More haste, less speed
Stratford has a rubbish shopping centre. And it’s an especially bad place to come if you’re hoping for retail therapy of the sartorial variety.
Admittedly, things are getting better now that the Olympics are on their way. Gradually, famous high street shops are moving in (New Look, Primark, MK One, Evans). There are also a few of those shops that sell skimpy attire best suited to lean 18 year olds (the kind that are often found in run down parts of London - Risky, Krisp, etc). However, if you’re an average-sized 30-something woman, the choice is pretty limited. Best plan is generally to by-pass Stratford all together and head on into town.
Unfortunately, today, I was not able to heed my own advice. Short on time, and in desperate need of a summer top for a day-time hen-do tomorrow, Dorothy Perkins seemed like my best bet.
A couple of items caught my eye, and I headed to the changing room to try them on. There was one top which I particularly liked and which (amazingly) fitted. Bingo! I decided to buy it.
I started to get dressed and suddenly noticed that my T-shirt, which had fallen on the floor whilst I tried on the top, was now covered in green slime! I tried to convince myself it was glue or some kind of foodstuff, but what it really looked like was something much less savoury… (Think 40-a-day for 25 years). And then I noticed that it was all over the wall of the changing room, too. How had I missed that? For a few seconds I thought I was going to vomit.
What should I do? I briefly thought about just stuffing my T-shirt into my bag and leaving it at that (I’ve had too many frustrating and ultimately futile encounters with shop assistants in the past, and needed to get back home). Then, suddenly, I became possessed with the spirit of Morrissey the Consumer Monkey and decide to go on the attack. After all, my T-shirt was unwearable, and I was now going to have to walk home wearing only my see-through jumper!
The manager offered to pay my dry-cleaning bill, and when I looked bewildered (I wonder whether she dry-cleans her T-shirts?), she proposed a £5 gift voucher instead. I accepted her offer.
But of course, it was not that simple. She had to call customer services to get a reference number, but they were not answering. She tried phoning her manager to authorise the voucher with him, but he wasn’t picking up either (something to do with the fire on Oxford Street yesterday). What a bloody palaver.
20 minutes later, I was more than a tad fed up. I very politely asked how we could resolve the situation as I needed to leave. Her reply: “well, you can just wait”, in an extremely patronising tone. She was so rude! Doesn’t she realise that I am actually a customer and that without customers she wouldn’t actually have a job?!
Normally I would have given as good as I got, but today, for some reason, I was all sweetness and light. We eventually agreed that she would send the voucher through the post. They also gave me a 15% discount on the top that I bought in spite of me forgetting my student card.
Was my complaining worth the hassle? Was a £5 voucher reasonable compensation for my inconvenience? Probably not. I think that I’ll follow my own advice and head down to Oxford Street next time the shopping bug strikes.
Miss Despina replied:
Hi! Glad I found this blog, I totally sympathise with you. Stupid shop woman. I get so sick of that.
I gave birth a few weeks ago to my own blog, and now I’m getting significantly more hits than at the start, mainly due to people googling random word associations that creep up in my posts!
Despina
May 7, 2007 at 5:33 pm. Permalink.
Stratfordgirl replied:
Thanks for my very first comment, Miss Despina!
May 13, 2007 at 1:16 pm. Permalink.
pierre l replied:
I am not that knowledgeable on women’s clothing chains, but that sounded like a reputable brand that I have heard of before. Clearly the black sheep of the family when it comes to cleanliness and quality of service.
I found you at Petite Anglaise. I will now read the rest of you posts. While I am not in favour of censorship, I do feel that the really nasty comments detract from the fun of reading a blog. You can disagree with someone without being rude and nasty.
Good luck and have fun blogging.
May 13, 2007 at 8:49 pm. Permalink.
stratfordgirl replied:
Thanks for your comment, Pierre. I’m sure that it didn’t take you long to read my posts as there are only three so far! I’ve been really busy with work and college recently, but now have some free time so hopefully I will be able to write a bit more often.
