I was shopping with my mother and overheard a sales associate talking trash about my mother and gesturing "oh see that lady over there she filed a complaint against me" as my mother walked past her, and two other employees and customers into her fitting room. The sales associate laughed and mocked my mother making additional comments "I don't know what her problem is" again this was in front of two other employees and customers.
As the sales associate walked away from the fitting room I approached her and another male employee who I came to find out was actually the store manager. I explained that it was me who filed the complaint for poor customer service and rude behavior which was proven yet again this second visit.
The manager assured me that the sales associate was previously reprimanded but couldn't share details. I expressed interest and concern because this was the second incident where the same sales associate went out of her way to make my mother feel uncomfortable and attempting to embarrass her.
I was baffled by the managers response but considered him making light of the situation earlier with his employee not realizing I over heard the entire exchange and conversation as they walked away from the fitting room. Based on this fact I advised him I would continue my complaint toward the regional management team, to which he responded that's "ok you can choose to do so but all complaints end up coming back to me any way"
After my conversation with the manager I went back to sit in front of the fitting room and wait for my mother to finish trying on clothing. I soon realized I didn't have the sales associates name even though I recognized her face, and recalled the last incident based on her rude outburst toward my mother.
I looked at the sales associates name badge but couldn't make out a name because the font print was too small, it was smaller than every other employee's name badge I encountered at that store that afternoon. I politely asked "excuse me miss", she ignored me, I asked again "excuse me miss", again she ignored me, I asked a third time "excuse me miss can I please have your name?" She gave me a dirty look and said she was "talking to her friend right now and even if she wasn't she would still not give me her name and said if I wanted it I should talk to the manager" while holding a walkie talkie.
I was shocked and again embarrassed, I looked toward her co-worker working the fitting room area who overheard the entire exchange and asked "is this normal behavior, was it something I said?" To which she replied "I'm so sorry I've never seen this and don't know what to tell you, it's not right."
At this point I walked away toward the front of the store and requested to speak with the manager, to share my most recent experience.
The manager accused me of following his sales associate around the store and making her feel uncomfortable advising me that she felt threatened. This was a lie because I was sitting outside the fitting room waiting for my mother when I asked for the sale associates name and security footage can prove this fact.
The manager then advised me that I already had her name assuming remembered it, or could actually see the name printed on her badge. This response was another showing of poor customer service this time on the managers side, lack of empathy, active listening, and ultimately not addressing my original question, which was asking for an associates name.
Sometimes people remember faces not names, sometimes a tone of voice and behavior or an overall poor shopping experience rather than a name. It was obvious at this point that the manager was not planing on pursing or making any remedies to correct this sort of behavior.
Due to this exchange, it will be the last time I visit the Sherman oaks store, and will share this experience with family and friends so that other individuals are aware of the pedestrian service the store and brand offers its customers. read more