The Next 5 Stocks to Buy?Rich Duprey
August 11, 2008
It's often tough to find the right words for an apology. J. Crew (NYSE: JCG) seemed to have found the mot juste last week when it sent out an apology letter acknowledging problems with its overhauled website. Then a funny thing happened. Over the next couple of days, the letter posted on its website was overhauled, until the names of the president and chairman were excised from it, along with most of the verbiage.
While it's amusing to watch a company torture itself trying to figure out how it really wants to say it's sorry, the retailer hasn't had many reasons to smile lately. Although J. Crew's same-store sales rang in 2% higher, at a time when Gap (NYSE: GPS) was dropping comps 11% and American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO) was down 6%, that came on the heels of a severe lowering of full-year earnings guidance.
Yet the high-quality retailer has been expanding its store count regularly, going from just more than 200 stores in 2006 to more than 265 today. It's been able to expand its square footage, as well as the amount of sales per square foot. At the start of the current fiscal year, that figure was $573, for a 10% compounded growth rate over the past five years. Gap stores, on the other hand, have been in a state of contraction for the past several years, and American Eagle has had uneven success.
The sluggish and spotty performance of J. Crew's website, which resulted in the oft-changed apology letter, is a signal that Chairman Millard Drexler isn't content to let situations dictate how the company responds. Apparently, the site's failings were a case of too much, too soon, but when the bugs are ironed out, consumers ought to have a better shopping experience.
Screening for likeability-- J. Crew showed up on a screen of companies that have enjoyed growing investor support these days after wallowing on the outs six months ago. J. Crew jumped from a two-star Motley Fool CAPS rating back in May to a three-star-star rating today, while also enjoying a valuation below that of the market. ...
A fine mesh filter--There's a bit of risk factored into J. Crew's share price, since the retail market is a dicey place these days. The retailer whose name has become shorthand for "preppiness" looked like it was going to turn things around ahead of the competition earlier this year, only to suffer a bit of a setback last quarter.
Great leadership is one of the key components to finding some of the best companies to invest in, and CAPS member jwhite3 last week cited Drexler as one of the main reasons for J. Crew's success:
"Drexler is a genius. I used to work for Jcrew, so I saw the way things were run as an employee. It is one of the best managed organizations I have ever seen, the best I have ever worked for. Excellent store placement, established brand name, back to school, this one will turn around soon from the beating its been taking. Look what Drexler did with GAP. Jcrew will do well over the next few months and long term into the future." ...
What do you think of this article? Disagree or agree strongly with any points made?
I really don't like how they changed the apology so quickly...I think it should have been up alot earlier in the fiasco, and should also remain up until all of this is fixed...changing it so soon makes it seem as if they are tired of hearing complaints and think customers should merely be content with the way things are now...content to wait more than the 4-7 days to receive packages, not be able to even track their packages, not receive their items, and not have daily updated merchandise. It's almost like they think we should just be happy with the way things are, even though they still suck.
ReplyDeleteOn a more positive J.Crew note:I AM glad to see that the customer service is still great!
As far as the company goes...I think it will be completely fine with Mickey Drexler at the helm. The customer service is pretty much unparalled, and I think Mr.Drexler is one who takes into account what his customers want and suggest...it is my strong hope that he will listen to what we have to say. :)
yumm he drove GAP into the ground.... lets not do this 2 jcrew. I think hes trying to diversify the brand to fast and not focusing on fixing and focusing on Jcrew... diversifying 2 fast I mean... Madewell and mens only crew stores.
ReplyDeleteI think CS is unparalleled at JCrew.. but I feel its no different than Banana Republic, Antho, Nordstrom and other high end stores. Good CS just comes with higher end stores and there is nothing that sets JCrews customer service different from any other store... I cant tell you how many times I have been snubbed by employees of jcrew but on the flip side I have had the best of CS experiences also.
Do I think Mickey is a good value to the Crew? Yes. But, I at the same time I hope they are looking from the outside in and not from the inside out.
Also, I received a shirt I ordered last friday, I got the "your item shipped" email this morning.. haha.. I just think thats funny, but at least they tried.
