Macy's and Why I Hate Macy's
Today my mother wanted to return her new glasses - she didn't like them. She picked out a new "modern" look - whatever. She's 81 this month, she can do whatever she wants.
In our travels, she wanted to look at a ring at Macy's. Last week it had been on a "one day" sale. We went to one Macy's and they didn't have the ring, but told us it would be on sale tomorrow and that if they did have it, they would have given it to us at the sale price. So, they called the downtown Macy's, who had the ring.
We drive over there, mom looks at the ring and wants to buy it. I asked if we could get the sale price it would be at tomorrow. The salesperson says no. I ask to speak with her manager. She calls the manager, hangs up and says "the manager says no."
I asked why the manager didn't come tell me this themselves. She said "Oh, you wanted to see them in person?" I explained that yes, when I ask to "see" a manager, I expect to "see" a manager. She gets back on the phone and tells the manager in a very smart assed voice "the customer wants to SEE you". So the manager comes down. Turns out she's about 22 years old, and is the "customer service" manager. She explains that no, they can't give me the sale price, but would be glad to hold the ring until tomorrow. I asked why, if they were taking the ring out of the display and putting it where no other customer could see it or buy it, why they wouldn't sell it to me at the sale price today. She said she couldn't sell "fine jewelry" at the sale price before the sale. I asked to speak to her manager.
She first tells me that "they're all in a meeting with the higher-ups". I explained that as a customer, technically, I was a "higher up" they should meet with. She calls the manager. The manager tells her to sell me the ring at the sale price. I said, "thank you, but this manager won't come talk to me either?" She asks "oh, you wanted to "see" the manager?" By now, this was becoming a theme. She asked me what color Macy's card we had. Huh? My card may not be the right color for GOOD service?
Meanwhile, the salesperson is begrudgingly ringing up the ring for my mom. I hear her say "sign here" and look up at the register. She had rung the ring up at the normal price. I said "Mom, why are you signing for the ring at the regular price?" The salesperson turns, in front of her manager and says "There's just too much going on around me!! I forgot!!" That's when I got really mad.
I took the manager aside and said "Are you going to let her talk to me like that?" at which the manager said "I noticed and I will speak with her." Then yet another manager comes down, explaining that she is a "floor manager" and wants to know what happened. I explained everything again, stating that I couldn't understand why when I asked for a manager, none wanted to come and actually meet me. She apologized and said I could make an appointment to meet with the store manager. An appointment?? So I said fine, make me an appointment. She got the secretary's voice mail. I haven't heard from them yet.
Finally, she called the assistant store manager, explained the situation. She actually came down, shook my hand and asked me what happened.
I explained the rude sales person, the inability for anyone but the customer service manager to come physically to see me, then the sudden appearance of the floor manager. The run around about the sale price. The absurdity of putting the ring in a drawer and making me come back tomorrow. One Macy's will sell, the other won't. She assured me that she was going to "right now" discuss with all of the managers the actual way to contact the "higher ups" should an actual customer want to see them. I told her I was told she was in a "meeting" and she said, "no, I was walking the third floor like I always do". She said she was going to pull the smart assed sales person from the floor and discipline her as well.
All this because my mom wanted to buy herself a birthday present. Yes, we got the ring at the sale price, but only because I stood my ground and refused to buckle. They all watched me as if I were some queer experiment. I think it was the first time they said "no" to a customer and the customer said "oh yeah?"
Macy's needs to realize that in this economy, ANYONE who purchases their overpriced items (sale price or not) is supporting their ability to remain in their jobs. Treating your customers with a little, tiny bit of respect would be a good start. I know that as a customer myself, I will NEVER shop in Macy's again.
Motto? Stand up for your rights as a customer. Don't be rude, just be persistent. Refuse to accept "no" until you talk to someone who actually has the authority to do so. Make stores bring back actual customer service.
In our travels, she wanted to look at a ring at Macy's. Last week it had been on a "one day" sale. We went to one Macy's and they didn't have the ring, but told us it would be on sale tomorrow and that if they did have it, they would have given it to us at the sale price. So, they called the downtown Macy's, who had the ring.
We drive over there, mom looks at the ring and wants to buy it. I asked if we could get the sale price it would be at tomorrow. The salesperson says no. I ask to speak with her manager. She calls the manager, hangs up and says "the manager says no."
