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Customer Service

I finally bought a console for my entryway on Ebay.  I have never bought furniture from Ebay so I was a bit nervous. The furniture arrived in good time but I was unable to pick it up until two weeks later. I put it together only to find the thing was wobbly and uneven. At first i felt burned, I could not return it since I had missed the return deadline. However, I contacted the seller and to my great surprise, he was very helpful. I sent him the pictures and he sent me a replacement stat. In fact I think I contacted him last Sunday, sent pictures in the middle of the week and I arrived home Monday to find the replacement awaiting me. All I could say was wow.

Contrast this with the treatment I've received at some stores here in the ELP. Since I've been here, I've endured more insults than I've ever had in my life, especially coming out of Boston, which is forever famous for being a racist town. The first time was when I was shopping at my favorite grocery store and the cashier asked if i was planning to pay with a EBT card. It was not my first time there, so I was a bit taken aback because I'd never been asked that before in my life. I usually let such ignorant statements slide but this time i confronted her, and her lame excuse was everyone uses it here. However, I have never heard anyone asked that particular question and even if everyone was using it, her only question should be credit or debit. Not credit, debit or EBT.

The second time was at the Limited in Cielo Vista Mall. Yes, I'm naming names. I waited in line to pay for almost 20 minutes. There were at least 4 people behind the registers and one person ahead of me. This person was being helped by two cashiers: one was ringing up the purchase and the other was talking and talking and talking. One of the cashiers was cleaning, (who cleans when there is a customer waiting on line?); and the fourth was being taught something by someone. Finally, one cashier came from somewhere, not one of the others who were obviously too busy to help me, and rang me up. I was not pleased and as fate would have it, I picked up the wrong shirt so I returned it and didn't replace it.

I chalked that episode up to poor customer service and again thought nothing of it until I went to Dillard's the other day to look at my Gianni Bini shoes. I stopped at the jewelry display, you know the type, every Macy's, J.C. Penny's, Sears, Loehman's, Nordstrom Rack, and Filenes,(RIP) has it. You know, the cheap $20 stuff that is usually on a table. Anyway, I was looking through when a salesperson came running out of nowhere. I mean running. I thought it odd but paid it no mind. She asked if i needed help and I said no. I thought she had left to go behind her counter or whatever but I happened to look up and saw two not one, two of those salespeople staring me down, watching my every move. I was hopping mad. Two of them had to keep such a close eye on me? Two of them? I walked away, went to the shoes which is what I really came for. However, the ignorance continued. There were two salespeople on the floor just standing there, and I was wandering up and down and down and up looking for my shoes. Not one offer of help. Not one. I walked out and swore to never go back again. Unfortunately for me the shoes are carried exclusively by Dillard's.

Anyway, the final straw was last Sunday. So this time I dressed up. I had on a wig. My designer bag, super high heels. Hey, when dealing with shallow people, you have to meet them at their level. I walked through the jewelry section again. What a difference. The same woman was there, and she was super helpful, asking me what i wanted to try on, my size etc. Same 20 dollar display by the way. Hmph. I wanted to tell her to spare me, she already made her first impression on me and it was not helpful.

I carried on to Express to pick up some new pants. Unfortunately, I got distracted by the clearance section and bought some things that were so not on my shopping list. I went up to pay and like any good shopper i had my coupon and my gift card (what, you don't shop with coupons? na wa for you o). I laid all these out and before the stupid girl had even checked my stuff, she was telling me that the coupon wasn't good on clearance items. Say what now? What happened to "Did you find everything u were looking for? Who helped you out today?" I had even planned to give one of the floor girls a shout out because she was quite helpful but the silly cashier ruined it. I told her that not all the items were clearance and then she had the nerve to ask me which ones were and were not. Seriously? So in that case, how did you know enough to tell me my coupon was not valid on clearance items? I gave her a blank stare and she figured it out herself. The whole thing left a foul taste on my mouth. I'm still debating whether I should return all the extra stuff I bought and buy them online instead. The thing holding me back is that I made a vow  to never ever step foot in the Cieolo Vista Mall again. I am shopping strictly online for my Limited/Express/Gap stuff. I have been shopping at those stores since before most of those cashiers were born so it would really be my loss, not the cashiers if I quit them at this stage.

I must admit though mostly everywhere else has been good. Target, Goodwill, my grocery store, Pro's Ranch, where I am more often than not the only nappyhaired girl there (lol), so am not ready to call ELP a totally racist town. But that Cielo Vista Mall is getting the serious side eye from me for now. 




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