FFM: I definitely agree with most of your points. Taking so long and editing it so quickly seemed sluggish and also insincere. Just my thoughts, anyway. :)
ReplyDeleteIn more positive news, most of my recently placed orders have been shipped without a hitch. I should be receiving them soon so we'll see if I'm still smiling once I get them. :) Funny, isn't it? I wouldn't have even questioned this pre-website upgrade.
PS. FFM, I think I've always assumed orders would take 4 - 7 days to arrive, mostly because I don't live near a warehouse. So that part hasn't bothered me too much. The weirdness and confusion and non-updated product availability has though!
ReplyDeleteI agree with much of what is written here. It seems that everyone in the retail industry feels Mickey is 'the golden boy' and knows what he's doing. I've seen his influence at J.crew and like where the brand is going.
ReplyDeleteThe website disaster is terrible. I'm still getting over it service wise and money wise.
Brittany is overnighting my new purchases from the fall look book. The cricket sweater, Italian wool pants, glen check wool tie and two merino sweaters. But the strange thing is I was charged for a sweater vest she said would be free and a pair of shorts ordered but never received. Both of these orders are from July 1, but the transaction was posted August 10.
I know I will be credited the $29 and $39, but are they now having difficulties with phone orders?
Customer service with J.crew has almost always been excellent. Just a couple of less than stellar ones in late July on the phone dealing with my July 1 order. I think regular customers deserve something, not an email, but a real letter and a small token like a discount etc.
I haven't given up on them yet, but it seems two steps forward and one back.
i agree that i generally love jcrew, and spend far too much money there.
ReplyDeletei will say i experienced part of the online glitches, i live in maryland and normally my orders take 3-4 max to get to my home, this time it took 9 days and two items were missing that i was charged for. obviously i was upset, but when i got through to CS they credited my j.crew card, said the two items were no longer available and would have to search store inventory. i'm not going to lie, i was pretty miffed and i kindly told the person on CS that this was absurd being that i ordered the items the first day the new fall items appeared. she apologiezed, and said all she could do was look in store inventory. fortunately, the items were found and are being shipped out much faster.
i guess i shouldn't be too angry being that it worked out in the end, i just remember back when i first started shopping at j.crew when things like this happened you would get a coupon code, or if you spent a large sum they would throw in a key chain or headband.
i really wish they would do something to make up for this recent incident. obviously i will still shop at j.crew, it's perfect clothing for my lifestyle, i just hope an incident like this doesn't happen again.
This is off topic for this post, but a suggestion for the next topic: the J. Crew credit.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone else receive an email about online payments for the J. Crew credit card? Here is a quote from the email, "To increase your payment choices, we are making some important changes to your J.Crew bill payment options. You may continue to use the online payment scheduling feature, which allows you to schedule your payment up to 30 days at no charge, or after September 2, 2008, you may choose to PAY TODAY for a $10 fee."
Are they seriously telling me they will charge me up to $10 to pay my bill online? That's what they are saying, right?
Please someone tell me if I am wrong.
I'm upset they took the apology down, seeing as I placed a large order on july 30th and still haven't recieved an e-mail saying it has shipped. I've called and talked to three people. that got me 10% off and a $30 gift card coming in the mail. My problem is i don't want all that "special" stuff, I want what I paid for!!!! They've taken the apoloy down like there are no more problems.
ReplyDeleteJennie I know exactly what you are talking about. I just received something today that was ordered July 1. Being in Canada really slowed things down; they just resumed shipping here about a week ago. You need to ask for a customer service advocate, J.crew has them and the woman I am dealing with has been amazing.
ReplyDeleteFFM: I really do agree with pretty much everything you wrote.
ReplyDeleteJcrew guy: re: golden boy: I worry what will happen when drexler is no longer at the helm. A good leader is not the company but prepares for a time when he or she might not be there. I hope drexler is training his leadership team well.
Jax: Yes! It sounds that way! I might cancel that card. I am sorry but a $25 dollar gift card is NOT worth it. MY amex pays better than that, a lot better! Frankly, if I have to schedule my payments days in advance or pay a $10 fee, I might just walk away. THIS CARD IS NEARLY WORTHLESS!
