It was my assumption that it is the intent of businesses to make sales... I would never think that based on the visit that I made to this place. I hate a pushy sales person, but when I go to a place with the intent of using sales assistance to make a purchase, I wouldn't think it would be difficult to get.
First of all, as much as I appreciate the "no shoes" rule in my home, I think it's a little weird for a place of business. I mean, seriously... had to take my shoes off to enter the store (and I happened to have socks that I had painted in before, so yeah, quite the embarrassment).
At any rate, ok fine... shoes off, you want to keep the place clean. I walk in with my maid of honor and see a pregnant woman sitting in the main room and no one else to be found. After a minute or two of waiting, the pregnant woman finally asked us if SHE could help us and went into the back to get the person working. Like Emily M., a little old lady came out and asked us what we wanted... really??? So I explained that I had spoken with someone on the phone, confirmed that they had a sample of a bridesmaid dress that I was interested in and wanted my maid of honor to try it on. She directed us into the back room and told us to look thru several tightly packed racks of dresses. We went thru the dresses and did not find the one that I had requested. We went back to her and told her and she insisted that it was there, that we did not look good enough and to take our time going thru one by one looking again. As annoyed as we were, we went thru every dress one by one... to no avail.
I pulled my iphone out and went to pull up a picture of the dress to show the little old woman, thinking that maybe she would recognize it. When she came into the back room and saw me with my phone out, she started yelling at me that they do not permit pictures to be taken. I tried to explain to her that I was pulling up a picture of the dress to show her and she restated, several times, "no pictures, no pictures". I got the picture to come up of the dress and put it in front of her yapping face to look at. She said that maybe the dress was downstairs, she asked if we could take a look there to see if we could find it. She then told us to come back another day with all of my girls w/ a scheduled appointment. I told her to forget it, that I would bring my business elsewhere, grabbed my shoes and hightailed it outta that place.
My maid of honor was visiting from out of town. I was told that the dress was in the store and I got the little old woman with a hunch back being nasty, telling me to look harder and then yelling at me before I finally ran out of the store scared for my well being (she very well could have put some crazy curse on me....)
Other point of note - We realized that the place does not have a computer. There is no way for them to check inventory, and whomever I spoke with on the phone who said that they had the dress was obviously lying.
I am fairly new to the Albany area. I had no point of reference about this place, but I certainly will never recommend Annettes to anyone I meet who has bridal wear needs.
They are AWFUL!!!! read more