In all fairness I"ll give this storetwo-star rating, despite the chillingly horrible treatment I received there recently, for two reasons: one, the shop actually has a pretty decent selection of unusual gifts from which to choose, and two, because I have shopped there on and off during the last 10 years and while never would I have said the service was "good", I also never would have felt it deserved any negative comments. That assessment changed drastically last week.
I had purchased several items there a couple of weeks ago, and returned one of them. At the time of purchase, I clearly indicated there was a good chance I might have to return that item if it did not match what I had at home. I asked if there was any problem with returns, and was told there would be no problem with a receipt. That was the entirety of the response.
Upon my return to the store last week to return the item, I was told it would only be for store credit. The taller of the 2 owners told me that was clearly stated on the receipt (which it was, except that one has to purchase an item before being given a receipt; the fact that I had pre-empted this possibility, I believe should have prompted my being so informed PRIOR to the purchase). There follows what ensued:
I started to say (without being allowed to finish) that it would have been nice to inform me of the above, when the owner's partner suddenly appeared, shouting at full volume "NO . . NO ...NO.... THIS IS MY SHOW . . . . I WILL NOT ENTERTAIN YOUR QUESTION!" all the while with his short, stubby index finger pointed dangerously near my nose. I told him he was very rude, to which he called me a "bitch" and to get out of his shop with my "filthy" dog who, by the way, had just come out of Canine Styles for a full grooming!
I left the shop to find a lady, who had witnessed the whole scene, waiting for me a few feet past the store. She stopped me and told me she is an interior decorator who has also shopped there before, and she was so shocked at the abuse I had received and said she really hoped I would call the police.
I live a few blocks away from the 19th precinct and so stopped by there in person. The officer told me he has heard this kind of thing before, but there is nothing they can do unless I have been physically hurt, which I wasn't. The officer urged me to report this to the Better Business Bureau. I will do that, but I wanted to call attention to this as - had it occurred to someone very old, or in frail health, the end result might have been much worse than just what happened to me.
I understand there is stress for everyone during the holiday season; still, there is no excuse for that kind of aggression to a customer. This duo should not be allowed to deal with the public if they cannot behave in a civil way. The taller of the two was only a bit rude and unpleasant, but the shorter one's behavior went much further than that. He acted like a very aggressive lunatic, and while he was shouting at me, he looked more like a rabid bulldog than a human being. I was frightened and in shock. This treatment was undeserved by me, and should not be experienced by anyone, ever, no matter what the circumstance. read more
