I am a long time customer of Syles for Less in Pismo Beach. I've been shopping at Styles in Pismo…read morefor the last 15 years. I am VERY dissatisfied with my shopping experiences at that store recently.
Over the last 15 years of shopping there and shopping at Styles in other locations, I have never had worse service than my last few visits to the store in Pismo Beach, over the last few weeks. To begin, looking at my last experience there, which mimics my last 3 or 4 shopping experiences there, upon entering the store ...or ever... nobody greeted me, which is fine, but having been a store manager myself, I know I should be greeted. Then, after holding overflowing armfulls of clothes to try on, nobody offered me a bag or a fitting room and I couldn't seem to get the attention of any of the three ladies working. Once I got the attention of one of the ladies, I still was forced to wait and was apparently forgotten about and finally was able to get a fitting room when another customer got another associate to open a fitting room for her.
When I was ready to checkout, there was one longgggg line for one register. Yet, there were three empoloyees behind the counter, one was coming and going hanging up shipment, I believe. One associate was ringing people up. And the other, who I believe has some sort of managerial position, was doing paperwork. I asked the associate hanging clothes, if she could begin ringing people up on the other register. At my old store, customers come before shipment, inventory, go-backs, projects, visual merchandising, etc. However, the associate just told me, flat-out, "No." The line literally did not move an inch for 15 minutes while the employee at the register, slowly rang up one girl, albeit the girl kept having payment issues, etc. Still, if something like that is going on, holding up a long line of customers, why not open the other register? It wasn't anywhere near closing time and there was only one family in there shopping, who were at the fitting rooms. Everyone else was in line. After standing there, sweating in the hot store with apparently no air conditioning, I was holding so many items that I couldn't hold them any longer. I put half of them on the table and racks beside me and decided not to buy them because I couldn't hold them any longer and because none of these employees deserved such a large sale with so many units per transaction. Everyone in line was complaining and fanning themselves. I don't understand how the empolyees couldn't take notice. Finally, I got up to the register and said to the cashier, "That was the longest line in a store I've ever waited in." And in such a rude tone, she said, "Excuse me?" I repeated it and then in the same tone, she said, "Well so what? All the stores are busy, everyone has to wait, so you do too." I almost just walked out of there right then. She continued to be rude while ringing me up. On the receipt it says her name is Juventina.
If anyone, I understand "busy." However, when I was a manager, I'd schedule things so that I save enough hours for the busy days and times. I schedule enough coverage and I make sure to have two registers open when there is that many customers waiting in line. If I were to hear about such a long line and only one register open in my store, I'd be horrified and would re-train my employees to learn that customers come before all projects, paperwork, etc. Also, my employees aren't rude to the customers and are apologetic when customers have to wait awhile.
Lastly, I wouldn't be so bothered if this was just a one time thing, but this was probably the 4th time that I wasn't greeted, wasn't offered a shopping bag, wasn't offered a fitting room, had a hard time getting the attention of a sales associate, and waited in a very long line at just one register, sweating all the while from the temperature in the store. But, this time, after the rude sales associate, I just had to say something. I don't know if I will ever shop at Styles again after such horrendous customer service so many times in a row.
