Shopping Experience at Neiman Marcus

[Sluggo]

I went to Chicago today with two goals:
1) Go to Merz, this was a pleasure!
2) Go to Neiman Marcus to smell the various Creed colognes and get some samples, this part sucked.

I go to the counter and the salesman was very friendly. We smelled the various colognes and then right smack dab in the middle of everything he says " Sorry, I am going to lunch now". He gives me his card, and leaves. Just like that. No one else bothered to come over or anything. Here I am getting ready to drop big $$ on some colognes and he leaves...so I left too.

 

[mretzloff]

That's odd. The guy at the Creed counter at "my" Neiman Marcus is friendly. Then again, he's the only one in that enter store. It gets worse in Nordstrom...

The salespeople are more friendly in the "inexpensive" department stores (Belk's, Dilliard's, Macy's).

 

[Sluggo]

That's odd. The guy at the Creed counter at "my" Neiman Marcus is friendly. Then again, he's the only one in that enter store. It gets worse in Nordstrom...

The salespeople are more friendly in the "inexpensive" department stores (Belk's, Dilliard's, Macy's).

I know, I expect that at a Macy's or something.

 

[Jonnyfive]

I went to Chicago today with two goals:
1) Go to Merz, this was a pleasure!
2) Go to Neiman Marcus to smell the various Creed colognes and get some samples, this part sucked.

I go to the counter and the salesman was very friendly. We smelled the various colognes and then right smack dab in the middle of everything he says " Sorry, I am going to lunch now". He gives me his card, and leaves. Just like that. No one else bother to come over or anything. Here I am getting ready to drop big $$ on some colognes and he leaves...so I left too.

Good for you!
I refuse to buy products from places that don't treat me with the respect and courtesy a customer deserves.
There is other places I can spend my money.

 

[Sluggo]

What really made me mad is that I drove 120 miles round trip to get some Creed and I walk away empty handed....

 

[The Nid Hog]

That's terrible. My experience with Creed reps at N-M is that they are incredibly helpful. They give me propaganda, huge samples, all kinds of stuff. In fact, they're so attentive that I often feel bad that I have no intention of buying anything. On the other hand, when I do buy something, it's like the 4th of July.

 

[mretzloff]

What really made me mad is that I drove 120 miles round trip to get some Creed and I walk away empty handed....

Out of curiosity, why do you not order Creed off the Internet? If you want samples, e-mail Creed and they'll have the closest Neiman Marcus send you some.

 

[knlgskr]

I would have asked for the store manager and stated my case.

 

[Rudy Vey]

I would have asked for the store manager and stated my case.

+1, this was an incredible behavior of the sales person!

 

[Sluggo]

Out of curiosity, why do you not order Creed off the Internet? If you want samples, e-mail Creed and they'll have the closest Neiman Marcus send you some.

I did contact creed when I got home yesterday, and I am sure they will supply some samples.

 

[northpaw]

That sucks about the wasted trip. However, no matter how it appeared, the sales rep may have had his reasons. For example, if he was fearing the imminent return of a bad case of explosive diarrhea, he likely saved you from a far worse (albeit more memorable) Creed shopping experience.

 

[galopede]

Are sales people not allowed lunch in the States?

 

[blantyre]

Glad that you enjoyed Merz - lots of goodies in there. The NM in Northbrook Court is fairly helpful. They have the usual snootiness that this kind of shop has but they let you use the testers without too much interference. They don't give out samples, they take your contact info and send them by mail and then follow up with a call.

 

[Sluggo]

Are sales people not allowed lunch in the States?

Oh they are certainly allowed lunch. But the proper thing would have been to hold off on lunch for the next few minutes OR pass me a long to a new salesman...don't just up and leave.

 

[millertime150]

Neiman Marcus SA are always helpful but sometimes they just keep on talking about Creed (history, royalty, celebrities, ingredients, etc). While this is helpful I heard this 1000x and I am there really just to smell the various creeds that I may purchase in the future.

I like the help but sometimes I don't need someone to stand there with me while I smell.

Also NM only accepts a small amount of payment options. I couldn't use my VISA debit card which in my opinion is as good as cash.

 

[Bobtrumpet]

If Stanley Marcus were still alive and saw that, the sales person's lunch hour would have been a long one. He would have been fired on the spot.

 

[gollum83]

Oh they are certainly allowed lunch. But the proper thing would have been to hold off on lunch for the next few minutes OR pass me a long to a new salesman...don't just up and leave.

Agreed. Everybody needs to eat, but would it of killed the guy to hold off for a few minutes? Especially if it could have possibly landed him a sale?

Also NM only accepts a small amount of payment options. I couldn't use my VISA debit card which in my opinion is as good as cash.

VISA? Really? I thought with most places it was American Express?

 

[Arthur]

Agreed. Everybody needs to eat, but would it of killed the guy to hold off for a few minutes? Especially if it could have possibly landed him a sale?



VISA? Really? I thought with most places it was American Express?

Yeah, they only take their card, or AMEX. Found that out one day when I went to buy some cologne. The guy was pretty smug when he half-heartedly directed me to an ATM on the 3rd floor of the mall.

I've yet to have a GOOD experience at Neimans, personally. First was the smug sales guy, then the other day I stopped in to look at some AoS stuff and was practically stalked by another associate. He greeted me as I came down the escalator (just a simple hello) and proceeded to follow me around the entire fragrance counter staying about 4 feet behind me and slightly off to the side. Never once asked if I had any questions or if I needed any help. Just followed me. Was somewhat unnerving. I asked a lady associate upstairs in the cosmetics department (on the way out the door) what their procedure was for assisting guests in their store and explained to her what my stalker experience had been. Her response was that "Oh he probably just wanted to help you." I remain dubious. =P

 

[The Nid Hog]

Wow, that's so different than what I get. When I go to the men's section, I get snagged by one of the regular clerks. Almost without exception (this is in several different cities), they look like aspiring Suicide Girls forced into the N-M house black outfits. After talking with them for a few minutes, they are (again, this is the same everywhere) relieved by the Creed rep who inevitably looks like a Wagnerian Valkyrie. I don't know if Neiman-Marcus trains them as a team then sends them out to the stores, or if by some strange chance, I just happen to hit this combination when I go shopping. They're always very helpful and generous with the samples (and with handouts about Creed history), but it's a little weird that the lineup is always the same.

 

[millertime150]

I like the fact that Neiman Marcus has Creed but that is the only thing I like. They need to accept more forms of payment. Saks does and even the SA at Saks knew about NM limited payment option.

I am not a business expert but why would you want to limit your payment options. My thought is that if someone is ready to buy, I don't care if it is a debit card, credit card, or cash. As long as I get the sale.