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I walked out of a car dealership because the salesman was condescending.

You behaved completely appropriately. There is no excuse for crap customer service! If you'd like to get even more of a voice, go here and join the customer army!:
http://www.customerservicearmy.com/

I had a similar experience at DWR. I wanted to get a sofa there and went to the store and the entire sales staff basically ignored me the whole time (I suppose I don't have the "look" of a DWR customer). After sitting on the sofa and lingering near it for a long time, I had to approach a sales person who ended up being dismissive of me and my questions.

I promptly went home and purchased the sofa from the online DWR store.

You deserve to be treated with respect by everybody, and especially in the service industry!

I had a similar experience at Lowe's...with so many other options for home improvement, I'm NOT going back.

I've had similar experiences at art openings/festivals. I just don't have that look as an art buyer, and yet that's where I'll put my money. I want to be like Julia Roberts in pretty woman and tell them off but alas... it rarely happens.
And from the other side, I own a small spa in Boston and customer service is KEY. If someone has a bad experience, we take it seriously and talk to those involved and normally offer some sort of gift certificate for a future service. It baffles me that not every store has the same basic manners.

I purchased a sofa at Room & Board and was amazed at the patience and follow-through during AND after the purchase. Ever since, I've been referring folks to R & B.

Having been in retail for YEARS, I can never understand why foul people choose to stay in a profession where there's non-stop customer contact. Painful.

I find that the SF Bay Area can have horrible customer service as compared to other regions. I really try to buy from companies that value their customers and treat them accordingly.

I agree that you behaved perfectly appropriately and it is great to know that the manager responded the way he did.

The only other thing you can do is promise yourself that you will also start calling the manager when you get great customer service. Better yet, ask for the manager's e-mail so that your letter can be printed and placed in the employee's file.

It's funny how salespeople's attitudes change from city to city.

Sometimes, when traveling, if I see something I like in a chain store, I'll usually just wait till I get back to NY and buy it here.

When living in Dallas, I had horrid experiences in the chi-chier stores.

Totally appropriate. Some sales representatives behave like they own the store or something. When I'm really upset, I just bluntly tell them that I don't like their attitude. It takes a bit of courage, but I feel so much better afterwards. After all, your money helps pay their bills.

I've worked in retail for years and can't stand crappy customer service-- I don't mind when it comes to clothing or something that I'd rather help myself to, but big purchases like furniture or anything for the home (tile, flooring, appliances, etc.) excellent customer service is imperative! We had a bad experience with a high-end furniture store here and although we got passed along to a nicer sales associate who worked things out for us, I won't shop there again. I'd rather pay extra and get things shipped from the States than shop there. There is also a particular location of Kinko's/Fed-ex that I will no longer go to because of the horrible experience I had there- another customer was almost in tears because of their horrible customer service (or lack thereof). An example of great customer service was at a Starbucks recently where they happened to be out of my drink and gave me a coupon for a free one next time!

I left a store recently trying to buy a LCD big screen, and went across the parking lot, spent 300.00 more for exactly the same set from the competition.

Did I cut off my nose to spite my face? Not so much when I reached the company President the following day and explained that his store management made the transaction so miserable that it was worth 300.00 not to have the aggravation.

The competition was the exact opposite, kind courteous, they even loaded the set in my car...And this was a big box store I swore I would never shop. And yes, I found the manager a pointed out the great service and the price I paid.

Sounds like you acted totally appropriate. I've had my share of bad customer service experiences. I like to consider myself extremely patient when it comes to things like these. Having worked in retail myself I know what its like to have a bad day or possibly a bad customer before my getting there so I typically give people some slack. Most of the time just being nice to the person will get them to ease up and be friendly but other times I realize that the person should just not be in the customer service/retail position (I had several coworkers that were like that).

If one person is obnoxious I'll give the store another chance but if more than one person annoys me I avoid that store for as long as I can.

..Oh and on that note. I can't believe how rude some people can be to customer service people. It honestly shocks me to see how some people behave completely unprovoked. I could write pages and pages of horror stories about customers being absolutely horrible. So I guess it really goes both ways, no two sides are perfect. There will probably always be bad customers and bad customer service people.