I too am not in favour of censorship… and I am perhaps regretting not allowing Uncle Norman’s comment to pass, as it does actually go against all my beliefs to silence people in that way. (Unfortunately, I’ve deleted it now, so it’s too late). I think I was just a bit in shock at how rude his comment actually was, and wondering whether receiving such comments was a normal part of blogging life.
As you say, it is possible to disagree without being nasty. (Perhaps I myself was rude when I originally commented about his blog on Petite Anglaise’s site?) Uncle Norman: my apologies if I was.
Anyway, it was great to receive a non-obscene comment from you - thanks. Do you have a blog yourself?
All the best,
Stratfordgirl
May 14, 2007 at 5:24 pm. Permalink.
pierre l replied:
Hi again Stratfordgirl. UN seems to be OK some of the time, but on the whole he seems to be crude and unpleasant to read. I got quite annoyed at what he said about Petite, and I am pleased that I didn’t have to read what he said about you whatever it was.
If I don’t like a blog, I go and read something else. If a blog that I like attracts interesting comments, I want to read them. I don’t want to discover that a comment is nasty while reading it. It is unfortunate that you see the bad comments, but at least we don’t (and you will forget them eventually). Genuine polite disagreement is fine, of course.
Also, I don’t want my favourite bloggers upset or reduced to tears - they might not write such good posts, and some might even give up altogether. Remember the word “fun”!
I am vaguely thinking about starting a blog myself but don’t have one yet. I also realise that this comment may repeat things that you or I have said already, but emphasis is good in this case.
May 14, 2007 at 10:56 pm. Permalink.
hopeoverexperience replied:
Bad customer service makes me so mad! Some people seem to have difficulty remembering that they’re actually being paid to serve customers rather than just make life difficult for them… Perhaps you should become a secret shopper and get your own back?
May 15, 2007 at 11:06 pm. Permalink.
stratfordgirl replied:
Hi hopeoverexperience … (intriguing blog name ..!)
Thanks for your comment. Perhaps I will do just that and become a secret shopper. My mum did it for a while and I used to go along with her sometimes - must have been during school hols or something. It was really fun. I was maybe 10 at the time, and I ‘helped’ my mum by remembering things about the staff who served her (Tina, blonde hair, earrings etc…
so she could then note it all down in her book… ah, those were the days!
Will pop along to your site now and have a wee mosey around …
May 15, 2007 at 11:35 pm. Permalink.
Miss Despina replied:
Where have you gone dear? I’ve been perfecting my “fries with that” skills at Superdrug this week, but I’m back now. Hope college isn’t too stressful for you.
More from you soon, I hope!
May 20, 2007 at 6:49 pm. Permalink.
stratfordgirl replied:
Hi Miss Despina
Been really really busy with work and college and no time to write! College now finished so hope to be blogging again soon!
May 21, 2007 at 10:03 pm. Permalink.
pierre l replied:
Yes, please. I miss you too. Hope the exams went well.
May 21, 2007 at 10:27 pm. Permalink.
stratfordgirl replied:
Thanks, Pierre!
P.S. Update on the voucher situation - still nothing received!
May 22, 2007 at 11:42 am. Permalink.
pierre l replied:
Ouch! What is worse than bad customer service? Promising compensation and not delivering it! Although it may be early days yet (but not that early, looking at the dates again).
May 22, 2007 at 6:00 pm. Permalink.
A happy ending … « Stratford Girl replied:
[...] morning, I received a £25 voucher through the post from Dorothy Perkins to compensate me for the green slime incident. They said they hoped it would ”restore [my] good faith in Dorothy Perkins”. It [...]
September 8, 2007 at 3:57 pm. Permalink.
What’s in Stratford Girl’s bag? « Stratford Girl replied:
[...] Dorothy Perkins gift card I was sent following the Green Slime Incident (still haven’t bought anything with it [...]
November 18, 2007 at 9:22 pm. Permalink.