Hi, I'm Liz aka itsliz89 and welcome to my little home on the internet. This is my personal website so I'll be blogging about what interests me which may include, makeup, vegetarian food, feminism, human rights, my dog, random blurbs, and who knows what else. I am a member on 
A&F customer service…
Sep
26
2008
I’m furious and taking this to anyone willing to hear me rant!!
I will also mention my good customer service experiences today, but if you want to skip to the juicy part, it’s going to be underlined 
Got a haircut at a new salon today with a new stylist and she and the salon were all very awesome. I was very happy I found a great stylist/salon and was happy with the cut too!
I then went to Sephora because the MUFE HD foundation I got ended up being too light. I was matched, and it looked alright at the time, but it wad during the evening time so when I finally noticed how it looked like in natural light, it was too light. I had ordered the foundation through the store the first time because they didn’t have the color in stock. I wanted to exchange for a darker shade but they also didn’t have the color in stock so there was a lot of difficult exchanging and ordering going on, but the SA who helped me was very nice and helpful. She was also very nice when helping me color match the right foundation color.
Then I want to Abercrombie and Fitch… Actually, it wasn’t that bad at first. I was looking for a shirt and this one SA was wearing what I wanted. I asked her if they still carry it and she located the area for me. She also got a big ladder, went up, and found my size because they didn’t have my size on the bottom. She was very friendly the whole time and I ended up getting two shirts.
I went in line; it was kind of long. Four people and only one cashier. I think there was something wrong too since she asked each of us if we were going to pay by cash and when we all said no, she freaked out.
Anyway, this guy comes up to a register and starts yelling at people (because he’s not standing next to you and you have to yell thanks to Abercrombie’s loud music) asking them if they needed help. Well, since we’re all standing in line holding crap, it can probably be assumed that we are ready to make a purchase, so I thought he meant some type of other help, like finding things or something. He just came to the registers and didn’t log in, touch it, or anything so I figured he wasn’t going ring people.
He talks to the people in front of me (in line). They are standing right in front of his register. I’m standing about 2.5 yards away, you know, how most register lines work. I don’t recall him actually processing a transaction with them so I was still confused as to whether he was going to ring people up or not. When they leave, I’m standing there, waiting for him to call me when he’s ready. There’s the confusion of him being a cashier and usually, I wait until whoever’s at the register to acknowledge me like “I can help you right here” or “I can help the next customer in line”.
I just go up after the person behind me tells me to and he tells me,
“I asked you if you needed help”. I tell him, “I said I needed to be ringed up”. “What?” he says thanks to the loud music. “I said I needed to be ringed up” I repeated. I didn’t have an attitude or anything, just a little loud to compensate for the music. Being tired in line, I just wanted to hurry up, get out of there. Then he tells me, “It’s rung up. You said you needed to be “ringed”. It’s rung.”. 
“…Sorry…” I say. He replies, “Just trying to help you there” in a super arrogant tone. This jerk has the overall tone and attitude like that of the guys on MAD TV. I know it’s a spoof, but no joke, that’s exactly how he was like. When I first say this skit, I thought it was funny because it was the stereotype of what Abercrombie is like, but I never experienced anything like it until now:
It doesn’t end there. I’m still silent and annoyed at how much of a jerk he is. I get ready to swipe my card and he says, “Oh, you need to give that card to me so I can ringed you up.” In case you didn’t catch that, he was not being a hypocrite. He made sure to put the emphasis on the “ringed” to mock me.
I was pissed beyond belief. I went to MAC after that to buy a brush and ranted to the MA about what I had just experienced. She sympathized with me and told me I should go back and talk to the manager about it because it was unacceptable. She supported me and said that if I had used the word wrong or not, it’s my prerogative and it’s not his role to correct my English; he’s not my professor. It made sense to me. I wonder what he thinks about people who are not native English speakers? English is technically my second language as well. There are also people who intentionally use improper grammar. She also told me that people come to shop, not to be lectured on the usage of the English language.
So, I go back to A&F and talk to the helpful SA who assisted me at first. I ask her who’s the manager and she said the name of a male. I asked her if the manager looked like, enter physical description here. She said yes. I asked her if there was anyone else working that also fits that description. She said no. I ask her, is there anyone I can talk to who’s above him? She tells me that he’s the store manager and I’d have to call customer service. I told her what happened and she was really sweet and shocked to hear what happened. She gave me the CS card, gave me his full name, and I asked for her name so I could also give a compliment since she was so helpful. The MA at MAC suggested returning the stuff I had bought and I told the A&F SA that I had a moral dilemma of whether or not to return the clothes because of the store manager’s incredible rudeness. I opted not to since I did like the shirts and the SA went through a lot of trouble to get them for me.
I went back to the MAC counter. The MA’s weren’t doing anything and was just talking amongst themselves so I gave the MA an update, that he was actually the store manager. The girls were shocked, the other MA’s were informed on what happened to me, and they encouraged me to call and better yet to call today.
