Shopping Disappointment

[Jina James]

Christmas shopping today for my wife was a less than joyous experience.

My wife asked me to look at Catherine's (It's her favorite place; their fashions fit her style) for a blouse and/or a sweater for her for Christmas. I got clear and obvious disdain from the clerk from the moment I walked in. I was so disheartened I spent only a few minutes, just glancing at a few items, and then I left. My usual experience of pleasure in buying things for my wife that she likes was completely lost. Unless I'm accompanying her (as she sometimes asks me to do), I won't be back to that particular store.

If I had been shopping for myself, I would have been angry. As it is, I'm only disappointed. You'd think Catherine's would be happy for customers, and you'd think it would show at Christmas.

[Estefania]

Jina,

As I have never shopped at Catherine's myself, I can only think of two things. First, comes to mind a couple posts I read somewhere stating that they were no cd/tg friendly. However, I think that it may not be the case this time. More likely sounds like sales associate holiday burnout.

In any case, you may consider contacting their corporate to let them known about you bad experience.

Enjoy shopping at friendlier stores!

Gaby

[Stevie]

Sorry to hear, I shop at Chico's and WHBM for both of us. Managers always nice!

[DonnaT]

I guess it depends on location, and who the sales rep is. I've not had problems in Catherine's (I've not tried to try anything one though).

Seems they'd expect men to come in and look for gifts during a holiday season.

[Lacey Hadley]

Today a lot of retail sales jobs are low respect, low pay, clerks and not the once in our past professional and even career orientated jobs. This is too bad as a professional sales person can make a shopping experience very good.

Though your experience may have been a one off, if a business is "non cd or tg friendly" nor just a male shopper (for a wife/S.O./GF. or themselves in drab) the business needs to be made aware of such incorrect ideals or policies. Imagine if these shops were non-black, non-Hispanic/Latino or non-Asian friendly? The ostracizing of them would be rightly high.

If they are of a POV where they look down upon males shopping, CDers or TGers shopping in their stores, I guess incomes and profits must be good to chase away possible sales.

[Stephanie M]

Sorry to hear, I shop at Chico's and WHBM for both of us. Managers always nice!

I used to work at the Chicos distribution center years ago. Kind of ironic a crossdresser working in a warehouse of women's clothes.

[Davita]

Myself, I shop at any Catherine's including my local one. They know both of me and I have never had any trouble but just good service. I have never had trouble fem or drab at any Catherine's. SSooooo hearing some have had problems tells me it's not Catherine's, but that particular store staff. Now if it was the manager then I would contact the next level up like an area director. If it was staff then I would call that store and ask to speak to the manager. You can tell them whatever you want about yourself. BUT if I am shopping for anyone else, then that is important. They pissed off you and in turn disappointed a second customer -- the person you are shopping for.

When complaining to "the store," remember not to shoot the messenger; that person you are talking to ain't the fixer unless it's the store manager/owner. That won't get you very far and won't get you much help. Be clear and concise about what happened, when and where. Let the gears of justice work for you, but don't let them off the hook with a "we will look into it," ask them to give you the final resolution even it it takes a week. BTW, there should be some incentive offered to get you to come back and to make up for your bad experience -- don't be greedy but if it's no better than the coupons you get already.......

I boycott a different store because I didn't like the manager's attitude but she just has an attitude with all customers. There are others in the chain close enough and better anyway than having to go to that particular store. That said, I wasn't interested in a journey during this season to visit a likely crowded store so I bit the bullet and went to the "bad" store. Well what a pleasant surprise, the manager was too busy so I got a nice lady who helped me find replacement jeans for the ones I was wearing (and I was drab). She took me to a dressing room and told me what to do if I needed more help. So the bottom line is, you need to resolve the issues with that store before you give up on it. You are the one who suffers if you have to go out of your way unnecessarily.

[Sarah Beth]

I honestly believe that the area you live in or are shopping in has a lot more to do with how you are treated by sales staff in situations than the actual store chain itself. Company or corporate policy at times seems to have very little effect on what goes on an individual store. I know I have a felt and experienced a difference in treatment in chain stores from one to another with about 500 miles between the two. From what I have learned from a couple of kindred spirits there is even a big difference between the stores I go to in Pueblo as compared to Denver.

Where I live there is no shopping unless you count the dollar store and I wouldn't buy there clothing anyway it all looks pretty cheaply made. So I mostly buy online but when I get a chance to go somewhere bigger with a better selection I do on occasion try to get into the brick and motor stores to look around. For the most part it isn't a real comfortable feeling dealing with the sales staff.

As has been mentioned sales staff seems to pretty transient and not really professional like it was. My parents ran a retail store when I was growing up and I was told that the golden pretty much was the customer is always right and you need to please the customer but I doesn't seem to be that way anymore in a lot of places. I once even had a clerk who was checking me out tell me that she was only working there until she could find something better because "jobs like this one don't pay crap".

I did, after an experience last summer, decide to contact the corporation and mentions my treatment in one of their stores. I got an email back which seemed pretty much just like an automated canned response. You know the thank you for inquiry we'll check into that. Never heard anything from them again. It was like that time when this truck driver cut me off and ran me into the ditch on highway. The sign on the back said call this number and tell them about my driving. So I caught up with truck, my wife wrote down the 800 number and I called them. The guy answered and I said your driver in with trailer number such and such just tried to pass without room in a no passing zone cute me off and I ended up in the ditch. The laughed and said so what do you want me to do about it laughed some more and hung up on me.

[Eileen (SO)]

So sad to read of your experience, Jina. Especially at this time of year, men shopping for women's wear should be accepted without question. The clerk may be what we call a '90 day wonder'. Hired for the heavy shopping season and you wonder how they got the job in the first place.

Catherine's is a lovely place to shop for us bigger gals, so naturally, they'll draw CD customers as well. This clerk may be gone by the time your complaint is noticed unless you go straight to the store manager. At this writing, I hope you bought your wife the pretties she wanted and have a Merry Christmas!

A few weeks ago, my husband got all dressed and visited a local Payless. The manager knows he's CD and wanted to meet her as a her. The manager was not there but the staff of a youngish guy and gal were so nice. They gave her time to browse without being too helpful. Some jewelry was bought as she felt nearly comfortable. (Hubby is not a confidant woman outside of CD meetings.) The next day as he, he made the effort to pop in and tell the manager how great her staff treated 'her'.
Stores love positive feed back.

Eileen

[KimberlyS]

Sorry Jina for your bad experience. I have had nothing but good experience at Catherine's both enfemme and male mode. I would say it was just a bad SA or end of a long day.