This is a bit long, because I want to give the full picture. You be the judge:
On Thursday, I came in with a pant-suit. He agreed to take up the hem up on the pant, to shorten the sleeves from the armhole, and to move the front buttons out to give me some breathing room. My mom and I (a long-time patron) thanked him profusely for doing this in three business days and said we’d be back on Monday.
On Monday, I arrived at 9.45AM only to find the store closed (his posted hours are 9.30AM-7PM). To be fair, there was a snowstorm, but no message was left on his answering machine, nor did he notify me by phone despite the fact that he knew I was flying out the following day. I left a voice-message, reminding him of my flight, and asking him when I pick up my suit. No call back. The next morning, I left a second message. No call back. Three hours later, I called again. He picks up the phone and doesn't apologize for not calling me back.
I come in. The pant legs are two different lengths—he claims because one of my shoulders is higher than the other. Ok, but, why didn’t he mark them the first time? He re-measured and agreed to re-hem. The jacket shoulders were standing above my shoulder, puckering, and the sleeve was too tight on my upper arm. He recognized this and agreed to fix it.
He said that he would do it right away because he had to leave at 2.30 (his posted hours, again, are until 7PM). Because of this, I had to come in again, as soon as he called.
I return, an hour later after he called and I immediately apologized that I’ve forgotten my checkbook at home. I told him that I’d left the house quickly b/c I knew he had to leave and just forgot it, “I’m really sorry,” I said. He said, “I need my money.”
I try on the jacket. It’s puckering at the shoulder and pulling worse on the arm than it did before. I show him and calmly say that I don’t think it is flattering. He launches into convoluted explanations of why it’s not his fault, trying on other people’s jackets from the rack, to show me how mistaken I am. I tell him that I understand that he didn’t adjust the shoulder, but that since he shortened the sleeve it lays very badly and can he fix it, please?
He refused to fix it. With his back to me, and in a very rude tone, complains about needing to leave, saying that there’s nothing wrong with the jacket and that he doesn’t like how this is going down. I told him I didn’t either. I said that I can’t wear it and that I’m going to have to bring it to someone else. He ignores me. Then, I ask him, “How should we handle the payment? I’m very sorry that I left my checkbook at home.” I offered all the money in my wallet and to leave him my address and phone number and mail him a check (mind you, my Mom has been going to him for over 15 years). His response, “I need my money.” I offered to go home to get my checkbook. His response, “Why did you leave the house without your checkbook? I NEED MY MONEY!”
At this point, I was very upset—I felt ripped off and hung out to dry with a jacket that I can’t wear. I asked him if he intended to charge me the full amount. “Yes,” he said, in aggressive disbelief. I went to a local ATM and came back to pay him. He was praying and completely ignored me for 3 full minutes. I paid him, he gave me change. And then he denied ever getting my two messages.
In short, this business is not accountable to its clients, doesn’t care about customer satisfaction and apparently had no interested in keeping long-term customers. No one in my family will go to him, ever again.
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