I was out shopping for a cute outfit to wear on my friend's birthday so as I was making my way to my usual spot (Buckle, right next door), I noticed Francesca's and decided to pop in. The outfits are cute and the prices are more than decent. Unfortunately, that's where all the nice comments stop for me.
Upon walking in, I noticed two employees, standing well within eyesight of the door, chatting about their social events and what not. They saw me come in and did not say a word, even as I continued shopping. Being greeted is not something I normally care about so much but it would have been nice, considering I've never been in the store prior to that day.
A few minutes go by and two other ladies, my age group, walk in and they were instantly greeted and asked if they needed help finding anything. I watched as these employees tended to these other customers and acted as if I did not exist, even as I walked past them in close proximity. I had a shirt in my hand, along with a dress. You would think if a customer starts picking up items, you would want to take interest to see if there's anything you can do to make their shopping experience better, which increases sales and repeat customers.
I finally approached the male associate and asked if they had that shirt in a small. He scoffed at me and rudely announced that the only ones they had were already on the sales floor and if it wasn't in my size, it wasn't available. The attitude was so unnecessary and obvious that I handed him both the shirt and the dress, and without a word, promptly exited the store. I continued to my originally planned destination and happily spent my money there. I made sure the employees saw me walk past the store with my hands full of shopping bags. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. I will not give my business to a store that employs such rude staff.
After I got home, my boyfriend pointed out that I was probably dressed too casually and they likely assumed, based on my attire, that I couldn't afford anything in the store. Thinking back to the other girls that had walked in, they were both all dolled up. Customer service lesson here for the staff, if you learn anything from this... do not pass judgement based on what someone looks like. You don't know if someone just spent all day cleaning the house and didn't have a whole lot of time to shop for the party she was attending that evening, and decided just to go in jeans and a tank top. That someone might have been a frequent repeat customer. That someone might have said some really nice things about you on Yelp.
You won't catch me stepping foot back in that store. read more