Do upscale stores have a stuck up atttitude against shoppers? (Chicago: Home Depot, minimum wage)

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by marothisu

You'd be surprised. A lot think they are big time experts in the clothing industry even though 75% of the brands at Macy's are medium range stuff and nowhere near high end. Go into Zara too, they are masters are ignoring everyone. I'm not sure if it's because they're all lazy though.

The lower-level employees, perhaps. I'm talking about the bean-counters, who are focused on profit. They didn't get where they are by turning away money. If a company like Macy's decided to only cater to the conspicuously wealthy, they'd be out of business. This sounds more like a case of individual low-level employees not being very invested in their jobs.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

Yeah, but those aren't the type of really rich people who shop at the snobby stores, anyway. It's generally the people who want everyone to know they're really rich. Oftentimes they really aren't, of course, but they're still going to dress as if they are to go into one of the snobby stores.

I know what you mean. They don't regularly, but they still will do it.

The story I have about Gucci getting screwed over is about this person, worth quite possibly over $1 billion, doing yardwork but needing to get stuff at Gucci. They didn't change and went in with regular short and tshirt. Everyone ignored them, so they got pissed and went to another store and spent $30,000 on stuff. Came back to Gucci and showed the receipt. Love stories like that.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

The lower-level employees, perhaps. I'm talking about the bean-counters, who are focused on profit. They didn't get where they are by turning away money. If a company like Macy's decided to only cater to the conspicuously wealthy, they'd be out of business. This sounds more like a case of individual low-level employees not being very invested in their jobs.

There are a number of prima donnas at many stores in this industry in a few cities. It's pretty sad.

[MassVt]

Macy's is not upscale, it's quite middle-brow..

I suspect that many department store employees have the opinion that if customers want help, they'll ask for it--otherwise, just leave them alone. I usually just state "just browsing" when asked, and I suspect that I'm not alone..

[ChicagoMeO]

Re Macys - when it was Fields, I bought furniture, no problem, the salesmen worked hard to help me, just like what you expect. that was over 5 years ago. Now when i went to Macys, thats my perception. i went to the furniture section and asked a salesman who was sitting in a chair without a customer, i asked him "do you have any cottage type furniture" he says no. Without helping me nor directing me. Well i looked around my own self and saw a book case that was made of some material similar to cottage furniture under $1200 and he didn't even bother to show me anything. That day i went to the curtain section and asked to see some curtains, and she directed me past the more elegant silk expensive ones saying to me "I dont think this is your style". she wasn't rude per se, but she was like just saying what she was thinking, which was a bit ambiguous whether that statement could be taken as judgmental or just helpful. So because of those two attitudes, I developed an opinion that Macys must have turned upscale i.e. snooty. And I happened to be wearing my tee shirt and long gym pants. But I was clean and had my hair nice and makeup on. And they did have some nice sheers in that lady's department. Now she was not rude per se, but if I were a sensitive person, I would have been insulted.

I did purchase some bedding/bathroom stuff with one lady who WAS helpful, come to think of it at Macys. She was the sales person that you would expect, helpful. Now i can see if they leave you alone to shop, but when you directly ask the sales person for items, then these 3 people (the 2 macys snooty salespersons and the jewelry store sales people (there were 4 of them not doing anything but sitting in chairs/or behind the counter standing) and these people were not working in help mode. They actaully did not participate in trying to make a sale even though I was in there asking for products, which is weird, I dont know, maybe it was something else other than what I was thinking - like the jewelry store, it was is if they didn't want to wait on anyone so who knows. there were no other people in the store, so i could not compare. i really wish i had a secret camera or secret shopper to test my perception.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by ChicagoMeO

Re Macys - when it was Fields, I bought furniture, no problem, the salesmen worked hard to help me, just like what you expect. that was over 5 years ago. Now when i went to Macys, thats my perception. i went to the furniture section and asked a salesman who was sitting in a chair without a customer, i asked him "do you have any cottage type furniture" he says no. Without helping me nor directing me. Well i looked around my own self and saw a book case that was made of some material similar to cottage furniture under $1200 and he didn't even bother to show me anything. That day i went to the curtain section and asked to see some curtains, and she directed me past the more elegant silk expensive ones saying to me "I dont think this is your style". she wasn't rude per se, but she was like just saying what she was thinking, which was a bit ambiguous whether that statement could be taken as judgmental or just helpful. So because of those two attitudes, I developed an opinion that Macys must have turned upscale i.e. snooty. And I happened to be wearing my tee shirt and long gym pants. But I was clean and had my hair nice and makeup on. And they did have some nice sheers in that lady's department. Now she was not rude per se, but if I were a sensitive person, I would have been insulted.

