Customers beware!

I wish to share my experience at Zara Brent Cross to highlight their desperate moves to keep money in their till!

I work at the Head Office of an established retailer that prides itself of it's excellent customer service. I have had an extremely busy month having been on holiday, and work being hectic due to the company's clearance commencing in this month.

I managed to fit some time around my busy schedule to return a pair of shoes which I had purchased 31 days previously (their returns policy is 30 days, but please bear in mind that the amazing hot weather, and of course the World Cup had withheld me from visiting the branch the day or two before).

The assistant who was supposedly "in charge" shook her head when the assistant had called her over to check wether it was ok to process the refund. She refused to give me her name when I challenged her decision as, having worked for numberous retailers, I know that the store manager can use their descretion in such circumstances to overide the system (Ihad been a store manager too!).

To add to the frustration, she was not sympathetic, nor did she offer an alternative solution such as a credit note, or an exchange. In my oppinion, it is the branch's desperate attempt at meeting their sales targets in this econimic climate.

Perhaps Zara, or indeed Zara Brent Cross, should take a leaf out of the company in which I work for, or any comapny which go the extra mile with their service. The customer will always remember good customer service, but more importantly will remember the poor service, and share their poor experiences with others more so than their good experiences!

I could go on but I wanted to take this opportunity to warn others of my experience. Having spent on average £150 every month in Zara, I am now compelled to spend my hard earned cash elsewhere (sorry this may seem petty to some. What can I say, I'm passionate about service). Such a shame.