There is a post from awhile back (J.Crew Gift Gurus {tell me more}) that discussed a new shopping service from J.Crew. J.Crew now has a dedicated section on its website, to showcase this latest service, the Gift Guru, where they do all the shopping (e.g. pick out items and send them) for anyone on your "gift list" (click here to view).
J.Crew provides customers with a gift list (either online or printable pdf), where all one has "to do is fill in the blanks with gift ideas". You can be "as general ("something pink") or as specific (an item number will do) as you want". J.Crew also states that the "gift gurus will thoughtfully hand pick presents for everyone on your list" which sounds interesting. ;)I will most likely not use one of J.Crew's gift gurus as I am pretty good at shopping and I enjoy it too {wink!}. However, I do think this is a great concept. This move might help attract holiday shoppers (who may not have to time to shop or, dare I write, hate to shop) to J.Crew, especially during these difficult times where retail stock and sales prices are dropping (click here for related news article).
What are your thoughts on the gift guru service? Do you think it is a worthwhile service? Would you consider using this service for the holidays?
My thoughts on the gift guru's... they won't pick something that is on sale or promo! They'll go for the full priced more expensive stuff!
ReplyDeleteAnon at 9:57 AM: I was wondering the same thing too! :) I wonder if you could set a price limit on gifts and tell them to include sale items.
ReplyDeleteThe article you linked to mentioned "J Crew has offered a dizzying number of sales" I am not THAT DIZZY--what's up? I wanna be dizzier;0)
ReplyDeleteAs for the gift guru--I think if you are SUPER busy, work a ton and therefore probably have a really well-paid job but NO time to spare...this guru is an excellent service. Esp when you are personally a lover of all things J Crew:)
BUT--I will say that it concerns me a bit due to my experience with pre-order and any newly implemented services they offer could have their glitches. I would be crossing my fingers that it all went smoothly (I don't have to mention all the various issues people have had go on with personal orders-cringe;)
I also know that I LOVE to shop and I would be apprehensive because I feel like so much of the gift giving is in choosing just the right thing for my recipient.
Bottom line--this is great for someone that really needs it due to constraints. I truly wish J Crew success with this--it's another source of revenue that is much needed.
anon @ 9:57, as a J.CREW associate I take offense to that. That is not true at all. J.CREW is about customer service and helping our customers, no matter what they need or in what price range. Believe what you would like, however.
ReplyDeleteThe *Gift Gurus* are the J.Crew personal shoppers...I won't need them to shop for me since I won't be buying my gifts at J.Crew. ;) If someone IS buying their gifts at the Crew and doesn't have a lot of time (or like) to shop, then the service would probably be great for them. :)
ReplyDelete...and for the person on your list who has everything: let J.Crew's gift guru pick out the perfect cancellation notice...
ReplyDeleteOh, I kid, I kid! I'm just a little disenchanted with J.Crew right at the moment because I found a Frankie bag in guava rhubarb on the website yesterday, ordered it and this morning received an e-mail from customer service informing me that my order cancellation request had been processed.
The only problem I have with this is that I never attempted to cancel the order!
who needs a "gift guru" when all you have to do is call CS and listen to their 20 min long up-sell pitch.... i called yesterday to inquire about the color of a particular item and the CS tried to sell 4 other items to me, stating the items would be "great gifts"
ReplyDeleteI think if the gift recipient is a J Crew lover, then I would go with the gift card. I know my kids LOVE this, and that way they can pick out exactly what they want, and shop the after Xmas sales too!
ReplyDeleteanon 10:47:
ReplyDeleteSame thing happened to me on monday! Used the shoesale code to order a pair of the Juliets, received an email less than 24 hours later saying I had successfully cancelled my order...ugh.
Called a CS, she was just as confused as I was, but said it had been happening all day.
Does anyone know the what the fit is like on the wool rosette tank dress? Any add'l thoughts are appreciated as well. Thanks!
ReplyDeletejcrewgirl in cali, i apologize. now that i think, im sure if you specified to include sale items, they would honor your request. i had just thought if you didn't specify your guru would assume you have unlimited expendable money (ie rich) and while i WISH i could buy whatever i want with no regards to how much it cost, i can't. anyway, i truly didn't mean to offend.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy picking out gifts for people and I believe it truly is the thought that counts. I can't imagine (no matter what job or lifestyle I led) letting someone else do it for me. I would never use this service. (And I need to add I am severly disabled and it is hard for me to get around but I do try.)
