Maintaining Brand-Promise in Luxury Retail

I went to the Saks Fifth Avenue New York flagship last week because it was Fall Beauty Event time, and I had been waiting for that to roll around so I could use a gift card I had to get some perfume and get some fun bonuses while I was at it.

I happen to have a Saks branded MasterCard (sassily dubbed "The Little Black Card"), which doubles as a store card because I bought a rather expensive handbag back in 2005 and the extra 10% off that came with the card sounded like a very good idea at the time. Thus, lacking a Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus in this fair city and finding Bloomingdale's inconveniently located, I have been a somewhat loyal Saks customer when it comes to the luxury department store space. If I need make-up that I can't get at Sephora, fancy shoes, or a chic accessory, I will make Saks my first stop.

Yet, time after time, I am disappointed by the service at Saks's New York flagship. I have had a Dior cosmetics associate chat on her cell phone while ringing up my purchase and I have been flat-out ignored when trying to purchase a Kenneth Jay Lane statement necklace. I know these are not huge purchases compared to many of the other items on offer at Saks, but that shouldn't matter.  As a luxury retailer, Saks implies that they offer all the service and courtesy that goes along with such a brand. Even if I don't happen to be making a big purchase that day, I still wish to be treated like a valued customer. Bad customer service simply violates Saks's brand-promise.

After so many bad experiences at the New York store, Saks just doesn't seem that especially luxurious anymore. On this last visit, I could barely pay for my purchase at the Armani cosmetics counter because one of the Armani associates was too busy chatting with one of her friends from another cosmetics counter right in front of the cash register area and couldn't even tear herself away to acknowledge me as a customer. The associate I finally found to help me with my purchase had to bring my receipt to another flat surface away from the register so that I could have room to sign it.

In contrast to the New York store, I have always had impeccable service at the Saks in Boston. I have never been made to feel anything less than a VIP at that store, whether buying cosmetics, shoes, or clothing. However, Boston is a smaller store more dependent on local customers and repeat business than the New York store, which is, in part, a tourist destination, especially those ground floor cosmetics, jewelry, and accessories departments. Clerks at the New York store can spend all the time they want chatting with each other and not giving great care and attention to customers because they will most likely never see that customer again.

However, in this era of social media, word-of-mouth is king, and whether or not one customer returns to the store or not, she is likely to tell her friends about her experience, especially if it is a bad one. If I wanted to buy cosmetics or accessories while being treated like a second class citizen, I could go to fiasco that is the Herald Square Macy's -- though I have a strange feeling that I might actually be treated better there than I have at Saks recently.

Meanwhile one luxury retailer that is always doing it right is Harrods. This legendary store is a huge tourist destination, but for many it is also their local grocery, a place to stop for lunch, or a convenient place to tick everything off their shopping list all in one go. Because of this, Harrods prides itself on impeccable customer service, treating each customer with just as much kindness as the next, regardless of if they hail from Kensington, Clapham, or another country. As an example, after assisting with a purchase, sales associates often ask if you need directions, either to another department in the often overwhelming and maze-like store or to someplace else in London.

I only visit London once or twice a year, yet I never feel out of place or unwelcome at Harrods. Meanwhile, I am quickly coming to loathe going to my "home town" Saks because I don't feel that I am an appreciated customer. What girl doesn't want to be made to feel a bit glamorous when she goes out to treat herself? To be honest, these days I usually buy things at Saks only if it's beauty gift time, I have a gift card, or an item is a Saks exclusive. Because the shopping experience has become unpleasant, rather than magical, for me, Saks has lost a regular customer, possibly for life -- and at some point I'll want to buy a lot more than cosmetics and accessories.