This is the weekly "Looking to VENT with J.Crew" post, a place to share our not-so-stellar experiences with J.Crew.If you have recently experienced a frustrating situation with J.Crew, maybe you might be willing to share that information with us in this post.
Please feel free to share your story on almost any topic— including poor experiences with purchases & orders, promotions/ offers, in-store visits, transactions with store associates, etc.
I was really happy that my purchase from Factory last week shipped fast but when it arrived the bag was just beat up and the sweaters inside were thrown in, no plastic or any other protection. I know it isn't their fault if the bags get beat up in transit but if one rips a little, and the items inside have no protection, they will be ruined. :-(
ReplyDeleteA comparable machine from Bow flex or every other employer might take you hours to installation and prepare. The price is high-quality at only around $a hundred if something nearly every person can have the funds for. http://musclegainfast.com/ef13-muscle-supplement/
ReplyDeleteUpdate to a "Review" I posted yesterday: the Post Office has admitted that they received electronic notice on December 7 that one pair of my Paley pants is on its way, but has not yet reached the Post Office. The PO in question is located in Swedesboro, New Jersey, conveniently adjacent to Limbo. These are the pants that were ordered in early November, btw. Narvar claims that the PO has the pants. I'm betting that the Narvar staff is distracted because its CEO is seeking a federal appointment. To Postmaster General, no doubt.
ReplyDeleteI think your pants might be hanging out with the earmuffs I ordered from Factory on 11/29. Narvar and UPS Mail Innovations seem to be having a disagreement about where my package is or whether it was ever received at all. Meanwhile the temps here are in single digits and my ears are COLD.
DeleteI ordered a sweater from Macys that was supposed to be delivered today but instead is taking a tour of the United States and won't arrive until Tuesday. Can only imagine the amount of packages UPS/Fed Ex/USPS has to deal with this time of year, plus all of the weather challenges.
DeletePart love, part vent: I'm thinking of wearing a mix of new and old JCrew to a bunch of holiday parties on Saturday. I love the jeweled wool back zip sweater from last year because it's festive but not over the top and the colors work well with the Thomas mason Stewart plaid shirt from last year and the color block satin pumps from this season. I need to de-pill the sweater though, which is a common complaint.
ReplyDeleteRecently went to my local Oregon store to return my post-Thanksgiving purchases. I was so humiliated in the store- I overheard the manager saying "here she come again". There was no greeting even though though I have been a regular in the store for years and spend an enormous amount on J crew clothes. For the amount I buy- my returns are small in my opinion. Anyway needless to say- they have lost a good customer. I am happy to take my business to someone who appreciates me. They could take a few tips from Nordstrom in this regard.
ReplyDeleteI totally understand, I feel so embarrassed and like, shamed, when I sense that kind of attitude. A manager once said to me 'what's going on with you?' when she thought I brought in a lot of returns. Um, I shop here a lot? I like to try on multiple options before making a selection? You don't carry talls in store? This is a service you offer? Take your pick. The best perk jcrew could offer me is free mail in returns for cardholders; the only negative part of my experience with jcrew customer service is making returns in stores. I dread it.
DeleteI also feel the same way as you, that I do spend so much at the store, so why am I getting so much shade for making returns, but, that shouldn't matter, they should treat everyone with courtesy regardless of whether it's a return or a purchase.
gosh...I wonder what the SA's say when I leave ? I return more than I ever purchase.We have the right to have courteous service in the store, If I was you I would call(try to speak to someone with some clout) J Crew and complain...you have every right to be upset. Its very insulting. Carolyn from Vancouver
DeleteI should add so far ( and its been alot) I have never really had a bad experince returning items here ith Vancouver stores. C FROM V
DeleteThat is terrible. I would call customer service and complain. At least the Regional Manager will be aware. I think they really take those compliments or complaints very serious and do share them with the store. That would really hurt my feelings more than anything. I am actually pretty good friends outside of J.Crew with a few of the SAs at my local store. It is hard to say what anyone says behind your back but gish...
DeleteCan imagine how you felt...how unprofessional and I agree that you should complain. How about sending an email to: 24/7@jcrew.com? Mickey says "if there's every anything we can do better".
