Why I shop Macy's and not Dillard's....

[esk]

This is just a vent...nobody was injured, my life went on, but I was still irritated. I went to Dillard's yesterday, found cute hat/gloves/scarf on a rack of Copper Key girls jackets. Sign on the rack said "Copper Key outerwear, 40% off". Next to it was a rack/sign saying "Columbia jackets, 25% off" and another one with "Copper Key jackets, 25% off".

So I take my Copper Key hat/gloves/scarf to the checkout and they ring up full price. I tell the associate about the sign, we walk over to it and she says "oh, well, it's wrong. That must mean jackets, not accessories". I tell her, it says "outerwear" and not jackets...the other ones are specific, and say jackets. She shrugs and says "well, it's still wrong". I left without them because while they were cute, I can wait for them to go on sale...DD loses hers a lot, so I like cheap ones.

Had that been Macy's, in my experience, they would have said "oh, that is misleading, we'll honor the discount". I shop Macy's pretty regularly and when things are on the "wrong rack", as long as there are others there, they honor it. I only shop Dillard's for a few specific brands, but they are very rigid about "nope, sorry, it's our fault but we're not honoring it".

I worked retail for many years and we always honored a discount if it was our fault, or if we could see how the customer would have thought that...and we corrected it after they left. I remember one newspaper ad (this was back in the days) that left out the word "school uniform", and we ended up selling all our boys pants for 30% off.....my manager was livid but she honored it, because that is what the ad said.

Vent over....thanks for listening!

 

[Lewisc]

Outerwear generally includes jackets, coats, parkas, vests....It generally doesn't include accessories such as scarfs, gloves, hats...

Check Google. Check the outwear section of any online merchant.

 

[3boymthr]

Outerwear generally includes jackets, coats, parkas, vests....It generally doesn't include accessories such as scarfs, gloves, hats...

Check Google. Check the outwear section of any online merchant.

Yes, but if it's on a rack that says outerwear and has a sale sign over it I'd expect the sale to be honored too.

 

[Lewisc]

Yes, but if it's on a rack that says outerwear and has a sale sign over it I'd expect the sale to be honored too.

Years ago yes. Too many customers move signs and merchandise then attempt to get a sale price. Sometimes a customer may try something on, return it to the wrong rack leaving the next customer to discover he isn't getting a sale price he thought he was.

My experience is stores generally won't honor a sale price in those circumstances. Maybe the policy is different in different parts of the country.

It sure sounds like the sales clerk could have done a better job. Explain the error. Either offer a discount or politely apologize for not being able to offer a discount.

 

[dsny1mom]

This is just a vent...nobody was injured, my life went on, but I was still irritated. I went to Dillard's yesterday, found cute hat/gloves/scarf on a rack of Copper Key girls jackets. Sign on the rack said "Copper Key outerwear, 40% off". Next to it was a rack/sign saying "Columbia jackets, 25% off" and another one with "Copper Key jackets, 25% off".

So I take my Copper Key hat/gloves/scarf to the checkout and they ring up full price. I tell the associate about the sign, we walk over to it and she says "oh, well, it's wrong. That must mean jackets, not accessories". I tell her, it says "outerwear" and not jackets...the other ones are specific, and say jackets. She shrugs and says "well, it's still wrong". I left without them because while they were cute, I can wait for them to go on sale...DD loses hers a lot, so I like cheap ones.

Had that been Macy's, in my experience, they would have said "oh, that is misleading, we'll honor the discount". I shop Macy's pretty regularly and when things are on the "wrong rack", as long as there are others there, they honor it. I only shop Dillard's for a few specific brands, but they are very rigid about "nope, sorry, it's our fault but we're not honoring it".

I worked retail for many years and we always honored a discount if it was our fault, or if we could see how the customer would have thought that...and we corrected it after they left. I remember one newspaper ad (this was back in the days) that left out the word "school uniform", and we ended up selling all our boys pants for 30% off.....my manager was livid but she honored it, because that is what the ad said.

Vent over....thanks for listening!

*If* Dillards had merchandised all of the Copper Key accessory sets you found on the sale fixture on that fixture then they should have honored the % off because they put the items on the sale rack. If it was a random set left there by another customer then they did not owe you a discount. JMO.

dsny1mom

 

[esk]

Nope, there was a full rack of these hat/glove/scarf sets on that rack. Hot pink, with colored sequins, very cute.

