced me to drive to this woman's house in CT, 40 minutes away, and remove the tag with a portable remover. Coincidentally, this was during my working shift. I was away for approximately 2 hours, obviously time I was unable to make any money!), but I refuse to shop at places that kiss their customer's butt (while really tricking them!) at the employee's expense!

 

[MissyDVC]

Haha, Nordstrom is awful! As I'm sure most of you know, Nordstrom does not have a return policy. You can bring back something you bought 5 years ago and we have to take it back. In fact, my friend who worked in the "at home" section had to accept back $5,000 worth of lamps, etc. that someone had bought literally 6 years prior (and dilligently kept the receipts, which you don't even need to return at Nordstrom!)!!!!! This put their department -$4300 for the day-- just because some woman finally got sick of stuff she bought and obviously used for 6 years!!
A woman bought a pair of jeans at the beginning of the summer from me, and came back with them three weeks later. I was on shift, and my manager was also there. The jeans had clearly been worn out-- they smelled like cigarettes and had ripped hems where a heel would have caught on them. They also had a huge hole in the crotch. She expressed no desire in replacing the jeans and I lost commission (translation-- money taken out of my paycheck!) for a woman who was cheating the system. When I complained to my manager, she yelled at me and told me that this is the way Nordstrom is and I'm not a team player.
My manager was literally the dumbest person I have ever met in my life. Literally. I have absolutely no idea how she rose in the company. I also got yelled at continuously for not "being in charge of my own business"-- translation, I wasn't making the store enough money because I refused to push customers to buy things they didn't want, just so my paycheck/Nordstrom's pocket would get more money. I would NEVER be that type of salesperson! They showed us numerous training videos about how we could trick people into buying things they didn't want/said they couldn't afford-- literally!
I am ALL about good customer service, and I would go the extra mile for my customers (a customer called my department once because another girl I worked with [who was also evil, and a commission-stealer] had forgotten to take the security tag off a pair of jeans. My manager forced me to drive to this woman's house in CT, 40 minutes away, and remove the tag with a portable remover. Coincidentally, this was during my working shift. I was away for approximately 2 hours, obviously time I was unable to make any money!), but I refuse to shop at places that kiss their customer's butt (while really tricking them!) at the employee's expense!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I am ALL about good customer service, and I would go the extra mile for my customers (a customer called my department once because another girl I worked with [who was also evil, and a commission-stealer] had forgotten to take the security tag off a pair of jeans. My manager forced me to drive to this woman's house in CT, 40 minutes away, and remove the tag with a portable remover. Coincidentally, this was during my working shift. I was away for approximately 2 hours, obviously time I was unable to make any money!), but I refuse to shop at places that kiss their customer's butt (while really tricking them!) at the employee's expense!

I had bought a swimsuit once at home at a beach shop just before a weekend in Tampa. Got there and the security tags were on.

I called some stores in the mall, then went with my swimsuit and receipt. Took a few stores, but all were friendly and checked their tag removals with mine.

In one store, they called security and for some reason he had a bunch of different devices. Finally one worked.

Thankfully it wasn't a common swimsuit that you'd find in a store, so no risk of me being accused of stealing it. But I kind of found it funny that I did all the work and was happy to and they made you drive all the way to her house.



*****

Another time, I was a manager trainee at sears and did a big goof up.

Customer comes in having already purchased a vacuum that we didn't have in the stockroom. Customer was a bit surprised we didn't have it b/c she had spoken with a sales associate who said we did, but I couldn't find it anywhere where it should have been. So I refunded her the money.

Employee comes back from break and was b/c of what I did. So I called the customer, explained the situation and resold the vacuum. Then the vaccum that the employee had pulled from stock and had on the floor in some spot I wasn't epecting---I loaded it into my car and drove the distance to this woman's house and delivered her vacuum.

Not sure why I Did it--I kind of felt bad for everyone as the woman lived a little bit aways from our store. And it was a commissioned sales job. I was salary, so I was able to fix the solution which was mostly my error (with a little bit of it being the employee for not telling anyone what was going on) and the customer got her vacuum, my employee got her commission and I got elevated slightly from stupid dumb college graduate management trainee idiot--to someone who was just trying to learn and was willing to fix my mistake.

That is not a standard Sears policy btw and not something anyone would have done. But my store mgr appreciated what I did.

 

[ols386]

When I buy an article of clothing even at Walmart, they always let me have the hanger.....granted their hangers are plastic, not wooden.

But if you are purchasing a piece of clothing for $200, then I would think the store could include the cost of the hanger, in the price of the clothing. Especially if the customer specifically asks to keep the hanger. I do believe that many times it is the "little" things that keeps the customer coming back.

 

[LoraJ]

I'd rather they save money on hangers than cut someone's job.

 

[manning]

I had bought a swimsuit once at home at a beach shop just before a weekend in Tampa. Got there and the security tags were on.

I called some stores in the mall, then went with my swimsuit and receipt. Took a few stores, but all were friendly and checked their tag removals with mine.

In one store, they called security and for some reason he had a bunch of different devices. Finally one worked.

Thankfully it wasn't a common swimsuit that you'd find in a store, so no risk of me being accused of stealing it. But I kind of found it funny that I did all the work and was happy to and they made you drive all the way to her house.



*****

Another time, I was a manager trainee at sears and did a big goof up.

Customer comes in having already purchased a vacuum that we didn't have in the stockroom. Customer was a bit surprised we didn't have it b/c she had spoken with a sales associate who said we did, but I couldn't find it anywhere where it should have been. So I refunded her the money.

