To be upset and disappointed in the store experience?

[inthedrunktankk]

Me and my partner went to Paris as a birthday treat and he said he would get me a purse in a designer store (I have like one other designer bag that I bought years ago when living at home so it was a very rare splurge)

We walked up to the store and the man at the door didn’t hold it open, so a bit confused we stepped back and a couple walked around us and the door was held open for them straight away.

We walked in behind them, I was looking at the glass cabinet when I was eventually approached and I asked to view one. He reluctantly got it out, didn’t talk me through it. A vast contrast to how the other customer was being talked to behind me regarding her purchase.

All other customers had drinks, instead I got the previous customers used water bottle and glass set down in front of me. I questioned why we didn’t get a drink and was told “I forgot”

We did buy it but only because I knew my partner had organised this and I didn’t want him to think I was hurt that they clearly treated me as different because I wasn’t dripping in designer and assumed I wasn’t worth the experience as their commission from me was meaningless.

Aibu to be disappointed?

I suspect this is sales psychology.

You were dressed more modestly then hesitant when he didnt open the door for you, suggesting that you aspire to designer goods rather than buy regularly, but clearly value them as you want to go in. His job is then to make you feel inadequate, so that you feel the "lack" and want to demonstrate that you too can have designer goods.

For the other woman who was designer clad, the strategy is different. Here they are not in a buy or not buy situation, because she is clearly an active buyer, instead they are in competition with other prestigious brands. So they want to make her feel special and have an affiliation with their brand.

I would return it.

I can speak from personal experience. You definitely need an invitation to place an Hermes SO but it's still possible (and has been for a number of years) to purchase both Birkins and Kellys as a walk-in at certain boutiques, provided you're happy to be flexible with size/colour etc. Just ask nicely and they will show you what they have in stock.

Typical of a lot of high end shops . Until you get your money out they treat you like dirt . Had a similar problem with a jeweller who looked at me like I s* until I asked then to make a custom made piece of jewellery .

As i said before, i haven't a bean, but why on earth would anyone accept having to be 'invited' into a bloody shop? They want your money ffs! They need to be tempting you in with tea, fancy biscuits and prosecco. The cheek of them!

You seem to have been wearing perfectly acceptable clothes OP

I went in all the fancy stores with DD just to have a look on the Champs Elysees this summer

We weren't under or overdressed for a hot sunny day but we weren't treated badly at all. In fact I was a bit irritated at the over attention tbh

I was wearing a nice cotton summer dress from Lidl and DD in her trendy teen clothes whatever they happened to be that day

I was wearing my New Balance trainers but that was my only labelled item of clothing. I do wear decent jewellery though so they might look at that ?!??

I think maybe the customers just happened to be one of their regulars

Some women were coming out clutching loads of bags and heading into their chauffeur driven fancy cars which made me feel a bit meh so I know the feeling you felt OP

I don’t know… Won’t the bag now remind you of the experience?

I can understand your disappointment, but the "special treatment" is simply a commercial operation designed to extract money, adding to the cost but not the "value".

Shoppers are just marks to be fleeced. They'll know peasants like yourself aren't likely to spend any more than they have planned beforehand, so you're not worth the extra effort. It's not nice being treated differently because of the way you look and other people's preconceptions, but some people experience that every day.

Just remember that bag is yours because someone cared enough about you to take you to Paris to get it for you. That's added value.

I occasionally go into Hermes, Gucci, Tiffany, Cartier, Smythson, etc, usually to buy a small gift. I don't make an appointment, I don't get offered a drink but the staff are always unfailingly polite. If they weren't I'd give a hard Paddington stare, raise my hands in disbelief and walk out.

I absolutely would not have brought anything. I think YSL is trying to be higher end than it end. Paris is dreadful generally but there is no way I would have spent money here. Should have gone to Gucci!

@inthedrunktankk of course it’s your money. I am wondering why anyone - having been treated like crap by a salesperson- would choose to hand over cash to said salesperson and their employer so they could have a particular logo on their arm.

It’s some mindset. Why don’t you see it as ‘just a bag”? It is after all - a bag?

The most unreasonable thing is that even after shit customer service you still parted with the cash for he item.

customer service depends on me spending my hard earned cash. If the shop has rude, unhelpful staff then I don’t spend there.

stopped shopping at our local Lidl as staff are on heir phones at the cash desk while serving you!

i don’t shop at a large well known shoe shop near us as manager is rude!

I don’t eat at a local restaurant because the manager has an appealing attitude to his young staff members.

🙄

http://well-spent.com/armani-saint-laurent-fendi-linked-italian-sweatshop/

You need to apply some logic. Who is probably doing retail right? High end fashion stores that have been around for 100+ years, or random people complaining? These stores know full well how to make the most money possible and despite seeming illogical it’s not by being nice to all and sundry who walk through the door. You have to approach these shops with confidence and an open wallet but they’re for such a tiny minority that most shouldn’t bother

I went into a shop that sold high-end designer jewellery and watches with DH; I wanted to look at something fairly cheap (£200) that I had seen at a sale price in the window. We were dressed scruffily in our charity shop anoraks, our bad teeth on show for all to see.

I was astonished to get the full on VIP treatment, taken into a sort of lounge area and offered drinks while the item and other similar ones were shown to us!

I did buy it but I would have done anyway without the VIP treatment!

You have also said it is a shop that allows walk ins and your first comment was that somebody didn’t hold the door open for you. I am also struggling to understand why you would be “confused” about this and it was possibly your dithering at the door that made you look like a gawker.

Nevertheless, if I thought I was beeping treated disrespectfully, I wouldn’t allow them my custom. You should have walked out.

What a shame. I wouldn't have bought but I am very stubborn. We were treated like shit in Jimmy Choo in NY so we went to Tom Ford and they were unbelievably kind and gave us loads of freebies and spoiled DC letting them look at madly expensive bags and try on hats. It was so fun!

Yeah, I think the main thing that’s bugging you is you still gave them your money OP. I understand the dilemma though - you wanted the bag!

Enjoy it and forget the shitty customer service. Lesson learned.

About 5years ago my husband was looking to buy me a bag for Christmas. He stopped at Fendi first, which wouldn’t let him in (dressed weekend casual). He shrugged and continued down Sloane Street to Gucci. He was so shocked at the idiocy that a man shopping the week before Christmas was treated that way.

My god, so much this. How gullible are some people to fall for this sort of thing.

These sorts of posts always make me cringe to the very tips of my toes 😖😬

The thing is, it was that bad you still bought the item. You’ve made your entire argument almost irrelevant by condoning what you perceive to be so upsetting.

Just wanted to say that I totally understand why you bought the bag.

This was a treat experience planned for you by your DH and you wouldn't want him to feel that it was all going pear-shaped.

Also... it's probably a very nice bag!

YANBU, what horrible snobbery.

Sounds like my wedding dress shopping experiences. I had money to burn but was ignored by all of them whilst watching other mums and daughters being treated like royalty.