It is not unusual as a sales associate to sell previously worn clothing. The checks and balances for preventing this are not in place. This store is not to be confused with wonderful employee and customer oriented stores such as Nordstrom. (I do not and haven't ever worked for competition or for either store listed)
They treat their employees horribly with unaffordable health insurance, attendance policies designed by Adolf Hitler, the job description is a catch-all and the sales quota that must be maintained is worse than commission.
Almost all employees hourly paid in the store in which I worked could not afford the coverage, plus the policies were crap. The cost is almost as bad as Cobra.
E sales associates must stock massive amounts of merchandise and do 1980's technology data imput on cash registers and price mark down guns.
The correct clothing attire for the volume of clothes entering the store which the sales clerks put away, should dictate casual attire.
Unfortunately the attire is formal only suit and tie and dresses for ladies. The job description for most of the employees is do it all, they forgot to tell you that in orientation. Training is about one day if you are lucky.in order to do a mark down every item must be scanned and tagged one at a time, if the tag for reduction is missed the cash register from the 1980's doesnot notice and the item would result in a customer overcharge. The clerk would then be UNABLE to remove the one incorrect item and all the items would need to be scanned again.
Meanwhile the customer waits. As for the claims of used smelly clothes with lipstick, bodily odors or other issues being sold as new that is a definite. I challenge you all, go test this one for yourself. Look around you will find this to be true.
Yes people do change their mind, buy the wrong item, hate a gift, but unlike other major high end department stores, this happens way to many times at said store to be coincidental. This has been the case at every store of this chain that I have visited so far in four states in the West.
Customer service is stressed by management however the fact of the matter is the opposite. Cash registers start with very very low amounts usually $100.00, that's right one hundred which includes the coins.
Many customers wait for a very long procedure for the clerk to go get change. The return policy is a mess. For this test purchase the same dollar amount of clothing at all of the major department stores in your own area, then with a receipt try to return the items 31 days later unworn. Better yet leave tags attached and try without receipt a few days later. You will quickly learn which of the major stores take care of the customer.
Manager approval is required for just about everything so the customer gets the runaround.
Clerks who do not sell enough and are forced to do the back breaking work of constantly cleaning up and stocking new clothing will not make the sales quota, pay cut time begins. It is 10% every time you do not make it. Seasoned customers will notice there are about a 90% turnover rate of new employees (new employees almost always not screened for drug use etc.) and then there are the sharks and the few excellent employees to scared to leave for new jobs.
New employees come and go faster than the wind, retail has very high turn over, this company sets new records.
Commissioned sales people are to be found in shoes and in mens tailored areas, if you want an excellent employee willing to put up with it all that is where you should go. You get what you pay for in life, this isn't always the best value place if service counts. Smart employers learned years ago to take care of the employees since they smile or frown upon guests, and yes it is noticeable.
Save a hard working employee today, help them find a new job in retail for someone besides this company.
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