How NOT to Sell a Wedding Dress 101!

[Harleigh]

Thanks to those of you who helped me find this Maggie Sottero dress from my "find the maker of this dress" thread...it is the Benita and it is lovely! I think I just might possibly love it even more from the back, so I wanted to try to find it in person first...

http://www.maggiesottero.com/dress.aspx?showAll=1&pageSize=8&style=J1041

I called around to several salons today and no one locally carries this exact dress, but several said they had several similar or comparable gowns, so I am going to do the try-on thing on Tuesday after work. (Anyone wanna come along and help since my friends may kill me if I drag them along???)

So...I just had to share my experience with you ladies here...one salon I called said they had had one ordered recently and that it was gorgeous and had already been picked up by the bride. I'm thinking, "Great! She thinks it's gorgeous, too!"

The gal then proceeded to caution me about this gown and said that I might want to reconsider that specific dress as a choice as it was obviously made for a very tiny-waisted girl and that the gal who purchased it was Asian.

(This indicates HER emphasis on these words, btw!)

I was like "HUH???" Say what? You're already trying to DISSUADE me from ANY dress before you even get me into your salon to try any on? Did I sound blonde on the phone, therefore, obviously NOT Asian?

They really must not want to sell any dresses if they don't have the sense to say, "I'm sorry, we don't carry that exact dress, but I'm sure we could find something that would work for you, etc..." Apparently they have no business acumen there, and they most likely won't be getting any of my business any time soon...

I told her I couldn't believe she would warn a customer off of ANY dress she was interested in for any reason, but especially without having a clue as to what their body size/shape was, especially over the telephone, and that I found it highly inappropriate of her to share that the other girl who had purchased it was Asian, as if only Asian girls would fit in a gown like that.

She stammered all over herself, then asked when I would like to make an appointment to come in & try dresses on...

I then miraculously thought of something witty on the fly (this never happens when I really want it to!) and told her I really wasn't sure I could possibly find anything in her store to fit my 5'3", 100 lb. frame and that I would probably be better off taking my fat ass somewhere else a bit more accommodating to girls of my stature! I then thanked her kindly for her time and advice, wished her a blessed day and promptly hung up the phone without waiting for her response.

I was so stunned that I just sat there dumbfounded for a few minutes, reflecting on the entire conversation and where I could have possibly went wrong, but then it hit me as hysterical and I started laughing so hard I had tears streaming down my face!

I am sure the gal didn't even realize what she had done...she really did seem very knowledgeable at first, but it went quickly downhill before I had a clue what was happening.

Things have been piling up around me so much here lately that I almost called her back to thank her for giving me one of the best laughs I've had in quite some time!

Thanks so much for letting me share! None of my friends get why this was so funny to me! (I guess I am WAY too easily amused these days!)

 

[Selkie]

WTF was she possibly thinking? I love your response, though!

 

[iheartscience]

Wow...I can''t believe she would say something like that to a customer over the phone! Yikes! It sounds like you had PERFECT responses, though! Good work!

 

[door knob solitaire]

Wow...we should all just stand back in awe of your work!

Handled perfectly.

Pound for pound you wallop quite a punch!

 

[Harleigh]

LOL Selkie, thing and DKS!

Thanks for chiming in! I''m so glad to hear some of you understand my amusement regarding this.

Since I am notorious for never having a comeback when I need it, I was feeling pretty good!

I relayed this story to a few of my friends so far, and only ONE of them found it amusing...she must''ve been really bored!

 

[misysu2]

Oh my goodness, girl! I'm glad you socked it to her! People are so ridiculous sometimes...

You made a good choice opting out of that shop- if that's what she says to you on the phone, that indicates to me how they're thinking when they sit behind the counter and talk when no customers are around. You don't need that environment!

 

[doxielover]

I can''t believe she told you that over the phone. Love your response, I bet she felt stupid.

 

[gtn]

If only I was a fly on the wall seeing her expression. I''m sure her jaw was on the floor.