New York City here. It happens almost everyday. I asked a person behind the counter the other day to please be polite.
I just wanted some cheese. DWR is a huge offender. Those sales associates sit at their desks tapping away at their computers and never look up. I too look at what I want and purchase on line. Moss, is another retailer that find the most awful sales people ever.
Then there's William & Sonoma. Every sales person should take their lead. Helpful and a delight to shop in any of their stores. Daily, I am tired of paying to be abused in these stores. I try to stay home, where my family treats me with kindness.

Having worked retail, I too find bad service intolerable.

We usually make management aware of particularly good or bad service -- it cuts both ways.

Sometimes, the worst service I have gotten has been from managers themselves, usually of foreign goods no one else sells. One time I was furious, and forced the manager to replace a defective product -- after having been told by a salesperson that many had tried, and none had succeeded. I pointed out to him that if he didn't replace my product, I would make sure that everyone knew about my crappy experience with his business -- and this was before the internet.

Another time, I was out major appliance shopping with a friend of mine -- two young-looking females. These were high-end products -- European -- and it was a Saturday, so the store was packed with middle-aged couples with salespeople in eager attendance. After over 45 minutes of being ignored, I grabbed the manager to get a price on a washer/dryer combo (something that should have been posted on the piece). Well, he didn't think I was serious about buying, and it cost him over $1000 because he quoted me the wrong price (didn't bother to spend any time or effort on me). He acknowledged his lesson, as I did not let him off the hook...

Here in Switzerland, for the most part, service is pretty bad compared to North America. They act as if they are doing you a favour to deign to sell you something, and I can't count the number of times we have been given wrong information about products! We don't bother complaining here, as no one cares. We just avoid shopping here as much as possible (not hard to do since stores are not open evenings or Sundays)...

I also agree with girlonthem00n. Manners go both ways!

I, too have had a couple of bad customer service phone experiences with DWR. I e-mailed the company without a response and have not bought a thing there since! My phone experience has been good with R&B.

never have understood condescending sales people and find it difficult to tolerate. Perfectly understand hdtex's willingness to spend more rather than support a bad sales staff. Bo Concept in Cambridge was extremely rude while we were looking for furniture a while back, with the sales person insinuating we had no style. We ran across the street to DWR, which in Cambridge (& Boston) has very accommodating sales people. I'm also glad that auto salespeople are not nearly so aggressive as they once used to be--I remember having one yell at us for saying we'd like some time to think about it. We were very young & somewhat scared & shocked at his behavior but I'm proud to say we walked out. Has anyone had difficulty with Crate & Barrel? We've been treated badly by staff both in NY & Cambridge.

I make it a point to deal with these types of things immediately after they happen. I'd prefer to enjoy the rest of my day. I own a small design company and often I use the "...if i ran my business and treat people the way your staff does, I'd be living in the streets..." I also make it a point to notify the manager when I've had a great experience with their staff.

I, too, work in customer service. I think that reading the return policy (which I don't think my customers do...) is an easy way to be a responsible shopper and really, if you don't like the way someone does business - take yours somewhere else! Your item, or a comparable one, can always be found in another shop where the people act in accordance with your wishes.
As a shopper, I try to remember that sales people have bad days, too, but don't let them get away with being monstrous! If a sales person is really out of line (and it's not just my bad day getting the best of me), then let the management know the situation. Management is there to do precisely that - manage!

On three different occasions I have had excellent customer service from the sales staff at the San Francisco Room & Board. The people at the warehouse end of the business were also very courteous about phoning with updates, and the delivery guys were careful and friendly. The company gets big points from me.

2 places spring to mind. The first is Ferguson bathroom and lighting galleries. Granted they are extremely overpriced and anyone with access to a computer can get the exact same products for at least 50% less, but the salespeople are ridiculously dismissive. What's worse is they aren't even polished in their appearance or knowledgeable in their product. They just read from the price book and act as if no one could possibly afford anything in the store. Are they aware that they are in that category?
Another was Domain. I wasn't sad that they are going out of business. Same problem with Ferguson. They act like they designed and made the products. Really they just sell them and not very well.