Because the other racks said "coats" specifically, and this one said "outerwear", I thought that included the hat/glove/scarf.

But it didn't. As I said, my life went on, I was just irritated.

 

[maxiesmom]

As another poster pointed out outerwear is just coats and jackets. Even so, they should have had another sign on that fixture for the gloves and scarves, even if they were not on sale. I think outwear is one of those words everyone in retail knows, and for some reason the companies assume that means everyone knows what they mean when they use it.

 

[Shelby5514]

I have learned to ALWAYS find a price scanner to verify the price of an item before I even think about buying it. So many people don't bother to put things back where they found them, I can only imagine the headache it causes store employees. I know the stores are trying to use descriptive signs as much as possible but I still double check so I'm not disappointed when I get to the cash register.

 

[sookie]

Outerwear generally includes jackets, coats, parkas, vests....It generally doesn't include accessories such as scarfs, gloves, hats...

Check Google. Check the outwear section of any online merchant.

I have to agree with the OP here. Plus Macy's has great sales. And great coupons. Go to Macy's my friend!

 

[sookie]

I pretty much always have a 20% OFF in my purse or a 25 off out of 100 or 15 out of 50 for Macy's - could you just try to buy the same item there?

 

[Mel522]

As an employee of Macy's for 5 years, I have to say this thread makes me happy. Our policy is to honor the price if it is employee error, even if the error is just a misleading sign.

 

[sookie]

*If* Dillards had merchandised all of the Copper Key accessory sets you found on the sale fixture on that fixture then they should have honored the % off because they put the items on the sale rack. If it was a random set left there by another customer then they did not owe you a discount. JMO.

dsny1mom

It isn't "owe"-ing anyone anything - like the OP said, the fact that the sign was up made her interested in making the purchase. So she was going to purchase said items. When she got up there and found out that was not the case - she didn't purchase the items. In the end - it was a hassle for both her and the employee she dealt with. Misleading signs make it hard for both the customer and the store.

 

[dsny1mom]

It isn't "owe"-ing anyone anything - like the OP said, the fact that the sign was up made her interested in making the purchase. So she was going to purchase said items. When she got up there and found out that was not the case - she didn't purchase the items. In the end - it was a hassle for both her and the employee she dealt with. Misleading signs make it hard for both the customer and the store.

I don't disagree. In fact since she has said *all* of the like items were on the rack with the sale coats IMHO Dillards should have honored the discount. Instead they lost the sale and perhaps her business altogether going forward. Not to mention the bad press they are getting on this thread.

dsny1mom

 

[*Seanaci*]

Nope, there was a full rack of these hat/glove/scarf sets on that rack. Hot pink, with colored sequins, very cute.

Because the other racks said "coats" specifically, and this one said "outerwear", I thought that included the hat/glove/scarf.

But it didn't. As I said, my life went on, I was just irritated.

This is what I was about to ask. So you have answered my question about what was on the rack with the 40% off outerware.

Whatever happened to the old saying "the customer is always right?"

I was at Target a couple weeks ago in a check out. The woman ahead of me was purchasing Lord of the Rings movies and a really neat Hobbit design/art book. When the checker scanned the book it came up "item not for sale yet." Turns out The book was not set to be sold until the following day (to coincide with opening day of the movie the Hobbit). So someone in the store screwed up putting it out a day early. Sadly the woman did not fight it or ask for a manager. I on the other hand would have demanded a manager. I would have wanted to know why it was out if it wasn't purchaseable until the next day? The least they could have done was offered to put my name on the book and hold it for me until the next day. I walked out wondering how many other people got to the check out with the book and faced the same response of "I can't sell this to you today."

 

[*Seanaci*]

As another poster pointed out outerwear is just coats and jackets. Even so, they should have had another sign on that fixture for the gloves and scarves, even if they were not on sale. I think outwear is one of those words everyone in retail knows, and for some reason the companies assume that means everyone knows what they mean when they use it.

Technically true. But if there were no coats/jackets on the rack with the sale sign, and it was all accessories (as is what it sounds like from another post from the OP), then it is clearly Dillards error. Be it an employee was told to move the accessories to the rack and in error did not remove the 40% off sign or the sign was placed on the wrong rack, the clerk should have called a manager and the OP should have had the 40% discount applied to her purchase.

Too many places are quick to blame someone else for errors, rather than fix the issue (be it honor the sale price to OP and call someone to be sure the signage is removed or call a manager to get direction and have the signage changed).

