Debenhams

[seriouslynotserious]

Today I went to buy a coat in Debenhams and I was stopped by a sales staff saying I can't try it on and I must buy it first and try it ON at home and then return it within 28 days if I don't like it. You've probably come across loads of threads like this but I was taken aback by this. I said to the sales staff that I'll take my £100 elsewhere and spend it there and no wonder your store is always on the news about Debenhams is on a brink of collapse. So I went to a different high st store and asked if I could try on their coats first this time round and the sales staff there said of course I could, it's just their changing rooms are closed which I understand. Wearing a coat is different to trying on some tight jeans as the coat is less contaminated to ones skin than a pair of jeans which sticks to ones skin and rubs against people's genitals etc or trying shoes without socks. I spent my £100 there and got a much better coat in the end. My argument here is that, why the hell is a company that is doing so badly before covid (financially) making it worse by putting off customers with policies like this? Me wearing that coat isn't going to spread coronavirus more than me picking it up and taking it to the till paying for it and brining it back a couple of days later after it being exposed to all sorts in my home. There's studies suggesting that it could live for 28 days or more. I sanitised my hands, had my mask on and I'm fully clothed when I wanted to try that coat on. I just wanted to a little rant as I found it a bit ridiculous. I've been to many stores and they would tell me upfront I'm not allowed to this and that but could try on costs only or try on shoes but must have my socks on and wear extra socks the staff provides. I just found Debenhams doing anything they could to put customers off from coming in. The whole mask situation is annoying enough as well as all of these arrows and one way systems but to shout at customers in the middle store that they can't try on coats takes the piss. Rant over sorry :)

I'm in the "It's bonkers, isn't it? camp. As it's almost impossible to look at clothes in a shop without touching them - you look along the rack for your size and pick that one out to have a look at a bit more closely. So, any coat is likely to have been touched by many people - how is that made much worse by then being tried on (over other layers of clothing)?

I bought a coat a few weeks ago in a shop where the policy was that you could try on up to 5 items per visit [which it then took away to be quarantined]. There was a teeny bit of logic in that respect, as it stopped the clothes rails being empty after a couple of shoppers had been through, but still a bit bonkers. More and more I'm shopping on line, but I'm trying to do it with shops that also have a high street presence, in the hope that they'll still be there when sanity returns..

"I said to the sales staff that I'll take my £100 elsewhere and spend it there and no wonder your store is always on the news about Debenhams is on a brink of collapse"

This is disgusting behaviour, the shop assistant will no doubt be extremely worried for their job and they are literally following the government guidance, and you decide to have a go at them about it. You should not have spoken to them like this, theres absolutely no excuse for it.

On my way out of Debenhams, I saw a lady trying on bags in front of the mirror and no one said anything. When you look into it, she's touching it with her bare hands, opening the bag and checking the inner compartments, wearing it across her body although fully clothed (but also the straps touching her bare neck) but that bag was being exposed to more bodily fluids than the coat I wanted to try on. It's common sense really.

I had to take a coat back to Tkmaxx because of a faulty zip ond the tried to refuse because it had a hair on it. This was way before covid. I had to argue for ages as coat was bought day before. Dhe tried to say it was OK because zip worked when laid flat on table, but the more she did it the more it became instituted. Her next argument was the hair which could have been anyones

I had to cut a lady out of a dress once as the zip got stuck

She was mortified, but it was just a faulty zip

@seriouslynotserious, so have you contacted Debenhams HO for an explanation yet, or do you prefer bad mouthing the sales staff instead?

Do you have any idea how stressful retail is right now?

I have had to intervene on a fair few abusive incidents with junior members of staff. They have quite literally been screamed and sworn at because the customers don't like the 'silly' Covid secure rules.

This is grown women, I've not had to deal with a man as yet just so you know I'm not singling women out, letting their anger be unleashed on someone earning minimum wage.

It is an absolute fucking disgrace that I'm even having to say this.

Remember your manners when someone is just doing their job and you're the 17th person in a row having a go at them because of Covid.

Jesus, you are so determined and so rude and obnoxious.

They are following the guidelines, what do you not get!!!!!

@Fawnfour ffs what don't you get? Read the thread ffs. A failing company pushing customers away is what the rant is all about.

Not that I'm going in any shops right now but if I were, you'd have done me a favour in knowing to avoid tk maxx!

Debenhams are absolutely in the right here. If items are bought then returned, that can be managed and they can be safely quarantined. Allowing multiple customers to try something on during a pandemic is grim.

And even if they hadn't been in the right, shop assistants don't set policies and you saying repeatedly they deserve to lose their jobs is just downright unpleasant.

The sales Assistant said no trying on the coat, it was up to the customer if she went elsewhere, the shop Assistant was following the company's guidelines

[quote seriouslynotserious]@Fawnfour ffs what don't you get? Read the thread ffs. A failing company pushing customers away is what the rant is all about.
[/quote]
Op, you are a lost cause. Why don't YOU read the thread?!?

[quote seriouslynotserious]@Fawnfour ffs what don't you get? Read the thread ffs. A failing company pushing customers away is what the rant is all about.
[/quote]
Head office has made this decision. You are bang out of order to snap at the sales assistant.

Thanks ssd and indeedaduvetday

Never mind the coat, I'm more concerned that you'd try jeans on without wearing underwear 🤮