Jennie: good luck with your order. We all know it sucks, we've been there!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI have been disappointed overall with the way this entire situation has been handled. It's been a case of too little coming FAR too late. The fact that J.Crew allowed the website to continue operating once they became aware of issues spoke volumes to me. Yes, it would have been a huge loss to have shut the site down, but for a brand that markets itself as committed to superior quality and service, I feel that ensuring errors did not continue to pile up would have been the best response. It may have scared off "casual" J.Crew shoppers, but those who love and value the brand would have understood and, I think, appreciated the gesture and the message it would have sent: "We'd rather do things right than do them right now."
ReplyDeleteThe web and catalog order issues are only partially rectified - the shipping and tracking issues are ongoing. I called on Friday to check on a web purchase, and I was told the order was released, which was explained to me as being prepared for shipment. Not ten minutes later did UPS drive up with my order! With these errors still happening, the powers that be decide this is the right time to issue an apology, and how? First, by offering an unadvertised discount to in-store shoppers, while the error impacted web and catalog shoppers! This seems like it was targeted marketing in reverse to me, but I'm an MSW, not an MBA. It seems to me that an apology, directed to the wrong party, is less than effective at best, intentionally evasive at worst. With a computer system that maintains customer order and account information, it seems completely reasonable that J.Crew could issue discount coupon codes (a single code to the group, or individualized user codes if desired) to customers who made online or catalog purchases during the time frame since the website issues began. Yes, it would be ideal to issue the discount only to those customers whose orders were affected, but it's probably too much to expect that the system that caused the problems to begin with would be able to actually track which orders HAD problems.
As for the series amended website apologies, I am speechless. Each successive apology took less and less direct responsibility. It went from "we're sorry we messed things up" to "we're saddened to hear you've had problems." The first one actually got my attention and made me say, "wow, J.Crew, well done." Each time it changed, I cringed inside for J.Crew. I felt embarassed for them as they backed off from a full-on apology. Sometimes, less is more, and less editing in this case would have been better.
As to the question that was raised about today's email to J.Crew card holders, I am less than pleased, but I can avoid the fee with proper planning, so that one is on me. However, as a J.Crew card holder, I was very disappointed tonight to find that, contrary to the website's claim, alterations are NOT available for any full-priced item purchased online, by phone or in-store. In reality, only unfinished items (unhemmed/uncuffed pants, eg: men's pants) can be altered when purchased online or by phone. Any other alterations such as shortening of skirts, trousers or sleeves are only available on in-store purchases (and are, in fact, free to J.Crew card holders.) Not an unreasonable situation, but I would have appreciated a clearer statement, as the lure of free alterations, for a petite woman such as myself, was a significant factor in deciding to open a J.Crew card. And finally, how long will it take to actually receive my $25 cards I have earned by using my J.Crew Card?
That's my $0.02, for what it's worth. I am not asking for anything for free, nor seeking a discount on prices I am unwilling to pay. This is about J.Crew's attempt to apologize. I am simply giving my opinion about how I feel a company truly committed to "walking the walk" of quality service would right a huge, extended service error. I sitll adore J.Crew for its style and its history of quality and service. I hope that when all is said and done, the improvements to the web and catalog ordering system will have been worth all this trouble.
Alisha
I am nuts about J.Crew's clothing and I definitely attribute my addiction to Mickey Drexler's influence on the company. That said, I'm still disappointed in a couple of areas.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I think it was a half-a$$ed apology, almost as bad as the typical politician's "If I offended you I apologize." One of the key elements of an apology is a commitment to improving matters in the future.
Second, as much as I love this blog, one disappointing thing I've learned here is how fluid J.Crew's prices and policies are. I never shop at Macy's, because I never know what the prices will be there. When a store like Macy's offers so many random sales and discounts, I can't help but conclude their prices are too high to begin with. Now I've learned much the same about J.Crew--the price we pay may depend on what the store manager or CSR had for breakfast. Of course you students and educators deserve a 15% discount (I don't think that lobbying for an attorney discount will be successful :-) ) But between those discounts, the random 20%, the secret sales, and the different pricing for web/catalog and stores, even though there are a lot of fall items I like I would feel stupid buying them for full price.
Jax, I saw that e-mail today. WTF? Seems like most companies are *encouraging* on-line payments to reduce the cost of processing paperwork. Sometimes I make multiple payments in a month depending on how much I've been charging--and now I have to pay for that? You think they'd want their money!
