Bad experience in M&S fitting rooms

[TwinTantrums]

I’ve recently lost a lot of weight and so need a lot of new summer and holiday clothes.

I came over to M&S this morning and had a trolley full of clothes and other such items, walking up to the fitting rooms and the woman looks me up and down and then asks how much I have, as “8 items is the maximum, to stop some types” from stealing. I offer to split it up and she rolls her eyes and says “I suppose you can”

I go in, try on my eight items, split them into what I do and don’t want and come back out, she then huffs and asks if I really need to go again? I said yes, as I’ve lost a lot of weight and don’t know what size I am. She looked me up and down and then asked how big I had been before if this is the after!! I just took the number from her and went back in.

AIBU or was she totally out of line?

I don't think you understand the concept of shops. "Overfull trolley of stuff" ? Shops want people to buy things, the more they buy the better for business. Fuuuucking hell.

The photos just have my face getting progressively more red! I don’t know why some people think I shouldn’t have tried things on, I’ve walked away with dresses in sizes 16 and 20, both of which fit perfectly!

Thankless job, my arse. Nearly all jobs are thankless. Thats what the salary is in lieu of.

She was incredibly rude and while you can understand people getting tetchy in the heat, her last remark to you was completely unacceptable. I'd be contacting the store manager. I doubt you are the only person she has been so astonishingly rude to.

I was in a shop the other day with a friend trying lots of things on, the sales assistants couldn't have been nicer, even though it was the last hour of the shopping day and in the middle of a heatwave. Even told us just to take our time.

@TwinTantrums

It is not crime to have 14 items, she should have assisted you while following policy and the personal comment she made was not just out of order it was intentionally confrontational.

Complain to M&S customer services giving them factual details of the interaction (describe the woman and give the date/time of the incident), tell them the store was quiet and the changing rooms mostly empty, and how it made you feel, you didn't feel able to report at the time as you were a bit shaken by the comments, how you expect more from a Marks and Spencer's whose name represents, or at least used to, quality and service and suggest some retraining of their staff is required as it is putting you off returning to the store again.

If it is a one off she will get a warning and hopefully will not make customers feel like that again. If it is regular behaviour on her part, she (not you) is risking her job.

@TwinTantrums and so you should.

You may find the name of the store manager on your receipt ( if ye have a magnifying glass mind)

Bloody well done on your weight loss, you should be delighted that you can try on ALL THE THINGZ 🔥

That was incredibly rude, I would complain.

Her comment aside, I’ve come home and cried tears of joy. I have actual nice clothes for once 😭 now all I need is the perfect handbag for the trip and I’m golden!

Absolutely OP. You just have to see the online reviews for retailers like M&S and Boden saying "what's gone wrong with their sizing?" to know that the size on the label is no guarantee it will fit you correctly! Glad you found some lovely things you're happy with. 😊

I really can’t wait until my holiday now! Hopefully I’ll get some use out of them beforehand, if the weather sticks around!

Not just rude, but ignorant.

Does she not know that M&S sizing is all over the place?
I can be 10,12, or 14, so order 3 sizes for every garment I want.
Plus 2 different leg lengths for trousers.

"can easily imagine the trolley being a technique used by shoplifters."

Yea I often saw shoplifters shoving whole trolleys in their bags...

14 items. Jesus Christ!!!

I’m not belittling anyone. I’m criticising those who think doing their job is beneath them. I’m sure retail is a hard job but so are lots of jobs and retail isn’t some kind of higher calling.

surely it’s not that much? When having to buy essentially an all new summer wardrobe

Op take no notice the shop assistant is in the wrong a shop is selling goods for you to buy you bought some you didn’t just try on for fun. It’s not too much a lot of people do this when they go on holiday you sound like you need a whole new wardrobe well done btw.

OP, she was incredibly rude. I would complain. It’s your word against hers, but she may well have had complaints made against her before. I used to work in M&S. You did nothing wrong in wanting to try on lots of clothes. If I had been working on the fitting room, I would have really enjoyed helping you. I’m glad you’ve found some nice new clothes. Hope you enjoy wearing them.

Thank you! Yes it’s not like I didn’t buy what I picked out, I bought all but four items!

Of course you weren't unreasonable.

M&S sizes are so weird that I often have to take as many as 4 of the same item into the changing room. If I want to try on, say, 5 garments I could imagine needing to take 20 into the changing room. Because they have the limit, I pick out the first batch and leave the rest with the attendant and run in and out to change over (on the rare occasions when I can find a staff member; often I just walk in with my armfuls). It's not unusual to find I need a different size in each garment.

It's nothing to do with your size. I'm an 8 or 10 in just about every store. I have recent M&S garments in 4(!), 6, 8, 10 and 12 and each fits.

Op didn't do anything wrong.

Ultimately customers are allowed to be a bit weird, staff shouldn't be shaming customers for harmless acts like bringing a trolley for your clothes. Your allowed to want to try on lots of clothes, and your allowed to bring in multiple sizes. M&S has a policy of 8 items at once in the changing room, OP followed this. There's nothing more to it. She wasn't stealing

There's absolutely nothing justifiable in deliberately insulting someone at work. The shop assistant was trying to ridicule OP.

Horrendously rude and yes you should complain. I’ve worked in M&S before and some customers were downright awful but no way would I ever have said anything like that.

That’s dosgusting behaviour OP and she cannot get away with that. Anyone else wouldn’t get away with insulting clients at work!

She was incredibly rude and cruel. I’m sure how anyone can defend her, slightly snappy, not ideal but we can all be caught at a bad moment, but I would never be that cruel to anyone, ever!

I have also lost a fair bit of weight ( although not as much as you, well done you should be proud).Its not even about the size , I no longer know what suits me, last time I was this size I was a different shape as it was pre children, so I’m having to learn what suits me again. Being an apple shapes means certain cuts I needs a bigger size and certain cuts I need smaller etc, I often take a fair few things in.

Please do put in a complaint, the shop assistant clearly needs reminding of basic manners. I’m so glad you love your clothes, and I hope that in time you won’t be put off going back there. The store needs to know that their staff must be reminded of basic customer service and manners - it’s a big part of their job. This woman may well be that rude to everyone who came into the changing rooms that day, and not everyone would forget comments like that easily… by putting in a complaint you will hopefully help to raise standards and give refreshers to the staff, which can only be a good thing!!

Lots of people who work in M&S are lovely. Some are not.

I still recall the day I asked for a skirt in the longer length. I was trying on a very large size and the smaller sizes had medium length and long. The woman working there rolled said there weren't any because fat people are normally short. Cue me dropping the skirt on the floor and walking over it on my way out the door.