ReplyDeleteAlexis, will we be getting a weekly sale watch post this week? Thanks!!! :)
ReplyDeleteanon, I apologize! I shouldn't have snapped. It just feels like nobody is content with the brand these days and when that happens, I take it personally even though I shouldn't. I just want everyone to love J.CREW as much as they used to!
ReplyDeleteI know that some here have stated how much they dislike the upsell. However, in my opinion, and it's my very own humble opinion (and my opinion isn't meant to offend anyone), it doesn't bother me at all. I've heard the speel (sp?) everytime I call J Crew and I call a lot.
ReplyDeleteJ crew is afterall a retail company and is in the business to sell their merchandise. It's no different than having a Retail Clerk suggest items to go with an item I'm purchasing or something I'm interested in. In this tough economic climate, if I were a retailer - regardless if it's J Crew or someone else, I would be encouraging my CSRs to upsell. Those who have worked Retail will be familiar with this. Having worked Retail through University, I've had this upsell strategy ingrained into my thick head. lol!
I know that it may be somewhat annoying to get an upsell but these CSRs are only doing their job and the retailer is simply trying to find another way (besides having Sales) to move their product. Similarly, the gift guru is yet another way that J Crew is trying to stay in the black during this challenging economic climate.
Again, my opinion isn't meant to offend anyone. This is merely my own humble opinion.
I've signed up for one, not because I really need help, but just because I'm curious. After sending the list, it brings you to a page that says, "A personal shopper will get back to you soon", or something along those lines. Apparently, the gift gurus are really just personal shoppers. Oh, and it's been 2 day & they haven't gotten back to me yet. Typical.
ReplyDeleteJCREWgirl in cali: It's not a big deal. I wouldn't call that "snapping" anyway. It was a pretty mild rant. Besides, covert5 doesn't speak for all of us. I actually disagree with his, or her, long winded post.
ReplyDeleteAmy: I will definitely have another Seek & Find: Will you visit J.Crew this Weekend? post this week. Especially with the holiday shopping season! I will have that post for tomorrow. :)
ReplyDeleteJeff: Please let us know how the gift guru works out (when s/he contacts you). I am curious about the service. :)
J.CREWgirl in cali: You sound like a passionate employee- J.Crew is lucky to have you! :)
ReplyDeletePersonally, I still *love* J.Crew clothes. :)
If the quality of the brand had remained HIGH, If the web fiasco had not happened (and problems are still an issue, if the preorders worked, if JCrew wasn't taking coupon codes and not letting educator's use their discount with a free shipping code....well, then I would 100% be as happy with the JCrew brand. As it is TOO MANY things have gone wrong to make me ever as happy as I was...there is no going back. I hope to still like JCrew but no, I don't spend as much with them as I used to. (and probably never will) The good ole days...at least I enjoyed them while they were around:) And as they say: All good things must come to an end...and it did:(
ReplyDeleteI couldn't have said it better myself Anon 1:21!
ReplyDeleteIf only is right...
anon 12:54
ReplyDeleteI find it annoying when CSRs spend an excessive amount of time trying to sell me stuff that I'm not interested in. I can only take a 1 min break at work and spending forever on the phone w/ CS is a waste of my time and theirs.
Jeff--get it straight--for once that wasn't me that someone wanted to pick on but now you have gone and done it. It's someone anonymous. Apology accepted.
ReplyDeleteOn the subject of up-sell. The only thing I find is that it is really never all that pertinent. How many times do you think someone on the phone calling in their order stops and says, "Oh--yes, tell me more about that scarf. That sounds lovely. I'll take one." I would love to know how many times they actually sell something this way.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, we all know what we want when we call. We are usually spending what we feel we can or should at that time (with a giant list of other things we are still hoping to get in the future.) And it is time consuming. Don't they already eat up enough time re-naming each item you are ordering, telling you how it is a delightful fabric, hand woven in Italy and a top seller that looks marvelous with...ugh. Gotta show them the love for doing it though.
Many on here have mentioned inappropriate timing as well. They don't appear to "feel" the problem at hand. They are happy to turn around and try to sell you on something else. It appears rude. I feel bad for the CSR's as they are required to do this.
Maybe if J Crew told them--DO NOT make suggestions when a customer calls in the rectify a problem.