ReplyDeleteJCrewMama, I agree with everything you've said. As a web shopper I was quite offended that store customers were being offered an "apology" discount, when they may not have experienced any problems and those who were affected by the difficulties got zilch.
i have a BR luxe card and get free basic alterations on both full priced and marked down merchandise, even if it is bought online. this is esp. helpful to me b/c i have to buy all my pants online (long sizes) and sometimes I need the hem tweaked. i can just drop what I ordered off at a store, show them my cc, and they take care of it for free. if j.crew is supposed to have such good customer service why are they letting BR show them up on this issue?
ReplyDeleteLOL @ hexicon: "the price may depend on what the CSR had for breakfast"...so true!
ReplyDeleteI checked on my statement today and noticed that a price adjustment that a CS had agreed to give me was not credited to my credit card account at all. It was an order that made me go through h**l, and as a result of that, they had agreed to credit me about $80+ (store price matching, 25% extra + educator's discount). Since the statement didn't show the credits, I called CS. I spent over an hour on the phone with her. It was shocking that she was reluctant to honor me the credits even after she checked and there were records of the price adjustments I was talking about. Jcrew really needs to get their act together.
ReplyDeleteWhy was Mickey's name exised from the apology I wonder, is it because he was receiving too much email?...I agree with what has been posted here that the apology was lame,and more should be done for their web/cataloq clients.
ReplyDeleteI received a parcel yesterday the invoice total was significantly different then what the online checkout invoice stated. When I called CS they were clueless why this happened, I called back 3 x same response.
The website is still messed up, and J Crew still is having problems fixing this, it looks like the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.
Also I noticed the quality is starting to slip, no consistentcy in their sizing and loose threads.
jcrew guy in canada: Congratulations on the new purchases...they sound great!
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to comment that ALL of my orders were placed over the phone and had MAJOR issues dating back to the end of June. I don't think it made a difference if you ordered online or over the phone, anyone and everyone was and is at risk of having their order messed up. It seems at times to be the *luck of the draw*, just as the CS service each customer receives. I have been checking my CC balance daily to make sure I do not get charged *after the fact* for items I did not receive...that already happened to me, and it took over a week for it to get credited back to my account. I think everyone should keep a close eye on your statements...Support Services has over 15,000 cases they are currently working on...this isn't over yet...
jax: I, too, am shocked by that email that we have to now pay $10 for online payment. WTF......are they kidding us. As it is....we online customers have had to deal with this web fiasco..and now they want to charge us for a convenience that they should be encouraging.
ReplyDeleteWorse...with all the screwups with recent orders (I have had SEVEN consecutive orders either short shipped or cancelled), it is nightmare trying to figure out the charges.
It is making me think twice about cancelling my "cashmere" card.
hexicon: you are so right. On two different occasions at the same store I got two differnt stories. I was allowed the 20% off discount with my teacher's discount. The other time I could only use one or the other. YOU ARE SO RIGHT.
ReplyDeleteI am still frustrated that they don't do the little things...like fix the damn site so actual pics of the clothing show up. I really do want to purchase one of the Twisted Placket Liberty shirts, BUT I won't do it until I can actually SEE what each one looks like. Another thing that really irks me is the nonremoval of items that are clearly no longer available in the sale section. With the old version of the website I can remember that they disappeared AS SOON AS the were gone! I continue to be frustrated.
ReplyDeleteI need to add that I really HATE shopping the Sale section now...it's so time consuming and just plain ugly to look at. I don't have time to sort through every picture to figure out what is actually being offered at that price, and I also hate clicking on the pic in the sale section only to be told the *sale* colors are sold out, but I can purchase one of the others at a much higher price. I am frustrated that this is the *norm* now...it has been 7 weeks since the Web Fiasco/Upgrade and I STILL do NOT like the new site.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the sale section: good for my CC, bad for JC!
ReplyDeletejcrewjunkie: Did you check on polyvore for them? You might be able to find a picture of them there. The twisted Placket liberty shirt has a wonderful material!