They were probably just ign'ant.

I am sorry you had a bad experience with a retail professional but I say cut her some slack. Yep, you heard me. These people are so underpaid for the stuff they have to put up with. They stand on their feet all day (sometimes in high heels) and you have no idea of what customers try to pull (not that you were one of these customers but perhaps three before you were and she was about to have a breakdown) I worked in retail for years and never had a complaint about me (quite the opposite in fact) but I hated every minute of it. I managed a store and cried every day when I got home because of the treatment from at least one customer every day. These people usually make $8 per hour and often can't afford the furniture they sell (even with the 40% discount). I am glad the manager fixed it because that was his/her job. Whenever this happens to me I always look at the salesperson and say "I hope the day starts to go better for you."

if you get bad customer service, 'cleanse' the customer service palate with a visit to the container store. they may seem overly friendly, but i have some background on this--they really only hire people who truly are the sort to provide customer service excellence, they require continuous learning, they foster a culture of responsibility--etc.

the point being that you can recalibrate your expectations by going to a place with good service.

it matters, because if we all expect worse and worse service, the culture suffers generally. if you find a model of excellence in customer service, particularly if the products are good, the entire experience elevates. isn't that what good design is all about, and what we all want [my keyboard has not question mark]

Your response is completely appropriate. I had a salesman be condescending when I bought a car, so I simply asked for another salesman, who turned out to be very helpful and courteous, and I bought the car from him instead.

It helps if you know if the store works off commission or not. When you're spending $2000 on a sofa, telling a rude salesperson to fuck off (but not in those words) and giving someone else the sale (and commission) can often make your point for you.

Re: cricketchirp

Although their situation may be unfortunate, that is their job. How much they make is none of my business, and besides the point, because their job is to be courteous and helpful to customers and get the sale.

I work in the financial sector, and although I sometimes work long hours, and it's unfortunate, that is in no way acceptable as an excuse for not doing my job. If I were to miss deadlines and complain about stress then I wouldn't expect to be there for very long.

If a person is easily frustrated and gets emotional and rude from working retail, then my recommendation would be to find another job more suitable to their personality.

I can live with inattentive or ignorant salespeople (as long as the price it right), but what really makes me fume are businesses that aren't able to deal with problems and businesses that charge hidden fees or otherwise cheat customers.

Recently had a horrible experience with Sears where they failed to deliver a fridge on 4 different occasions (resulting in my having to cook thanksgiving for 10 without one!) As all their services have been completely outsourced, calling my original salesperson, the store manager, various managers for the service desk got me nowhere. They couldn't even successfully cancel the order after the 4th failure (they called 3 weeks later trying to schedule my delivery!)

Agree strongly with the couple comments about promoting those that do have exceptional service. Home Depot Online is one of my favorites lately for smooth, efficient, professional service (shower door, fridge, etc.). Also have had some great experiences with Crate and Barrel including their outlet store in Napervile and CB2. Most chains have a online customer service form, so take a second and send through a positive word when things go well!

I say shop elsewhere. Managers are supposed to smooth things over, but I've found that rarely solves the underlying problem with the store in general, and that more issues will creep up with the same store. Delivery hassles, suprise fees, unepextedly poor quality -- whatever the case may be.

Think about it this way. If there's someone in place just to handle issues like yours, then there's a good chance that it happens *all the time.* One of my client accounts actually has a corporate division that is in place just to smooth out the interactions between its employees and the vendors it engages. The employees are trained to gouge their vendors as much as possible and then the other group swoops in for PR. If the employees were taught to partner with their vendors, the need for the nice-guys would be eliminated all together.

Tip: I love Room and Board. I bought a sofa "untested" based on AT reader reviews of their "Loring" model, talking with the utterly fabulous customer service people, and comparing my body's measurements seated to the seat depth/height, back height, etc. I gave those proportions to the consultant and told her which sofas I was interested in. She described several as having a very deep seat and were more suited to taller people, and she also directed me to several that would be more ideal for my petite frame. I specifically did not want a sofa that I couldn't sit in with me feet on the floor and back against the back-rest. Net: I adore it. I mean I am really really in love with it, totally and completely blissed-out happy with my purchase.

