On Saturday night, my husband and I pulled up to Macy's and scored the number one parking space next to the entrance. "Your elation ends here," I warned my husband, "this is Macy's after all and they will swiftly suck the joy out of you with the arch of an eyebrow."
Ever since their merger with the May Company, I've noticed that the level of customer service in Macy's has taken a steady nosedive. Clerks are surly and inattentive. Lines are long. Good luck getting anyone to help you in the shoe department.
Macy's didn't used to be all bad. Macy's used to be quite good. In fact, I hear that there was once one on 34th street that performed miracles. Not anymore. The only 'miracle' performed in Macy's that night was that I didn't reach across the counter and throttle the sales girl.
"May I help you?" she asked, bored and put-out that she had to do some actual work. "Er, yes. I purchased a gift card here right before Christmas and it was lost in the mail. I am here to (insert clerk shaking her head 'no' at me here) replace it (faster head-shaking) and I have the original receipt."
She kept shaking her head 'no' as she reviewed the receipt I handed her. Ready for the inevitable fight, I began to explain the guidelines for replacing a lost gift receipt as set forth by Macy's website. "You see, I called the number listed on your website and had the old gift receipt cancelled. The Macy's rep who helped me told me to come in here and..."
"No, uh uh!" the clerk interrupted. "You shouldn't have cancelled it. Now you're not going to be able to replace..."
"But the Macy's website told me to." My turn to interrupt. "The customer service rep told me to come into the store for a replacement and I..."
Clerk turns her back on me and picks up the phone. Husband and I raise our eyebrows at each other. I prepare myself for a throw-down.
Clerk mutters into the phone for a while. Says things like, "I know, I know-- I told her that! Well could you come down and tell her? I don't want to...no...you tell her."
Finally, she sets down the phone and turns back to me. "You can't get a replacement gift card without a receipt." My husband jumps in, "That's the receipt in your hand!" Clerk directs a vacuous look toward the receipt in her hand. "Oh...well...anyway, you're going to have to come back on Monday and talk with someone else because no one here knows how to help you tonight."
And why should they? Why ever would Macy's staff their store with someone who could help me on a Saturday night?
But that's neither here nor there. The real reason for this post is to describe what happened when I went in this afternoon to get that replacement receipt.
I walked through the entrance and took a detour through the shoe department 'cause that's how I roll when Husband's not around. I immediately spotted a pair of girly boots that I had to have. I looked this way, then that way for a clerk, but no one would meet my eye. I finally approached the clerk closest to me, "Excuse me. Do you have this in an 8?" She just stared at the boot. No smile, no word of acknowledgement, nothing. Finally, she looked at me. "Well, not out here." Then she turned on her heel and walked into the back.
"Uh...okay." I thought as I moseyed around the rest of the department. "I guess she's coming back." A few minutes later she reappears through the door with the boots. "Are these on sale?" I dared ask. "I don't know!" She snaps. "I'll have to scan them." "Good, do that then, you snot." I thought. Man! What is it with these Macy' employees?
I try on the boots and decide to make the purchase. Manning the register was another woman who was much more personable. "And who helped you today? Rick?" she asked cheerfully. "No, it was a lady." I had to bite my tongue to keep from using some other word in the place of "lady". She completed the transaction and then went to bag my boots. I watched her try to wedge the large box sideways into a bag that was clearly too small. Meanwhile, she makes sure to tell me all about Macy's online survey that allows me to detail my wonderful experiences with the Macy's clerks. "Yeah right," I think, "you don't want me online, recounting my tales to Macy's Headquarters."
The clerk finally gives up and fits the boot box lengthwise into the bag, but the bag isn't long enough and the lack of handles makes it unwieldy. "I know just what I will do!" she chirps, "I will make you one of my special handles!"
"Hmmm..special handles..." I ponder as she bounces off, "I wonder how she's going to do that? Do they have some sort of plastic handle-type gizmo that hooks onto the bag?" I think back to my days as a department store clerk and can't recall such a device. I turn just in time to spy her reaching into that box they put out for those complimentary please-try-our-shoes-on-with-these hose. She plucks out one, then two hose and makes her way back to me. "Here we go!" she says proudly as she loops and twists and ties the pantyhose to make a "handle". "Now you won't have any problems carrying your boots!"
Stunned, I mumble my thanks and shuffle away. Feeling ridiculous, I try to hide my pantyhose handle from passersby. "What in the...?" I think to myself, "This Macy's shares real estate with stores like Neiman Marcus and Tiffany's. Is she kidding me? Those stores would never give you a pantyhose handle!"
With that I decided to end my relationship with Macy's. The shame of the pantyhose handle was simply the last straw. Good bye forever, Macy's!
Well-- until your next shoe sale, that is.
8 comments:
Ahhh, good old Macy's. First, before I forget, yes, there is a plastic type handle out in the retail world that you can use when your merchandise is too big for the bags. They are quite handy. I personally think her pantyhose handle was a good idea and at least she was pleasant to you and I'm being sincere when I say that.
