to expect a proper apology fro Mothercare for appalling service

[ChrisandChristina]

I have vowed never to use Mothercare again.

A sales assistant was so rude to my wife in their Brighton shop that she was reduced to tears.

The manager was useless when I complained to her and simply waffled on about investigating the incident I.E standard meaningless management speak

When I complained in writing to Mothercare customer services they sent us a £15 gift card to 'offset our disapointment'.... what an insult.

I will never spend another penny with them.

Just wondered if this was common for them and what experiences other people had had there.

[Tidey]

The staff don't sound like they were very helpful, but you are going over the top. Maybe being new parents has stressed both of you out a lot. I would accept the £15 voucher but swap with someone for the cash, if you don't wish to ever go there again.

[bethelbeth]

I think you care too much about trivial pish.

Service is bad. Make a complaint. Don't shop there. Easy as pie!

[upthehill]

I agree with the other posters.

I think this is a reflection on where you and your wife are right now - probably on an emotional roller coaster!

A couple of tops priced wrongly and poor handling by the staff does not warrant all this energy - let it go, and please do not let your wife dwell on this or keep going on about it. It is not worth it.

Btw the best thing for your wife to buy are lots of close fitting strappy vest tops (H&M do nice ones and Primark in the sleepwear section). Wear these under everything and anything on top (doesn't have to be nursing). The two layers mean that no one every sees her tummy and it will save you both a fortune!

Enjoy these first special weeks with you little one.

[Honeydragon]

I feel sorry for whichever poor assistant is going to get the bollocking.

I have recently had excellent service from MC, and always find my local staff utterly charming. I realise not every store is the same.

I don't think you ywbu at the time to be upset, that your wife had been upset. But I do think yabu after the event as both the manager and Mothercare have asked what you want and I wonder if you know, yo haven't stated what you'd like them to do now? People are human and make mistakes. Once MC acknowledged your complaint then it is up to them how they handle train staff to prevent errors happening again.

I'm sorry your wife is upset, but if you feel that strongly than you have to vote with your wallet and shop elsewhere.

[beesimo]

OP you may be being slightly over the top but big respect for sticking up for your DW in the face of snotty behaviour by sales staff good on ya. My DH would throw himself in front of me if a mad bull was on the loose but he would die of emmbarrasment in this situation. It would of been just pay the extra and lets get out of here. On second thoughts he would never enter a Mothercare shop full stop. You are a example to all DHs everywhere

[chipmonkey]

So, a mistake was made in the pricing of the tops in the first week. You could hardly expect them to give them to you at the wrong price the second time around.

I'm also not sure quite why your wife was so upset? tbh, if that had been me I would have been shocked and horrified at how unprofessional the staff were being but I don't think I would have been reduced to tears. Don't get me wrong, I have given birth four times and all four times, I have been a bit weepy afterwards but bad staff behaviour in a shop wouldn't have reduced me to tears.

It sounds to me like you may have come over as being a tad aggressive when dealing with the assistant and she felt unable to deal with you.

FWIW, there are much better nursing tops available online than you can get in Mothercare.

[lilyberry]

I think they could have been more professional about it - politely asking to see the receipt so they could work out which incompetent staff member had f*cked up the pricing - but aside from that I can't see anything they did wrong.

Instead of helping the shop assistant and possibly securing yourself the reduced price you were hoping for, you reduced a pregnant woman to tears and didn't apologise because - what - she's a shop assistant?

I can understand you being protective of your wife, especially as she's a new mother, but YABU.

[AbiAbi]

H&M in Brighton do REALLY good nursing tops, go there in future.

[cheesesarnie]

buy a t shirt from primarni.think your being ott.i know the books say you need to be there for your wife after shes given birth but your taking it a bit far.i work in a shop and get fed up with people talking to me like crap just because i work in a shop.the sales assistant didnt change the price,mothercare did.nowt she can do about it.

[Janefeelsold]

Mothercare is cheap, nasty tat and I always found their customer service to be appalling.
Your wife would get much better customer service and find much nicer feeding tops in John Lewis.

