We left without buying anything, despite genuinely wanting to spend thousands. The store had a great selection, and the three of us (a mixed-race family) spent about 20 minutes browsing, discussing sizes, and looking at jewelry. During that entire time, neither employee greeted us, offered assistance, or acknowledged us in any way.
What stood out most was the contrast. Before we entered, the employees were warmly chatting with other customers. Once those customers left and we were the only people in the store, the atmosphere became silent and watchful. One employee stayed behind the register while the other followed behind us refolding displays that didn't need attention. Even when my sister stood at the jewelry counter just inches from an employee, she wasn't acknowledged.
The final straw came when my sister said, loud enough for both employees to hear, "I'd love to buy several things, but I can't spend money where no one even speaks to us." They clearly heard her, yet neither acknowledged the comment, apologized, nor made any attempt to engage with us.
I can't speak to anyone's intentions--only to our experience. We left feeling unwelcome and chose to spend our money elsewhere. That's unfortunate because we would have happily purchased several outfits and jewelry and remembered this as a fun family shopping experience. Excellent customer service should be extended to every customer, and during our visit, it was completely absent.
It's unfortunate, because the products were genuinely nice and we would have happily spent thousands. We would have several new outfits that each conjured fond memories of a fun family vacation that included a shopping trip for us girls.
Hopefully, this serves as a cautionary tale to consumers and a reminder to the owners that this is the kind of interaction that costs a small business its sales and that excellent customer service should be extended to every customer! read more