DeleteMy local Burlington store is very good but yesterday I was up @Northshore so decided to make a few returns. Amazed that the Manager thought she was cute modeling my returns (store was busy) and shortly thereafter was assisting a father with his two sons and was being terribly impatient with him trying to make a choice. Thought, oh yeah, you need to get back to playing with the returns!
Sounds like my experience at my local store too. Rude, unprofessional and slow, even though they know that I'm a longstanding top customer. The size of my Rewards Card alone testifies to how much I spend there. Heck, when you've got a business (in trouble), how much brainpower does it take to be nice your regular shoppers? Also, fully agree : if they offer returns in store, why are they upset about accepting them? It doesn't even impact their own books, bc it counts as a direct return. I totally second the idea of offering us free returns for cardholders, bc the level of rudeness and incompetence is definitely taking away from the experience. I truly hope that someone from JCrew is reading and takes this to Dear Leader. Ugh, major vent!
DeleteThat's very obnoxious and uncalled for and I hope you do submit a complaint. I would guess that the majority of J.Crew's offerings are online only so what else is one supposed to do if they want to try on stuff? Shopping online is tricky, and as a result, there are often a lot of returns, end-of-story. Also, I personally wouldn't give this store the satisfaction of NOT returning with all my returns --- that is too easy for them! Humph! So frustrating.
DeleteSpeaking of Mickey, I'll post a WWD article on the steps JC is making to save itself in a separate post.
Agree that free returns for cardholders would be awesome!!! Gap family of brands does it! My nearest J Crew store is 70 miles - most of my returns are by mail/UPS.
DeleteYeah that's terrible; I would be super pissed. I make a lot of returns from online, but when you shop online, your home is your dressing room so that is to be expected. Definitely submit a complaint.
DeleteIt seems that you're darned if you do, darned if you don't. You go into the and have snide remarks, return by mail and it takes weeks to get your funds back.
DeleteUgh. Which Oregon store if you don't mind me asking? I am a frequent Portland-area returner as well and will go out of my way to another store if that happened at the one I normally go to!
DeleteWhat a terrible attitude on the part of the manager! Humiliating customers is not part of customer service, especially when you weren't doing anything wrong. Please report this incident to J.Crew, they need to hear about it.
DeleteI agree you should write or talk to their CS department. This reminds me when I returned orders to my local store, the sale associate was really slow. But as least she didn't give me such negative attitudes. Oh boy! I wish JCrew offers free return shipping for card members. If that happens, I will apply for their credit card, lol!
DeleteI'd love to know what store it is as well. I've had a few snide comments at Washington Square.
DeleteStacy66- It is the Washington square mall store.
DeleteYikes, that is just terrible. Please let us know if you follow up with management. I usually shop the downtown store and they are usually great. For awhile they used to keep all the online returns to sell (which was great to be able to see a lot of different items) now they just send them out but it's helped me know what to order and what not to bother with.
DeleteGlad to know I am not alone. There is one SA that is awesome with returns but most act like you are a bother especially if you make a return without purchasing anything during that trip. I've noticed they are super friendly with those in line in front of me with purchases but when they get to you and your return, the attitude change is definitely noticeable. I have two little kids and order online a lot for the convenience, then make my returns in the store to get my money back at a quicker pace. Madewell is great with returns. They are always super friendly in general no matter what, at least in my local store. To make it more comical, both stores are located in the same mall!! Sometimes I just want to tell the SAs to get over themselves!!
DeleteNo offense to any SA's that frequent here. I can only speak to what I get at my local store. I have visited other JCrew's in different cities and had much different experiences (good).
DeleteIf a store had done that to me I would have raised my voice slightly and told them to look up my email address and see how much I buy. Then I would tell them I was calling corporate to tell them how I had been treated after spending so much money with J. Crew.
DeleteApologies if this or similar articles have been posted recently (I was away so missed a few posts):
ReplyDeletehttp://wwd.com/business-news/financial/j-crew-debt-pjt-jones-day-debt-restructure-10727166/
very interesting piece - thanks for posting. as always, follow the money!
