Nordstrom

Sent via snail mail to the General Manager of Nordstrom, Woodland Hills CA:

April 21, 2008

Ms. M- H-
General Manager, Nordstrom
21725 Victory Blvd.
Canoga Park, CA 91303

Dear Ms. H-:

Don’t get me wrong. I am not threatening to leave Nordstrom’s as my preferred location for lingerie in any way, shape, or form. I am normally very difficult to fit due to an over 200 pound weight loss through natural means (no pills, meal replacements, or surgeries). I came to you about half way through that loss, in tears because I had been morbidly obese for so many years that I had no idea how to size myself, and I have had a series of exemplary experiences with your amazing staff since then. That makes it all the more frustrating to be contacting you now, but I can’t take it anymore.

Last Saturday, I had had enough. My sports bras were exhausted and it was time to visit you for new ones. I showed up mid afternoon and it was fairly busy in your Lingerie Department. Eventually, A- C- approached me; I asked where they were located. They are no longer housed on your selling floor, but she was happy to pull my size from the back room as soon as she was finished with her customer. About 10 minutes later, she found me perusing your regular bras and deciding to try some of them on too. Fine so far.

I was escorted to the dressing room and she promised to come back to check on me. She had brought sizes other than what I had requested and it was a good thing too! Apparently sports bras are sized differently than normal ones. I tried them on, decided which of them I wanted, and also decided to buy a couple of Wacol bras at the same time. I emerged from the dressing room to find that the crowds had left the department and the sales staff was chatting behind the register. “Oh, I forgot to check on you!” was the comment from A-. Well, I still get that because it was busy when I went in and I have no idea whether they were slow for 5 minutes or 5 seconds. It was ok.

A- tried to pull additional sports bras from the stock room, but I am an unusual size and there were no more. I’m used to that, and she kindly offered to order them and have them shipped at no charge. I would have preferred to have them transferred to your location because delivery is difficult in my Condominium Complex, but was told that it wasn’t Nordstrom’s policy. So I agreed to have them sent.

It took a number of transactions to get it done. It would have either taken two separate checks or, as A- gladly did, me purchasing a gift card and then her ringing up two separate receipts; one for the three bras that I was carrying from your store and the two that were to be delivered. A total of $300.94 spent. On bras. With maybe a total of 5 minutes spent helping me including register time. But still ok.

A- needed my e-mail address – apparently “the system” e-mails tracking information upon shipment. I supplied that, and also confirmed that the address in your system for delivery was correct. I was exhausted from the process, but calm.

Today started off by me receiving e-mail Spam from Nordstrom, thanking me for signing up to receive on line advertising. (Copy attached.) I was upset by this as I do not like to have my e-mail cluttered but decided that I was over reacting.

I left home for a number of appointments and when I returned, the e-mail from your shipping department was waiting with DHL tracking information and the wrong Condominium # in my address. I live in D12. You were shipping my two $54.00 each bras to D1. Not just a mistake, but a dangerous one since that unit is populated by young men who, for all appearances, are gangsters. I don’t want to knock on their door looking for my package, and certainly DHL doesn’t really want to knock on their door to deliver it either. Yes, I made the phone call and fixed the issue, but I shouldn’t have had to.

I’m not blaming all of it on A-, so please don’t take this letter in that spirit. But enough is enough!

The total is:

1. Stock not housed on selling floor.
2. Forgotten in the dressing room.
3. Adequate inventory in my size not in stock.
4. Not allowed to have bras transferred to your store for pick-up.
5. Multiple register transactions to get them shipped.
6. Unsolicited E-mail spam.
7. Incorrect shipping address.

I feel a little ganged up on.

Sincerely,

Laura Silverman
A loyal but frustrated Nordstrom Customer