Ponte Sheath Dress
The Avenue plus-size clothing store has been on my mind, since the very helpful and very knowledgeable publicist at 5WPR pitched me some of the amazing Black Friday steals and deals– like free digital camera and up to 50% off original prizes. I didn’t make it to the store on Black Friday, but my cousin went shopping at the retailer and got the most amazing savings ever. She purchased about 20 items and there wasn’t anything that cost over $10.00. When my cousin told me that the Thanksgiving savings lasted for three days, I made out my Christmas list and rushed to the Avenue near my house the next morning.
When I walked into the store on White Plains Road near Pelham Parkway in the Bronx, I was too excited to see all of the sale signs posted around the store. I bought fashionable sweaters for as low as $12.99, a chic sheath dress for $9.99 (which is $19.99 online) and even trendy leggings for $6.99. I even snagged a classic denim blazer for $14.99. The savings in the store was even more than the savings online at Avenue.com. I was able to get four Christmas gifts for $66.00. Now that’s something to get excited about…
…until I made it to the cashier checkout line. The sales associate named Annie, was
Soft V-Neck Sweater
the most impolite and confrontational person that I’ve ever come across in the customer service industry. Annie had attitude galore. When I told her that she offended me, she gave me this look like she didn’t care. She also told me that she didn’t care if she was in the service industry. I was so turned off – and by this time off my savings-high – that I had to find the manager to tell her of my awful experience with Annie. When I asked for the manager I told her that her staff wasn’t friendly at all and she just apologize to me without asking who the associate was that rung me up. I wasn’t really pleased with that response or reaction either. I think the most important people in a store is the person who greets you at the door and the actual person who takes your money.
For a split-second, I contemplated returning my items and giving my hard-earned money to an establishment who deserved it. But, I just decided to voice my opinion online to the public instead– where it really mattered. I do have purchasing power and a voice to share thanks to my beyondblackbeauty.com readers!
On Christmas, my family will be happy with their gifts, I hope my traumatic experience won’t haunt me on that special day.
You should have retuned everything and went to another avenue. I have told the manager I will take my money eles where because nothing will be done for the simple fact she did not ask who help you. I also will go on line or write a letter an make an formal letter to the corpoprate @ http://www.avenue.customer.service@avenue.com.
If it was me it would have went another way.no body wold have gotten an gift and probley would have punched her in the face lol you did the right thing.
I have a suggestion, perhaps this might even ease your pain. Return the merchandise for full refund and let someone in upper managment with avenue know that you would rather spend more money with elsewhere, than spend your money at a store where the employees and store management doesn’t appreciate your business. Case closed!
Girl you know it couldn’t be me….lol….Miss Annie would have wanted 2 quit after I would have told her bout herself….and for the manger not to ask who checked you out means they have been having complaints bout Nasty Annie…girl that Avenue is a trip anyway I have had to get ugly in there…thy have no people skills and when thy do get a person wit people skills thy dnt stay long cause their co-wrkers r big time haters….I have been there on 2 trys and thy both were just sad…I would write a nice letter 2 the corporate office its time thy do sumthin…
You guys are right. I should return my items and let money talk. Thank you for your comments!!!
I’ve never been a fan of shopping for mature plus size clothing for women in local stores, I’ve been treated the same way too many times. It’s so much less stressful to just shop online.
How awful! I think you did the right thing because this is a season of savings. I suggest that you Facebook Avenue and repeat your story and call the head office. This recently happened to me and I finally got the name and phone number of the supervisor and she resolved it. Nobody who accepts a job working with the public should ever take that attitude. Enjoy your holiday and use the savings on something special for yourself.
I’ve worked in customer service before, and it can be very stressful, but there is never an excuse to treat customers so poorly.
