Karmic Reversal in the Form of a Brown Purse?
I have just had the strangest customer service experience, ever. I don't know quite what to think about it, so I will just throw it out there to cyberspace and to take husband's advice to try and not feel guilty about it...
There is this shoe store that I love. I have very troublesome feet and their shoes a) fit b) are one of the only brands of shoes that don't irritate my feet by the end of the day, and thank god for the fact that they are c) pretty cute. This brand is not cheap, but then again, pain-free feet are worth it.
So it all started last week when I ran to the mall to run an errand. I had a couple of $10 off coupons for the shoe store and they had a good sale. I knew that I needed a new pair of brown shoes and possibly a smallish brown purse of some sort. I found a great pair of brown shoes that I bought for $40 and a smallish brown purse of some sort for $30 (this was a bit of spending spree for me, keep in mind). The only catch on the purchase was that they didn't have the brown one in stock, but would send it to me for free. All set, I left the mall satisfied.
On Thursday, I got a pretty large box in the mail. It was the purse, only it was a largish black purse- a different style and a different price point. The purse they sent me was $70.
I brought the purse back to the store this afternoon, annoyed I had to go the mall on a Saturday to deal with the company's mistake. Once in the store, the saleswoman thanked me for my honesty in bringing back the more expensive purse and said she could re-order the smaller one for me. But what about my trouble in bringing it back? I was assured a $10 credit, but only if I bought a purse that was in the store today.
Prior to this, I had not felt entitled to the more expensive purse at all. But all of a sudden, I had to remind her that I could turn around and walk out of the store with something (large black purse) that was technically my property: sent to my home from her company. She agreed, and then upped my credit to $20.
I found one other brown purse in the store that I liked, but it was $90. And, although it was beautiful, I was clear that I did not need a $90 purse. Meanwhile, the manager of the store seemed to have recognized me, (or recognize that I buy shoes in the store ALL THE TIME), because she completely changed her mind. When I came back to the counter, she said that she would give me an equal trade for the $70 black purse. I was shocked, and not sure I deserved that. Then she promptly gave me the $90 brown purse. for free. no questions asked. no special coupon required. I felt speechless and didn't quite know what to do. I could feel my face flush with a little bit of embarrassment. I had hardly complained at all, and now this?
By the time that she had put the purse in the bag and told me to have a great night with a smile, I was convinced I was stealing something. As husband and I left the store, I said, "did I just steal something?" and "did she not do the math?" to which husband responded that it is not my job to make sure that everyone can do math and that they let me leave the store and that no security guards were chasing us.
So now the nice brown bag is sitting in my living room. Admittedly very nice. Why did the sales woman do this? Will she wake up at three a.m. and realize she made a mistake? Did she make a mistake or do it on purpose? Did I just steal from the man? Husband assures me that I "won" and that I should be glad to have the purse. In the end, I guess I consider it a gift from the company that I have spent thousands with, but I still don't quite know.
Maybe it is just a signal of a karmic reversal? Hmmm... Or maybe I will be struck down tomorrow while carrying my new brown purse.
There is this shoe store that I love. I have very troublesome feet and their shoes a) fit b) are one of the only brands of shoes that don't irritate my feet by the end of the day, and thank god for the fact that they are c) pretty cute. This brand is not cheap, but then again, pain-free feet are worth it.
So it all started last week when I ran to the mall to run an errand. I had a couple of $10 off coupons for the shoe store and they had a good sale. I knew that I needed a new pair of brown shoes and possibly a smallish brown purse of some sort. I found a great pair of brown shoes that I bought for $40 and a smallish brown purse of some sort for $30 (this was a bit of spending spree for me, keep in mind). The only catch on the purchase was that they didn't have the brown one in stock, but would send it to me for free. All set, I left the mall satisfied.
On Thursday, I got a pretty large box in the mail. It was the purse, only it was a largish black purse- a different style and a different price point. The purse they sent me was $70.
I brought the purse back to the store this afternoon, annoyed I had to go the mall on a Saturday to deal with the company's mistake. Once in the store, the saleswoman thanked me for my honesty in bringing back the more expensive purse and said she could re-order the smaller one for me. But what about my trouble in bringing it back? I was assured a $10 credit, but only if I bought a purse that was in the store today.
Prior to this, I had not felt entitled to the more expensive purse at all. But all of a sudden, I had to remind her that I could turn around and walk out of the store with something (large black purse) that was technically my property: sent to my home from her company. She agreed, and then upped my credit to $20.
I found one other brown purse in the store that I liked, but it was $90. And, although it was beautiful, I was clear that I did not need a $90 purse. Meanwhile, the manager of the store seemed to have recognized me, (or recognize that I buy shoes in the store ALL THE TIME), because she completely changed her mind. When I came back to the counter, she said that she would give me an equal trade for the $70 black purse. I was shocked, and not sure I deserved that. Then she promptly gave me the $90 brown purse. for free. no questions asked. no special coupon required. I felt speechless and didn't quite know what to do. I could feel my face flush with a little bit of embarrassment. I had hardly complained at all, and now this?
By the time that she had put the purse in the bag and told me to have a great night with a smile, I was convinced I was stealing something. As husband and I left the store, I said, "did I just steal something?" and "did she not do the math?" to which husband responded that it is not my job to make sure that everyone can do math and that they let me leave the store and that no security guards were chasing us.
So now the nice brown bag is sitting in my living room. Admittedly very nice. Why did the sales woman do this? Will she wake up at three a.m. and realize she made a mistake? Did she make a mistake or do it on purpose? Did I just steal from the man? Husband assures me that I "won" and that I should be glad to have the purse. In the end, I guess I consider it a gift from the company that I have spent thousands with, but I still don't quite know.
Maybe it is just a signal of a karmic reversal? Hmmm... Or maybe I will be struck down tomorrow while carrying my new brown purse.
posted by KLOU | 4:14 PM
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