When the First Look Mother's Day Tote email came out last Tuesday I
debated if I should wait to grab it in the store alone or should I order
one online too. I do shop and support not only my local stores but
others in the surrounding area so ordering online occasionally is
sometimes done more as a convenience for myself.
While I thought
about which color I would get, I called my local store to see if they heard
anymore of when this bag will be released. I got the same old...same
old "I haven't worked for the past two days"....then silence. I
mentioned I got the email and was told, " I don't know anything...I
didn't work the past two days."
Now your
reading that thinking...well the girl probably didn't work so she didn't
know. And here is why that bothers me. It's because it is ME asking.
Me the girl who spends Thousands in there...and me the girl who writes
about all things B&BW.
Because if it
was that you didn't work there the past few days your answer...customer
SERVICE wise should be to say," let me check, I was off...can you
hold?"
But it is Me...and the we can't tell Tess anything nonsense.
And I will explain more about that in a minute.
So
I decided on the grey color...which is out of my wheelhouse but I
thought I do have so many pink purses, and I remembered I even sold the
new Pink Mother's Day Scalloped Bag from last year. Grey is a great
neutral for summertime.
I added in some
wallflowers as my purchase for this purchase, because I grabbed all of
the new items I wanted in the store already and I try to close out my
order. I say try because since the new and improved website launch I
cannot order a thing online. Null and Void is the red bold print
message I get with every try. All of these weeks later I still need to
bother customer service with helping me place an online order.
I
had a great person on the other end of the call helping me get
everything finalized and right before we closed the order out I asked
her, "Does the Candle included in the bag come with the Eiffel Tower lid
as I have seen the store bags will?" She told me once she places the
order she will contact the warehouse to get someone to check.
Remember,
the First Look email ad showed the candle lidless so I wasn't sure.
And I thought about all of the other candles that had special lids or
wax details...Turkey Lid...Layered wax candles, etc...they can vary from
store to online purchases.
When she
returned to the call a few minutes later, she said it will come with the
puffy lid that is available to that line of candles in stores. No
Eiffel Tower Lid.
Feeling very disappointed
I asked if I could cancel the order and she said they wouldn't be able
to since it was sent to the warehouse already for quick shipping. I
mentioned that I really wanted the limited edition lid and she told me
if I was unhappy with the lid or anything I purchase I am welcome to
exchange it IN STORE for the lid those bags will have.
I
explained to her while that IS the Happiness policy of the company,
occasionally you will find a few stores that are not HAPPY to switch
things out that were purchased online. She laughed and said, "if they
aren't, be sure to call this number (she then recited the 1-800 CS
number to me) and tell on them.
I let out a laugh and thanked her for her time in helping me get my bag ordered.
A
few hours later I saw my tote was shipped and it was to be delivered on
Friday; a mere three days after ordering. That was great and I was
excited to see my new tote.
Sadly, Friday
came and went and my UPS shipment got bumped up to a Monday, Today
delivery.
And after 6pm today, my tote came....and the candle inside
DID have the Eiffel Tower Lid. YAY!!!
I am so glad I didn't need to exchange anything in a store. And here is why.
Most
days when I shop I go into the store earlier in the day. Evening
visits are usually rare, so my stopping by the mall later in the day
last Thursday was a bit of a surprise to the workers as it was to me and
the behavior of one of them.
There is one
who I like and I am friendly with because I shop there so much, but at
times I am met with snarky comments that are off-putting to me. I don't
know where they come from but I found it annoying on numerous occasions
to have it said in a crowded store....as she was working and realized
that something I told them was on clearance...ran to the shelf to get it
for herself saying....."We are running around grabbing everything like
hyenas before Theresa buys it all." Or I better grab one before you buy
them all.
Stupid, silly remarks...yes.
Unnecessary though too. I am a customer first...friendly, yes...you
know my last name, have memorized my phone number and email address....
but I don't know your last name...and I am respectful as I should be. I
enjoy the fun, life banter back and forth as I fill my bag...but I don't
need snide.
I don't know why it
happens once in a while...they all know I write a blog. I don't talk
about it...they don't talk about it. That cat is well out of the bag. A
sort of unspoken truth. I never ask them for information for my blog. I
usually know what I need to know so I don't need to ask. So when
something is off....I notice.
Thursday I
walked into the store to the left hand side....I can see the two workers
at the registers with a customer or two checking out and the back room
door is open. I walked along the wallflower wall because I wanted to
sniff the Spring Leaves tester and I could see zebra taped boxes in the
doorway, the silver cart and a pile of the totes...sticking out of the
opened box. The worker (who makes those comments) was closest to the
doorway... had the grey tote in her hands looking at it while there were
customers checking out. She immediately looked up...saw me and my
husband...ran---RAN to the doorway, threw...THREW the tote inside and
closed the door. Um, there is a candle in that bag.....geesh.
I looked at him and he rolled his eyes.
Stupid.
That
worker did not acknowledge me at all as she went back to the cash wrap
pretending to look at the register... while the other worker finished
out the sale and the customer left. That worker came around to greet me
and ask what I was in for.
I told her what
I was looking for and she pointed it out on the table close to the cash
wrap and I went to pay. The other worker, the quarterback, went into
the back and closed the door again.
I
mentioned to my cashier that the tote has been online for a few days did
she know if they still were going to do the coupon early release on May
10th or was it pushed up. I didn't want to miss getting one in store
too.
She walked over to the closed door and
opened it a crack to ask that I wanted to know if it was still set for
the 10th or moved up and that worker again with the same ole, same ole
line screamed through the door, with customers in the store...I don't
know I haven't worked in a few days.
The
poor cashier didn't know what to tell me as evident by the look on her
face. She said they haven't heard anything about the totes so ....and I
said that I had the coupon and I will be sure to check back on
Wednesday.
And I left.
Saturday
when I went for the Pineapple Tote sale I spoke with the Manager who
was there as well as the other worker from that day at her side and I
was told....
1. I asked her and she said
she didn't do anything. (I am sorry but screaming through a closed door
with other customers in the store is unprofessional...and certainly not
good customer service. if your in charge at the time, OPEN the door...
come out and tell the customer...any customer... any line of nonsense
that is the going line of nonsense at the time to have a measure of
politeness. If you truly don't know...read a piece of paperwork ...ask
someone else. Make the effort.
2. That is
her personality, she is snarky and rude at times to a lot of people.
(ummmm what?) I said that is fine if you all accept that to be the
NORM...I do not.
3. We aren't allowed to
show the totes so she didn't want YOU seeing it, it is a SECRET. We had a
conference call about it... (yep she said it was a secret. I
laughed...it maybe a secret to others but they knew I knew long before
....anyway....ugh) I wish I had a recording of how silly it all looked,
seeing me there.... the tossing it through the open door so I wouldn't
see. And oh yes, there were CUSTOMERS at the registers looking at the
bag--secret? sure....
4. If I was unhappy I can call and report it.
I
get it, Life happens and the day to day stinks at times. Having to
work out in retail is a BEAR when you need to be on your game all of the
time. So there is unpleasantness.
I
just don't like it to try to penetrate my happiness...because I have my
own day to day stinks....and Bath & Body Works is suppose to be my
happy place.
So for those who mention on my Facebook and InstaGram Pages, "shop and support your local stores, they need it."
Some days....the impersonal touch of the keys for online is BETTER.