A couple of weeks ago I decided that I needed to buy a couple of new bras. Stop reading now if you’re easily put off by mentions of lingerie, etc. I mean it.
Okay, if you’re still with me… I had good luck with bras from Change last time I needed them, so off I went. I have recently been fitted, so I chose two that I liked in my size, tried them on, found that they both fit and flattered, and so I bought them. All in all about a 20 minute shopping experience. Done and done.
Flash forward two days later, I am getting dressed to go to work, I decide to wear one of the new bras, and it’s comfy and it’s all good. When I go to take it off later in the evening though? Bang – strap breaks. WTF, seriously? Brand new bra? Aaargh. Okay, so I check it out – it’s clearly a part that was folded over and stitched in place – these bras are all “convertible” – which always cracks me up because you know convertibles are topless -hahaha! *ahem* Anyway, the bra works as a criss-cross back, so there is gadgetry that allows that, and it looked as if one of the straps wasn’t sewn as tightly as it should have been.
So, okay I’ve got the receipt, all I need to do is go back and exchange it, right? Which isn’t as easy as it sounds, there seemed to have been forces at work all week to keep me away from the store, and to keep me from having any time whatsoever to exchange it. Until last night. So armed with my malfunctioning bra, I hit the mall. And on the way there I am going through the possible scenarios: they won’t accept returns; they’ll think I wore it for the entire two weeks and wore it out; they’ll blame me for breaking the strap. Seriously, who does this? Anyway, I arrived at the store, waited for the clerk to finish with a customer and then approached the desk. And here’s how it went down:
me: “hi, I have something to return”
her: “oh?”
me: thinking *oh this is it, there’s no way this exchange is happening* “um, yes, I bought this bra about 10 days ago and wore it once – it was great – then when I took it off, the strap broke” *now showing her the bra in question*
her: “OMG what? I…I…have never seen that happen before!”
me: again, thinking *uh huh, and so it’s my fault???*
her: “Wow, I am SO sorry this happened to you!”
me: “uh…what?”
her: “I mean that’s awful, there’s no way this should happen, let me go grab another one in your size, unless you want to try something else, if you’re worried that this might be a flaw in the product??”
me: “um, no I’m sure it was a fluke, the same one is fine”
her: “ok, here you go, give it a try, it’s a slightly different style but same pattern and fit, so see what you think”
me: “uh – okay…”
So in I go to the change room and she’s back there too doing some sorting or whatever, and chatting with me through the door:
her: “I just feel so badly that you had to come back and boy I’d be angry if I were you, but you’re so…pleasant about it!”
me: “well, I guess…you know, things like this can happen, so um…yeah, it’s ok, just glad it didn’t happen when I was wearing it you know?”
her: “OMG I hadn’t even thought about that, how horrible that would have been! Again, I’m really sorry, and thanks for being so kind about the whole thing!”
me: “uh, again, it’s no problem”
This would be what I call probably the best – if at times a little gushy – customer service I have ever experienced. Ever. I even scanned it for sarcasm and it came back clean. No questions asked, no “wow this makes my evening soooo much harder, bitch” nothing at all except “I am sorry that the product we sold you was not top quality, and I will make it right”.
So Change? You’ve got me – and my boobs – for life.
The Urban Info Girl 