Swanky but snooty?By Alan Lim
Sept 15, 2005
They are what you call high-end boutiques, but they don't necessarily offer high service standards to match their posh wares and decor.
Urban conducted a mystery shopper exercise last Thursday at seven designer stores to see if sloppily and well-dressed customers were treated differently.
They were Chanel, Club 21, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Prada.
One reporter went without makeup and was dressed casually in T-shirt, capris and sandals. The other could pass off as a rich young socialite with her well-coiffed hair, Louis Vuitton bag and high-heeled shoes.
After half a day, we concluded: clothes maketh the man, at least in the eyes of sales staff.
Only two of the seven boutiques - Prada and Club 21 - passed the test by treating both undercover reporters kindly. The rest either showed preferential treatment to the better-dressed scribe or to tourists and their regular customers.
Regular shoppers are not surprised at the result. Fashion stylist Evelyn Hin, 27, says she gives upscale boutiques a miss when she's dressed casually.
'When I shop at places like Louis Vuitton or Gucci with my branded bag and nice jewellery, the sales assistants will be more polite and pass things willingly to me. But when I dress down, some of them will give me the once-over with their eyes and treat me differently,' she says.
This is what the staff at Prada are warned against, says its general manager, Elizabeth Ong.
'Singapore is a small country and word about bad service travels around very fast. Also, someone can come into the boutique wearing T-shirt and shorts and yet walk out with a $10,000 bag,' she says.
The chain has been conducting its own mystery shopper exercise once a season since four years ago. Chanel also has an annual mystery shopper programme to monitor service standards, says a spokesman.
Told of the different treatment that the two reporters received, she says: 'Chanel will take this up very seriously. We will speak to the staff first to find out what happened. Customers unhappy about the service standard can also bring it up to the boutique manager at the store.'
Hermes will also investigate before deciding how to deal with the sales assistant who was not too friendly towards the shabbily dressed reporter.
Madeleine Ho, marketing director of Hermes, says: 'We are all human so this could be a one-off incident. But all staff will be given a warning so as to learn from this lesson.'
At Club 21, new sales staff are required to attend up to five full-day training once a year to hone their communications skills, fabric knowledge and ability to attend to customers' complaints, says a Club 21 spokesman.
To her, courtesy and a friendly demeanour matter more than grooming and previous working experience.
Just as snobbish sales assistant are the bane of shoppers, the customer from hell is also a pain. Some of them will test the patience of sales assistants by making unreasonable demands or by taking two to three hours to look at products, says Taisman A. Hamid, 24.
The sales assistant at Hermes in Liat Towers tells Urban of a customer who took a warped tie to the shop two months ago demanding a refund.
Taisman told him the tie should be laid flat instead of leaving it in a knot when not in use, but the customer did not accept his explanation.
The latter eventually agreed to a product exchange instead. Taisman says: 'In my line, the customer is always right, so I just have to take it, go to one corner and scream after I meet such people.'
Still, entrepreneur Linda Low feels that general service standards in Singapore lag far behind those in other shopping hubs like Hong Kong.
She recalls how she was snubbed at a high-end boutique in Ngee Ann City early this year even though she was togged head-to-toe in designer wear and, get this, is a VIP member of the store.
'When I fork out my money, I want something nice in return, not just for the products I buy but also for the entire shopping experience,' says Low, who is in her early 50s.
She now chooses to shop once a month in Hong Kong, spending between $2,000 and $5,000 on designer wear per trip.
High-end boutiques should take a leaf from mass market retailers for a lesson in good service, says fashion stylist Hin. 'Giordano is not a high-class brand, but its service staff are very warm and courteous. Why can't high-end boutiques provide the same service, if not better?'
Which high-end boutique has the best - and worst - service? E-mail
[email protected].
SWANKY SHOP, SAVVY SHOPPERGet served
You don't have to make the first move. Salespeople - or at least the properly trained ones - should greet you first and offer their help without prompting.
Wear what you want
Just wear whatever you feel comfortable in. You can be dressed to the nines and still be snubbed if there are more 'important' customers around. The service depends primarily on the quality of the sales staff, not how you look.
Be confident
Don't feel intimidated. You have every right to browse without buying. Conversely, don't swan around like a diva just because you have a fat wallet.
Know the name
Respect the brand name. While at Hermes, for example, don't tell your boyfriend to meet you at 'Her-mees'. It's 'air-mez'. If you are not sure how to pronounce it, ask the staff - politely.
Shop smart
It would help if you are tuned to the current fashion trends. If not, you could end up spending thousands of dollars on a bag from last season without knowing it.
So much difference now.