Anyway, my point is, use your dollars to support a retailer with better service and you'll probably like your experience and feel better about spending your wad-o-cash with them.

I'm in the same bind, by the way. I loathe Smith and Noble customer service. I adore the Shade Store's customer service. But Smith and Noble has the fabric I want. So I've put off making a purchase and may call the Shade Store and ask them if they will make a shade from fabric I provide, rather than give my money to the place that I hate.

I had two really bad experiences in two days. I was sensitized to it because recently went through extensive customer service training at new job. One was at a bank, I was utterly stunned. Without details, it was unbelievable. The person who was acting so deplorably was a customer service rep! I said to her calmly, "I am in shock. So what you are telling me is that you are willing to lose a long-time, good customer?"

Her answer. "Basically."

I just could not believe the cavalier attitude in this time of impending recession and incessant competition.

The second was at Sears. This was a double whammy, or maybe a triple. I haven't been to a Sears store since I was a child. Thinking them old-fashioned, I prefer Target. Anyway, I recently discovered Ty Pennington's white vases and I had to have them. Had to really drive out of my way to get to a Sears, but I made the trip at $3.25 per gallon. And I was treated horribly by the sales clerk. And even worse, she showed total disrespect for what a beautiful object that could be helping to revitalize Sears. She literally threw the vase in the bag sitting on the counter. I almost fainted. The vase made a loud sound, but did not break, thank God because it was the last one!

Also had a bad experience with their website trying to order his vases.

This is my first attempt at buying at Sears in over 30 years, and I won't be going back.

I just moved from NY and as a whole Customer Service was non-existent there, Here in SF people actually say hello and help you.

I also work in retail for a company who's #1 goal is quality customer service. So it's nice to know that some big name companies do care.

In addition to the nice, higher-end design stores mentioned here -- I've had some terrible times going to big-franchise, commission furniture stores (think "Levitz" and the like). As soon as I walk in the door, I'm followed around by a sales guy (always a guy) who talks and jokes incessantly and jumps at anything I give a slight second glance to. If I happen to shop with my husband, I'm often ignored, but have to listen to the salesman trying to buddy up to my husband, with comments like "whatever the lady of the house wants, right pal?"

Worse than going to a used-car lot! Not that this behavior is "customer service" per se, but still, this hard-sell is obviously endorsed and encouraged by the company, to the point that I dread -- and usually avoid -- entering this type of store.

I have (and probably will do again) gone directly to the manager and told them what had happened. I wouldn't talk to poeple that way if they were a customer coming to my workplace so why the bloody hell should I put up with it. I feel very strongly about this. I especially don't take any crap in the food industry, if I am paying $30 for a steak it better bloody well be well done just like it ordered... if I wanted a effing live cow I would go to cattle sale. (Sorry to those who may have been offended by the harshness of my outburst, I had a $30 steak last night that looked right up at me and cried "Please Miss, don't eat me. I have a family!")

Oh and KellyInCali I know exactly what you mean. I work with all men, one of whom loves to try and prove his idea that women don't know as much about "guy stuff... grunt". So I am used to dealing with meat heads. Guys we know you all aren't like this, but some of you are, and some are worse. >:(

Always go prepared. A little knowledge goes a long way. I love living in a small town because sometimes the insider info gets you what you want.
Car salesman "This one's great. Blah blah blah spiel...."
"Are you going to knock some money off for the dints in the side panelling?"
His reply "No. More spiel.... blah blah... So you work at *bleep* I used to work with them, when I was the manager of one of your contracting companies; *bleep*."
"When was this?" I said.
"Last year."
With a massive sense of satisfaction I retorted, "Well thats funny cos my Father was the manager of *bleep* that year and the 5 years previous, so what can we do about these dint's?"

I got my deal. LOL!

peggy, unfortunately your Sears experience is very typical. It's no longer a brand name -- it's a warning label.

Horrifying customer service is why I will NEVER shop at Ikea again... and it came from the manager. It just showed me that Ikea has become to big for itself. They've reached a point where customer service isn't important because they know they can treat the customer badly as they have plenty more to cycle through. Oh well, good riddance to cheap mdf furniture.

