Saturday, August 02, 2008

Gymboree doesn't listen

Gymboree and I have a problem. It's name is Maria and has a moustache, and very bad customer service.

Three days ago, was the beginning of the Back to School sale, where new items were $10, $15, and $20, and sale stuff was an extra 20% off. So I load my brood in the car, drive 20-30 mins away to the bigger Gymbo store, to buy back to school clothes.

We spend a good hour trying stuff on my very delicately built string bean Middle, who needs the waist of a 2 year old, with the length of a 6 year old. We conquer the world and leave.

Until Thursday. When the mailman brings a 20% coupon to my mailbox. Don't rub my belly like Buddha. Clearly I am not full of luck.

So my cheap -generic -noodle -buying self heads back to Gymboree, to return the stuff and buy with my coupon. That's 40 extra bucks, or another outfit.. or two. I have three girls, I need all the extra style buyin' that I can get.

Enter Maria.

Maria is upset that she is working Friday. Or that she is working Gymboree on Friday. Or that she has a moustache. She definitely was not happy.

I walk up with my bag. She lets out air. Like a tire just popped. I let her know that I am there to return the stuff. She goes and checks to see if I can. I guess I didn't know that it was an option. She huffs and puffs through out the transaction. Tossing the clothes, all annoyed. She tries to stiff me the tax I paid on the items. Then tries to play it off. Real smooth, Maria. She then yells to her co-worker that "do not put that stuff on the floor until they leave." Yes because they didn't want my 20 dollars to buy the merchandise I had returned. Only someone else's money was good enough. I was spending 200 dollars for crying out loud.

I go about looking for new stuff, and since they are the crappier Gymboree, they didn't have the dress I returned, or one of the pants. Hubby goes and asks if they have it in a size 6. She tosses a glance and says over her shoulder, "Only if you can find it over there." No offer to help him find the size 6. She then starts to grab stacks of clothing around me, and takes about 4-5 stacks of different things over to the counter. To fold them. Thing is, they are not unfolded. I would be standing right in front of something, and Maria would reach around and grab stacks of clothes.
Maria pissed me off. Since she was hell bent on being the fluff and folder of the year, I gave her stuff to keep up with her marathon folding. Anything I touched -I moved, unfolded, ruffled the whole pile. Their jeans rack? Lifted every pair up and laid it down. "Forgot" accessories all over the place.

You know, I wouldn't have noticed the moustache if she hadn't been snarling from far away. When I was ready to buy, she rolled her daggum beady eyes, her moustache wiggled, and she let out air. Again. Should have told her that Fix-A-Flat does wonders. She says nothing until the total. And tosses about 40 (no lie) coupons to Legoland in my bag. And loudly asks if I want the receipt in the bag. I almost forgot to answer, I was staring at her stache the whole time. I think it waved hi and tried to shake my hand.

Gymboree. Now I get to go to gymborelistens.com and tell them about Maria. And how her attitude needs more adjustment than their clothing racks. And perhaps, a barber.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

BWAHAHA! I've had dealings with a few Maria's in my lifetime. ;o)

SavvySarahDesigns said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
SavvySarahDesigns said...

You should have asked if she needed assistance pulling the churro out of her ass.

thegirlyouwillneverknow said...

Yah gymbo has some annoying policy that says you cant restock returns for 24 hours, so the person returning them cant rebuy them with a coupon. Lame, I think anyway, cause they will do a PA when there is a sale. I rarley grace gymbo with my presence or buisness anymore. They annoy me to much, the employees there think they are better than you too, its so annoying. I dunno about you but I like going into places where they value my patronage. And I dont spend a small ammount on clothing either so they damn well should appreciate my buisness if your asking me.

and LMAO at the churro comment :D

~teachmom~ said...

Ugh, when I worked at TCP, one of my managers was that way sometimes. I always had to apologize for her when someone came to tell me. What else can I do but be the opposite of what they're complaining about? Even when I didn't want to be at work that day, I tried my bestest to be good to people and show respect. I don't understand why employees have to be so rude.
Now, when I got a REALLY BAD CUSTOMER.....oh, boy....I tried NOT to roll my eyes and lose the air.
It's too bad customer service isn't what it used to be, ugh?

~beautifuldisaster8205~ said...

Hmm......
poor girl...
maybe she didnt have time to wax her lip hair so she was pissed...
screw that coupon crap too!
i have a gymbo coupon too if you want it!
I dont shop there....

Anonymous said...

Unfortuantely we have had to deal with customers like you too! And we re pretty sure we know who your type are, who the hell do you think you are making her day even worse by messing up the piles. How old are you?

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately we have had to deal with customers like you too! And we're pretty sure we know who your type are, who the hell do you think you are making her day even worse by messing up the piles. How old are you? You are no different than poor Maria - it's people like YOU that make the air go out. A nail in our day to make it go flat. SHAME ON YOU. They get MInimum wage to deal with you. I am sure you are just a princess, that waxes her mustache.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm...

This is a tough one. Having worked as a sales associateon up to full-time assistant manager with Gymboree on and off since 1997, I can relate to both sides of the situation.