 

[bee*]

She totally deserved it! What an idiot. I love the dress by the way-I see what you mean about the back

 

[april diamonds]

Date: 1/24/2008 10:32:21 PM
Author:Harleigh

Things have been piling up around me so much here lately that I almost called her back to thank her for giving me one of the best laughs I''ve had in quite some time!

Thanks so much for letting me share! None of my friends get why this was so funny to me! (I guess I am WAY too easily amused these days!)

Harleigh - thanks for giving ME a good laugh today!!! How horrific of her to say those things...but the best part was really your response. I would have been just too dumbfounded to say anything and then wished I HAD said somethign after I hung up! hahaha...i''m gonna be chuckling all day!

 

[tberube]

WOW - that's awesome!

Good for you, and don't feel bad. There's so much bad karma floating around bridal shops, that they deserve a good place-putting ever so often. I have had ladies take one look at my (5'3", 145 lb) frame and tell me that none of the dresses "in this section" were going to look good on me. Too bad my dress (Maggie Sottero's Libby) was in that section! I stayed there only long enough to let my best friend take pictures with me in the dress, then I left, refusing to give them any business even though the dress was cheaper there than the place I did buy it from.

And that dress of yours - totally stunning! Don't you just love Maggie Sottero? So classy and elegant!

 

[sunnyd]

I really wasn''t sure I could possibly find anything in her store to fit my 5''3'', 100 lb. frame and that I would probably be better off taking my fat ass somewhere else a bit more accommodating to girls of my stature!

ZING!!! Hahaha, bet she thinks twice before she says anything else in that store! Good work, sometimes putting people in their place feels so GOOD!

 

[Selkie]

Date: 1/25/2008 11:10:03 AM
Author: tberube
WOW - that''s awesome!

Good for you, and don''t feel bad. There''s so much bad karma floating around bridal shops, that they deserve a good place-putting ever so often. I have had ladies take one look at my (5''3'', 145 lb) frame and tell me that none of the dresses ''in this section'' were going to look good on me. Too bad my dress (Maggie Sottero''s Libby) was in that section! I stayed there only long enough to let my best friend take pictures with me in the dress, then I left, refusing to give them any business even though the dress was cheaper there than the place I did buy it from.

And that dress of yours - totally stunning! Don''t you just love Maggie Sottero? So classy and elegant!

Exactly what the hell kind of mutant woman fits the expectations of a bridal salon SA? Because if both you and Harleigh (both slender and petite women by anyone''s standards) are getting this kind of attitude from them, what are they possibly thinking when someone of larger build walks in?? "Time to break out the burlap sack, ladies!"

Exactly the reason I dreaded gown shopping and got it over with as quick as possible.

 

[anchor31]

Thanks for the laughs! Oh my...

 

[Harleigh]

Thanks for reaffirming that I''m not completely nuts, ladies! I kept wondering if maybe I had been too rude as I can tend to be sarcastic when in an uncomfortable situation, but alas, I actually think my ability to actually speak to this gal in such a calm voice with emphasis on the correct words at the appropriate intervals was possibly one of my most priceless comebacks EVER!!! (I wish I could''ve recorded it!!!)

Sadly, I didn''t share this funny little tidbit with Rusty as I haven''t told him that I''m thinking of going to look at dresses at an actual bridal salon on Tuesday-not that he cares, but he is aware I''ve bought at least 2 on ebay, but I don''t want him to wonder too much what in the Sam''s Hill is wrong with me about these damn dresses! (He does know how indecisive I can be, tho, so I hardly doubt he''d be surprised that I can''t make up my mind about this, either!)

I may just have to break down and tell him about it on the way up to Reno tomorrow (pray we make it, everyone!!!) to help pass the time as it is a story he would totally appreciate! He''ll especially love it when I refer to my ass as fat, because he says my butt doesn''t look big enough for the children''s dept!

Shoot! I should''ve told that dang SA that I can STILL purchase items in the children''s section, now that I think about it! Muhahahaha!!! That''ll be for the next phone call I make to her...I think her name was Sandy...