Carla P.
Google
I recently visited this store with my family in search of some clothes, but from the moment we walked in, we were subjected to an incredibly uncomfortable and frankly, harassing, experience. A blond woman and several other employees followed my family and me relentlessly. Another employee, a man, watched our every move, making it obvious that we were being treated like potential thieves.
The final straw was when I went to try something on. An associate informed me that I wasn't allowed to bring my bag into the fitting room. While I understand that stores have policies, the aggressive way this was enforced was just one more instance of the racial profiling we were clearly facing. If a store is going to have such a distrusting policy, especially toward tourists, they should post a prominent sign at the entrance to warn people.
Our experience stands in stark contrast to the one we had at the store next door, Tangerine 'We The Beach People', where we spent over $300 and were treated with dignity and respect. I cannot, in good conscience, recommend a business that treats its customers in such a deplorable way. This store needs to do better.
UPDATE: The owner's response says it all. The term "entitled" is often used to silence people who are simply asking to be treated with respect and fairness. My request isn't for special treatment; it's for consistent and equitable application of your store's policies.
If your policy is to ask customers to leave their purses outside the fitting room, it should be clearly stated with visible signage for EVERYONE. Singling out a customer and making assumptions about their character without a public policy in place is discriminatory. An apology for your associate's behavior and a commitment to better policy communication would have been the appropriate response. This experience shows a clear lack of accountability and respect for customers.
