They have the stores, they have the goods and they have the sales staff.
Of course being too busy to go into the store, try on the goods and deal with the sales staff
I ordered this evening gown off of the Neiman Marcus website for the VRG gala.
On the website they had only one left in a size 4 and I snapped it up. I'd never bought an eveing gown online before but since I've worn Carmen Marc Valvo dresses in the past, I assumed it would fit. As it turns out the gown was cut a little large and I decided to return it.Instead of sticking it back in the box and shipping it I decided to quickly pop into Neimans and return it in person and maybe see if there were any other dresses that I absolutely could not live without.
So there I was in the dress department waiting for someone to help me for more than 15 minutes. OK, so what's a little wait. I perused the racks and found a few fancy little cocktail dresses that had my name all over them...and god knows...I have the opportunity to wear fancy little cocktail dresses so often (not) but I am partial to them.
When a saleslady was finally available to help me she told me that because I had purchased the dress online I had to go to the top floor and return the dress to customer service. I was like really?
At any rate I trudged up the escalator with my long gown and returned it and then left the store to go back to my office.
So what's the issue?
If I had been able to return it in the fancy schmancy dress department, chances are that the sales lady would have been able to talk me into buying at least one other dress, and probably three, because there was an awesome sale and as I said before, I wear fancy little cocktail dresses so often, you know because my lifestyle calls for it...(not)
and because I just can't resist them at a good price.
Instead, she didn't didn't get the opportunity to up-sell me and Neiman's missed my business.
I ask you, is this any way to market?
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8 comments:
Good point! The other thing that irks me about NM online returns is that your account isn't credited for up to 14 days!
No, and that would not have happened at Nordstrom.
Well that just shows you the difference between a salesperson and a marketer. That woman could indeed have turned her self into a marketer simply by handling the return for you, or even asking you to come back downstairs so she could show you a few things and redeem the horror of this experience. Maybe you have bad Karma Belle, this happened to you at Prada!Next time, be more demanding like they are used to at The Big Fancy. Get into rude territory if you have to.
Pseu, that 14day credit is ridiculous.
M, yes Nordstom would have treated the return differently.
Karen, I always do my best to avoid getting into rude territory. Life is too short for the aggravation.
I just wish we had a Neimans here. When we lived in Houston, it was across the street!
You're so right. bad marketing and bad customer service.
Their loss...
Definitely a lost opportunity and I am surprised at the salesperson and also at NM if this is the policy.
I have returned things purchased online to my not-so-local NM, when I was heading that way anyway (it is a 1 1/2 hour drive), and my salesperson has always been willing to handle the return. That is one of the many reasons I always go to her when I am looking for something, a godsend now since I haven't been able to get to the store for 3 or 4 years. I am sure it is more than just niceness on her part as she gets a commission on the sales. Doing that extra bit helps her bottom line as well as the store's image.
They're definitely missing an opportunity!
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