I did purchase some bedding/bathroom stuff with one lady who WAS helpful, come to think of it at Macys. She was the sales person that you would expect, helpful. Now i can see if they leave you alone to shop, but when you directly ask the sales person for items, then these 3 people (the 2 macys snooty salespersons and the jewelry store sales people (there were 4 of them not doing anything but sitting in chairs/or behind the counter standing) and these people were not working in help mode. They actaully did not participate in trying to make a sale even though I was in there asking for products, which is weird, I dont know, maybe it was something else other than what I was thinking - like the jewelry store, it was is if they didn't want to wait on anyone so who knows. there were no other people in the store, so i could not compare. i really wish i had a secret camera or secret shopper to test my perception.

I will say that the furniture at Macy's is higher end than most of the clothing. I bought a sectional from there 3 years ago and it's great, however it's still not considered luxury/upper class/whatever. I have also purchased home goods from Macy's and some of the people can be helpful, some can be meh. I think it's more of a case of a disinterested worker, and not necessarily "I am better than you."

[mangomadness]

Your first mistake was walking into Macy's - I'm only half kidding. And they need to get over themselves if that's the attitude they take. As has been already said, Macy's isn't upscale. There are other better places to shop, IMO.

Any store, and I mean ANY store that makes me feel like I am not welcome there simply will not get my business. As long as I am not reeking of some odor, there is no need for the upturned nose and attitude. Yes, there are overly expensive boutique stores that probably cater to a certain clientele and have the snobby attitude to go with it, but that's not where I typically shop, so I have no reason to seek it out. I already know I'm not paying $500 for a blouse, so why would I bother to even browse. I'll do that online.

I've been in retail and customer service before. You never know who you're dealing with, so you treat everyone as a potential sale until you are shown otherwise. Common sense business logic.

[ChicagoMeO]

Originally Posted by mangomadness

Your first mistake was walking into Macy's - I'm only half kidding. And they need to get over themselves if that's the attitude they take. As has been already said, Macy's isn't upscale. There are other better places to shop, IMO.

Any store, and I mean ANY store that makes me feel like I am not welcome there simply will not get my business. As long as I am not reeking of some odor, there is no need for the upturned nose and attitude. Yes, there are overly expensive boutique stores that probably cater to a certain clientele and have the snobby attitude to go with it, but that's not where I typically shop, so I have no reason to seek it out. I already know I'm not paying $500 for a blouse, so why would I bother to even browse. I'll do that online.

I've been in retail and customer service before. You never know who you're dealing with, so you treat everyone as a potential sale until you are shown otherwise. Common sense business logic.

Yes exactly true! Thats how I feel about it. Now I am thinking about what someone upthread said - they are disinterested workers. If that is true, (could it be true that people hate their job and just do not want to be there?).. However, working against a potential customer is adding to their woes because they just lost a potential sale. I really am tempted to do a secret shopper thing just to test out the waters. and by the way, I cant remember if I contributed to someone not wanting to wait on me, like some customers can be rude too, I do not believe I was acting rude or demanding or coming in with a bad attitude.

[Jandur]

I don't know. I'm good looking and white.

In all seriousness it just depends on the store. And yes a lot of them judge. People judge up and down. It happens. When I'm still in a suit from work and I walk into a dive bar people judge me. When you walk into Burberry looking like a slob they will judge you etc. That's life.

[linicx]

We all have those stories. What I usually do is leave the store, then call the manager and tell him his employee, Joe Blow, killed a $X sale. If you are neat, clean, polite, speak well, and know what you are looking for, and you should have little trouble in any store. Do be aware that not all of the boutique stores carry XX or XXX sizes

There is a percentage of employees in every city who do not understand the principle of public service.