I am really disappointed with Carson Pirie Scott, especially with a recent visit to this location. This is usually my favorite location because of the area, and selection. Typically I shop more in the women’s clothes and shoes, and once in awhile I will purchase jewelry from the fine jewelry department’s Effie Collection and clearance when I want to treat myself and can afford it! Usually my mother spends more time and money in the fine jewelry department in this location and Woodfield’s than I do.

In this visit a couple of days ago at York Town Mall, Lombard IL it was my mother who actually was just browsing and she told me how she had a horrible time with the sales associate Dawn, and felt like she was being discriminated against because of our Indian ethnicity. My mother explained to me how she felt as if this associate neglected her and treated other customers much more kindly because they had purchased something right away and my mother was just only looking because she wasn’t sure if she wanted to purchase what she was looking at. My mother described this associate as giving her rude looks and rolling her eyes when my mother would “call for help” or ask to see a piece of jewelry, my mother describes “calling for help” because my mother said the sales associate would walk away right after showing something from a case instead of staying with her in one spot at a time. She had to literally call out to the lady just to get her attention to come back. Ultimately my mother did not even want to look anymore because the associate rushed to the next customer that “was just looking”. I never waste my time to scold or report- if a sales associate at some store was tired and lazy, however when my mother explained to me the better customer service Dawn treated to the other customers “that were just looking” and did not even purchase something and were also white ……………..this situation bothers me and makes me not want to visit this Carson’s location again if that really is the case…
I do not want any “I demand a freebie or some sort of special coupon” I want to notify you how unfair the service you provide really is. I had jobs in retail stores when I was in high school and going through college and I was taught to treat customers equally no matter what color or size or sex they were even if they don’t purchase something, even if they are a hassle. I completely understand when you have a terrible customer who is bitchy, takes almost an hour, and then after her whole tangent does not even purchase anything from you-that is the most stressful situation, I know I worked at T.J Max throughout high school and college which has far less customer service interaction, intimacy and building customer relationships however, if you know you are going to do things like this why did you even bother applying for a job there?. If I was with my mom that day I would have told off this old lady. How dare you roll your eyes at my mother just because you think she is not going to purchase anything that exact day-I don’t think anyone in this day and age would even take out their wallet the same day they just saw something they wanted to buy. Don’t we have a right to look anyways? My mother and I have spent a lot of money just at Carson Pirie Scott, not just with the jewelry but with the cosmetics, fragrance, shoes, kids’ clothes, kitchen aids, men’s clothes, EVERTHING. Carson Pirie Scott is usually the store we think of first to go shopping or purchase gifts just because it is right by my parents’ home-----And this is the kind of customer service that is given?????? I advise this location to re-train their employees or maybe even hire better ones. How are you going to make repeat customers if your employees do not even want to show what the store is selling? What if my mother wants to come back for the item she was looking at? I hate to think and even bring up that this bad service is a race discrimination however it really resonated with my mother and made her that upset to call me and vent to me about it. Also-with the preferential customer treatments, are we suppose to somehow spend a fortune at this department just to get kind and fair service? I know I have probably only spent $400 so far in fine jewelry with multiple sales clerks helping me so I do not have a specific go to person, but my mother has probably spent at least almost $2, 000 or more by now so she should have been treated like a god damn queen.

I know this associate did not say anything directly to my mother but actions speak much louder than words.

I would personally go to this location to speak to someone in charge of the store about this situation but I live and work in the city and travel, and my mother doesn’t even want me to say anything and to leave it alone and move on.

All in all I will most likely still shop here just because of the great prices, however I will always think about this situation and be hesitant towards asking sales associates for help.