ReplyDeleteFFM: I 100% agree. Who has that much time? Oh wait apparently I do, because I still troll the site at least twice a day :( But I agree with you after almost 2 months you would think it would be running smoothly again
FFM: yeah I'm pretty pumped about my new order. I just checked the Fedex site and it's already here in Canada and I should get it later today. I plan to work from home so i can be here when it arrives. I sound like a 6 year old at Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI also agree about the sale section. Call it the August sale or whatever, but to me a final sale is one that last under a week and then after that all the items are gone.
jax, hexicon, mom-nyc: that CC online payment fee sucks. i just started using my jcrew card again after discovering that the amex i have actually doesn't get as many points...i didn't even get that email.
ReplyDeleteanyway, i'm assuming that fee only applies if you pay through the jcrew card site which is "WFNNB On-Line Bill Payment Service"...i.e. if you use their service. But what if you pay from your own bank website using a bill pay or e-bill feature...that's how i usually pay my cards. there shouldn't be any charge paying that way right? i hope not...or i will be getting rid of the jcrew card...:(
I was wondering about that email too yesterday. It didn't make sense to me that I would be charged $10 to pay so I figured that I was reading it incorrectly. All of my statements come via email so do I need to change my payments back to paper to avoid the fee? It really makes little sense. The one thing is that this most likely comes from the bank (WFFNB) not JCrew. I worked for a company that used WFFNB for it's credit service and many of the fees, etc. came from the card not the company I worked for. Actually, we found WFFNB to be a p.i.t.a.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what everyone has said. After having a great experience getting my san telmo, things seemed to fall apart again. I got partial shipped (which was refixed by reordering as the item was new) and then another order just sat and sat there. A great CS I talked to said to replace the order, and it supposedly arrived today. But the old one is still open.
ReplyDeleteand this thing about charging to pay online is appalling! I too am going to have to switch back to paper statements.
The "extra30" still shows online for me. I called and tried to place an order and the CS, Rebecaa, told me that it had expired on Aug4 and there were "some problems" trying to remove it. She stuck to her gun that it is no longer valid after Aug 4. No Apologies... nothing... she just kept repeating...that it is no longer valid...yes, I am seeing the promo..but they will not honor it.
ReplyDeletewe all know that it was being honored as recently as yesterday. I did not push further...but JCrew's policies are getting more and more inconsistent.
I really think it is the luck of the draw for all of us who call in. Most (I hope) get wonderful CS response..but then others get !$#@!!
If they advertise something on their website...they are sure as hell required to honor that. I cannot imagine that it is that difficult to remove a promotion logo from a website.
Come on .....JCrew...get your act together.
FFM: I completely agree! I've really, really lost interest in browsing the sales section. It is time consuming, and you end up with nothing in your shopping bag. I really don't like it. I end up putting some of the old items I've been seeing, but then at the end I just close my browser. Good for my CC indeed!
ReplyDeletemom-nyc: I completely understand you. That's why I really want them to make the policy consistent. I know it's nice to get all those discounts when we talk to a nice CS. However, there'll be time when a CS just won't honor them even though other buyers have gotten them. I don't want to go through this "psychological turmoil"! I really would rather know that customers are all getting the same deal, whether they are placing a web/phone order or simply purchasing at a store. Jcrew's inconsistency just discourages me from ordering. I always ask myself, "Do I want to bother and call in to ask for additional discounts?" The answer has all been "NO" lately.
ReplyDeletemom-nyc: I had still been seeing the Extra30 screen as well, but when I cleared my Temporary Internet Files and Browsing History it disappeared...not sure if that's the case with everyone, though. :)
ReplyDeleteny0311: I also end up just closing out of the site without purchasing...the thrill of the hunt is gone since the upgraded site...it's too much trouble now. Btw...I am SO sick of seeing those swimsuits, and I live in Florida, where I will be wearing them until the end of October!
This website fiasco must have cost J Crew alot of money in loss sales, trying to fix the computer problems etc, is not surprising that they are trying to recoup some of their losses through their credit card, and not honoring their discounts.
ReplyDeleteFFM: I know! Those swimsuits! You made me laugh so hard!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it's the new upgraded system or is it that Jcrew this time has A LOT more inventory left which is causing this chaotic look in their sale section?
mom-nyc: I agree that if it shows online, then it must be honored. If you went into the store, and they had mismarked something or forgotten to take down a sale sign, then they must still honor the price. I worked retail, and the number one rule was "the customer is always right." Is that no longer true in today's retail market?
