Ratings: 4.5/10
So Friday Fashion series wouldn't be FRIDAY FASHION SERIES if there wasn't DRAMA or some kind of rant! I have been following this page on Instagram for a while now, they have some really great pictures of outfits they had in stock, each day they'll put up a picture my and excitement to go there would increase even more. I finally mustered the courage to 'whatsapp' the number provided in their bio to make some enquiries AND THIS WAS THE RESPONSE I GOT, this should have been my red Flag... customer service was questionable....
1. If you have provided a number in your Bio for enquires -why are you not responding or responding in timely manner? I was left on READ and I still am. A close friend said maybe it was because they didn't want to give out the prices via message or phone... Well that could have been specified on your page when the number for enquiries was provided! It's not that big of a deal. That was their first mistake in customer service( -1)!
Anyways so being the person I am(miss optimistic), I still lusted after the clothes each and every time they were posted and I decided today finally, they would be my first feature! Again I went into that store with so much hope!
FIRST IMPRESSIONS - The store was very easy to find, its in East Legon on the American House road opposite the Shell, just like it had been described in their Bio (+1).
Entering the shop it was nicely packed with clothes, giving the deception that it had a lot of in vogue stuff, that ship sailed really fast though.
The attendant was extremely pleasant and helpful +1 (once she had finished doing what it was she was doing before I had entered -1).
Immediately I spotted the fake designer bags (-1 ) but I really wasn't there for that so I did not care much for them (even though I personally feel why get these fake labels when you can get the same bag without the branding which would make way more sense than getting the fake ones you try to pass off as original! And I know this first hand because not long ago I was in China, and no, contrary to what you think, fake labels are not easily displayed in the shops there(its illegal), it actually takes effort, you see a bag you want, there's most likely a shop attendant paying close attention to what you are gravitating towards, he signals you letting you know that if you want the branded bags/shoes you need to follow him. He then he takes you through this long path(its honestly like a witch hunt) you finally get to a 'safe like door' where he has to punch in a code or knock to be let in and thats where the juice is! )
So my question to these store owners is, why go through all of this when you can easily buy the same beautiful bag with no label (reputation intact and you still have a beautiful designer clone bag)? Maybe you guys are extra or maybe I am extra, but like I said I wasn't there for the bags. I needed an outfit for tonight and for you my Hunties.
I did a lot of digging! Most of the clothes that I liked were a size or two bigger (mostly large and medium), I noticed they were mainly Chinese designers but that was fine, I actually like Chinese clothes without the fake labels, the shoes though looked old and tired and what was worse, some of them had the fake Zara and Steve Madden tags I absolutely HATE to see, its bad enough they duplicate high fashion, but sis, you cant get original Zara shoes? Come on!
NOW this is where I started to get irritated,
1. Apparently you can't take pictures (-1) - Vendors/boutique owners?! Why are you stopping your clients from taking pictures unless they are buying said item? Most of the time PEOPLE WANT TO SEE HOW THE OUTFIT LOOKS IN PICTURES! We might not buy it now but WE WANT TO GO HOME, RE-LOOK AT THE PICTURES SEVERAL TIMEs MAYBE SHOW IT OFF TO SOMEONE BEFORE MAKING UP OUR MINDS!!! How does it hurt your brand? Especially if the pictures being taken are not pictures of clothes you designed yourself?! Could it be you don't want them finding the outfit online and possibly seeing the original price(we already know you guys charge way more than the actual price)? I am still confused as to the logic behind this but I think its ridiculous and it would hurt your brand (only place I ever saw this 'no pictures allowed' policy was in China, for their LOCAL BRANDS( and they actually had a valid reason for this policy) it was to prevent people from making duplicates(in a country notoriously known for making fake items)- but even that never stopped anyone from stealing ideas when they wanted to.
2.Store attendant that has all the answer yet is most likely wrong (-1) There was this dress I wanted but just looking at it I just knew it would be big on me. By this time the second attendant had come in, now she was the 'MISS KNOW IT ALL' of the shop. They kept insisting that it would fit and I kept telling them that it would not (hello it's my body, I've had it as long as I can remember, so I would LOVE to believe I can spot what would fit and what wouldn't), She asked what size I was and I told her I could fit into a UK 6/4 (my tush is big but my waist is team no waist) 'MISS KNOW IT ALL' says "thats not true!" -HOW SWAY? HOW?YOU AIN'T GOT ALL THE ANSWERS! So I tried the dress and there was this unattractive space in the back (the space indicating a dress isn't fitting snugly)Just as I had suspected, that was when 'miss know it all' turned to 'miss state the obvious' -'"It fits but your waist is small thats why it's like that" no kidding Einstein! Vendors/shop attedants THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT! Even if that's not the case ALWAYS, Once a customer is in your shop spending their MONEY that would pay you?- THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT! And in this case I actually was!
3. Next a lot of the clothes did not look like what had been pictured on their 'gram! Surprise Surprise!! (-1)
4. Some of the clothes were RIPPED(-1) its understandable that when people are fitting clothes they could rip! No one is judging you for that. Now once you have noticed that, move them to the clearance rack or fix them. Do not let the client notice this, then your reaction is "if you want it we can discount it for you" No Hunty YOU NEED TO DISCOUNT IT CAUSE IT IS RIPPED! ITS AN ADDED COST IF I HAVE TO GO BACK AND FIX IT MYSELF! (Is this rocket science?)
4. Store attendant stating blatant Lies! (-1) When I finally found the outfit I wanted I held onto the waist to see where it could be altered- 'Miss know it all-now- turned miss state the obvious' comes back with the "please do not do that because it will stretch the fabric' mind you this fabric was not a stretchy fabric, it had no elastic band, NOTHING! And when I pointed that out she looked me straight in the eyes and claimed she had seen a non-stretchy, no elastic band outfit stretch because the customer pinched it a bit to see where it needed to be altered! I was shooketh! (-1)
Now don't get me wrong I found some gems in this store but I feel there is so much more room for improvement. But for now? I'm definitely a dissatisfied client
I did, however, manage to sneak in a few pictures of clothes I liked:
(BTW-And I failed at meeting todays budget of 200ghc my outfit was 220ghc!🙈)
Please don't forget to comment and let me know if you have had a similar or different experience, your thoughts, suggestions and anything you want to see on this blog.
The plug got you,
LFA.
