to be disappointed about luxury store customer service?

[yolofish]

My DD1 has just turned 21, so today we went to vv expensive, luxury shop to buy her possibly the 3rd cheapest thing they offer - agreed pressie, actually not too expensive in the scheme of things.

We were both reasonably dressed - possibly more so than the tourists wandering around - yet we were not treated that well. Apparently the system is you give your name at the door - no one asked us that, so we wandered around until I found a sales lady who said she would add our names to the list.

20 mins later we were then served by the most incredibly sullen youth I have ever come across. Absolutely no interest in us - slapped the chosen item on the counter, didn't bother to point out any its features or why it would be so desirable. No kind of "is this a special purchase" or any interest at all actually. The packaging was eventually lovely, and hopefully she will get beautiful emails from the store in question and maybe the odd glossy brochure in the future after we'd filled in all the inevitable details.

I feel mugged!

We still bought it, because she'd set her heart on it, but she was disappointed by the whole experience because of the way we were treated. She loves the present, but the experience was such a bloody disappointment!

When I was a SA selling Chanel and other perfumes I used to give them to the people I thought looked nice.

Do Chanel still do those gorgeous miniature bottle samples? Plastic sachets just aren't the same.

And who were nice to me.

Probably not cut out for a life in sales.

In a shop like that £150 is next to nowt as far as they are concerned. It's like walkimg into a car showroom and buying an air freshener. Would they spend as much time on you as a customer buying a car? Of course not. Right or wrong, it's to be expected they wouldn't roll out the red carpet for you. They won't care about getting repeat custom off you - these brands have extremely loyal, wealthy clients who will spent hundreds of thousands a year on goods. Sorry it sounds blunt OP but that's the way it is.

Jesus wept Splendid you're a chippy hoot.

The smart sales assistant knows that overall sales contribute to their commission. If it's a slow day and you can sell 20 cheaper line products rather than one tote then you would unless you're a twat.

I would also shout out Mulberry Covent Garden, Tiffany, Apple and (I know it's not quite as high end) Ted Baker, Regent Street for ace CS.

These stores absolutely get brand loyalty and that, just because someone's buying a lower end product today doesn't mean they haven't got a cupboard full of expensive stuff at home.

The smart SA can also spot their products at a glance if a customers wearing them and make an existing customer feel welcomed and valued - looking at you excellent FC sales lady in HOF Bluewater.

By the way I buy my handbags from tkmaxx, I am not one of those customers!

Also you don't get customers coming & spending 10k every hour, so brands do need us little people. Why do you think Michael Kors has been successful? He's targeted people with money to spend that aren't rich.

I work near faubourg saint honoré in Paris and walk past all the designer shops pretty much every day. I don't buy things from them because that's just not my sort of thing (however I do have a vintage Saint Laurent coat... so this might be an influence).

Bref, a couple of years ago there was the most amazing window display at Saint Laurent. I was window glaring and one of the shop assistants popped her head out and asked if I wanted to come in. I say no, because I won't buy anything, she replied, if you've got time, come in just for the pleasure, we had a back and forth of her saying "come in", me saying, " but I won't buy anything " and she ended up saying, "I know you won't buy anything now, but, I'd still like to offer for you to try on the shoes you're looking at." So I did go in and it was lovely, I didn't buy anything, they didn't try to get me to buy anything, but they got shoes for me to try on and gave me champagne, and took photos of me, I think I stayed for nearly 45 minutes. They were just so so nice.

All that to say that I think that the French sales assistants can be lovely, whatever Mumsnetters think.

I love how my comment re sales associates in ONE store on ONE street in Paris means that all French sales people are mean. It was more about Chanel 🤦🏻‍♀️

Tiffany SA are fantastic, also love Selfridges, HN etc

I have noticed with LV you get way better service when you go with your DH

@Getout21

I'm feeling very " susceptible " today!

Give over op you spent £150 not £1500 they was hardly going to bend over backwards for you.
She wanted a LV purse and she got it.

He sounds rubbish. Surely it's easier to have a basic standard of friendly and professional non-servile service for everyone, with bolt-ons for repeat customers or strangers who are obviously going to spend a lot of money?

It must be exhausting to look at customers and do a mental calculation every time: 'Now shall I give them my gold standard service or maybe they're worth the platinum. Or the wooden spoon service? But what if I make a mistake? Hmm.'

Getout21

Absolutely. LV and similar would be nowhere without the customers who by small leather goods, make up, perfume and sunglasses.

