I will never understand why every December, I choose to wait until three days before the 25th to start my holiday shopping. Furthermore, I will also never understand why this is the time I choose to revisit the Macy's in Walnut Creek which I have only experienced below average service at time and time again. But I do.
And I know why I do. Because I, who lives pay check to pay check, have a Macy's card. It's my only retail card and I really should get rid of it. But until I do, it sits in my wallet, tempting me at Christmas time, to get last minute slippers for Grandma, after shave for Dad, and a something only a mother could love from their massive jewelry section. And although the Macy's in Union Square is obviously a little better, it requires a train ride, and the thought of driving myself only 10 min. away and easy parking makes the Walnut Creek option a sealed deal.
This last December was no different. Three days before Christmas, armed with an early Xmas gift return(a pair of 14K gold hoop earrings), I found myself once again in a line in the contemporary jewelry section at Macy's. This is the first of many bones to pick with Macy's. Every time I go I seem to find myself in a line with at least a 20 minute wait. What ever happened to walk-up counter service? Oh well. Thirty minutes later I finally had a sales woman's attention. I explained that I wished to return the gift I had received. I said an exchange for a Macy's gift card for the amount of the price of the earrings would be fine. The gift I received had the prerequisite Macy's return tag so I assumed there would be no problem. I was under the impression those return stickers held all the necessary information about the original purchase (the price, the item, etc.). Well of course, I assumed wrong. After a fifteen minute search, the woman returned and explained she didn't have the earrings I had brought in but she did have a $30 pair of silver hoops and could offer me the price of them as a fair exchange. A little offended, I told her the gold hoops I had brought were solid gold and I believe had cost my BF's mother, well over $100. The woman then told me that I was in the wrong section, and would need to try "fine jewelery" on the other side of the store. Gee, thanks. One hour now spent in Macy's, nothing accomplished.
I made my way to "fine jewelery" and guess what? Yes, another line. This one a little shorter at 20 minutes, but more bad news. I was told they did not have the earrings I had brought in, in-stock, and they would therefore have to credit me the least expensive pair they had on hand. Now explain to me how this works? Macy's reassures its' customers that as long as their gifts have that little return tag, a gift receipt is not needed; yet I am told differently. A glance at their many gold hoops reveals prices anywhere from $100 to $400. Out of curiosity I ask the sales lady what "comparable" pair she would use. She points to a pair of tiny gold hoops, clearly about a quarter of the size of the ones I had brought. I thanked her and said I had decided to just hold on to my gift for the moment. As I walked away in frustration she called out that I could always try one of their other locations. Uhhh... yeah. No thanks.
On a final note, this particular store is always in some sort of disarray. The dressing rooms seem to always be filled with the last shopper's discarded rejects, the makeup counters are a mess, and the perfume testers are often empty. In addition, I can never find any help, anyone to help me find a pair of shoes, or anyone to ring me up.
Truth be told, we have better options out there than to settle for the mediocre shopping experience one gets at this over-rated department chain. read more
