… is so irritating! I just have to tell you about my four Dubai shopping experiences from today (also to remind myself in the future why I prefer online shopping):
1. At (Yves) Saint Laurent
The cute sales assistant is really attentive and helpful. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have a clue about products and prices. She gives me a different price for that cool bracelet twice until she discovers the correct price (supposedly). I choose a bracelet (and express my choice loud and clear), but the sales assistant just doesn’t get tired of showing me more and more and more bracelets. Then it takes her 15 minutes to wrap my purchase.
2. At Harvey Nichols
The women’s department is rather empty. I’m roaming through the different designer sections carrying a bulk of clothes. I do prefer looking around without the help of a sales assistant, but I’m a little surprised that nobody really seems to even notice me when I’m obviously on the way to the fitting rooms. When I reach the fitting room section, one of the sales assistants crosses my way. I feel like I was caught in the act of sneaking in without having asked for anybody’s help, but when I open my mouth to explain she just gives me a broad smile and keeps walking by. A minute later I hear her chatting and laughing on the phone. OK.
3. At Celine
I’m trying on sunshades, two different models. I like both and can’t really decide. I go for model a). While it takes the sales assistant ages to wrap my purchase (I even have time to go over to another store, see below at 4.), I change my mind: sunshade model b) it is instead of a) – my bad. The sales assistant looks like she’s in deep distress. Reason: model b) is around EUR 50 cheaper than the one I had bought five minutes before. “OK, I’m sorry, can’t you give me a credit note?” I ask. Sales assistant jumps at her phone explaining nervously: “I have to ask our management for approval. We’re not allowed to write credit notes or give money back.” Eventually, I got my credit note, which will expire after three months…
4. At Marni
Remember – the sales assistant at Celine needed ages to wrap my sunshades? It took her so long, that I told her I would step out and come back after 5-10 minutes – to run over to the Marni store right across from Celine. Last time I had been to Marni is at least one month ago, and back then I didn’t buy anything. Before that I don’t even remember when I’d been there, let alone bought anything.
So I enter and the sales assistant goes: “Welcome back, Mrs. K!” (He even remembers my full, freaking complicated Japanese name!) “So good to see you, it’s been a long time.” He turns around and shouts for his colleague “Name YX, look who’s here! It’s Mrs. K!” – “Hello Mrs. K, how are you? Have you been on vacation? Were you busy? It’s been such a long time. So good to see you.” I swear, they said all that and more. And don’t get me wrong – that was really nice of them. They also do have a fantastic name-face-memory, for sure. But it all just really irritated me. They were too nice, and I just wanted to kill some time while over at Celine, they were trying to wrap my sunshades.
And before I even know what to say, sales assistant No. 1 brings three items from the storage that “we have not on display” – wink. Huhuuuuu. OK, I agree to try on a (reeeaaaaaally cool and sexy, but way too expensive) jacket. Thank Consuelo, it’s too large and it’s already the smallest size they have. It’s not that I can’t say ‘no’, seriously. But those two sales assistants made it really hard not to buy anything. And because they were sooooo nice, they will probably never see me again.
Now, you tell me: Am I too complicated or difficult? Am I too demanding? Not patient enough? Does it seem like no sales assistant can do it right because of all the afore mentioned reasons? Do you also prefer online shopping? Do you want to see my new Celine shades and tell me I should have gone for the other model? Aaaaand – should I go online and search for that sexy cool Marni jacket in a smaller size?
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