I'll get straight to the point with the good and the bad. The bad outweighs the good. We ultimately decided to opt for her services because it was important to my family. But if there were other options in town, we would have strongly opted out. To the reviewers, who dismiss the "rude" complaints that even some other reviewers shared. I'm Korean and I know this culture well. But when it comes to rudeness, this owner, however, was really a notch above. And I chose to give examples, rather than generalities for those who it will help. And to be honest, the one-star isn't driven by the rudeness factor...it's driven by the WTF moments of everything else. It wasn't just a one-time thing, but issues pervaded until the end of the wedding.
THE GOOD:
THE PAEBAEK: The paebaek was ok. She translated the event into English for the primarily English-speaking guests
SHE'S GOT CONNECTIONS: The owner is well-connected within the Korean community it appears. There is an opportunity for this store to be a one-stop shop for your wedding needs
THE BAD:
NO ROOM FOR QUESTIONS: The owner constantly interrupted everyone in the room trying to ask about hanbok colors, owner's schedule and availability, method of payment. She interrupted my own mother and mother-in-law. She literally told us to stop asking questions. Now, I get that once in a while, a business might ask that the customers to operate on good faith and trust the experience of the shop. But this owner was on the attack, incredibly rude (both in her tone of voice and her word choice), told us our questions were irrelevant and scoffed here at every moment she got. We asked her to be more polite...but she dismissed it
OVERPRICED: So there aren't many options...we get it. We don't have many comparables except for the prices in Seoul. Her prices were more than Seoul. We mentioned that to her and requested a second look at the cost. We were courteous, we were trying to ensure a fair price, and so we were doing a little haggling. Now, the topic of prices is neither here nor there, to be honest. A higher price at this shop isn't going to dissuade us...because, again, not many options. It's her reaction that floored us. "Then why don't you go to Korea and have your paebaek there?" was her response.
HANBOK ILL-FITTING: For someone who rudely told us to pipe-down and let her handle things, she certainly didn't deliver in this department. My hanbok hat (is that what this is called?) was so tight, that it left abrasions above my eyebrows. My shoes were so tight, that I had to curl my toes into the shape of the shoes, to prevent them from rubbing--they still did. I'll also mention the fact that the pain intensified when I was bowing to my elders. But the worst part was when I had to run-around with my mom, mother-in-law, and new wife on my back (as is traditionally done in paebaeks) in these shoes--I thought I would be toenail-less. Again, stuff happens (I'm a really tall guy), but we received no humility, or apologies from the owner. For someone who highlighted her expertise, I think getting the fitting right are tablestakes.
ANOTHER MONEY TOPIC, WITH SOME DISINGENUOUSNESS We wanted a "gayagum" (a traditional Korean string-instrument) for our wedding. We happened upon an elderly lady from church as an option via referral and got a quote from her (I think it was $200). During our continued search, we also asked the hanbok lady if she knew anyone since she probably has connections given her business. She told us she found somebody and gave us a quote (I think it was $350) and to pay the hanbok owner directly. We asked for a name which she refused (see the "no room for questions" section). But things felt a little off and we continued to ask for the name, until she reneged and gave it to us. Plot twist: it was the same lady. The owner would take a cut of the fee and give the rest to the musician--the premium was a finder's fee. We decided to work directly with the musician
CHANGES ON OUR WEDDING DAY: Before the wedding, we asked the owner if we could continue wearing the hanboks for our reception. She said yes for NO CHARGE. When the wedding day arrived, and paebaek complete, we were about to make our grand entrance into the reception area, she asked that we PAY for the hanboks. Again is this a big deal in the grand scheme of things? No, it's not. Did I really care? No. But did it matter to my wife? Yes. We had already planned on showing our friends and taking pics. But if the owner calls an audible the day-of, then that's worth typing about. A phone call the day before would have been fine. But at the literally last second?
This is only my own experience. Your mileage may vary and I hope it does--we all want to support local Korean businesses. But I also hope this review helps both owner and customer reflect on how to best give and receive a better experience in the future. read more
