I had a rather bizarre experience in Marks & Spencer’s on Saturday, when I went in to buy a new jumper.
I saw the jumper I wanted, seemingly one of its kind. I tried it on, and it fitted perfectly. I was pleased with it and joined the queue to pay. When I got to the counter the conversation went something like this.
Assistant: “I can’t sell this to you.”
Me: “Why not? The jumper was on the shelves for sale with lots of others, and here’s my money.”
Assistant: “I know, but sorry, you can’t buy it.”
The people behind me in the queue shuffled about and coughed. I wondered if my face didn’t fit or whether my bank card looked a bit dodgy. I tried again.
“Look. I have my money ready and the jumper has a price tag on, so why can’t I buy it?”
Assistant: “I will go and get the manager. Please wait.”
So I waited. About five minutes later the assistant returned with a grim-faced manager.
Manager: “Sorry, but you can’t buy that jumper.”
Me: “Can you please tell me why?”
Manager: “If you wanted to bring it back, then we couldn’t give you a refund.”
Me: “But I don’t want to bring it back… I want to wear it!”
Manager: “It needs to go back to the manufacturers. The others went back, but this one must have been missed.”
I couldn’t see anything wrong with it at all, and was becoming angrier by the minute. The manager took it from me, and I found a different jumper and joined the queue again.
Me: “Am I allowed to buy this one?”
The assistant smiled through half closed eyes and gritted teeth, as she rang up the purchase.
Who has ever heard of a customer not being able to buy something on the shelves that they want? Whatever happened to the ‘customer is always right‘ saying?
It’s difficult enough to find something you like, but then to not be able to purchase. Arghh
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Frustrating is the word, I think.
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That is totally weird! There has to be more to the story than what they were willing to tell you I think if they were honest, it would make you even more positive about wanting to do business with them again.
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I think they didn’t want to say anything was wrong with it in front of a queue of people, so they skirted around the issue for as long as they could. It was just the wrong way to go about it, I think.
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First of all, what a bitch. If it’s there for sale with a tag on it and I love it, I’m buying it! Too bad I wasn’t with you, lol, you would have purchased that first sweater LOL 🙂 That is just ridiculous!!!! xx
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Lol! Ooh – another thing where we’re different – I’m rather meek and usually do as I’m told!
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Lol, if I ever make it across the pond, maybe I can you hints how to be a more aggressive shopper, lol 🙂 xx
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Sounds frightening!
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Lolllllllllll 🙂 And sorry for the typo in my first comment. Fast fingers, late nights. 🙂 x
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Very odd experience I must say
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Very!
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I know don’t know what was wrong and I can’t relate to you but I do know this is crazy. Like seriously??? Who does this to a customer?? The best part of my life, people buy stuff for me and i buy books for them. 😊😊😂 even if they hate reading. 😂😊✌
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Very strange – they could have explained the reason to you – maybe it was a too flammable or had some other dangerous defect and they weren’t permitted to disclose it…
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Who knows? As you say… very strange.
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We have lost our branch in town. There are odd things about M&S – do you remember how long it took before they would take cards of any sort?
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Ooh, no I don’t remember. I think they’re the last of the ‘old-fashioned’ shops. I like M&S, probably because I’m old-fashioned as well!
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They could have explained why…
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Yes, but they left it a long while to do so. To start with I thought they didn’t like the look of me!
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I would have been furious!
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I was becoming angrier by the minute, but you cannot fight computers!
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Don’t I know it!
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The customer isn’t always right. The computer is.
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Ha ha, and what’s really sad is that you’re probably correct.
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That’s bizarre and Darlene has a good point. It has saved you from it becoming unravelled no doubt. M&S have tied themselves up in knots recently with closures, as Jim says. A pun intended there! Hugs Xx
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Thanks Jane. It was a really nice jumper too!
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Shame Stevie, it must have been so frustrating. A ‘Have I dropped into a parallel universe moment?’ xXx
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Lol!
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Consider yourself lucky. It may have fallen apart in the wash the first time. Or burst into flames near a stove. Glad you found another one to buy. LOL
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Good point, Darlene. I suppose they didn’t want to tell me that, especially with a queue of people behind.
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I suspect that sort of attitude to customer service has led to so many M&S shutting. Ours is going soon
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It’s such a shame that the big stores we grew up with are all closing. That’s Internet shopping for you…
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Yes, we’re moving from mixed customer service to no customer service 😦
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Okaaay. That’s very odd.🤔
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It is. I suppose they tried not to tell me there was something wrong with it when all the people behind me in the queue could hear.
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