I think up sell is totally understandable/acceptable and really expected if you are a SA at store level. If you are any good at selling you will be doing it without being blatant or too pushy and the customer doesn't even know they were sold;)
I KNOW--I NEVER RESPOND TO ANYTHING SHORT AND SWEET. YOU ALL MUST BE EXHAUSTED EVERY TIME YOU READ MY POSTS~SORRY, I AM LIKE THAT IRL TOO~CAN'T HELP IT:(
I'm NEVER too busy to shop for my family :)
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I LOVE picking items that I think they would like-I would never have a PS choose items for them ("dad I'm glad you like the sweater that someone I don't even know picked it for you online"....)
If I were getting a present for a business associate PS would be more than welcome :)
Jeff for once I agree with you.
ReplyDeletecovert: No need to apologize I just skip over your posts.
Apparently you didn't skip over it or you wouldn't be remarking about my need to apologize;) I love you anyway.
ReplyDeleteIt's ok, Covert- I come to this blog for distraction and the more to read, the (much) better!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alexis. :)
OT to anon who shops in El Segundo, CA:
ReplyDeleteJust saw your post to me from yesterday's threads about SAs in El Segundo. I do know the girl with the Australian name, and I really like her. Very helpful. In general I have had good service there. The only time I had a problem was when I tried to get a price adjustment on a Lea that I bought on line. The SA called someone out from the back room (which instantly spells trouble). I had never seen her in there before - some kind of store manager - I think she had an accent. Anyway - I was within the 7 days and she didn't want to give me the adjustment because the cardigan was "on promotion" not sale. So I said. Okay - I'll just return this full price one, step over to the table and buy the exact same thing here for the promotion price. I think I am a pretty reasonable person, and I don't get beligerant or anthing - but if something is truly ridiculous I am going to hold my ground. She then tried to argue with me that it was outside 7 days - well I am an attorney - so that did get me a little agitated - and I went into lawyer mode about how to count 7 days - LOL. Needless to say -- I got my price adjustment : )
Regarding the Pembridge dot dress v. Kate dress. You are right - they look the same because of that center pleat -- but they look very different on because of the weight of the fabric. The dot dress is super super light - like a feather - and the dress looks exaclty on you like on the hanger. The pleats do not collapse on themselves. The Kate is heavy - I think wool and the shape kind of droops when you put it on. I hated the Kate on me and loved the Pembridge. I think for the sale price - you can't go wrong with a Pembridge. Very classy. I have the key lime and it's very bright - similar to citron. I am in love with the citron stuff - but it is pretty bright. I am wearing it with the avocado Lea which is a little darker so it tones it down a little.
I am considering the black/gold one now that it's on sale!
--lucegirl
My thoughts on the Gift Guru. Well - it's free and you don't have to purchase what they suggest. I did send in a request for help with a gift for my husband. I wouldn't necessarily need help with the women's items - but I am not very good with men's clothes. She did actually suggest 2 sale items. I think it's fun to see what they come up. It could lead you in a fun direction you weren't thinking about. Having said that -- I think a lot you polyvore experts could have a serious side business as J Crew Gift Gurus! I am in awe of some of the combos you guys come up with! Love it!
ReplyDelete--lucegirl
Can anyone tell me what it means when my catalog order says "released?"
ReplyDeleteAnon at 4:46PM: When an item is "Released", it means that the order/item has been "released" to the warehouse to be fulfilled. (Unfortunately, it doesn't guarantee that your item is available.) I hope that helps! :)
ReplyDelete*lucegirl*
ReplyDeleteDidnt you say your store (el segundo) carries the taffeta a-line skirt (item # 98827, original price $138)? I just called there and they're telling me they don't carry it...am i thinking of the wrong skirt?
thx!
Thanks lucegirl for the pembroke review. Sounds nice, but I guess I'll wait until the price goes down a bit more as I will probably opt for the ivory or black. I have a citron daisy dress which is similar enough. I think I know the rude SA you are talking about (looks a bit like Selma Hayek?)
ReplyDeleteSmarty - the Grove store had lots of the taffeta skirt the past Saturday.
smarty -
ReplyDeleteEl Segundo has the skirt. It's in the back of the store. I had it physically in my hand on Tuesday night. They had flamingo and taupe.
--lucegirl
anon at 5:41 -
ReplyDeleteyep - that's the SA...I am going after work to attempt to get my reduction from $80 to $39.99 for all 3 skirts. Wish me luck!!
