My mother and I visited Elly's today while shopping, and she found two dresses she really liked…read more Both had purple dots on the price tags, so we asked a sales associate what the dots meant. She wasn't sure, went to ask someone, and came back saying the "boss" told her the items were not on sale.
My mother decided she didn't want the dresses, but I knew she really liked them. I took them to the register and asked the cashier to scan them. Both items rang up at 50% off. Thinking it might be a mistake, I asked her to scan them again, and once again they rang up at half price.
When I told my mother they were 50% off, another associate, Dee, abruptly interrupted and said, "No, they are not. Nothing is on sale." Even the cashier seemed surprised and commented that purple dots usually indicated sale items. Dee then said she would get the manager.
When Susan, the manager, arrived, we politely asked to speak with her to the side. In a very cold, monotone manner, she told us nothing in the store was on sale and that the purple dot simply identified an internet item. I asked why the register was applying a 50% discount and why the cashier believed the purple dots indicated a sale. Her response was that the sale rack outside also had purple-dot tags. If that's the case, it's incredibly confusing and misleading for customers.
I then asked if they would honor the price that was scanning at the register. Susan showed no concern whatsoever and simply said that someone would buy the items at full price and that they "might go on sale in August." The irony is...it is August.
Before leaving, I asked Dee for her name and confirmed the manager's name, Susan, because I knew I wanted to share this experience.
The store itself is beautiful, and the prices are what I would expect for a beach boutique. Unfortunately, customer service can make or break a shopping experience, and ours was disappointing. One of the other sales associates even apologized to me for how we had been treated. When I told her she had been wonderful and that my concern was with the manager's attitude, she quietly replied that Susan is "like that with everyone."
That was disappointing to hear. I'm sure someone will eventually purchase those dresses, but after the rudeness and lack of customer care we experienced from the management at Elly's, I won't be back.