My pet peeve with customer service is the overly friendly ones. Saying "hi" from the counter or wherever else they are is okay but I hate it when they run over to me as soon as I walk in the door and then when I say "I'm just looking" they follow me around the store, staring.

And one more thing...yes, there are certain people who aren't suited to customer service but even if you ARE and even if you know perfectly well that the customers are paying your salary, it only takes one asshole to ruin the service for any customer who comes in after him.

I think you did the right thing in taking to the manager - we all have our experiences like that. I agree with some people above the DWR stores in NYC are the greatest offender. I am an interior designer and even at the high end stores in the D&D building you get all sorts of treatments - some places are absolutely super nice and some are completely rude - to the bone. The best experience that I had in buying something large was at Room and Board a few years back - the saleswoman was such an absolute doll, she was patient - given my husband could committ to the sofas we were buying and when asked for her opinion she did insert it politely. So it is hit or miss. If you really want to feel better about the future or customer service - read Time magazine March 24th 2008, page 42... :-)

I would try as hard as possible to not buy the item - if it is something I cannot live without, or sould not find elsewhere, I would report the employee to the organization, and then buy the item through another sales agent - I would specifically ask for a new agent.

Good luck! Being in the service industry myself, it is REQUIRED to have good service, not a boon IF you get it!!

It's impossible to know if you behaved appropriately since the details of your run-in are so vague. And there are always two sides to every story.

Calling the manager was a good thing to do, though, but you might also have considered asking Mr. or Ms. Rudesalesperson if there was anyone else who could help you, and make the point that you were not diggin' the treatment directly to the person creating your bad experience.

Re: "I just wanted some cheese. DWR is a huge offender."
Um, they don't sell cheese, maybe that's why. ;)
(I understand what you meant. Just making a little paragraph/sentence structure joke!)

Re: "I try to stay home, where my family treats me with kindness."
You are lucky.

I worked for Sears for 25 years - on the salesfloor and in the office. We prided ourselves on customer service, and even had the distinction of being the best in our district, and one salesperson was the national customer service winner. Its a pity that only a handful of people remain from that 'era' and actually still provide good customer service. I only go there on a rare occasion - and its usually to talk to my former co-workers, not for any other service. Most recently, several people were forced to retire...most having 25, 30 or 40 years of service. They would not have stayed that long if it had not been a great company to work for - but I can't say the same for today's company.

That's great that you gave them another chance (with the manager) many people wouldn't have. I worked so many retail jobs back in the day that I try to be tolerant when a salesperson is obviously having a bad day, but I don't tolerate condescending salespeople - ever.

In New York, my worst experiences were with DWR and Restoration Hardware, (I agree with the person who said the DWR people won't even look at you ... I tested this once by going in one day in jeans ... No service at all ... A few days later when I was dressed for a meeting ... I got service, but they still talked to me as if I didn't know the designers, etc.). I'm also not fond of shopping at West Elm in Chelsea ... it's not bad customer service, really, but it's just impossible most of the time to find someone to help you. Also their delivery charges are nuts.

I've had fantastic customer service with Room & Board (they really are fantastic ... right down to their delivery guys), The Conran Shop, Williams-Sonoma in Chelsea, and the midtown Crate & Barrel. There especially used to be a salesperson?/manager? in furniture there named Doris who is absolutely awesome. I don't know if she's still there, but she was the most thorough and patient furniture salesperson I've ever experienced.

I also love C&B phone support. I bought a file cabinet/hutch combo a few years back and while I was putting it together I noticed there was a piece missing. I called and they overnighted the piece. It didn't fit, so I called again and this time they said they were out of them (I had bought the stuff in the outlet section of the website) but they offered to have one of their trucks come pick it up for free since it would be too difficult to take apart and shove back in the boxes for UPS. While I was waiting for the pickup, someone called me and said they'd had a return of the same item and someone would take my missing piece out of that one and send it if I still wanted it. I did and they overnighted it. It fit! I was so shocked that they'd had my "case" on the radar enough to follow through and ask if I'd want the piece.