I asked why the manager didn't come tell me this themselves. She said "Oh, you wanted to see them in person?" I explained that yes, when I ask to "see" a manager, I expect to "see" a manager. She gets back on the phone and tells the manager in a very smart assed voice "the customer wants to SEE you". So the manager comes down. Turns out she's about 22 years old, and is the "customer service" manager. She explains that no, they can't give me the sale price, but would be glad to hold the ring until tomorrow. I asked why, if they were taking the ring out of the display and putting it where no other customer could see it or buy it, why they wouldn't sell it to me at the sale price today. She said she couldn't sell "fine jewelry" at the sale price before the sale. I asked to speak to her manager.
She first tells me that "they're all in a meeting with the higher-ups". I explained that as a customer, technically, I was a "higher up" they should meet with. She calls the manager. The manager tells her to sell me the ring at the sale price. I said, "thank you, but this manager won't come talk to me either?" She asks "oh, you wanted to "see" the manager?" By now, this was becoming a theme. She asked me what color Macy's card we had. Huh? My card may not be the right color for GOOD service?
Meanwhile, the salesperson is begrudgingly ringing up the ring for my mom. I hear her say "sign here" and look up at the register. She had rung the ring up at the normal price. I said "Mom, why are you signing for the ring at the regular price?" The salesperson turns, in front of her manager and says "There's just too much going on around me!! I forgot!!" That's when I got really mad.
I took the manager aside and said "Are you going to let her talk to me like that?" at which the manager said "I noticed and I will speak with her." Then yet another manager comes down, explaining that she is a "floor manager" and wants to know what happened. I explained everything again, stating that I couldn't understand why when I asked for a manager, none wanted to come and actually meet me. She apologized and said I could make an appointment to meet with the store manager. An appointment?? So I said fine, make me an appointment. She got the secretary's voice mail. I haven't heard from them yet.
Finally, she called the assistant store manager, explained the situation. She actually came down, shook my hand and asked me what happened.
I explained the rude sales person, the inability for anyone but the customer service manager to come physically to see me, then the sudden appearance of the floor manager. The run around about the sale price. The absurdity of putting the ring in a drawer and making me come back tomorrow. One Macy's will sell, the other won't. She assured me that she was going to "right now" discuss with all of the managers the actual way to contact the "higher ups" should an actual customer want to see them. I told her I was told she was in a "meeting" and she said, "no, I was walking the third floor like I always do". She said she was going to pull the smart assed sales person from the floor and discipline her as well.
All this because my mom wanted to buy herself a birthday present. Yes, we got the ring at the sale price, but only because I stood my ground and refused to buckle. They all watched me as if I were some queer experiment. I think it was the first time they said "no" to a customer and the customer said "oh yeah?"
Macy's needs to realize that in this economy, ANYONE who purchases their overpriced items (sale price or not) is supporting their ability to remain in their jobs. Treating your customers with a little, tiny bit of respect would be a good start. I know that as a customer myself, I will NEVER shop in Macy's again.
Motto? Stand up for your rights as a customer. Don't be rude, just be persistent. Refuse to accept "no" until you talk to someone who actually has the authority to do so. Make stores bring back actual customer service.
Comments
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Thanks for visiting me and kind words. I will come here to read your blog too.
Keep posting!
Cheers
I had something like this happen at Sears a few years ago, after getting the same run around on an item "yes it's in our add, but we don't carry it" I was told that "No, they cant get it, and the manager has informed them 'not to bother her with this misprint' so they will not give me the same price on a comparable item." So having just remembered seeing a special on TV, about their new VP of Customer Service, I just pulled my cell out and dialed 411 for Chicago, and had to have HIM on the phone before the store manager would come down from her office (in quite a huff)just so she could ask me begrudgingly "what colors and how many bath sheets of the next tier up, would I like at the sale price."
It's a cool trick if you know the home town of your stores parent company, just to drop them a line while you are standing in their cash machine getting grief for trying to give them your money.
It's like watching sci fi. The minute a customer shows up at the counter she is immediately waited on by a salesperson who calls her "Madam", who is only too happy to scurry to and fro to find different sizes, colors, etc., and who never cracks gum or ignores her while she chats to a co-worker about her date last night.
It's jaw-dropping. And I'd like to think it's only pure classic-film fantasy, but I happen to know some ladies from that era who assure me that yes, salespeople really did actually give a damn back then. (Sigh)