--lucegirl
Awesome deals in NJ today: I stopped by Rockaway Townsquare after work and picked up a paintbrush belle skirt for ---get ready---$8.50 after the 50% discount and my teacher discount--I almost fainted when the price came up! Then, because I wanted my streak to continue, I hit the Short Hills mall on the way home and got the sketchbook roses belle skirt for $33.00 after my teacher discount (alas, no 50% there).
ReplyDeleteIf you live near or even nearish to the Townsquare, particularly if you are a man or love a man who loves J.Crew, it's worth a pop by there--they had lots of men's stuff at unbeatable prices. The women's section wasn't bad, either!
Happy shopping!
Jeff, I hope jcrew sends you a steaming hot bag of...jcrew poop.
ReplyDeleteThanks, lucegirl! I'm happy to know I'm not crazy :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your price adjustment!!!
As a long time reader, I've observed that pretty much no matter what the subject is, whatever Alexis presents as an idea/clothing review/style review/claim by j.crew pretty much gets trashed by this crowd.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I am also a long time j.crew associate and there are a lot of people who are not familiar with the brand, but they are shopping for friends and family who do know and/or love the brand. These people come into the store and say, 's/he likes this store but I am not sure what you have, what would be best'. J.Crew is offering this service upfront so people know that they don't just have to luck into getting a particularly good salesperson the day they happen to walk in - with this added staff member on the floor they are getting someone who is supposed to help them with everyone on the gift list.
It's a nice idea, and I find myself feeling defensive for the comments here suggesting that it is somehow impersonal/not thoughtful/a joke/an obvious benefit to j.crew and *not* the customer. I especially take offense with the idea that the person using this service is not thoughtful enough to shop on their own. Not everyone is good at shopping, and it can be stressful!
Please try to simply see this for what it is: a retail store trying to be a little more helpful to their customers (and their customers' loved ones). That's all. J.Crew isn't perfect, which is noted here every day in almost every post. But, at least we're trying.
As someone who works hard and sees passion every day in our store, it's depressing to see so much feedback here always ripping us apart.
lucegirl: Thanks for the review on the keylime. :) It doesn't really look citron-y in the pictures so it was a good heads up. I really like the ivory version!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to leave a list out for a few key people, maybe they'd take the hint and buy me the items on the list.
ReplyDeleteNot happening J Crew Guy.
ReplyDeleteLacey: I always appreciate hearing from J.Crew employees (and I hope you feel welcomed to express your opinion here anytime). I also understand where you are coming from: this is a retail firm offering a {great} service for its customers during the busy holiday season. :)
ReplyDeleteJCrew Guy In Canada: I hope you get your items on your list! :)
Lacey- Most readers of this blog love Jcrew. They occasionally post their justified disappointment with messed up orders, sizing problems, etc. There is another group of posters who are just generally negative and direct their negativity towards jcrew, Alexis, other posters, the world in general. I hope you do not confuse the two.
ReplyDeleteI think many of the regular/ long time readers are as sad and frustrated with the overly negative comments as you are.
I should emphasize that this is just my own observation and I certainly don't speak for everyone. I just wanted to point out that we are not all a bunch of haters :)
Lacey,
ReplyDeleteMost people on here love j.crew clothes and styles. I think the negative comments are when people express frustration with a quality/fit issue on something they had high hopes for b/c they loved the look of it online, OR when they get upset that they feel they are being priced out of a brand they love (i.e. higher prices and fewer coupons lately).
Look at it as all stemming from caring about J.Crew and where it is going!
Surrlie: I tried on the wool rosette dress yesterday (it was on sale for only $79.99!!), but I was sorely disappointed. I tried on the XS (I am 5'5", small on top with some junk in the trunk), and it was just huge and ill-fitting. The straps were waaaaay too long. It might have been okay if I had the straps shortened at a tailor, but even then, I wasn't sure if it was worth it. Try it at your own risk! I had been eyeing this dress ever since it first came out, too.
ReplyDeletelucegirl - good luck. At worse you can order the 3 pair of skirts online, get a little something else, get the free shipping and return the other ones.
ReplyDeleteI caved and ordered the ivory pembroke dress. Was thinking that it may look good as a formal outfit with the cascading flower jacket.
- a fellow addict in South Bay
To the J. Crew associates reading this:
ReplyDeletePlease remember that this is not a fair sample of all customers. A certain type of "gang" mentality sometimes forms on this blog, when the regulars have the opportunity to complain about their favorite topics (prices, quality, new website, etc.) It tends to feed on itself.
