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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To complain about shoddy service in Bravissimo?o

32 replies

Hermya321 · 27/06/2010 20:38

I have heard people rave about the service in these stores and how they've basically been a God send to those who are rather blessed in the breast department.

My friend was another of the Bravissimo converts, so on Saturday she took me along to the store near her. We went in and was told we had to wait for a fitting, which was fine by me tbh. I figured that a good bra is something worth a twenty minute wait.

My friend got called into the fitting room and then I did. The shop assistant asked what Bra size I was wearing and then asked me what I was looking for. So I told her my size and that I was looking for some pretty bras and some basic ones for work. I also told her I was pregnant and wanted to try on some maternity bras as well.

Now at the moment, I'm an E cup and expanding. I did my research and decided that I wanted to continue wearing underwires as I felt I needed the support and wanted to feel less frumpy. I know though that if you do wear underwires that you have to be properly fitted to prevent damage to forming milk glands and the like.

During the fitting she did her thing and brought me up some bras, I told her again that I wanted a variety of stuff and she brought me the most horrible bras. They were so old ladyish, it was untrue. The maternity bra she brought up would have made Vera Duckworth turn her nose up at it. Everything she showed me was really frumpy and white. She never brought me up anything in colour.

I also don't feel like she fitted me properly either. I was led to believe that the Bravissimo girls were very hands on and that they wouldn't sell you anything unless both you and they were happy with the fit. She didn't adjust the bras at all, I kept having to ask her to adjust the straps and asking her if it looked 'right'. She didn't chat to me at all, didn't ask me about the fit and didn't really look at the bras she was putting me into. She even talked to me about growing into one of the bras. She didn't do any of the smooth cups, no excess fabric, wires hitting you in the chest and two finger strap thing that everyone else had mentioned.

My breasts are huge and all kinds of weird milk related things are going on in my bra at the moment. I need something that will make them feel supported, not a crappy fitting bra that will do more harm than good.

I could hear my friend in the cubicle next to me and she was chatting and laughing away with her girl, my girl just stood there and looked bored. I just felt so awful and frumpy, I nearly burst into tears in the changing room. In the end I grabbed one of the bras and just got out of there.

The worst thing was that I went downstairs and had a look at some of the things down there, they had some really pretty stuff and there was even some really really pretty nursing bras as well. Why did she bring the last bra in the shop up to me?

I don't really feel that I recieved a proper fitting at all and I felt so cheated, my friend came out of her fitting like she was floating on air and she raved about her fitting. That girl made me feel so awful and frumpy that I actually left the shop because I was so upset.

I know I'm pregnant and that my hormones are all over the place. All I really wanted was some nice bras that made me feel pretty and confident in my approaching blimp like state.

So would I be unreasonable to write and complain about a shoddy fitting?

OP posts:
Hermya321 · 27/06/2010 20:39

Oh and I'm sorry about the spelling mistake in the title, I totally missed that one.

OP posts:
SloanyPony · 27/06/2010 20:44

You could complain I suppose - what you encoungered is someone who was not very good at their job.

You need to go back to the shop, browse the stock, try some stuff on on your own accord (you probably have a good idea now of what size you are), OR, ask by name for the person that your friend had.

There are always going to be good and bad people doing jobs like this - it is a bit luck of the draw, but it might be more helpful in a constructive critisism kind of way to address it with the person who actually fitted you, or the store manager, telling them what you told us, and why you are dissatisfied.

SloanyPony · 27/06/2010 20:44

Encountered, even.

Mousey84 · 27/06/2010 20:46

I would bring it to their attention, certainly. Obviously this lady needs some extra training. Think you could face going again and making sure you go with another fitter?

FolornHope · 27/06/2010 20:47

so you had hurt feelinds

why dindt you say
"oi i want a pink bra bitc"

rubyslippers · 27/06/2010 20:49

Why didn't you say something whilst you were there?

FWIW they only had a choice of styles in my size for nursing bras when i went a couple of months ago

rubyslippers · 27/06/2010 20:49

Should read 3 styles ....

SuziKettles · 27/06/2010 20:50

I think you'd be doing them a favour to contact the manager with pretty much exactly what you've posted.

I'm a big Bravissimo fan and the fitting service is really their USP (along with the decent range of bras for those of us who have been somewhat over-blessed..)

I should imagine they also massively rely on word of mouth so they should use your letter for "staff training" to use the customer service euphamism for kick up the arse.