Once I got home, I called. I’m not optimistic in anything coming out of it since the CS rep seemed nonchalant about it, especially when I mentioned that I started having bitter feelings about the Abercrombie brand itself due to such service from a store manager. She told me that I shouldn’t let the rudeness of one employee hold me back from shopping at Abercrombie. Don’t you realize that employees represent the company and brand? Totally unapologetic, actually rushing me when I told my story because I guess I was being too detailed and specific. I was mentioning additional details like tone and attitude (not mentioning the MAD TV skits of course) while I was explaining about the conversation, and she interrupted me asking, “And what was his reply?”. 
I actually wasn’t as detailed as I am on here. I was able to explain in the same manner as I did with the MAC MA and she listened… 
Oh, and I also mentioned the helpful SA in case you were wondering.
Worst customer service experience ever. I know I wrote about a horrible CS experience with Ulta once on here, but usually when I experience rudeness, it was never so obvious, blunt, and direct like that.
9 Transmissions have been sent!
im glad u called cs for that stupid jerk! i stopped shopping at anf long time ago because of their rudeness. ugh they think theyre better than u.
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you have to contact the cooperation please do go to the AF website and click on cooperate and write them or call them.
this is totally unexceptable behavior go over all of their heads because they are covering each other’s behinds.
I been in this same situation too many time
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Aw, that sucks about the customer service. Since I moved to Asia for college (I used to/still do live in California) I’ve had a LOT of shockingly horrible customer service. Pisses me off so bad!
I actually came across your site from youtube after seeing your skincare post-i don’t have a youtube account lol.. well anyyyywayy, i just wanted to know what age did you start using sunscreen? I started about a year ago and i feel like i started way too late TT
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That makes me mad. Pretty much, as I role-play this in my head, I see a bit of “racism” going on there. From your story, I don’t know if the store manager is ‘white’ or not. However, I have this preconceived notion about the company in general anyway. Whenever I go in the store, I make sure that I avoid the associates because, instead of them being helpful to me, I feel that they stigmatize me – as if I don’t belong. At least that’s my experience at my home stores.
I’m glad that you followed through will the ordeal and called up the company. What I hope, is that the company actually follows through with this issue. Chances are, they probably won’t. Who knows if that store manager will ever get spoken to about his attitude.
Although one experience with one particular person, should not deter you away from the company, I still feel that one person represents the entire company (at least form my experience working in retail).
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very rude manager! so unprofessional! and to think he’s the manager? omg..so annoying! and the CS too..i suggest you visit a different branch next time you want something from there..but if i were in your place,i wouldn’t even shop there anymore. stupid manager!
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hahahaha, that skit was so funny…and sooo true. I hate that store, they totally put physical appearances over customer service..that company is so racist. Even tho a big lawsuit over their racist ways and discrimination was filed, they still discriminate and are racist…just more subtley..i would never shop there (i use to i thot the clothes was cute), but now i don’t..next time u go there and those “models” act ridiculous u should bitch them out. that’s what i’m gonna do, haha.
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that abercrombie and bitch guy was so rude id do the same u did and tell him in front of his face so people and his coworkers can see what a jerk he is. the colors are nice but i never shop there. too pricey for low quality. u are so pretty!! i have monolids too and u dop ur makeup real good! my favorite makeup youtuber
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Thats a real downer. After reading this, i still dont believe ALL of the workers there are spitting image of the stereotypes. However, i know that there are some people [just like in your story] are just like that.
I myself do at times feel a little tense when walking into A&F and Hollister.
I shop at Hot Topic and Pacsun. Some people throw labels at me calling me ’scene’. I am a true fan of Hollister and A&F and i always will be, just not to the workers. I can walk into Hollister and get looks from the girls who just stand by racks of clothing and they just stare. Now i am no way near a size 0 or near a size 4. I am a size 11 in jeans. I do feel alot of intimidation, not as much though as the first time i stepped foot in there. Some of the girls will be nice to you, then be two-faced about everything.
I also do not like how there will be touchy-feely girls and guys in the back rooms. While im trying to find things to purchase, i have these love birds grabbing hips and arms and teasing eachother. They need to learn to take the flirting and childish maturity out of the work place. Wither its yours, mine, or anyone elses experience.
Thanks so much Liz for sharing this with us!
-Sarah
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Hey Liz!
I’ve actually worked at Hollister and I know EXACTLY what you’re talking about. Conversely, the SAs at the store I worked at were usually the ones who had a lot of attitude. SAs would be also hostile to each other if they don’t think that someone was “pretty” or “hot” enough to work there… Which is what I felt when I worked there… You know, being 5″0 and not exactly STICK-thin like they were.
Anyway, I quit when I had to go back to school… and even now when I’m even the mall, I REFUSE to go to in the store.
Thanks for sharing!
xo
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