The Good Customer

 

Attention: For all you lovers of this yoga inspired  clothing and accessories brand…. the old location of the outlet on 1945 McLean Drive in Vancouver has moved. The new address is 110-5566 Trapp Avenue, Burnaby, BC

 

 

At this location, the store is a bit more spacious. However, the amount of inventory is about the same as the previous locale. Expect to see about 2-3 racks of clothing per size  – 2 racks of XS-S (or 2-4), 2 racks of M (or 6-8), so on and so forth.

I’m not entirely sold on the markdowns in their outlet – as most items are only $10-$30 off. You can find great deals on their seasonal items, like hot pink yoga pants. But more timeless pieces are not far off from their original price.

As with the old location, I’ve always found the staff to be really friendly and most notably, very down to earth. The personnel know their products – very important. And if challenged with a question or problem, they will try their best to find the appropriate answer.

I often find myself asking for the staff’s advice on the fit and suitability of garments. I’ve never been disappointed with their suggestions and value their opinion.

Spacious store = comfortable shopping environment

Friendly staff = enjoyable shopping experience

Popularity: 1% [?]

Who doesn’t like to score a deal? Homesense and Winners have doubled up to take over the world. Bring your battle gear when you visit – because it can be a war zone. Although there are great deals to begotten… my customer experience level here has usually been less than desirable. I’ve always given this establishment the benefit of the doubt… but no more excuses!

Please remember to bring your patience – you’ll need it. The employees here minus well work in a warehouse. I often wonder if they realize that there are actual customers in the store. Many of times they are so wrapped up in reorganizing products, unloading new stock, or doing inventory that you are made to feel that you are in their way – that you are a nuisance for shopping in the aisle where they are working.

The checkouts are almost always insufficiently staffed, leading to long wait times for their customer. Once you actually reach the checkout personnel, there is no effort on their part to redeem themselves. No smile, no apologies, and sometimes no thank you. It is perfunctory service at the most.

Although you may be able to find a “prize” here, sometimes it’s not an winning experience.

Popularity: 1% [?]

~BCBG - Oakridge Shopping Mall~

What gal doesn’t enjoy shopping for dresses? I made a visit to BCBG in Oakridge Mall yesterday with a friend… purely for moral support, of course. Unbeknownst to us, we arrived 20 minutes before closing. Feeling a bit rushed, we thought about heading elsewhere to continue the damage to our pocketbooks. One of the sales associates was very sweet… assured us that we would not be kicked out and even insisted that we take our time. Incidentally, the personnel had to stay late anyways… so they were not in a hurry to leave. Something so simple… an offer that was certainly not necessary… but much appreciated. The same associate was very attentive, offered suggestions, most importantly, was genuinely nice in her service towards us. I’ve always had good service at BCBG, but my customer experience on this visit was superb. 20 minutes in the dressing rooms… and 5 minutes thereafter, my girlfriend and I walked out with fabulous dresses.
 

 

Points of exceptional service:

• Was acknowledged and greeted within seconds of walking into the store
• Was offered to have a fitting room started within 3 minutes of holding a garment I had picked off the rack
• Was interested in how the garments fit, offered wearability suggestions, offered suggestions for accessories – exhibited knowledge of industry
• Lots of smiles, eye contact, and some jokes too…  – being personable is a must but being genuine is a plus
• Offered a garment bag for my dress
• Thanked us for our business – such a basic thing, but you would be surprised the number of times this has not occurred
• Wished us well – “have a great evening and dinner!” – not a big deal but she was obviously observant and noted our conversation about going out for dinner

Popularity: 1% [?]