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more of a can you help me complain to clarks

9 replies

lola0109 · 17/11/2010 14:26

Hi, i received very bad service in Clarks and I don't usually complain however this time it really hacked me off. I have went online but can only find a head office address.

Would I be better writing to head office or addressing a letter to the manager of the store?

Has anyone ever complained in writing to Clarks and if so was the complaint acknowledged?

TIA

OP posts:
Nancy66 · 17/11/2010 14:34

always write to head office.

WowOoo · 17/11/2010 14:37

I have complained about products not service but got result I wanted.

Call shop, speak to manager and get head office address?

i just phoned up and then had to take product in.

lola0109 · 17/11/2010 15:09

Ok, here is my experience of my day in Clarks, tell me what I should put in the letter and what I should leave out as being petty and risking complaint not being taken seriously!

Alternatively you can tell me if you think its worth complaining at all!

I got to Clarks store with DD1 (2.2yo) & 2 (7 mo) to get feet measured on Monday. I make the assistant (I shall call her CA) aware that I can?t buy the boots for DD1 until the Wednesday but as DD?s will be in nursery rest of week I want to get their feet measured and fitted so on Wednesday I can come in and just pick up what I want. I was willing to buy DD2?s shoes that day.

I ask which DD shall we do first, she says get them both out and I?ll do them at same time. So I am holding DD2 whilst she measures DD1, all the while she talks to another member of staff ?can you see her, what?s she doing etc?. I assume shoplifter or something. I tell CA that DD1 already has brown boots but I am looking for a nice pair of black boots for winter, I point to a pair in the toddler section. She then gets up and walks away, DD1 no shoes on wandering round shop and DD2 still waiting to be measured. She comes back and has 3 boxes and says she can?t have those boots as she is now a 7 so I?ve brought these and takes a brown pair out and puts one on DD1. She says excuse me and walks away again. I wait for her coming back and she returns and says ?how do they feel?. I am still holding DD2 and asked for black. I say, I?m looking for black. CA replies I?d bring her back on Wednesday to get boot fitted, I explain again that she won?t be here on Wednesday and that if she could fit it today I will pick them up on Wednesday. She then tells DD1 off for touching a shoe on the shelf. I also tell her off and tell her not to touch things.

I then say can I have DD2 measured, hoping I could then put her back in buggy and have a look at the boots for DD1.

She starts to measure DD2 and says she?s curling her toes so I can measure her, you?ll be better to bring her back in on Wednesday! I say again she is in nursery on Wednesday. DD1 touches a show again and assistant says ?I?ve already told you not to touch that? She then says does she really need shoes, I say yes she?s pulling herself up on furniture etc and with socks and wooden flooring she slips so would rather she had shoes. She then asks is she walking, I say no she?s 7 months. I explained that she had shoes but unfortunately lost one which was a shame as I liked them and paid a lot of money for them. CA replies ?oh why would you spend a lot of money on a baby that age?. I said they were from here and that?s a lot of money in my opinion for a 7 mo when they grow out of them so fast. She then replies, this is the bit that riled me most, ?see to be honest we?re getting inspected today?.? At which point I said fine forget it and packed up DD?s and left.

I?m annoyed as I have only ever bought Clarks shoes for the DD?s. DD1 was a size 2 at her 1st birthday but DD2 is a size 3 already at 7mo so needed shoes a bit sooner. And just because you are being inspected doesn?t mean that customer care goes out the window!

Would you complain? Am I being unreasonable in wanting to complain?

OP posts:
RunnerHasbeen · 17/11/2010 15:24

I wouldn't complain, and if you do you will have to be a bit clearer about something specific that annoyed you. It will be their nationwide policy to bring out 3 pairs of boots when they don't have the one you want in the right size or it doesn't fit. That is something you can complain about generally if you want, but not a sign of bad service from AC.

What you didn't like was her attitude, the fact she didn't listen to you about the Wednesday arrangement or tell you why she was wandering off. I would, at most, have complained to a senior member of staff at the time but head office are not going to be bothered about any of this, honestly - I don't think it is worth your time. Even if they did follow it up she would say: "I was dealing with a shoplifter, an inspection and her child kept eating the display shoes."

I worked in a different shoe shop when I was younger and I would have had to clearly explain to you why I wasn't comfortable fitting shoes on a 7 month old who is still curling her toes. She should have handled it better and offered pre-walkers but the actual practice is again, probably in line with store policy.

VinegarTits · 17/11/2010 15:38

i wouldnt complain either, can see why you are annoyed but sounds a bit trivial

CrazyPlateLady · 17/11/2010 15:40

TBH complaining to Head Office is a bit OTT for this situation. It was down to the crappy customer service of one worker.

At the time maybe you could have asked to speak to someone more senior but I would say there isn't anything you can do about it now. 7 months does seem a bit young for shoes as well. Maybe she shouldn't have told you that in the way she did but she does this everyday and if your DD was curling her toes, then she couldn't be measured properly anyway.

atmywitssend · 17/11/2010 15:43

I've complained before - nothing happened! Clarks is franchised now rather than being a chain and I have heard from another shoe shop that the brand is suffering for it. all they seem to care about is sales and not service. i'll never go there again!

TattyDevine · 17/11/2010 15:48

She sounds like she had a bad manner but I wouldn't go to the trouble of complaining to be honest. It might be worth it for "revenge" (!) in that the feedback may well be communicated to her which will probably piss her off, and might well make her think about how she deals with customers in future - but its a fair bit of trouble to go to. She wasn't excessively rude or personal, and to an extent I think she was probably trying to do the "right thing by you" so to speak because 7 months is very young for shoes, they dont relaly "need" them, and whilst that is up to you, you said how she had lost one and the woman was probably trying to steer you away from wasting any more money.

Of course that is your business so she was a little patronising.

How about some slipper socks? They have little rubber bits on the bottom so they dont slip on wood or laminate.

lola0109 · 17/11/2010 15:49

See, I think because of the overall service I got that it just aggravated the situation, I was going to complain mostly about the lack of service due to the "tbh we're having an inspection today..." I don't know if I'd have been as annoyed with it if thats all that happened. But point taken, i will leave it. Maybe just avoid that particular store.

I was only looking for crawler shoes for DD2 just to stop her slipping and give her some grip when crawling etc. I would have just liked them fitted properly as she has quite a large foot!

And runner just to clarify DD1 was just touching shoes not eating them Grin now if it was DD2 on the other hand...

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