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#Post#: 31979--------------------------------------------------
Purchasing and Returning Clothing
By: Codewoman Date: May 30, 2019, 5:34 pm
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I'm in a quarrel with some people in a private social medial
group. A woman posted that she was irritated with her two
daughters, because she had a hard time finding them swimwear
they liked. She went to a local clothing store (Old Navy) and
purchased $500 worth of swimsuits and took them home to her
daughters to try them on. She returned about $400 worth of the
suits.
I suggested she not do this, as the store staff who have to deal
with the returned swimwear consider this a pet peeve.
As you might guess, several people have indicated it is the job
of the staff to deal with this and if they don't like it, they
should quit. Also, one woman suggested she's worked in retail
and she's never witnessed this (I did not inquire if *this* was
the return of many items of clothing or the employees who
complain to one another about it).
I reiterated my feeling that employees viewed this negatively,
and they shouldn't do it if they didn't want to be "that
customer." One or two responses tried to convince me these
people were greeted with absolute joy by the staff who took back
their rejected clothing.
I think these people are sadly mistaken. I believe the process
of purchasing in bulk with the intention of returning most of
them has gotten out of hand. I think it's tacky.
What are your opinions?
#Post#: 31981--------------------------------------------------
Re: Purchasing and Returning Clothing
By: gmatoy Date: May 30, 2019, 5:46 pm
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I think it is rude; however, if stores allow it, I guess one can
do it. Why not just take your daughters to the store?
And I have heard complaints about massive returns, so I agree
with you that the staff doesn't like it.
#Post#: 31983--------------------------------------------------
Re: Purchasing and Returning Clothing
By: Codewoman Date: May 30, 2019, 5:55 pm
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It is part of the stores' business models, I'm sure. They allow
it and they know people are going to do it. And the staff
willingly take back the clothing. They likely provide good
customer service, too. No argument there. So folks may not
realize the impact it has or the opinions it influences. I guess
I thought it was like something you'd see in one of those
articles - "Things your store clerk doesn't tell you." And
they're not all secrets about how to get the best deals.
Also, I believe people are abusing the service. Stores will up
their prices to compensate. So everyone will pay more for the
misdeeds of a few. And if it continues to escalate, they will
stop allowing it.
#Post#: 31991--------------------------------------------------
Re: Purchasing and Returning Clothing
By: gramma dishes Date: May 30, 2019, 6:46 pm
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Why did she not take the girls to the store where they can try
on stuff there?
I think returns are one thing, but returns of bathing suits is
just a teeny bit different. I know most people have the decency
to wear underwear when trying on bathing suits, but when they'e
been tried on in someone's home, there's always the remote
possibility that someone tried them on 'raw'. That introduces
an intimacy ick factor not present when trying on a dress or a
pair of shoes.
#Post#: 31993--------------------------------------------------
Re: Purchasing and Returning Clothing
By: Isisnin Date: May 30, 2019, 7:13 pm
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[quote author=Codewoman link=topic=1163.msg31983#msg31983
date=1559256910]
... And the staff willingly take back the clothing. ..
[/quote]
As store staff, we are willing only in that we have to take it
back - or, more accurately, we have to process it. Meaning we
have to look it over to find out if it meets the criteria for
the return: we actually sell it, price tags not tampered with,
clean, intact, doesn't smell. If we miss anything, we get
written in "the book". If we have to decline a return, we better
do it in such a way that doesn't upset the customer or we will
get spoken to. But a lot of customers know that if they get
upset (or at least act it), they get what they want. Bathing
suits and undergarments are the worst as we have to look at the
crotch to see if it is stained.
I've never been a big fan of "it's your job." It's like "You're
too sensitive." People who say, or think, these things often say
or do so after they did or something rude.
But bottom line, if a store doesn't have a limit on returns per
transaction, the cashier has to do it. And the OP is right, it
is one of the employees' pet peeves. It holds up the other
customers, holds up the cashier from breaks/leaving, and is a
transaction most dreaded due to the 1st paragraph above. And
the OP is also right in that returns like this do label the
customer as "that customer". That means we don't extend
ourselves to them and even try to avoid them. I had "that
customer" today. Even the manager declined her request. That's
what happens when one pushes too much and too often.
It is amazing the number of parents, more accurately mothers,
who shop for their older kids and return for their older kids
while complaining the whole time. Seems to be the new thing.
#Post#: 31997--------------------------------------------------
Re: Purchasing and Returning Clothing
By: lakey Date: May 30, 2019, 9:42 pm
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Stores allow returns because sometimes it is just necessary.
