Yes Baby, that's snow in the picture. No, not yet this year - but soon.
In fact, yesterday when I was out in this area of the city of
I spent yesterday in shopping malls. I don't like to shop in malls - too much of the sameness. Lacking in originality. Pushy, unhappy people, also shopping.
My biggest peeve about malls though - disgustingly unappreciative store clerks, who look down their noses at you when you are attempting to give them your hard earned dollar. You know the type..... not bright enough to figure out that if you don't drop your dollars in the store they are forced to work in, they won't have a job. Yes those ones. The ones that groan if you ask them to help you find a size. The ones who are pissed because you have just interrupted their conversation with the other clerk about last night's drunk at a bar down the street. The ones that when you help them give you back the correct change, screw up their little over made up faces, frown and curse your ignorance, not always under their breath. Oh, don't you just love mall shopping!
So, what on earth was I doing, out shopping on a wet and miserable Sunday in the Nation's Capital any ways? Well, I needed some things. Girly things. Must have accessories and yes, boots. (boots that I need because the Chinese Laundry boots I bought earlier in the season function well for sitting but make walking anywhere in them impossible) Weeks are getting busy, as they are for almost all women today, so having a bit of spare time on a weekend, I took advantage and headed into the masses.
Here's my recount of the day. A warning though, I don't have a whole lot in the way of kudos to pass around today.
I went trudging through the malls with a young friend of mine. She's pretty easy going and really doesn't say much about the service. Though I did catch her a couple of times rolling her eyes (which is her way of showing disgust - the same girl who won't say she doesn't like something, instead she says 'it's not something I would wear' - very tactful!) We started out at St Laurent Shopping Mall - not much has changed with this mall in the last couple of years. Typically parking is good, stores are mid level and plentiful, 2 anchors, The Bay and Sears.
My shopping partner ended up taking home a pair of cute winter boots from Aldo (which btw owns Transit - often you will find the exact same shoes in both stores, Transit can cost considerably less so they are worth checking out). It wasn't easy though. She found the boots she liked, waited about 10 minutes while the clerk went to find them in storage and when she did come back, they could only find one foot. Eventually with the help of another clerk, they located the missing boot. The purchase was made and we were on our way.
My personal highlight of the 
at 'Fancy Sox'.
Not only were they what I was looking for, the help at the store was amazing. We were asked by all three clerks if they could help us. Once I found what I was looking for, one of them jumped in, found my size and completed my transaction. With a smile and sincere 'thank you'.
I mention the offer to help here as it wasn’t' something that happened in most of the other stores we were in. In fact, most of the clerks were either too occupied to be bothered, or simply looked at us with distain and went on about their re folding of clothes.
By this time we are getting hungry, after a very minimum conversation, due in part by the falling snow, we headed to Tim's for a bowl of chili and cup of coffee. Now, we should have been leery when the drive thru was backed up about 20 cars. Nevertheless, no, we go inside, well, just inside the door. Almost 10 minutes later we decide that we can be downtown in the same amount of time it is going to take us to get to the cash, so out we go.
Now I don't know many people who don't love a Tim's coffee, but come on. I refuse to give my money up and have to stand in line for over 10 minutes to do so.... as my co heart in crime said... and all for 'fast food'? (sign should say, NO FAST SERVICE HERE)
Next stop - Rideau Centre, in the heart of the city. Lovely place to shop. Almost great parking, big mall, amazing place to people watch - horrible shop clerks! Overall, even worse then the mall before. The winner of the 'why do I bother walking in your doors award' once again goes to LeChateau. Is this any surprise. What once used to be a very trendy, reasonably priced, amazing service store has degraded to a shop full of young adult women who couldn't be bothered in helping anyone out (we watched as they snubbed all the customers in the store, not just us). Needless to say, we did an about face and went and found some place else to look at 'trendy'.
I also want to talk about the science of selling footwear. When did it become so popular for clerks to suggest that you go up 2 sizes and then down size .5 of size with an 'insert', just because your size is not in stock? I asked the same clerk if their other stores might have the boot, her reply, 'yeah, likely - do you want the insert?' This btw was at Transit, a store that usually is very good in the service department. Not the Rideau Centre yesterday though. Overall it was a disgusting day for shoe/boot shopping. Every pair I wanted to try on were out of stock. We are talking no 7.5's and no 8's in over 20 different styles.
Once again, we ventured into 'Fancy Sox' and found the same wonderful helpful type of staff - sadly, the styles were the same and we couldn't find a thing that we really wanted to buy - though kudos to the staff at both locations!
Our last stop of the day was at Winners, Bayshore shopping centre. Now, the service at Winners is never anything outrageous. All staff are helpful if asked, but they won't chase you down to offer help. But really, it is what you expect from a wholesale clothing store - give me good products and reasonable prices and don't make me feel like a piece of crap because I walked into your store - and we are all good.
Find of the day - stockings, tights, leggings at 'Fancy Sox'. Winners also has a good selection of trendy leg coverings, at bargain basement prices.
Now the most frustrating thing about getting consistent poor service in retail is that no one cares. Companies hire managers who either won't, don't know how, or don't care to train their staff properly. Those who work at the stores and give out the attitude know that they won't be fired because there is such a shortage of people who want to work retail. It doesn't mean that we need to take it. Share your kudos and dislikes with the other readers of Hot Cherry Review. Sooner or later we are hoping that some district manager gets the hint and does something about their stores.