My complaint is regarding discrimination!!! I was at Carsons located at Stratford Square Mall in Bloomingdale, IL. and encountered discrimination and disrespect everytime i walked in. The first time i went in, i had to wait half an hour before i found someone to help me. I was waiting in line, and the girl looked at me, turned around, and decided to help someone else; knowing i was waiting there for the longest time. I let it go assuming she didn't notice me; which she clearly did. Was it because i am brown? or was it because i was dressed very casually and didn't look classy like the other fancy looking white women? i really don't know!
I finally found someone to help me, and she sold me a $50+ moisturizer from Elizabeth Arden, and assured that it was a great fit for my skin type. She even gave me a little gift set with sample makeup in it. I was assured that i could bring it back if the product irritated my skin in any way. Well it did, and i brought it back to the Elizabeth Arden counter. The lady sat there reading a magazine, and i waited till she noticed me. She finally asked me if i needed anything, and i asked if i could return it. I said i don't have the gift set, and she could charge me for it. She gave me a dirty look and said i had to bring every single thing back before she could refund me. I said it was okay, it was only around fifty dollars- no big deal!
I walked over to the Lancome counter, and asked the lady to show me some makeup. The employee from Elizabeth Arden rushed over to the lancome counter, pulled the lancome lady to the side, and whispered something to her; which i know was about me! The lancome lady came over to help me, and i bought $60 dollars worth of stuff from her. This lady gave me a cute little gift set, which i love. When she was ringing me out, i asked if i could use a good will coupon for my previous purchase from Elizabeth Arden, that way i am not in a total loss. She said its fine, and asked to see my receipt so she could give me a 20% refund. Just like i expected, the Elizabeth Arden lady came running again, and asked if i was trying to return something. Again, there was more "behind the counter chatter" which i didn't appreciate. So here i am, spending hundreds of dollars at a store that loves to discriminate.
I had several other unpleasant experiences at this store, and being a forgiving person that i am, i decided to return to the store and give it another try. Why is it that I am ignored when i am standing in line like anyone else? Why is more preference and attention given to "white women" and why am i being ignored? Why do i feel insulted at this store even though i spend well over a $100 everytime i am there? I am done with this store, and never shopping there again! If you love to be discriminated against, thats the best place to be. If not, please shop else where, and do your selves a favor.

I purchase furniture and the warranty on a dining room set from Carsons. We pulled the leaf out of the bag and noticed the bottom of the table leaf had been warped. When I called to report this to Carsons, they sent out one of their repair persons to look at the damages. The credenza had a flaw in the granite, and of course the leaf was warped on the bottom of the bag. The repair man used his "color" pen to darken the warped leaf and stated that the delivery person probably put this down in the snow. Since I did not use the leaf for months afterwards, it had warped. The flaw in the granite was a raised circular flaw. After the repair man's departure, he stated customer service would call me. No call, so I decided to check on the status of the replacement items. I was told today that these were attributed to normal wear and tear and would not be replaced. Therefore taking the additional insurance out was a waste of time and money. Carson's had no intention of replacing any items that would damaged in shipment or flaws. My advise to you is to NEVER purchase anything from this company as they do not back up what they sell.

Carson Pirie Scott, in The Streets of Woodfield, in Schaumburg Illinois is the worst place to work for. Employees are treated with disrespect, and managers on duty and HR manager have problems with power over employee. If an employee complains, the managers don't listen and come back with false accusations, putting anxiety on the employee, just to protect themselves. It is demeaning and harrassing. Many of the employees there are never heard by the upper management if there is a problem they are experiencing. The store is completely understaffed, causing customer complaints to the ones that are working there, customers roam around looking for someone to check them out on an average day. If sudden deadline for a project is given, some of the MOD's will tell them they will get written up if it's not completed in a timeframe that is impossible. Employees get written up for everything, aren't allowed to be human beings, are constantly being monitered about their whereabouts, even when they are doing their job, are belittled, and treated unfairly on a continuous basis. The store manager stays out of everything, only bothers everyone with instant credits, and there is no humane, compassion, in their management. Very poor management skills...these managers need to go to school on "How to treat their employees with Dignity and Respect. Employees are getting in squabbles, complaining about management, and complaining about each other. The good, hard working, caring employees are bullied by a few managers on duty that are on power trips. The place is terrible. Don't work there, and don't shop there.