You don't even have to name names or even describe the fitter if it would make you feel uncomfortable about going back - just letting them know your experience.

SuziKettles · 27/06/2010 20:52

Btw, I got fitted for bras when pregnant at Bravissimo and the fitting rules were a bit different as you do need room to "grow".

I think they recommended that the bra should fit on the tightest fitting rather than the loosest like you normally would.

poppymouse · 27/06/2010 21:00

If I was the manager of the shop I'd want to know one of my staff was letting the brand down, I've had better service than that in M&S. Although these days I never find my size and I eventually gave up and got 3 perfect bras from Asda of all places for the price of one from M&S. Although that doesn't help you very much.

Hermya321 · 27/06/2010 21:05

I didn't say anything whilst I was there as I was that upset. I just wanted to get out there and calm myself down.

I don't like crying in front of people and if I'd have gone back to complain I would have ended up in tears in front of the manager and I would have been mortified.

OP posts:
JaneS · 27/06/2010 21:06

Oh dear, where were you? I have to say, I went into the Oxford one and was a bit disappointed. They were really hands-off and didn't have time to do a fitting, which I thought was kind of the point.

rubyslippers · 27/06/2010 21:07

Am sorry you were so upset by it

Could your friend have said something for you if you were teary?

FolornHope · 27/06/2010 21:08

tbh oyu sound tearey before oyu even go

Hermya321 · 27/06/2010 21:08

I went to the one in Nottingham.

OP posts:
Hermya321 · 27/06/2010 21:13

Forlorn Do you mean before I went into the store? No I was fine before I went in.

Ruby My friend probably could have said something if we had gone back and she did offer, but I just didn't want to.

OP posts:
LittleMissJudgypants · 27/06/2010 21:19

Im guessing that she wasn't sure of what you needed bra-wise becuse you were pregnant. She may have been new or having a bad day. I used to work in clarks and one day just after a very sad death in the family a customer complained that i wasn't being smiley enough

You should maybe talk to the manager about it. If she was new they would understand and prob give her some customer service training. If she wasn't new they could have a word with her about what happened.

SugarMousePink · 27/06/2010 21:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hermya321 · 27/06/2010 21:28

Sugar Yeah I think I'll do that, I can't go back to the store itself because it's not local to me (I was visiting friend) but I'll write in to the manager and tell her what happened.

OP posts:
AlCrowley · 27/06/2010 21:36

I always loved Bravissimo - First got fitted in the Nottingham shop and was a complete raving convert - until I went for maternity bras in the Milton Keynes shop. There were posters everywhere promising that they would try every bra in the shop if that's what it took to get the right fit and yet the fitter I had was grumpy and surly and not helpful at all. She suggested more than once that I might want to come back a different day when they'd had a stock delivery (not something I wanted to do as I was making the most of a a very rare babysitting opportunity so I didn't have to bring my 2 year old DS with me) and just seemed like she wanted to get rid of me.

I complained to the shop saying that I had been a very loyal customer in the past but this experience had been awful - I did walk out of the shop in tears - and got a full apology, another fitting with a more experienced fitter and a free bra too!! Bit sad that I'll never have a good maternity bra fitting experience - ended up in tears when I went while pregnant with DS too and we're not having any more - but they did do their best to fix it and I'm more confident that it was a one off blip now.

iamaLeafontheWind · 27/06/2010 21:46

I think it's the maternity thing that puts them off- I could have written your post about my experience in the Edinburgh Bravissimo. I specifically asked for some pretty nursing bras, mentioned the one I'd seen in the shop and she still brought me something that looked like an M&S reject. I went and bought myself the pretty one anyway.

MarkStretch · 27/06/2010 21:48

I think they are a bit shit too.

FlookCrow · 27/06/2010 22:50

I've complained about them before. E-mail and complain again.

dilemma456 · 27/06/2010 22:51

Message withdrawn

BecciV · 30/06/2010 11:39

Hi Hermya321

I work for Bravissimo and have come across your post regarding how unhappy you were with the fitting service you received at one of our stores.

We would really like to discuss this issue with you and it would be great if you would be able to contact us through our Customer Services department.

The number to call is 01926 459859 and the lady you need to ask to speak to is Jules (she is one of our area managers).

The lines are open Mon-Fri 8.30am to 8.30pm or Sat 9am to 5.30pm.

We?re sorry to hear your experience was not a happy one and would welcome the chance to discuss this with you further.