I am truly sorry for your experience!! I was recently ( yesterday ) a former employee for the company for the location in Greenville,SC and I can definitely understand where you are coming from. I am a Fashion Marketing/Management student from Berkeley College , NY and I must say the staff and management that are hired at this location clearly do not define the true meaning of the The Avenue Plus Size Brand! They are given hired positions without knowing how to really embrace their clients and really be there to understand their needs and wants when looking for new trends and ways to improve their current wardrobe! Like hello ladies: Pick up a magazine/ Fashion related book or article and inform yourself of ways to sell the brand and help maintain a wonderful shopping experience for our clients! I feel that some people have these titles and don’t care about anything else but simply paycheck, which is sad, bc in some form of another u are a consumer just as much as the next human-being. Does the saying: “treat others the way you would like to be treated!” not mean anything anymore? Clearly the District Manager and Store manager of the Greenville location likes to be rude and disrespectful because that is the feeling one feels around them when having an encounter when they are in their presence! I was fired bc the location is understaffed and bc the manager had to stay to close bc she was short handed. ( Clearly not my prob) Ive been backward and forward these past few months to help run a location that is totally unorganized and unprofessional. Other employees simply do not know how to approach the customers and the manager only worries about how she can look good in front of the DM and save her job when required, If you do your job correctly at all times there will be no need to have some false cover up ! So Ok back to the matter at hand: I was terminated bc i called in hrs bf my shift started, which was given to me the night bf during late hrs of the night. I was unable to cover the shift come to find out and I felt it was appripiate to inform the manger in time so if needed the shift would be covered, So i notified the manager and she began to throw a temper as usually bc she didn’t want to be there, so i had someone else to cover my shift so it did not interfere with hers. Question 1. Is that considered a call out considering I had another employee cover the shift? So i called in 2 days later to speak about my schedule what was my scheduled hrs for the week, and she states that her and the DM feels that when I’m ready to come to work to give them a call. Wow what a professional way to inform a employee that they are no longer needed! Not to mention that I yes i had no more than 2 call ins since ive been there, but Ive given a helping hand when i was not on schedule, more in my 90 day grace period than anyone bf and meets my company sales and goals recommendations. So i spoke to DM about it: and she was not interested in anything i had to say which was puzzling to me bc i thought in the Retail Corp that if you are unable to resolve an issue with your manager you follow the next chain of command. She was very disrespectful and her comments was more concerned about my surroundings ( which was quiet at the time) and wondering if she was on speakerphone and paranoid of who else could hear her when clearly it was i who was ( in my car at the time) trying to directly speak to her to find out company procedures and protocol. So things began to escalade because she was not trying to listen to my concerns and she felt the need to try to belittle me in referring to me as a child of some sort. It is people like these two who gives Redcats USA and their Brand Avenue a horrible representation not only to futuristic employees but to others as well, bc if you speak to employees in such tones, One could only imagine their ways of handling customer questions and concerns. I thought this company would be one i as Fashion major could see myself grow not only as a consumer but as a Business Rep for the brand in The Corp world as well. So i say to RedCats USA if this is the type of Representation that you feel should exemplify your company in the Fashion Industry then I clearly do not recommend not only myself but others as well who enter the fashion Industry only hoping to better our consumers and employees in the eyes of our brands not to involve themselves with a company as such. I have never had to experience a terrible thing such as this before. Not only will I pray for these two individuals but I also encourage the RedCats USA to aime higher than high to find individuals who are willing to not only represent themselves at all times but their company’s name and meaning in a true definition that explains the meaning:
My sister and I were in an Avenue store at the Quad in Whittier, Ca on March 15, 2011. We had gone throughout the store to find someone a birthday present. We couldn’t locate anything however we continued to shop. I have a bad back so I picked up a pile of clothing on a table and laid it on top of another and sat down for a minute. This dark haired employee walked up to me and said “don’t sit on the clothes”. I said I wasn’t sitting on any clothes. I had moved them on top of another pile and was going to put them back when I got up. This idiot employee never said please don’t sit on the clothes. Just ordered me not to sit on them. What a smart ass attitude. I went ahead and bought some clothing but my sister and I will never go into another Avenue store. I am writing this to let anyone I can know how they will be treated. This woman should be fired. She seems to forget if she didn’t have customers she doesn’t get paid. To hell with her and Avenue stores.