This was my first time shopping at Boot Barn to buy my first pair of boots, and unfortunately it…read morewas a really disappointing experience.
The only pair I liked in my size was also the last pair they had, but they were noticeably scuffed and damaged. I asked an employee if leather conditioner would fix the marks, and she honestly told me she wasn't sure because some of the scuffs looked pretty deep. She asked a coworker to take a look, and he was actually fantastic. He showed me how to properly condition the boots, explained that some of the damage would probably still be visible after the conditioner dried, and was very knowledgeable.
Since they were the last pair and were clearly damaged, I asked if they offered any kind of discount. He said they could probably do 10% and would check with the manager. I also asked if they offered a military discount, and he told me yes, that was another 10%, so I would receive both. He came back after speaking with the manager and told me she approved it, with the only condition being that the boots would be final sale because they were damaged. While I thought that policy was odd, I agreed because I really wanted the boots. He put the boots aside at the front while I continued shopping. When I checked out, I told the cashier the boots at the register were mine. As soon as he picked up the note, his entire attitude changed. He questioned why I was receiving the 10% discount, and even after I explained that another employee had already spoken with the manager, he interrupted me and said he had to verify it. I honestly felt like he thought I had made the whole thing up. The manager came over, seemed visibly annoyed, and spoke quietly with the cashier. I showed my military ID. Right then I received an important phone call that I had to answer, but while I was on the phone the cashier was still able to ask if I had a rewards account and continue checking me out. After the manager walked away, he scanned everything, gave me my total, and never mentioned that the manager had changed her decision. It wasn't until I looked at the total and specifically asked whether the discount had been applied that he finally told me the manager had decided not to honor the damage discount after all. At that point I had somewhere I needed to be, I needed the boots, and I didn't have time to argue, so I paid and left. What bothers me most isn't even the discount itself--it's the lack of communication and professionalism. If the manager changed her mind, someone should have simply told me before ringing everything up instead of waiting until I noticed the total. On top of that, I still don't understand the logic of selling a visibly damaged item at full price while also saying it can't be returned because it's damaged.
The employee who originally helped me Jerry I think was excellent and deserves recognition for his customer service. Unfortunately, the manager and checkout employee experience completely overshadowed that. For what should have been an exciting first experience buying my first pair of boots, it ended up leaving a really bad impression. I will not be back again.