ReplyDeletemom-nyc: Btw...did you ask to speak to one of the supervisors about the extra30? They really should honor it, like Math Teacher said.
ReplyDeletemath teacher: I'm afraid it seems as if "the customer is always right" doesn't apply at most places anymore...very, very sad...
Why is it so difficult to honor the best price across the board? If CS knows that the store has an additional 40% and they are able to honor it, why is it not automatically honored. The one CS told me that it's because the stores need to make room for new merch. That makes sense to me, but not to my wallet. Why can I price match items at a grocery store or an appliance store with other stores, but I have to struggle to price match items at the SAME store? I feel like writing CSV about the hectic pricing policies but I feel like it will go to anyone that works CS and not someone who would possibly care. With JCrew's knowledge of how the internet works re: coupon codes, sales info passed around, you think they would use it to their advantage, not force their customers into haggling wars with the CSV reps. If CS1 will give me a good price no problem, why won't CS2?
ReplyDeleteffm: I completely agree with you about the sale section. I loved getting to school, making my tea, and checking out the sale. Now, I rarely look at it. I just check my cart for new markdowns or waitlisted items, and move on to another site. I don't like the way it's set up and I'm tired of seeing the same old things when I do bother to look.
ReplyDeletemarisa: have you thought about emailing Mickey?
ReplyDeleteny0311: the swimsuits should be marked down to $9.99 or less at this point...who wants to pay $30 for half a swimsuit in the middle of August? It's really ridiculous, and I wish they would remove them, although they make up about half of the entire sale section at this point. At least if they were gone it would make browsing the sale a little easier and less time consuming.
ReplyDeletemath teacher: we all emailed mickey-- about 10 of us. And we NEVER got a response and the was last friday. Frankly I am a little ticked off!
ReplyDeleteFFM: I totally agree about the swimsuit thing! Especially since I'm interested in just the plain old bathing suit bottoms in a dark color, which, of course, after you click it, are never the price advertised for. Annoying!
ReplyDeletecome to think of it math teacher, you participated in the e-mail right? I cant keep everyone straight any more and I am trying to participate in the remote connect conference (IT IS OH SO BORING)
ReplyDeleteblumre: I can't believe you didn't get a response back, especially when you had an email from so many people! People writing individually were able to get a response, but not a giant group email? That's really surprising to me.
ReplyDeleteblumre: yes, I was included in the email and I assumed that you got a response and we didn't. I am surprised after hearing that they emailed or called others right away that none of us have heard anything. Not good.w
ReplyDeletemelanie: They don't seem to ever put the dark color bottoms on sale...it's always the brighter colors that they must have too many of that get marked down. I purchased my suits back in March and the prices were actually better then than they are now...go figure!
ReplyDeleteffm: Didnt have the energy to talk to a supervisor about it.
ReplyDeletemath teacher: I agree 100%...that they should honor it if they advertise it.
I feel that JCrew should show some consistency in how they pass on promotions and coupons. They also need to rethink how they offer socalled rewards/coupons, etc. I agree with JCrewMama that "by offering an unadvertised discount to in-store shoppers, while the error impacted web and catalog shoppers" was a stupid move. They know who was affected by the website fiasco (both those who ordered online and by phone)...but instead they are offering more attractive promotions instores.
Like others, I have had alot of problems ordering online/phone with J Crew, all they offer me is free shipping on my next order, and an apology.
ReplyDeleteMath Teacher: I know! People who write negative e-mails get responses. It appears they are only concerned about the botched website and orders. But nothing in general regarding customer happiness. Frankly I am a little offended! I worked darn hard on that e-mail and I know other people (including you)did as well. >:-/
ReplyDeleteblumre: my emails to Mickey Drexler weren't negative, either, and I did get a response...what email address did you use to send our group email?
ReplyDeleteFFm, I used contactuc b/c I didnt know his e-mail address
ReplyDeleteI wrote a rather pleasant email to JCrew recently (inspite of order problems) and I made some suggestions about cc billing. I also asked that they provide a link so that we can see the details of those charges.
ReplyDeleteI sent this about 6 days ago...but so far, no response whatsoever.
FFM: I realized that what I said could have been construed as negative. It was not mean that way and I hope it didn't come across that way. If so, sorry.