 

[Lewisc]

If there was a 25% off sign for coats on a rack for socks would expect a discount? Years ago some (many?) stores would as a way of thanking you for bringing the mistake to their attention. Far too many rushed employees who don't check and far too many "cheating" customers moving signs for that policy to make sense today.

Any Macy's I've shopped at (NY area) would not offer a discount if a sign was obviously on the wrong rack.

edited to say Although it's news to the OP the term outerwear isn't used to describe hats, gloves, scarves etc.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

Outerwear generally includes jackets, coats, parkas, vests....It generally doesn't include accessories such as scarfs, gloves, hats...

Check Google. Check the outwear section of any online merchant.

I agree. It never occurred to me "out wear" would include accessories. The sign seemed clear to me.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Jrex21]

Just wanted to offer my two cents and a little bit different perspective. I was a manger for Dillard's for several years (the accessory department!! woot woot!) and the policies can vary from store to store and division by division. Now, it seems silly to me that Dillard's would discount Copper Key Outerwear (yes, coats, jackets) and NOT the cold weather accessories that would go along with it. That doesn't make any sense to anyone! However, let me also note that our buyers are the ones that dictate the markdowns strategies and its is the manager of that department's job to execute their wishes. This whole situation sounds like poor execution. It honestly shouldn't have been THAT big of a deal to "price overide" something as small as kid's cold weather accessories. This is a department error and the OP should have been taken care of on the spot.

Mistakes happen all the time, especially during the holiday season and especially when you are working longer and harder hours. No fuss needed from the ringing associate, just take care of the customer, wish them a good day and fix the mistake. Easy peasy :c)

Every Dillard's is different, shouldn't be but there you have it, every division is different and every manager is different. When you run into an issue like this the best practice is to alert the manager of that department in the nicest way possible. More often than not, they are trying to put out 7 different fires at once and will glady accomodate you and then adjust their mistake after you have finished your shopping. It is FAR better to have a happy customer leave then it is to have an unhappy customer take the issue higher up the food chain. Managers are fired every day at Dillard's for the smallest of reasons, more often than not they will help you so they can continue on with their career. Associates are different, associates don't have to worry about these situations as much so they will often choose to argue the matter saying "that's not our policy". No worries, just call for the area sales manager and have it straighened out.

Happy New Year!

P.S. They are not any "price scanners" in Dillard's. However, any associate can quickly scan items at the register and it will tell them the price.

#Lurkerpostover

 

[kristenrice]

I was shopping the clearance section at Old Navy and came across some of their athletic tanks which I love. There were several colors available in my size and the first one I grabbed was marked $3.97. The normal price is about $15 so I assumed that was correct. I grabbed 3 different colors without looking at the other tags and went to the register. The cashier rang up the first one...$3.97. Then, she rang up the second one....$3.97....but she got a puzzled look on her face, and re-rang up both tops. She said, "This one is marked $0.97 so I'll honor that price for all of them." I hadn't even looked at the tag, but she was correct...it WAS marked $0.97. I thought I was getting a bargain when they were $4 so to get THREE for $3 was amazing!

OTOH, I don't like their policy when using their ON rewards. I bought $75 worth of stuff including a $25 jacket for DH. Since I used $25 in ON rewards, if I wanted to return the jacket, I would only get $13.29 for it because they spread the rewards across all purchases as a percentage discount. All of our other items were $5 or less. I'm sure there's a reason, but it just seems like I'm getting screwed out of the true value of the jacket. I told DH that if he wants to return it, we only get $13 back instead of the $25 that we paid for it.

Oh well...you win some, you lose some!

 

[cats mom]

I have to agree with the OP here. Plus Macy's has great sales. And great coupons. Go to Macy's my friend!

I pretty much always have a 20% OFF in my purse or a 25 off out of 100 or 15 out of 50 for Macy's - could you just try to buy the same item there?

Funny, my first thought when OP said she shops Macy's instead of Dillards was my frustration with Macy's coupons and their long, long list of exclusions. In fact I seldom even bother with them anymore because I swear nothing I want is ever coupon eligible.

This time of year I'm willing to cut any retail employee I come in contact with some slack; working the holidays can be brutal. As has been mentioned, you can always escalate to a manager. When I worked in a major department store managers could approve price overrides a front line employee could get fired for offering.