I understand it's an emotional time for you both but let it go and concentrate on your DD. I hope your DW is feeling a little better.

[frazzle26]

Sorry OP but I was expecting something a bit more exciting than that. Something in the region of the manager having you in a headlock for example or calling your wife an f**g b**h. I think then you would have had cause for complaint.

[thornykate]

feel sorry for the shop assistant TBH, the fact that she has had to leave the shop floor in tears doesn't fit with your description that she was the rude one.

[saffy85]

YABU as is your wife. It's ok for to cry like a baby be oversensitive about stupid non issues like this as she's a bit emotional anyway.

The staff were unprofessional, don't get me wrong, but rather than single out that one shop assistant you should have made a complaint in general about the shitty service your wife got. Also FWIW, as a shop assistant I wouldn't have given a stranger my full name either. You didn't really need her full name to whinge to Head Office about this incident.

[Janefeelsold]

I think you're all being a bit harsh on the OP, tbh!
It does sound like there was a lot of nonsense going on with the SA shouting across to ask who was responsible and why wasn't she told. That's hardly professional or polite. The OP didn't go shopping in a fish market!

[saffy85]

BTW when I say unprofessional I mean by bellowing across the shop floor about the whole gubbins. Prices in shops do change alot as do special offers. Not refusing to let you have your own way.

Feel bit sorry for the shop assistant myself. I too have had to take myself off the shop floor at work to have a little cry hormonal when some arsehole customer decides to be rude for no reason on the basis that "the customer is always right". are they bollocks

[violetmoon]

So you demanded a the full name of a PREGNANT employee and made her cry because your wife was (understandably) hormonal and upset at having to wait a few minutes and being spoken to rudely and because a staff member "stomped off"? What else do you want, for the employee to be sacked, you have had a voucher and an apology? Seriously, enjoy your new baby and get the hell over it. She was right to walk off and not give you her full name, I wouldnt! She went on in this vein and basically accused my wife of lying about purchasing that top at that price. Really? she actually said that? Also, I am assuming that the employee asked for the original receipt because her manager told her too. Retail workers often take the flak for arsey managers behind the scenes!

[Lotkinsgonecurly]

But the tops online with the gift voucher or purchase them elsewhere and move on. May aswell use the gift voucher though.

But move on enjoy the new baby...

[BootyMum]

Sorry, but both you and your wife sound a bit precious...

[nancydrewfoundaclue]

jane agreed the shouting amongst themselves is a bit unprofessional, but hardly impacts on the OP's wife does it? I can't begin to understand why she was reduced to tears.

Above and beyond that the OP is displaying a shocking set of double standards:

Assistant makes his post natal wife cry - he wants the moon on a stick.

He makes pregnant shop assistant cry and it doesn't even register.

[JojoLapin]

Long story... I can understand why your wife may be over sensitive, but you? Rise above it.
Mothercare's sales assistants always remind me of those from Homebase: just as nice and helpful!

[upthehill]

btw what happened is hardly an "incident". Hope today has been a reality check for both of you - it is a couple of tops and a shop - get things into reality.

Nobody is that desperate for clothes! Wear what you have.

[confuddledDOTcom]

Half way through the story but found this link for you:

www.mothercare.com/s?Action=submit&rh=n%3A42764041&field-hidden-keywords=3for2mat&extid=hp_product_row3_product1

May come back when I get to the end.

[confuddledDOTcom]

They made a mistake, they did it to me earlier in the year too, very similar offer on sale items. I can see how it gets like that. You start off saying "but that's what it says and I've already bought stuff at that price" then they do their shouting bit which makes you feel silly and embarrassed. Once you're feeling like that it's hard not to get cross with them.

It sounds like all you want is for people to say "Yes, we're sorry, you're right sale is on 3 for 2 at the moment and our staff shouldn't have made a big deal about honouring the sale".

[splashyy]

I agree that it was reasonable to complain as your wide was upset, however they have apologised and offered a good will feature. Result imo. What more do you want?

[splashyy]

*wife
Typing on phone sorry