As an employee, I do my best to uphold store policy and procedures. They serve their purpose and there is reason for a given policy or procedure. But also as an employee, I need to convey why the store does things the way that they do (in a way that is going to nurture the customer service versus fighting it--which is where Maria failed miserably). Also, I think it's okay to make exceptions when necessary and the negative impact on the store is minimal in relation to how it will affect the customer I'm serving. Maria is in desperate need of brushing up on her "Legendary Service" skills, as she has made it so painfully obvious.

But on the other hand, there are numerous customers who take advantage of the store's liberal return policy or abuse various procedures. And they get obnoxious and downright rude when an employee is trying to uphold them. What is an employee left to do when EVERYONE wants to tweak this policy or adjust that procedure to fit their needs? It's inconsistent and unrealistic for a business to do that for everyone.

I do want to make a lasting impression on each customer I interact with. Just yesterday, I had a customer looking for a holiday dress in a size we didn't have in the store. I called half a dozen stores until I found it, called the customer back and let her know, gave her the store phone number,
so she could have it shipped to her. Yesterday, I kept going to the stock room to find items for a lady who wanted an inexpensive baby gift. I dug through bins to find accessories for her. She was ever grateful. I bust my butt working at Gymboree. I would have happily made an exception for you to redeem your coupon. But I do find it unfortunate and frankly, childish, that since you didn't get your way with the coupon, you destoyed the store. Clothes in upheaval and accessories left randomly all over. C'mon! If you're such a great customer and had to throw in the "I spend so much money there" card, shouldn't a frequent buyer be WELL AWARE of various store policies and coupon redemption?! Or is the real truth more the fact that you think that because you spend "so much money" there, you're the exception? In all honesty, I'd much rather serve a gracious customer who spends $40 than someone who feels she is entitled or due more just because she's going to throw down a couple hundred dollars anyday.

thegirlyouwillneverknow said...

and this is how old.... and still getting comments... shame on you for stirin up such stuff woman :D. I do wish you would blog more, your so entertaining...

You know what first really turned me off of going into Gymboree, even before all the attitude Ive been served there got on my last nerve?... it was when a baby toy I had purchased there came apart a few days after buying it and my infant son choked-gagged-and then-threw up due to it being lodged in his throat. When I spoke to the store and online customer service and mentioned my fear that all the toys like it might be a hazard, no one really cared :(. I was of course refunded my money, but I was very bothered that it was taken so lightly. That said I just put in my first order at Gymbo in over two years... the gingerbread stuff is just to cute.

thegirlyouwillneverknow said...

plus, isn't it funny how when the people in the store recognize you, they treat you like a human or even celebrity/roayalty, but when they cant yet be bothered to remember your face/credit card, they can't be bothered to go in the back room numerous time for you to smilingly get things that are a YEAR old and SOLD OUT ;). I can not tell you how many times in the past I have seen this happen as women compile and buy a stack of clothing that should cost $1000 for only a few $100. They are a a very discriminating store, always have been, and to think they aren't even Janie and Jack.

thegirlyouwillneverknow said...

my fav store manager ever in my old closest store was a man, he was so much more less dramatic :). I was sorry when he left... so many women are just so catty...

Anonymous said...

well, as you very well know, i work in a higher-end children's store. we would NEVER treat a customer like that. we would make the excpetion for the sake of keeping them happy. it's just good business.

that being said, i need to say this.

perhaps she is unhappy with the fact that she chose the career path that she did. or the fact that she dropped out of high school and now has to spend the rest of her life as a retail mall-worker. let me tell you...it's not as glamorous as it seems. i do it part time. for fun.

which brings me to anyon's comment. they should be folding the clothes that you touched. last time i checked, YOU were not the one getting paid to fold someone's future laundry. that's the choice that she made in life.

i perceive it as though you should be waited on and given exceptions. you are a valued customer. if you want to spend $200 on an outfit to make your little boy look like a homosexual pretty boy, with his sweatshirt adorned with a squirrel perched on a birch branch waiting to "get that nut" (oh the irony) that dangerously foreshadows his future, then you should be treated as such. but to say that she would rather wait on a $40 customer is outrageous. business school 101, anon, the BOTTOM LINE is really what is important in business. so you need to keep the big spenders happy.

it appears to me as though maria-sophia needed to repeat the sugary-sweet-fake-as-all-hell-dripping with-sucrose-overload gymbo motto..."it's a great day at gymobree!" that the employees screech as you walk in the door, trying to remind themselves daily to convince their own children not to make the same mistakes as they did, so as not to end up working at a mall and going home each night smelling like a bad cross of CO Bigelow and Auntie Anne's.

sarah

Anonymous said...

Don't be so arrogant. You could have cost Maria her job. Like some people said dealing with customers like you is not fun. you are so quick to go on gymboreelistens with a bad experience but have you ever gone on for a good. probably not. stop being stingy, you know the policies if you shop there SO much.

Anonymous said...

Ha! So happy I found this, I feel the same way. I have left feedback twice about the bad service I get from one particular sales lady and have never heard anything back even though rumor is if you leave a 1 or 2 on service that the manager is supposed to contact you within 2 days.

Gymbo has some irritating store policies but I can deal with them if they were said with a smile rather than rude tone and death looks.

You can end up spending some major cash there and it would be nice to get decent customer service. Have been questioning how loyal of a shopper I will continue to be even though clothes are cute and I have another daughter on the way...however, I have found a great place to find Gymbo clothing is ebay! That way I still get cute clothes but my money doesn't go towards their bottom line...ha!