I love to shop. But has anyone noticed the quality of customer service has gone down? Has anyone ever had an experience where they found the perfect outfit but because the customer service was so bad they just walked out of the store without purchasing? I had this happen to me the other day and it made me so frustrated. How much style do you sacrifice for service?

AMEN! My pet peeve is when there are 10 sales people on the floor and only one at the register. i worked in retail and this type of mis-management can kill biz. I still say Nordstom does it right...except at the MAC counter.

I often wonder why this is? I mean the b/w rude sales clerk to slow service - how do stores expect customers to stick around. This is why i do most of my shopping online.

I totally agree girls! Nordstroms is always great in helping me find what I need and I wish more stores were like that. One store I love is Victoria's Secret, however I have never had a good experience there. The sales people just stand around and no one offers to help, then the clerks are always really unfriendly when I check out. I wish they knew how much more I would buy if they were friendly.

I hate when you just go into a store to browse and you are constantly followed by sales people trying to "help" you. Other than initially greeting me and asking if there is anything I need help with, leave me alone!!

I like to shop alone, and if I need help, I will ask for it. :)

Oh, and this happened to me a few times lately -
As I left a store, the GAP this time, the SA comes up to me and goes, "What you are leaving without buying something? Come on! We have to find you something!"

So RUDE and annoying!

I love places like Nordies where the CS is just perfect and professional.

I totally agree. Nordstroms is great to give you help when you need it, but not annoy you. Sometimes I think some clerks at some stores offer to help, but don't really mean it because when you do need help, then they are nowhere to be found.

I completely understand. I work retail (alas, not fashion) and adapt my style to fit my customer. A friendly genuine greeting goes a long way. Offering assistance should they need it does too. I do not hound my customers but I do check back with them after they have shopped awhile to see if there are any questions. More often than not the answer is yes. I know I don't like to be accosted or hounded or followed and strive to offer that same courtesy to my customers. When you've worked in the retail business long enough you learn how to read your customers pretty well. I agree with you all here-Nordstrom does it right. I will admit, though, to having experienced the occasional snooty sales clerk there. I tolerate being hounded much better than I tolerate snooty. And I would never "joke" with a customer about leaving without buying something. Sometimes people are just in the mood to "look". At least they're in the store-perhaps getting ideas...

I agree with you and I have a retail,fashion background. If you are nice to the customer when they are just looking they may remember you when ready to buy.

I hate bad service and rude sales people. One girl in Neiman Marcus asked when I was due!!!! Excuse me if I wear a size 10! Not everyone is either a rail or pregnant...

Neimans is the worst in the city. They judge you by the way you dress. Try to get help if in non designer jeans and non-status bag! When dressed up they fall all over me,very rude!
Nordstrom has always had great help.

I agree with JAYMAN, Neiman Marcus or "Needless Markup" as my BFF calls it, is the worst of them all. I've been a customer since I was 16 yrs old ( I'm 53), my mother LOVED that store and I guess going there reminded me of my shopping days with mom, but their sales people are terrible. I like to splurge of key pieces that I will know will last me a lifetime and can pass to my daughter some day, but lately I only buy online. I received a survey and told them what I thought of their lame service and the store manager actually called me. I gave him a piece of my mind as I told him that while I don't spend $$$$$ in their store, I am a loyal customer and over the years have been treated very poorly, told him to go check out Nordstrom's (MOA,MN) salespeople, my girls Sondra and Mick are the BEST!!!!

WE CALL IT NEEDLESS MARK UP IN CHICAGO!

Bad customer service my #1 pet peeve of all times. I have been known to retun an item and explain that the reason I am bringing a purchase back is because I was not treated with good service, and I don't prefer to spend my money in a shop that doesn't appreciate my business. One time, I went into Chico's and was very casual looking for my mom's mother's day gift (her favorite store) and no one asked if I wanted help. Well, I got upset that no one even said hello to me for like 15 minutes, spoke to the manager and complained, and told my mom. She does not go to that location anymore and complained to corporate. Having worked at Nordstrom for over three years, I KNOW good customer service. I even had my face on the wall because I got "Customer Service All-Star" one year...

When it comes down to it, if someone is going to work in retail, they should know how to "greet" and be kind. In this kind of economy, I don't think any business can suffer from customers leaving because their own employees drove them away...Can I get an AMEN? ;)