Employee comes back from break and was b/c of what I did. So I called the customer, explained the situation and resold the vacuum. Then the vaccum that the employee had pulled from stock and had on the floor in some spot I wasn't epecting---I loaded it into my car and drove the distance to this woman's house and delivered her vacuum.

Not sure why I Did it--I kind of felt bad for everyone as the woman lived a little bit aways from our store. And it was a commissioned sales job. I was salary, so I was able to fix the solution which was mostly my error (with a little bit of it being the employee for not telling anyone what was going on) and the customer got her vacuum, my employee got her commission and I got elevated slightly from stupid dumb college graduate management trainee idiot--to someone who was just trying to learn and was willing to fix my mistake.

That is not a standard Sears policy btw and not something anyone would have done. But my store mgr appreciated what I did.

My step-mother worked in linens at sears until the late 60's. How things have changed there. A lady brought back some towels she never used for a refund and Sears gave it to her.....even though they quit selling the brand eight years previous.

 

[disykat]

So, in your book, not getting something for free = bad service?

Alrighty then.

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[disykat]

In my opinion, sale or not, the very least they can do is provide a hanger upon which to hang my coat (suit... whatever) so I can actually hang it in my car to prevent wrinkles on my way home.

It was not the OP who first mentioned wanting to hang up her coat on the way home to prevent wrinkles. (see the first post that referenced this above) The OP mentioned that they were already "wrapping it up" when she requested the hanger. I'm guessing if she could have given her the hanger, the clerk would have stuck the hanger in the bag with the coat.

If I didn't want my coat folded, I would have gone immediately home or to my car and hung the coat up, put it on a hook, or tossed it over a chair where it wouldn't get wrinkled. It would be much better treatment than it will be getting as I am sitting on it, etc. while wearing it.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

My step-mother worked in linens at sears until the late 60's. How things have changed there. A lady brought back some towels she never used for a refund and Sears gave it to her.....even though they quit selling the brand eight years previous.

I worked in the office of a men's accessories company (where the factory was located) and the Receiving Department accepted a grandfather clock. Yeah, the company went under.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I worked in the office of a men's accessories company (where the factory was located) and the Receiving Department accepted a grandfather clock. Yeah, the company went under.

For me the spirit of the policy is good. It is nice to know if something doesn't last like it should that essentially it can be returned.

However it is abused so much that I hate those type of policies. I figure anything over a year is absurd while a year is kind of pushing it.


I only worked at sears briefly and my only dept was brand central.

While as training managers, I and another one who was there longer kind of mishandled a situation as we aren't ever supposed to leave a customer completely dissatisifed...

We had some strange guy bring in the most disgusting vacuum I had ever seen. It was filthy and falling apart. It literally looked like the thing had been run over by a car a few times, it was in that bad of shape.

We didn't have a policy to take anything back for any reason--but we could use discretion.

The store managers suggestion was to offer a discount on a purchase, but I really think the guy just fully expected his money back and I wasn't going to explain that vacuum to the department head.

I mean this vacuum was ABUSED!

In any case, no harm no foul in the long run.

I'm sure he moaned and groaned to his friends--but honestly, his return attempt was absurd.

 

[DancingBear]

Please, whatever you do, don't go to Nordstrom to see if they have the coat! If you all think Walmart treats their employees poorly, you'd be shocked what a company like Nordstrom (who prides themselves on customer service) does to their employees. I have TONS of stories from when I worked there this summer. They're truly a terrible company, with idiotic management.

And yet, for some reason, they ranked 72nd on Fortune Magazine's Best Companies to work for in 2009:

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2009/snapshots/72.html

 

[ChrizJen]

I agree with others who say that it's a bit of a stretch to equate not getting something for free with poor customer service. I don't ever expect to get the hanger when I buy something, unless it's a formal dress that absolutely needs to be kept hanging. And even then, I'll take a cheap plastic hanger just so that I can get it safely home where I can transfer it to a nicer hanger.

And I also agree that I would much rather forego the hanger than to have companies cut jobs. If the hangers are saving the company money and allowing them to retain employees, then they can keep them. I have plenty of hangers at home.

 

[Bob NC]

You have been looking for a coat for 3 years?

You find it at the right price and turn it down because the hanger wasn't included?

Yeah, there may be a problem here, but it's not the economy.

Good luck with your shopping.

 

[mhsjax]

And yet, for some reason, they ranked 72nd on Fortune Magazine's Best Companies to work for in 2009:

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2009/snapshots/72.html

Well, maybe, but I googled working for Nordstrams and most of the reviews agreed with the above poster. Not a great place to work.

 

[Kath2003]

I can't believe you walked away from a $200 coat (and I can't believe you paid $200 for a coat but that's because I only buy stuff on sale - my last coat was $40) based on a coat hanger. For the gas it cost you to make the wasted trip, you could have bought a hanger

 

[mariolatry]

Interestingly enough, I just bought a Columbia heavyweight fleece coat at TJ Maxx for $25 and the offered me the hangers, as well as the hangers for the other stuff I bought (probably 5 in all, the nice swivel kind too!)

Sorry, it made me think of this thread.

 

[allison443]

Interestingly enough, I just bought a Columbia heavyweight fleece coat at TJ Maxx for $25 and the offered me the hangers, as well as the hangers for the other stuff I bought (probably 5 in all, the nice swivel kind too!)

Sorry, it made me think of this thread.

I like TJ Maxx and often go there, but I have to admit they do not have the selection/size range of a regular dept. store...if that fleece was not your size, would they have a different size? Or a different color? Great bargains, though, and like you said they give you hangers!!