I've been a good customer at this shop for a couple of years, and I have to say that after my most recent visit, I will not be coming back. It saddens me because I love to support local businesses and understand that running a small business is not easy, but I also believe customer service matters.
I bought a good amount of pieces for my daughter on a Thursday afternoon, and when we got home, she tried all her pieces. I never have her try the clothes at the store, as it's easy to pick out the right sizes and it's never been a problem. This time, half of the clothes seemed to run smaller than expected. It seemed I had made a miscalculation in choosing the sizes. So since it had been less than 24 hours and the tags were still on, I called and explained this and asked if we could simply come and exchange them for larger sizes. I have always understood that there are no returns, and I did not want a refund, just to exchange the clothes for others that fit. The woman I spoke to, who said she was the owner, said there was nothing she could do. How could there be nothing she could do? She is the owner and she can do anything she wants, especially if she wants to keep her customers. Other businesses with outstanding customer service do make exceptions from time to time, and may say that it will be a one time exception, and this has happened, and I have stayed a loyal customer for years. I even asked if she could take them back as consignment pieces, so I could recuperate a little bit of my money, but she said she was no longer taking summer clothing. It's not like I was returning clothes that were months old, they were purchased less than 24 hours ago. Ridiculous.
The owner claimed that the money had already gone into the consignors' account. As if it she had no control over the money anymore. I know how consignment works, I consign clothing myself, and I shop in other consignment stores, so I know it is not out of the ordinary to have a reasonable return/exchange policy and it is also entirely possible to make an exception. It's not like the money was given to the consignor the second the purchase was made. Now I'm stuck with clothes that I have not even paid for yet, and I have to donate them.
The selection at this shop has always been hit or miss, but I support the idea of upcycled clothing in the name of being environmentally responsible. But I will have to find a new place to shop because I truly believe that customer service matters. I made a mistake in choosing the right sizes, but I spend a substantial amount of money each time I'm there, and I have been a repeat customer and I think some consideration should have been taken into that. read more