I have been shopping at Rainbow for quite some time, especially around this time of year because…read morethe deals are usually amazing. I prefer shopping in-store, and I've always enjoyed being able to see, touch, and try things on before purchasing. Unfortunately, after my experience at this location, I may have to rethink that.
Let me explain why.
A few weeks ago, I found a dress at another Rainbow location that had NO TAG on it. I was told they could not sell it without determining the price because it was from a previous season. I was understanding and followed up with the store until they were eventually able to locate the price.
My daughter purchased the dress for me , brought it home, and I realized I didn't really like the material like nylon. I never wore the dress or tried it on. I returned it the following day, and the return was accepted without a problem.
That should have been the end of it.
Apparently, it wasn't.
When I returned to the store today to purchase another dress, the employee assisting me brought up my previous return. They told me that whoever put the tag on the dress had done a "horrible job" because that wasn't how they put their tags on merchandise.
I listened and allowed them to finish.
Then I explained that I DID NOT PUT THE TAG ON THE DRESS.
The dress originally had no tag. Another Rainbow location was the one that eventually put the tag on it after they located the price. I never wore the dress, altered it, tampered with it, or did anything inappropriate to it.
Then they proceeded to tell me that another customer wanted to purchase the dress and said it had an odor.
At that point, I had to wonder: What exactly are you implying?
Because again--I NEVER WORE THE DRESS.
Once it was given a price my daughter picked it up for me.
And here's another issue: they told me that accepting my return was a "courtesy."
Excuse me?
If there was a problem with the condition of the dress, the appropriate time to address that problem was when I returned it. The return was accepted. Once that dress left my hands, I have absolutely no idea who handled it, who tried it on, where it was placed, or what happened to it afterward.
If customers are allowed to try clothing on in the store, then how many people may have handled or tried on that same dress before someone else purchased it? At what point does responsibility magically get placed on the last customer who returned it?
I don't know the "who," the "what," or the "when" after that dress was returned because it was no longer in my possession.
What I do know is that I returned an unworn dress, the store accepted the return, and I went about my business.
If there was truly a concern, I would have had no problem discussing it at the time of the return. What I do have a problem with is being approached later and made to feel as though I did something wrong when I didn't.
The employee did eventually apologize after I explained the situation, and I didn't accepted or deny their apology. But the fact that an apology was necessary in the first place says enough.
I was raised with decorum and respect, and thankfully I know how to conduct myself even when someone is speaking to me in a way that I find disrespectful. Because honestly, this conversation could have gone left very quickly.
I chose not to lose my cool.
That doesn't mean I didn't recognize the disrespect.
Customer service should never put a customer in the position of having to defend their character over a dress.
I love a good Rainbow sale--but no sale is worth being made to feel like you're being accused of something you didn't do.
I truly hope management uses this as a teaching moment: Ask questions. Get the facts. Don't make assumptions. And if there is a problem with a returned item, address it when the return happens--not afterward, when the customer has no control over what happens to that merchandise.
Service tonight was below subpar