DeleteJust looked at the quarterly reports release in late November. Yikes - really lousy. Hard to believe that J Crew could have more double digit losses after the bloodbath of last year. No wonder the creditors are anxious. Mickey is quoted referring to the "highly promotional environment" - yup, all those 40 and 50% off sales. The future of this brand may not be bright.
DeleteOh, thanks for the info about the quarterly reports, Cousy, how disappointing. I don't recall whether it was this article or another one that mentioned the possibility of annexing Madewell from the parent company, so as not to bring the whole ship down (since their sales are doing well). Also, this was the first time I'd heard about Mickey starting to look for a successor. I'm worried about them, hope they get their act together. They need to tighten their production schedule for starters -- I know there were quite a few items that debuted way after they should have. Quality, of course, is another issue -- I know it's still there for some items, they've definitely cut corners with others. Anywho, fingers crossed.
DeleteI also read they were planning to move their intellectual property into a separate entity for protection if/when they do the restructuring. I guess that means the name, designs and maybe certain names of items like rollneck and barn jacket are protected. Nostalgia kicking in. In the meantime, if they are protecting the rollneck name and design, please reintroduce so I can replace my white cotton one I wear in the summer that "just" started falling apart last year. My mother bought it for me in 1992 and it's probably me over bleaching that led to this fate.
DeleteInteresting read, thanks! I really think that part of the reason for falling sales is that no one wants to buy at full price due to quality issues. I have stopped buying there sweaters all together due to pilling issues after just one wear. I purchased sweaters last year and this year and they looked awful after one wear. I have received a few Perfect shirts with buttons barely hanging on upon arrival that needed to be reinforced, thin t-shirts that end up with a hole after one wear, see-through button down shirts...I am very cautious with my clothing too. With experiences like these, I would never pay full-price anymore.
DeleteIn non-vent news, more new markdowns in store and the sale section is getting really big (overflowing in the back corner of my B&M). Sale was an additional 50% off. I picked up the striped Margot top for $19.99. Wool Jackies and Tippis in lots of colors, cherry-print pieces, wool check coats, pom-pom scarves, Sammie chinos, Billie jeans, v-neck cardigans, tons of trouser socks, and probably five racks of summer merch that should probably be like, $5. I'd recommend calling to check on the % off before you go. I think that the rest of the store was 40% off your purchase.
ReplyDeleteSale section is 40% also
DeleteMy store was also 40% off, and 40% off clearance.
DeleteMy store was 40-% off, 50% off sale for J,Crew cardholders. (Minimal sale section unfortunately.
DeleteI'll bite in the vent post today with some of my thoughts. I went to a store yesterday with two bounceback $20 off $100 cards in my pocket ready to spend some money and I couldn't find anything to buy. Jcrew needs to do some individual store market analysis about what sizes to send to each area and even online. Why are there hundreds of xxs & xxxs sizes available and no middle range sizes online and in store? Manufacturing size planning also needs to take note and some statistical analysis is in order. Why are all the tall size mini skirts always sold out immediately? It's because the skirts are so short that 5'3" people like me have to order talls. Ridiculous. Why do the cute flat shoes sell out almost immediately? Heels are gorgeous but many of us stand at our workplace and high heels are out of the question. Surely someone in NYC could do better for us loyal shoppers. As a side note, hopefully I won't be scorned when I have to return one of two sizes of collection pants that I ordered online. Sizes are all over the place recently but that is a vent for another day!
ReplyDeleteIn regards to analysis, I received an email from J. Crew the other night stating to be on the lookout for a survey from IntelliSurvey to gage your opinion of J crew and better understand how you shop. Haven't seen it yet but will participate as I am curious to see what questions are in it. Anyone else get the email?
DeleteYep, this is a big complaint of mine too. I only go to a store like 3 or 4 times a year, but sizes are all XS, XXS. I'm a size M or a 6 and have a hard time finding stuff in my size to try on sometimes.
DeleteI got the survey. It asks where else you shop then tries to narrow down what price point you find acceptable for item categories ( tops/shirts, sweaters, pants, shoes etc etc) across all the stores for. It also asks about if you shop B&M, online, some questions about service but mostly about price points. They claim they will send a $20 code to me in a few weeks for finishing it.
