Good morning, Monday. It's Fall in New York and soup's on and pumpkin spice and all kinds of giddy women frolicking through the streets in suede boots and duster sweaters. You know how we do.
So my weekend was spent pondering customer service, or the lack thereof in some instances.
Case in point- the Uniqlo/Lemaire fiasco. Let me caveat by saying I am most likely in the minority of people who dislike Uniqlo- their stores makes me dizzy and because I am not built like a small Asian child, their clothes don't usually cut it for me. But because they do have their mitts in some very cool collaborations, I thought I'd give them a shot.
Like a good little fashion arbiter, I stayed up way past my bedtime to get in on some choice pieces from the much talked about collection. I did everything right- I pre-registered on the site, I perused the lookbook several thousand times to decide which pieces to get. And as I clicked online at ten to midnight on Thursday night, I got my wish, and loaded up my cart with several dresses, sweaters, two pairs of pants, and a coat. Score right? Wrong.
Because the next day, I got a cryptic email from Cybersource (a name befitting a corporation in a bad action movie), some online security outfit listing my order. I thought it was a bit strange but figured the order was processing, until I found out on Saturday, it was not.
I called Uniqlo and they told me Cybersource flagged and then cancelled my order because I had it delivering my coveted (and sleep deprived )items to a UPS store. Like many in New York, I don't have a doorman, and there's a UPS store around the block that's always the best option to get things to me at home. But there was zero communication between Cybersource and Uniqlo apparently, who didn't even send me an email or flag me at time of sale that they don't deliver to these types of places like Fedex or UPS stores. So guess what? I got not a single item I wanted. And there was not one single f given from the side of Uniqlo. Sure they sent me some passive aggressive email, but they did not offer to restock my cart when the items became available (they sold out quickly) nor did they offer me a promo code for a discount as an apology for cancelling my order and not telling me I would no longer be able to get my items, even though they seem to vaguely be restocking certain items, and of course, they can't tell you when. That's a fail. It made me realize the price you pay for buying mass- if you shop in a boutique you may not always be able to return your goods for a refund, but the customer service is inevitably better. Oh and ps- brands like Everlane are rewriting the book on good customer service- from Facebook messaging to tell you your order is on the way to offering great utilitarian pieces at great prices for those who love an urban uniform. Watch your back, Uniqlo. Watch your back.
In unrelated news, Khan got blessed this weekend by a priest. In a park. Near my house. With a cat wearing a sombrero named Muñeco. That's him above.
It was the blessing of the animals yesterday, where Catholics honor St. Francis of Assisi, an animal lover and my kind of guy. In a small and lovely local spot, animal owners and their pets came and had some holy water sprayed on their best pals, while reciting in unison the blessing. The priests made a point to talk to each and every one of us and pet our dogs, cats, and birds. It was a lovely moment, and as a Jew, I have never experienced something like it, but was so glad I came. It was a wonderful experience and would love to do it again. And as a church, St. Paul's on Carroll Street made us all feel loved and cared for. It was personal, local, and lovely. In terms of customer service, the Catholics got an A+.
Now I know you can't compare mass retail designer Garanimals (y'all know that's what Uniqlo really is, don't hate) to a local church. But here's the thing- they have much in common: they both have loyal followers, bring people satisfaction, and provide a tribal experience- that much coveted behavior marketers are all about. So maybe Uniqlo and big box needs to take a page from a local church and "bless" its loyal congregation with some much needed TLC- some preach to Jesus, some preach to fashion. It doesn't make a difference. If brands are really to be in service to consumers, big ones like Uniqlo need to hit the confession booth, and repent their sins. And that's that.
I didn't even mention my awful experience with DHL this weekend, where they made me wait at home all of Saturday to then later tell me that whoever scheduled this pick up was "too new" to know that they don't do pick ups on Saturday. Ugh.
Cause that's what's up this time to stop shopping and time to start praying kind of Monday in the 212. Yours, in a higher power. XO