topic Re: On-Line Customer Service in Fashion

On-Line Customer Service

jellyBEAN — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 12:53:43 GMT

So I do a lot of on-line shopping - usually at well-known department store websites - Nordies, NM, J Crew, etc...There is a brand of clothing I like called Maje and I've ordered quite a few things from them - at FULL price.

The other day they started a friends & family sale for 25% off selected merchandise, but I wasn't sent the email about it until later in the day/early evening, that the sale had started that day and I had already placed an order the morning the sale started. So I called CS and only got a recorded message to leave a message, blahblahblah so I did. I also filled out a customer contact form on-line to request the sale price adjustment on one item I ordered that was included in the sale.

They never got back to me, so I called CS again yesterday and got someone. I explained that the day the sale began I wasn't given the sale price on this one item because the email hadn't been updated until later in the day. They said, sorry, we don't do price adjustments, aren't able to do price adjustments, and your out of luck, if your not happy just return your items.

I was really dumbfounded because my shopping history w/them reflects me buying many items at full price, never returning anything, and we weren't really talking about a big adjustment here, just over $20. Needless to say I'm ticked. What do you ladies think? Other than never shopping with them again (which is how I feel) is there anything else I can do? I feel this is very poor customer service. What say you?

Re: On-Line Customer Service

nyc1 — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 13:24:43 GMT

@jellyBEAN OH ... That would NOT sit well with me. I would call back and ask for a MANAGER. Accept nothing less unless it's someone who will issue a CREDIT and an APOLOGY. If they were smart they would also give you some extra store dollars to spend for your time and aggrivation. I would press until action is taken. I've been there.

If you don't have the time and are willing to give up shopping at that store... STOP!

PLEASE let us know how this goes.

Re: On-Line Customer Service

millieshops — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 13:47:09 GMT

I do know that at one of the local chains where I buy most of my casual clothes, they run sales of something very, very frequently. No price adjustments - cashiers usually ask if you’re in their system but I ask the few times they don’t.

Re: On-Line Customer Service

jellyBEAN — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 13:54:25 GMT

@nyc1My complaint was forwarded to their management team, and they emailed me back telling me they don't do price adjustments and that if I wasn't happy to return the items for a refund. Their merchandise is pricey but it is nice and I do like the merchandise I have received, but this is just unacceptable so I won't be shopping with them anymore.

The $$ amount of my sale item is not enough to go crazy about, but the fellow I had on the phone did offer me a 20% coupon code, while the customer service management team person offered me nothing. Just goes to show to stick w/the regular department stores when it comes to matters like this, though I can't recall this ever happening.

Re: On-Line Customer Service

CAcableGirl2 — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 14:00:52 GMT

@jellyBEAN Call and ask for a supervisor. If they don't offer to give you the discount, I would stop shopping with them and I would tell them why and even go up the chain and tell them why.

The rep should have been able to look at your account and tell what kind of a customer you have been in the past.

I'm sure the email you received about the discount noted that they value you as a customer too. Customer appreciation goes a long way in my book and the rep could have made the adjustment and you would have been happy to be their customer and continue to purchase instead of risking that they have now lost a "valued" customer due to their lack of CS for a $20 discount.

Customer acquisition is expensive (which I'm sure their marketing department is well aware of, even if their CS department isn't).

Re: On-Line Customer Service

Kachina624 — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 15:14:05 GMT

@CAcableGirl2 READ. She did talk to a supervisor.

Re: On-Line Customer Service

newagain888888 — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 15:16:56 GMT

It looks like they're part of a French conglomerate with variety of businesses, so it might be a lot harder to get the attention you deserve. I've always believed putting the specifics in writing-(who, what, when) tends to attract more notice.When there's a written record, companies are usually more responsive. If you have dates, times, and names it helps. Keep that e-mail sent to you for proof.

Not only would I call back Customer Service and ask for a Supevisor, I'd ask that person for the name and contact information for the USA President. (I'm giving you that info. below but make them do the same to let them know you mean business.) Explain that you plan to make sure the corporate heads understand exactly how poor their Customer Service is toward excellent return customers. Let them know you spend a lot of your hard-earned money with them and are unwilling to accept such poor treatment.

Not only was this poor Customer Service, it sounds inherently unfair and discriminatory since other customers were given the discount and you were not. When notified, Customer Service did not make it right. It never hurts to take a few minutes to fill out a BBB form online based on the company's US location (New York). Unless the company is clueless or completely indifferent, you will get a response.

Finally, this is the contact number for their NY office. I would call and let them know you are totally passionate about their products and that is why you felt compelled to notify them that their employees are chasing away excellent customers via unfair business practices and poor Customer Service. Again, I would first use the phrase "unfair business practices" and not simply "poor customer service"--although, in essence, it is both.

SMCP North America. 44 Wall Street. NY 10005 New York. United States +1 212-510-8390

When people say it's not worth the time to address poor practices and behavior, my reaction is that allowing wrongs to go unchecked only makes it harder for the next guy, so I'm willing to do what I feel is right. You spend a lot of money and have shown loyalty to them, so you deserve better. Good luck!

Re: On-Line Customer Service

newagain888888 — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 15:25:57 GMT

Another thought is to use Social Media. The last thing a corporation wants to see is a good repeat customer detailing a bad experience on their Facebook page.Often, with an international brand, social media is more closely monitored by the company.

Re: On-Line Customer Service

jellyBEAN — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 16:14:38 GMT

@newagain888888 Wow, thanks for all the info along with your opinion. You went over n above the call of duty . I will contact them. It's just not right to treat a customer like that. The email advertising their sale stated the date the sale began, but not the exact time - say 12am or 9am or 4pm - whatever. For me here in America, a sale would begin the start of the day at 12am unless otherwise specified. Thanks again.

Re: On-Line Customer Service

Iwantcoffee — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 16:48:16 GMT

When I purchase a product I agree to pay the price when I check out. If an item is more than I want to pay I would not purchase. I certainly do not want them to bill me more if price goes up after I buy.

Re: On-Line Customer Service

jellyBEAN — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 19:23:12 GMT

@Iwantcoffee wrote:
When I purchase a product I agree to pay the price when I check out. If an item is more than I want to pay I would not purchase. I certainly do not want them to bill me more if price goes up after I buy.

Yes, this is normally the case. However, I wasn't notified of the sale until about 6:30pm that same day the sale started. I purchased the items in the morning from an email the company sent me that day w/no mention of the F&F sale. The email I received later on that same day states the sale starts on that day, the same day I purchased my items. No mention of a specific time of day the sale would start. Certainly if I HAD KNOWN of the F&F sale, I wouldn't have purchased the item at full price. Weird situation which I've not experienced before, but for the company to not make good on the sale which did start that day, that is what I find most unacceptable.

Re: On-Line Customer Service

Tori3569 — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 02:50:06 GMT

@newagain888888 I've been a retail regional manager for longer than I care to admit and unfortunately retail companies are not as willing to accommodate customers as they used to be and even more so after this past year. This includes the company I have worked for for almost 10 years now.
Companies are much more likely to hold to their policies, especially with things like price adjustments. I know that is not something most customers are happy about, but at this time especially it is accurate.

I would not agree with saying it is discriminatory in any event. Unfair possible, but not discriminatory.