However, buying a large number of items knowing that almost all
of it is to be returned is taking advantage of the store's
policies. I don't think it is very nice to deliberately create
extra work for store personnel, because daughters can't be
bothered to go to the store.
Also, what is she teaching her daughters, who don't want to go
to the store to shop for bathing suits? That mom and store
personnel can do extra work to pander to them? If they don't
want to go bathing suit shopping, then maybe they don't need new
bathing suits. Let them make their choice, and live with the
results, old, ratty bathing suits.
#Post#: 31998--------------------------------------------------
Re: Purchasing and Returning Clothing
By: lakey Date: May 30, 2019, 9:50 pm
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I guess the above may seem a bit harsh regarding the daughters.
However, as a retired teacher, I hate it when parents do
everything for their children.
#Post#: 31999--------------------------------------------------
Re: Purchasing and Returning Clothing
By: OnyxBird Date: May 30, 2019, 10:12 pm
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If someone intends to do all the trying on at home and plan to
return the bulk of the purchase, then why shop in a store rather
than online? ??? There are online vendors actively pushing
that, e.g., systems where you don't even pay up front for the
order, but are billed for whatever items you choose to keep and
you send back the rest with a prepaid shipping label. Heck, some
of them will even select clothes based on your stated tastes so
you don't even have to do the browsing--just open the box and
see if you like any of it. If the problem is the daughters'
tastes, then it seems like everyone would be better off if she
just had the daughters fill out the style profile and get the
items in the mail to try on rather than the in-store rigamarole.
That being said, I do think store employees need to accept that
sometimes this kind of transaction is going to happen for
reasons other than thoughtlessness/laziness/etc., and it's just
a cost of doing business. For example, a while back I was trying
to find bras in a new size. I spent quite a while hunting for
options, trying them all on, and picked out multiple ones that
seemed right...only to have to return the majority of them after
wearing one for a full day and realizing that the size I
measured was comfortable in the fitting room but very
uncomfortable after a full day of wear. I ate the cost of the
one I'd taken the tags off and worn, but the rest got returned.
I also bought replacements in the new size, so the store got the
same amount of money in the end, but (1) that was a different
transaction so any grousing employees probably wouldn't have
factored that in and (2) employees still had to go through the
work of processing the returns plus the new sale. If I were
given grief over having to return most of the purchase in a
circumstance like that, then I'd probably just move to online
shopping channels that expect that and stop patronizing the
store.
[quote author=gramma dishes link=topic=1163.msg31991#msg31991
date=1559259978]
Why did she not take the girls to the store where they can try
on stuff there?
I think returns are one thing, but returns of bathing suits is
just a teeny bit different. I know most people have the decency
to wear underwear when trying on bathing suits, but when they'e
been tried on in someone's home, there's always the remote
possibility that someone tried them on 'raw'. That introduces
an intimacy ick factor not present when trying on a dress or a
pair of shoes.
[/quote]
Why? ??? Someone who would try on a swimsuit without underwear
could do that just as easily in a fitting room at the store as
at home. It's not like there is someone supervising to make sure
you don't shed your underwear in the fitting room.
#Post#: 32002--------------------------------------------------
Re: Purchasing and Returning Clothing
By: Rho Date: May 30, 2019, 10:26 pm
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How many is too many?
I stumbled across a fantastic mens sweater sale once and brought
home 6 for husband to try on at his leisure. Actually I gave him
2 days to decide. Four were returned and one was exchanged for
a different size.
I don't think I was 'that' customer.
And the season I was shopping for both MOB AND MOG dresses--I
bought one or two as 'safe' outfits and returned them as I found
better options. And returned some of those as I found more
options until deciding on the final two choices.
Bathing suits, earrings, and underwear are a different category.
Would you feel different if original shopper bought $500.00
worth of tops for her homebound elderly Mother rather than
something for her daughters?
#Post#: 32007--------------------------------------------------
Re: Purchasing and Returning Clothing
By: Victoria Date: May 30, 2019, 10:53 pm
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For the purposes of an etiquette question regarding treatment of
store employees, the context doesn't even matter. It could just
be reduced to "Person bought 10 items and returned 9 of them.
Rude to the store's employees or not?" And I would have to say
it's not. When I worked in retail I didn't stew over how many
of a particular item was bought and returned or even notice it
that much. Stuff like that didn't make an impact on me. I also
think that it would be really hard, if not impossible, to
articulate an etiquette principle or rule based on quantity. Is
it rude to return 9 swimsuits but not 10? Is it rude to buy or
return a whole bunch of stuff? Does the fact that you may be
"that customer" in an employee's mind automatically mean that
you're rude?
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