But, I can sympathize with the rest of your Macy's experience. A couple of months ago I went to get a new tube of lipstick. It was a very specific shade of red, and we all know it's difficult to find that perfect shade of red that doesn't say "I'm a stripper/hooker!" Anyways, I needed to replace my old tube and found the color I needed. I get the tube, give it to the saleswoman, she digs under the cabinet, comes up with a box, gives it to me and the sample tube of lipstick for *me* to put away. I buy it, go home thinking all is okay. Later that night, I take it out of the box. The shape of the tube isn't right, and sure enough, I look at the name, she had given me the COMPLETELY wrong color, the names weren't even in the same ballpark. It was that nasty orange-red shade of lipstick that does not look good on a fair skinned brunette. Luckily, I had some of my old tube left and could use that. I never did take back the other tube, but I still seethe to this day about that...
And my other experience was over Christmas. I needed a new dress for my holiday party and found a cute little number in the Macy's juniors department. I go to the register and the poor woman is struggling to help the customer in front of me. She explains it's only her second day and the customer in front of me used to be a Macy's employee so the girl had to coach her through the whole process of correcting prices. Finally, 10 minutes later, it's my turn. I couldn't believe that they left that poor girl by herself on only her second day of work. That's ridiculous. Macy's needs an attitude check.
Yeah, you know...Husband thinks that the pantyhose handle is clever too, so clearly the attitude that needs adjusting is mine. Though I don't know...a pantyhose handle..
Anyway, I have plenty of Macy's stories as well. When I was there before Christmas, I asked the clerk ringing up my purchases for a box. He told me he didn't have any large enough and that I would "have to go upstairs to customer service". A quick scan of the area revealed another register not 15 feet away. "What about there-- over there?" I asked. "Do they possibly have a box large enough over there?"
They did, yet he acted *so* put out to have to think outside of the box. "It's not that big a deal to walk upstairs." He told me. "Yeah, well, my car is parked *right there* (pointing to the exit behind him), so actually, it is." I retorted. He rolled his eyes. So professional.
Nordstroms is so much better.
so did you get your gift card situation worked out? or did you just leave with your macy's-ghetto style bag?
I did get it sorted out, thanks for asking! I made a beeline for the cash office with my boots where I had the pleasure of interacting with the only competent Macy's employee in existence (her name is 'Beth' if you need her). Once I established that she was normal, it was all could do not to hold my bag up and cry, "Look! Just look at this travesty! It's a disgrace to the institution that is Macy's!" But I didn't, because I am a wuss. And I wanted my gift card. Which I got. Go Beth!
im going to give them the benefit of the doubt that they gave you UNUSED pantyhose for your handle....
and yes, it's clever, but if it's the shoe dept, and they sell boots, which come in big boxes, shouldn't they have bigger bags? i mean really. i know the coat dept is right near there...surely they don't stuff a knee-length hooded, quilted, oversized coat into a little bag then tie pantyhose to the handle....
Mel -
MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY! I was a little disturbed that I didn't have the chance to visually inspect the hose for signs of wear. I mean, I could have been wrapping my boot-greedy paws around someone else's foot stink! And yes, why did a place that sells boatloads of boots not have a bag big enough for a box of boots?
Why o' why, Macy's!?
I have a million Macy's stories as well.. but I'm supposed to be doing homework right now, so I will spare you.
I agree that the panty hose handle was at least clever and appreciate that she cared enough to do something. So, clerk gets an A for effort. But, it's up to Macy's to not allow that to happen!! The clerk shouldn't have to come up with a way for you to carry the bag of boots you just purchased!!
I am shocked.. horrified by the lack of customer service these days. Everywhere you turn people act as though they are doing you the favor.. you know, allowing you to buy their merchandise or use their service. It's awful. I used to complain to customer service or supervisors, but realized there just isn't enough time in the day. Instead, when I receive excellent service (and even only decent service at a place where I usuarlly get poor service) I make it a point to report my experience to the supervisor or customer service. Since this happens much less frequently it's not such an incovenience. Also, it leaves you feeling kinda good to do something nice! Hopefully people will feel nice when they get the accolades and it will make them want to do it more often!
Together, we can change the world of customer service!!!
You're right, Kelly. It is a far better feeling to pay a compliment to someone than to criticize.
Actually, the other day I was in The Container Store attempting to buy those shelves for my garage. Even though I knew exactly what I wanted (I even brought a picture from their website), the wench manning the customer service kiosk insisted that I had to work with a designer, then she tried to hand me a pager. I hesitated, then asked her if she had any idea how long I might have to wait. Her response was, "I dunno. It could take two minutes, it could take two hours. I have no idea." I handed back the pager and left immediately with the intention of writing a letter to corporate about my experience with her. By the time I got home, however, I'd forgotten her name. I was kind of glad, actually. it would have brought me down to compose a letter like that. Instead, I took the mature route: I went back with my husband the next night, pointed her out to him and made snide comments about her when she was out of earshot.
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