(I used to work for a health insurance company so I know how you feel. It was a non-profit and no one there was getting rich, no one woke up every morning vowing to deny as many claims as possible, but if I had a dollar for every time I have heard someone excoriate all the greedy insurance companies who are ruining the country...I would be rich!)
The posters to this blog tend to be particularly price/promotion conscious. Also, receiving an order without problems is the expected level of service so when this happens it is not out of the ordinary and not worth posting about.
There is a difference between constructive criticism and bashing. There is a difference between airing a legitimate grievance and unrealistic expectations.
I think it's just human nature that people tend to express dissatisfaction more vocally than praise. It's unfortunate, but this is not the only blog where the negative outweights the positive.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am a big fan and I spend too much money at J Crew, lately I have to say that the error rate on the shipment has gotten pretty unacceptable. To wit:
- 2 pairs of shoes missing but billed
- a tank top who belonged to someone else got shipped to me
- a new blouse with oil stain in front
- shipment of a wrong colored blouse (the wrong label was applied to the plastic covering)
This is just since July. I've ordered things online for 2 years with J crew and nothing like this happened before.
To J Crew's credit, each time when I bought the problems to their attention they had been very accommodating, sometimes shipping me the replacement express mail. I have absolutely no complaints about their customer service. But something fishy is going on at their distribution center/warehouse and they need to have strictly quality control and change their management!
- addict at South Bay
On the quality control front, I ordered a pair of city fit capris on major markdown. Last pr of course. I ordered a size 16. When I got the capris, the tag said 16, but they had to be really a 0 petite--I could barely get one leg in them.
ReplyDeleteAlso, at the store today I tried on the double strand flower necklace, and it literally fell apart in my hands. One of the strands broke loose from the clasp and several beads went rolling across the floor! Not going to spend $100+ on a necklace that lasts all of 1 minute.
On the bright side I do love the glittery university pants I got.
J. Crew employee here - I'm a PS and was asked today by my manager to be one of the two gift gurus in our store. I'm happy to do it and was told I was asked because I have had good feedback from customers and work hard for my clients. I don't promise to call back when I won't, lie to a customer about his or her appearance to get a sale, and I will search tirelessly for an item (sale or full price) for my client (BIG OR SMALL). The idea for gift guru is to be helpful - not hinder or take advantage.
ReplyDeleteI love what I do, and after being with Gap for 10 years, I am THRILLED to be with a company that tries so hard to be customer service focused - it is drilled into us during training. Gap was a GREAT company to work with but J.Crew is an entirely different org. Gap's training is second to none in organization and execution, but J. Crews message is very different and it is all about the customer. I don't deny that JC is still finding its way while trying to maintain its origins, but if you love J. Crew, hang in there - I have first hand experience that they mean what they say.
addict in the south bay
ReplyDeleteYeah - you got your Pembroke!!
And I got my price adjustment without any issue ; ) And my persimmon gold bauble necklace that I got on sale came today! I am going to wear it on Thanksgiving.
My experience with the gurus has been very positive. Several weeks ago, before they advertised the gurus - I called CS and asked for help putting an outfit together for a reunion. A very nice PS helped me over the phone and even polyvored the outfit for me. She was great. When I submitted my guru request - she contacted me, asked about how my earlier outfit worked, and helped me with my gift questions. I really appreciated this one-on-one service. It definetly adds a personal touch you don't get in most places.
--lucegirl
lucegirl - yes, I did, and I hope it fits, as the measurement for size 10 seems way off on the chest. At least they price adjusted 20% off for me since I placed it very late last night.
ReplyDeleteMy J Crew credit card is taking a beating!
- Addict in South Bay
I have ordered alot of parcels in the last 4 months, they shipped on time, the orders were filled correctly and they were shipped in a timely manner. I ordered online sale and fp items. Actually I would go so far and say the service was great.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed there has been a lot of regular posters that no longer post here, It is either due to the negativity of the posts or the ecomony has caught up with them and they can no longer shop. Actually given the current economic climate we all should be shopping alot less.
I would say with this economy the only way it will get better is if those who can afford to keep buying do.
ReplyDeleteanon 3:35 - Shopping is fine if you pay cash, or going to pay off your cc each month, if not you are going to be up the creek if you lose your job. Changes are happening fast these days hard to predict, best to save.
ReplyDelete