⌛ Store tells shopper: you can't try on blouses

My wife selected four blouses today in Lee Plaza. She took them to try on, but was refused entry to the fitting room even though there were vacant cubicles. The sales assistants told her that because the blouses were going cheap (less than 100 pesos each) in a sale, it was unnecessary to try them on. My wife and I then went to see the supervisor who confirmed that it was the store's policy not to allow customers to try on cheap garments that cost less than 100 pesos. When we argued that it was impossible to know whether the clothes would fit properly without trying them on, the supervisor just repeated the store's policy without offering any justification for it. My wife was upset and declined to buy the garments, and obviously we won't be going back to Lee Plaza anytime soon. Neither of us has ever come across such a sales policy before in the Philippines or indeed anywhere else.

 

Too bad Lee Plaza is still a monopoly in Dumaguete, I can't wait for Robinsons to finish up and open...

 

I had the same problem they wont let you try on underwear also!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously the Dane is right when Robinsons opens Lee will probably close down if it doesn't fall down first. Trust me the department store in Seoul Korea swayed and had obvious cracks in the walls, and support beams the same way. Try taking the stairs up you can feel them sway

 

The chairs also have signs on them saying "no sitting." Yeah, sure, I'm going to buy a chair without sitting in it first. Of course, none of the employees are given the authority of free thought, or maybe that's a good policy. :D

 

Wait until you try and take something back...

 

Dude, just don't ask anything, do it. If you want to buy something, you need to know what you want or talk to the boss.

There is no shop here where a salesperson can give you any information. I consider them as good looking decoration but will never talk to them about a product. I just bought a new office chair and the girl told me: "Sir you can't sit down."
I asked her to go 3 steps back to evaluate what I am doing...
I sat down and told her that I "can" sit without any assistance since I am a couple of month old".
In Lee I grasp the things and just go into a cabin to try them. Can't wait until some of the sales-beauties try to get me out of there :D

In general you can say:

If you ask anybody on the street to help you with something (like fixing your bike, plumbing, gardening) you will find somebody in 2-5 minutes who can help or who knows somebody.(you still gotta watch them)

If you ask in a shop for anything (considering talking to somebody who is not financially involved in the business) you will get 95% the answer "NO"

funny story about that, as my GF did no believe it. We got an advertising sheet from an appliance-shop with a special offer for a blender. So we went to the shop, standing about 5 meters next to a "mountain" of boxes with that blender. I asked a sales-assistant about blender and got the answer: "sorry, Sir out of stock."
I went to the "mountain" and ask if that is only decoration ???
Answer:"Sir, you want to buy one? " ... Errm no, it's ok...

As a shopper in Duma (and not only here) it is required that we have the product knowledge or knowing exactly what you want. Everything else is a waste of time and energy, or you try it just for fun..

gone shopping

Rhoody

 

What a delightful thread and such an appropriate response from Rhoody!

As a relative newcomer to Dumaguete, I have been perplexed by some of the customs observed in the retail trade - a few of which I find quite annoying and disrespectful (of me, the customer!). One of these, observed at Lee Superplaza, amongst others is the habit of sales staff to lurk over a shopping customer. I'm not a thief and do not require such close supervision. At the same time, I do not wish to give un-necessary offence to Filipinos in their normal conduct of business.

At first, I would get angry and leave. Then I would get angry, tell them off and leave. Neither approach was particularly effective - especially if I actually wished to continue shopping. I thought about it. My new strategy is to inquire of the offending sales person whether or not I might be of service. This tends to throw them entirely off balance. If / when no response is forthcoming, I continue, advising that I similarly do not require assistance and that one of us must leave. This almost invariably works and I continue my shopping in undisturbed peace.

 

If anything is stolen from a dept at Lee, it's taken out of the salesgirl's meager wages. That and the fact they're probably instructed to stick like glue to the customer to provide adequate service keeps them close to you.

 

nobody sticks to me. They ask if they can help me and I answer with a clear NO. They go away.

 

I'm with Rhoody on this, that is if I am given the opportunity to suggest that I do NOT require assistance. Usually that option is not presented, just the constant, lurking presence of unwanted and unhelpful staff members.

That's when I now try things my way. I'm somewhat skeptical about the inventory shrinkage excuse. Are all the losses assessed pro-rata amongst the employees on duty within a department? Under that kind of a regime, staff turn over should be pretty high as well.

What are the uniformed thugs at all the entrances for, then?