I suppose I should start the New Year with something upbeat - maybe wishes for peace on earth, good will towards men. All that crap. But I'm not in the right frame of mind for upbeat. I'm jet-lagged, I have a headache and the kids have far too many small toys with even smaller parts. I'm boycotting the family room while the rest of the family sorts out the mess. If I try to help, I'll just end up being snippy and that can't be good for anyone.
I'll spare you the travelogue of our trip to the states (we didn't stay anywhere more than two nights in a row, so it was a blur of packing, driving, lugging and laundering). But on our last day, we felt the need to exploit the favorable exchange rate before the US plunges into recession and the dollar starts to climb against the pound again. The King of Prussia Mall seemed the best place to empty our wallets, as it bills itself as the Largest Mall On The East Coast. This strikes me as somewhat weak and contrived epithet - it's like saying your restaurant has The Best Food On The Southwest Corner Of 7th and 50th. In other words, success is easy when you define your own criteria.
Anyway (oh, and incidentally, the Majestic Deli on the southwest corner of 7th and 50th actually does have pretty good food...), as we roamed the 400+ stores, I quickly remembered why I stayed away from the KofP mall when we lived there - because it sucks. Yes, the stores have a wide variety of bright, shiny merchandise, and yes, the mall is smartly decorated and nicely laid out. But add sales staff, and the place is a disaster. Take, for instance, the exchange I overheard between another customer and a member of staff:
"Do you have this in a 37?"
"Um, I'm not sure. You want me to check?"
"Uh, yes, please."
"Just a minute."
(the clerk disappears into the back room and time passes...)
"We've got it in a 35."
"Well, that won't do, I'm afraid."
"SIGH."
Mind you, the above conversation wasn't in Target, it was in Brooks Brothers, a store which sells six-friggin-hundred-dollar sport coats. Hey, Brooks Brothers, here's a tip. If you're selling high-end clothes, you really ought to staff the place with salespeople, not layabouts from South Philly with bad attitudes. I wasn't even acknowledged by any of the 5 other salespeople lolling around the place. Too busy texting their friends, I should imagine.
Here's another conversation, this one between me and the barrista at Starbucks pouring 2% milk into my cafe latte (yes, I like full fat milk in my $3.00 coffee - you got a problem with that?):
"Do you not have any whole milk?"
"We do, but you have to ask for it."
"Um, since when?"
"Since, like, October."
"OK, then, I'd like mine with whole milk, please."
"SIGH."
I didn't have to visit many stores in the mall to rack up a list of experiences like these. The guy in the Thomas Pink store (home of $180 shirts) who showed not the slightest inclination to help me until I practically pushed him into the back room to find my size. The salesman in Nordstrom's who waved his paw vaguely when I told him what I was looking for.
Napoleon disparagingly called the English a nation of shopkeepers. That may be true, but while salespeople here may not be the most knowledgeable, at least they're generally courteous, even in the least expensive shop. Is that too much to ask from America's shopkeepers?
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2 comments:
Hmm - I usually get good service at the KoP mall....you must be shopping at the wrong stores. From now on, do all your shopping at Sephora, The Body Shop and Bath and Body Works - they're always really nice. Sure, you won't get any new clothes, but your skin, hair and makeup will be fabulous, and you'll smell great!
I think part if the difference might be that here, very few "shopkeepers" (as in, owners of the stores) actually provide direct customer service - I think the vast majority of stores are staffed by people who probably make minimum wage or slightly higher and don't really care if the store gets good reviews for customer service or makes lots of sales - they just want to finish their shift and get their paycheck. If you seek out the few independently-owned shops in the area you'll definitely get better service....but they're not all conveniently housed under one roof with a food court.
Go shop for a sport coat and a latte and then we'll talk :)
-P
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