ReplyDeleteAll I meant was that with regards to your emails and others that got replies they were about negative issues w/the website or order problems... not general suggestions or concerns. Its kind of upsetting that they are too bogged down with the website to pay attn to the bigger problems at hand.
If anyone thinks I should use a different e-mail address or knows of one other than contactus I would be happy to use that. Just e-mail it to me and I will resend the e-mail :)
ReplyDeleteI emailed Mickey and got a response within an hour, which was followed up by another email and call from a customer service advocate. Working with Brittany proved that J.crew still does excellent service.
ReplyDeleteI plan to use her for all my ordering from now on; with either an email or phone call.
blurme; What's your email address?
ReplyDeleteblumre1@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteJcrew guy would you like to be included in the email? I can fws it to you and if you agree with it I can add your name
blumre: I also included suggestions and concerns with my email...it was not a complaining, bitchy one, but just explained the order mess ups and stated that others have experienced the same thing, and that I am not the only one.
ReplyDeleteBtw...check your gmail account...I sent you an email. :)
blumre: Iemailed you.
ReplyDeleteFFM: I have noticed that dark swim suits never seem to go on sale! Wonder why. ;)
ReplyDeleteHow much did you get your swim suits for back in March? I normally buy one a year but thought I might try to scoop up some extra bottoms, for when I feel like shaking things up. :)
blumre: I emailed him to say something positive (what can I say, I was in a really good mood :)) and got a response within the hour. I was impressed. Maybe this blog has created a deluge of emails to his inbox and he can't handle it?
ReplyDeletewell I will try his personal e-mail. can't right now... but will in about an hour.
ReplyDeleteMickey Drexler is not the Messiah. I thought that he was partly to blame for the downfall of the Gap. Many JCrew devotees were afraid when he took over @ JCrew. So, with an open mind, we will give him the benefit of the doubt.... for now. But, ultimately, big problems are the responsibility of the 'captain of the ship'. If the ship sinks, he better go with it!
ReplyDeletemelanie: One suit I actually got for $20...$10 for the top and $10 for the bottom. I picked up two other tops...a black Glamour Top and Black with white polka dot bandeau top for $10 each, as well. I paid full price for the Black Swimskirt, but didn't mind since I got the tops so cheap. I picked up the Black Bandeau off of Ebay NWT for less than half of what it sells on J.Crew. I also purchased the bikini bottoms in Flamingo to go with a top I already had, but they were too big, so the CS rep exchanged them for the bikini bottoms in Black at the $10 sale price. It was all done with Free Shipping, too. All in all, I ended up with 3 entire sets for $70. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm a long time JCrew customer and I feel the same way as most of you. I HATE the new site...I don't like the way the sale stuff is organized...I definately won't be buying as much.
ReplyDeleteI tried to get the additional 40% one day last week and the CS rep apparently didn't feel like calling the store to verify so I told her to just "forget it". I did send an e-mail last week to JCrew regarding my frustration with the new site, their recent pricing policies and my CS issues and basically I recived a "canned" e-mail response.
This is the first I have heard about the cc fee...if it's true...it will be "the straw that broke the camel's back." As much as I like their clothes, I will not tolerate any more nonsense. I will be forced to cancel my card and the catalog all together. I really hope that they get their act together and soon.
melanie: I bet you are right on the money about all the emails Mickey is receiving, that is why his name no longer appears on the website apology.
ReplyDeleteI was told the other day that CSR has to manually adjust the price when one asking to match store promotion. And my guess is some CSRs are willing to do the extra work for their customers and some are not just like some CSRs are willing to call retail store confirming the promotion and some asked the customers call from the red line to order. Not allowed to match the price is not an issue in Jcrew policy but an excuse of willingness of help.
ReplyDeleteblumre - I was also surprised that you/we didn't receive a response. I think the email was very well organized and nicely crafted. It was chock full of suggestions and I'm wondering if pieces of it have been sent to the various departments. They could be looking at it and just not letting us know. Of course it would have been nice to receive a confirmation of receipt -- even if they *didn't* actually receive it. You spent a lot of time on that. The other thing I thought is we might not get a response but might start seeing some changes in the next couple of quarters. We'll see what happens.