I also always email with thanks for customer service ... Especially if a delivery has gone great ... I always let the company know.

I live in nyc and it has the worst of everything but the food is good.
Customer service is the worst whether it is a luxury store or discount it is the same all around. (rotten)

You did exactly as you should have.

I also make sure to call the manager and compliment when I've had overly wonderful service.

Patrick-the other one- yes- funny. I went to Grace Market for cheese and DWR for Eames stool. I think I got that right. And yes to kindness at home. We try to stress that. Unfortunately, that's not always the case when it come to being treated with courtesy in the retail environment. Strange that one needs to spend money to be treated poorly.

I think you did the right thing. But I have to flip the coin here ...

I worked for a great company, that shall not be named, designing closets. Sometimes customers would definitely take advantage of the workers -- yelling at them if they had to wait in line, if we were out of a product, etc. You name it and we would be verbally (and in a rare case) physically abused by customers.

Yes, you deserve good customer service -- but please don't take out your aggressions on the workers. We are, for the most part, struggling to get our real careers moving, or maybe this is the extra job we've taken on just to make ends meet.

Remember -- the person across from you who can't perform the merchandise miracle is NOT the person who got you pregnant and then dumped you, nor is it your condescending boss, or your over-bearing sister-in-law, we're just trying to do our job.

Love and light, kids.

SEARS has got to be the absolute worst! I purchased a window air conditioner that died only a couple months after purchase. After not allowed to take it to the store to be repaired I waited a month for a repair man to arrive and tell me that he had to order a part that took 2 months to get. The whole time trying to live through a DC summer. Long story short the AC is still not working from the beginning of last summer and now when this summer rolls around it will be out or warranty. I am tempted to just dump it on their doorstep. All I can say is for your own sanity stay clear of SEARS.

I've worked retail for 8 years and I have to say I don't tolerate rudeness very well - and this goes both ways.

First off, I've worked a number of different types of places (an art gallery, an art store and a design store). My job is to make sure that the customer is greeted, helped, and informed as necessary.

As a shopper, If I'm ever in a situation where someone is being negligent (or worse, overly agressive) I tell them flat out - as politely as possibly - that I will leave and shop elsewhere. There is a little modern shop in Cambridge where I was instantly dismissed when I asked questions...whereas in the Cambridge DWR I looked at the little Mag table (possibly the cheapest thing they sell) and the guy was SO nice and thorough and informative. I've since bought a number of things from them and ZERO from the local shop.

CONVERSELY, as the person behind the counter I expect an equal level of politeness. Nothing is ruder than smiling at someone and saying "Hi, how are you?" and being snapped at "I'm JUST looking." It doesn't really answer the question, nor is it likely to get you any favors down the line. And, I work in a store - a place where my livelihood depends on SELLING things. If you're 'just looking' you can do that from the window or the internet. And even if you have no intent of buying something you're interacting with a person - it won't kill you to be polite and conversant.

While yes, customer service can be rude, but it DEFINATELY goes both ways. Having worked in several retail positions, I've experienced customers who will bite your head off for the smallest mistake! Yes you may be spending hundreds of dollars, but mistakes still happen and we do us best to fix them. So to all the complainers, be patient, have some tact, and don't be unreasonable... because then, we would don't care if you take your business elsewhere... we would rather loose money than have to deal with you.

but on the shopper side of me, I've experienced horrible uncalled for customer service. With Comcast, I've spent 2hrs on the phone with idiot customer services reps who couldn't figure out that they attached a recent payment I made to an old account with no balance. It took the 4th customer service rep to figure it out in less then 5 mins.

Poor customer service shouldn't be tolerated... and as a manager, I don't tolerate it. It is my job to reasonably fix a screw-up. If you have serious complaint, go speak to the manager. They will judge the situation... if it's a wonderful employee who was having a bad day or there was a misunderstand, they will deal with it. The same goes if it was a terrible employee. While they do care about fixing the problem and addressing the customer's needs, they also care about the happiness of their employee. It's definately not a one way street and both views have to be considered.

I just hate all the customer service bashing... people are more likely to complain then talk about the good service they receive.