In the grand scheme its nothing but I can't believe the amount of people who think the purchase of a small item warrants poor treatment.

Don't forget the OP said the transaction took 15 bloody minutes regardless while he fucked about with an iPad.

Maybe expecting questions about the gift is a bit much but 15 minutes is a long time to spend being unpleasant. Little shit.

OP are you going to complain?

TBF Ishould you're dead right. My friend always takes her DH to LV, he also looks forrin so they probs think he's Minty McMinted. With DH in tow who wouldn't know a Mulberry handbag from a freezer bag, or care, they throw a fucking parade. John Lewis are the worst. DH gets red carpet treatment, I get barely concealed disdain.

Like all shops sometimes you get good service and sometimes bad. Another assistant in that shop might have given a completely different service/experience but this one didn't. Some of the places mentioned above as guesses for bad service I've always had good. some of the ones mentioned as good I've had not so good.

But it is just a shop - so if their service fell short you could tell the manager - but I'd have done it there and then rather than call now. The moment has passed.

I probably will complain or at least not complain exactly but do that terribly British thing and create a shit sandwich!

To answer some questions from up thread:

• why did I say he was a sullen youth? well, he bloody well was. I dont think being referred to as a 'youth' is particularly insulting is it? it seems quite descriptive to me. Had he been a she and older than me I would probably had said 'an older lady' and that would be factual.

• what is a beautiful email? loving words, honed by a highly skilled marketing person designed to make DD feel like a valued LV customer rather than the customer who is just not important enough. She won't take any notice of them anyway obvs, but I'm sure they will include pretty pictures of products she will love. I doubt she'll be going back to LV in Bond St ever tho!

Still, just to even it up tho, I had crap service at the till in Sainsburys today, which is MOST unusual. Maybe it's my face!

One or two of the posters on this thread remind me why I NEVER buy from places like this. Imagine only having £150 to spend...the horror.

Might I remind them that they are also retail assistants and it's not rocket science to know that you give service with a smile. You're not doing the customer a favour...they are doing you one by buying stuff which keeps YOU in a job. Hope that helps the more smug arseholes on this thread.

OP if you haven't received one of these yet you will within the next day or two.

It gives you the option to give your feedback about your experience.

Sorry wrong one.

I find it really odd that you wanted her to be signed up to manipulative marketing emails

Fair enough, a lot of kids go through a phase of being easily manipulated by marketing. I'm the proud mother of a Smiggle festooned child at the moment But to encourage it?!

YY to those who say Tiffany are great at customer service even for those who are just buying their low priced stuff. We go in occasionally and even though we always head straight for the silver section everyone treats you as a valued customer. Their Canary Wharf shop are also lovely to browsers. I’ve been in a couple of times between meetings and been up front that I’m browsing for potential presents but not buying and they are always happy to get stuff out etc.

I once rang to order a ring for niece’s 18 birthday present and the lady on the phone couldn’t have been lovelier. She offered advice said how lovely an aunt I was and gave me all the details about what to do if it didn’t fit or niece didn’t like it. They fucked up once on customer service when DH bought me a ring in NY and the UK store wouldn’t refund or exchange initially despite NYC having said we could. When it got sorted they sent the exchange to me along with a massive box of shower stuff perfume etc.

Interestingly Apple don’t pay shop floor staff commission partly as a deliberate ploy to ensure all customers get the same service and they sell you he right products for what you need rather than what makes the sales person the most money.

I've never shopped in high end shops. I don't see the point as I have no needs for their products. However I wanted to give a huge massive shout out to Jack Wills on their CS and staff.

I spend what must be a fortune (to me) in one store and the shop staff know my name, they're very attentive and caring and often give me extra vouchers to use. They never over ask questions and if they can see I'm rushing at lunch will be as quick as they can! They're the youth - normally it's very good looking uni students working there but they have been fantastic and because of those people I've shopped in that one store for over five years now. And my first ever purchase from there was some socks for £12 and now they probably get £2.5k a year from me.

That guy who served OP is responsible for making sure the person has a good experience, no matter what it is the person is buying and he's let the company down this time. As well as OP.

Definitely complain. Louis Vuitton goods are phenomenally overpriced crap, but it doesn't help if their sales assistants make that too obvious, or people will start to realise it.

why did I say he was a sullen youth? well, he bloody well was. I dont think being referred to as a 'youth' is particularly insulting is it? it seems quite descriptive to me. Had he been a she and older than me I would probably had said 'an older lady' and that would be factual.

My point is that the SA's age is irrelevant, yet you were using it in an attempt to insult them.