DeleteFor years I've sent email asking for tall mini skirts. Finally they decide to offer two or three tall mini skirts and they are rather short. I mentioned that Boden offers petite, regular and long mini-skirts. As a matter of fact, most of their skirts are either petite, regular or long. I was looking at old J.Crew catalogs the other day and I realized I've been begging over a decade. Now I don't even bother with their surveys/feedback anymore.
DeleteI've always bought size 6 mini skirts which is a size larger than my pencil skirts. This allowed me to wear them lower on the hip to give extra length. Now that the trend is a higher waist, that trick won't work. I also have purchased mini skirts and taken them to my tailor to have the hem let out as far as they will go. Now the problem is that some of the skirts are being finished with ribbon and with no hem whatsoever to let out. If I am having this
Delete(Continued) problem at my height, I'm sure most tall gals feel totally shut out of this category. No hem is a cost cutting method I'm sure but it also prevents me from buying a cute skirt until I get a lucky tall pop back. I'm looking at you Oxford check mini!!!
DeleteI am petite but was looking to buy tall versions of the check mini and corduroy mini because I couldn't let the hem out and it was higher on my hips. They were too short for me in regular to wear at work without tights so I was hoping for some extra length. I noticed they sold out quickly.
DeleteHi Shopping Celle - I agree with your main post, and even though they never seem to do it, I'd tell JC to read their online reviews! It seems like a lot of these complaints show up there. I also think that if they were to do an analysis of sold-out items from the past couple of years they'd probably see a pattern pretty quickly. Heck, even throw in a comparison of the items that have been in the sale section the longest. I'd love to get a look at that data.
Delete+1 for tall miniskirts! The Pink Houndstooth was sold out in my size by the time I'd even realized that it existed, perhaps because it's not just tall women that are wearing it. I'll wear a casual short mini in the summer as an alternative to shorts, but in the cooler temps and with heavier fabrics, I need a bit more length to look professional at work.
DeleteNot really a vent because I did score the Signet Bag in Colorblock Italian Calf Hair at a sweet price this morning, like less than $100.00 with sale price, promotion, bounce back card and J.Crew's poor math skills. I really shouldn't have bought it but I love it and I think it is really special. It looks like there are about 27 left in inventory...
ReplyDeleteGood score! The other night when they were switching promos a few of the bags in the Cobalt Sea color popped back online so I grabbed one. It was marked down and then with the 40% off and free shipping it was a good deal! It hasn't shipped yet though so you never know...
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DeleteJcrew actually sent me someone else's order - I ordered the petite cropped lady jacket (the black one) and they sent me somebody else's order of Melton coat, assymetrical striped top, etc. It was a big order too, so hopefully jcrew reships the right order to the right people!
ReplyDeleteAnother ugh for Narvar: Ordered a tie for my husband on 11/28...for a party that was 12/10. Still don't have it, and there is no projected arrival date. :(
ReplyDeleteI notice that J crew has secretly switched to UPS Innovation to ship orders to customers, which is the worst shipping method ever. I ordered a shirt on Nov 23 and did not get it on Dec 6, while the date of delivery date was Dec 3. I called and the friendly customer service offered to send a replacement. It was shipped three days later, and the delivery date was shown as Dec 16. However, today the date changed to Dec 21, while the system showed it should be delivered by Dec 19. The worst part of UPS Innovation is that it does not seem trackable. You don't know where it is and you have no idea when it will arrive. I guess J crew saved big by using UPS Innovation, or UPS Innovation offered J crew free shipping. If this continues, J crew will lose long time customers like me.
ReplyDeleteUnknown: You can track packages sent via UPS Mail Innovations on the UPS website. If you go to their website and look at the bottom right, it says 'Other UPS Sites', with a tab to select a website right below. If you click open that tab, you can select UPS Mail Innovations to open that page, then click tracking under customer support on the right side of the page. From there you can put in the tracking number. I've done this numerous times in the past, however, my UPS Mail Innovations packages have been trackable as of late on the normal UPS site. I just click on the J.Crew Narvar link to UPS, and it stores my tracking number there (I am a UPS Choice Member - it's free and very helpful to join).
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