ReplyDeletehey blumre - if you end up resending the letter, I'd love to put my name on it too...:)
ReplyDeletekater send me an email... I just sent it. Sorry I didn't see your comment til just now and I literally just sent it. you could email him yourself and say I would like to add my name to the list of people who participated in "A Collection of Comments from your Biggest Fans!". Note
ReplyDeletehey blumre - it's not problem! I wasn't looking at the times of the comments, and just realized that discussion was awhile ago!
ReplyDeletekater-- you could still tell him you feel the same way... and email him. Also I am sure he is reading this or has someone reading this so they will see that you agree too.
ReplyDeleteblumre - just sent you an email
ReplyDeletewe got a response. Alexis has it and i sent it to all participants... sorry thats all for now i need to work.
ReplyDeleteI echo everyone in their general JCrew frustration – I do find it interesting that there is a such a great deal of “Mickey Worship” yet the business he runs has been unable to adequately address issues and treat their customers fairly and consistently for almost two months.
ReplyDeleteI can’t even begin to calculate how much time I have spent on the phone with CS tracking orders, disputing charges, etc.
Some of the items I recently ordered from the sale section have been moved back to the full-price portion of the site AND the customer service oriented, brain trust at JCrew charged me full price for these items! Thankfully, I took a screen shot of my order page (an OCD habit of mine in case an order is lost) but I have been locked in a two-week “battle” trying to be credited for their error. The latest offer was a gift certificate for the excess charges rather than crediting my account for the overage. I was stunned! Your corporation engages in some level of false advertising and you have the nerve to think I want to be compensated via a gift card rather than have the money, that is rightfully mine, returned?!?
That is unacceptable, J Crew should credit your account.
ReplyDeleteooh can you post the response to the group email?
ReplyDeleteWhat should I expect the time period to be for credits that I'm supposed to get to show up on my CC? The CSR told me last week 5-7 days and I'm starting to get worried because tomorrow is day 7.
ReplyDeletealy: I have had it take more than 2 weeks for a credit to go back onto my card. I would probably wait for 10 days and then call back.
ReplyDeletemikey also wrote me back. not the longest response in the world, but still a response:
ReplyDelete"Got it"-thx
Mickey
--------------------------
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Device
- Hide quoted text -
----- Original Message -----
To: Millard Drexler
Sent: Tue Aug 12 15:17:58 2008
Subject: re: a collection of comments from your biggest fans
Mr. Drexler,
I wanted to contact you and add my name to the letter copied below.
As a loyal customer for over eight years (both online and in-store)
and a frequent contributor to the J.Crew Aficionada blog, I feel as
though [blumre] has summed up the majority of my concerns very
well.
I look forward to the company's attention to these issues in the coming months.
sorry for the long post!
ReplyDeletekater that was a lovely note that you wrote.
ReplyDeletethanks blumre! I think you did a FABULOUS job with that letter, and am glad I got a chance to attach my name to it. thank you for going to all that time and effort! Now hopefully we'll see some changes.
ReplyDeletecan someone post the full email and response?
ReplyDeleteI have emailed it to Alexis so she can post it. And we didn't get much of a response but he just said "Hi _____ (removed my name) – thanks much for your e-mail – just wanted you to know that the team and I have seen and we will be getting back to you.
ReplyDeleteBest,
Mickey"
I am thrilled they will be sending us a thoughtful response since that e-mail took us about a week to write collectively!
jcrewmama: I got free alterations on some suiting pants that I had ordered online (they were wool gabardine, which aren't even carried in that store). I guess it depends on the store you go to. They didn't even ask me for my receipt or for proof of being a J. Crew cardholder.
ReplyDeleteblumre, you did so much work for everyone here. The time in collecting and writing everyone's concerns is really appreciated.
ReplyDeleteThanks once again
blumre: I agree with jcrew guy in canada...you did a great job! Thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteWell thanks guys!
ReplyDeleteI should point out that everyone helped a lot! And I couldn't have done it without the editors. Hdayton, michele, gigiofca, caw and others were real champs!! Thank you so much for helping me complete this monstrous task. I actually had a great time doing it.
Speaking of apologies, did anyone with Gmail notice their email down yesterday? (I know I did!) To go along with most everyone's feelings that the J.Crew one was too little, too late, I thought the Gmail one apologizing for the outage was fairly prompt and sincere. Check it out.
ReplyDelete