A few weeks ago, my mom and I went to Macy's at Broadway Plaza because my mom is a dedicated and loyal customer (ick). I detest this store, but she was visiting from out-of-state and wanted to see if this Macy's sold the Chanel perfume she likes, as she was running low.
Now, I have money to shop at Macy's and beyond, but I have taste and department stores are a relic of the 20th century. Most of Macy's clientele are relics of the 20th century - like my mom. My mom is a Filipina woman in her late 50s. She doesn't look like the Stepford wives of Walnut Creek. She's real, unpretentious and has no need to flaunt her socioeconomic status. She had money to spend there.
My mother and I were approached by a "nice" lady wearing all black and a red blazer. She asked us what we were looking for and if we had a Macy's card. I told her we were looking for Chanel perfume and that my mother was a Macy's cardholder. She asked if I wanted one too, and I politely told her I do not shop at Macy's. She laughed out loud - a laugh that was so fake because she wanted so hard to mask the offense that had clearly been taken. Now, I also don't flaunt the money I have in the bank. I dress modestly, my hair is usually in a bun and I wear very little makeup. Basically, I'm a walking offense to everything Walnut Creek.
The "nice" lady took us to the perfume counter and called over the helper who displayed the worst customer service I have ever experienced - on the level of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman when she's boutique-shopping and the "helpers" are rude. This older woman with a pixie cut and salt and pepper hair walked over to us and said, rather loudly, "Do you want something?" If we were Walnut Creek Stepford wives, she would have asked nicely, in a delicate tone, "How may I help you two today?"
But, this is Macy's. Macy's in Walnut Creek. The epicenter of superficial, tight-as*es and low lives.
My mother didn't catch the rudeness. Perhaps she's become numb to it after living in the US for 40 years. Perhaps she doesn't let it bother her because she's not the geriatric behind a perfume counter. But, I expected this behavior from a Macy's in Walnut Creek. So, I let my mom ask for the Chanel she was looking for. The lady pointed out a bottle my mom spoke of and said, "This costs over $100." Um...my mom did not ask for the cost.
The bottle was too big for her to pack as a carry-on for her flight back home, so she asked if there was a smaller one that could fit in her purse. The geriatric-perfume counter-helper became impatient and said, "No. This is all we have." I could see my mother really considering purchasing the bottle. But, I'd had enough of this offensive treatment. So, I told my mom to not buy it and to spend her money elsewhere and I quickly walked off.
After I turned to leave, I caught that "nice" lady in the red blazer give a look to geriatric-perfume counter-helper, like, "What a waste of time."
I'm glad we wasted their time. When we got out of the store, I told my mom we had a Pretty Woman moment. We should've said, "I've got money to spend here." Then, go back all dressed up fine and sh*t, go to perfume lady and say, "You get paid on commission, right? Big mistake, HUGE!"
If you are not a Stepford wife and you have a soul, don't shop at this Macy's. read more
