Tragically hip, pretentious, posed out sales staff with no authentic clue on what it means to truly stand for alternative ideas in fashion or anything else for that matter
Purchased an $85 sweater 3 months ago, with no help from hyper homely hipster staff, mind you. Stoned cashier forgets to remove the theft sensor, which did not set off the alarm when i left.
I get the sweater home, and a month later when it gets cold enough decide to break it out only to be annoyed to find the sensor attached.
Work a brutal 10 hr/day monday to friday gig, so can't make it up there easily. Finally, on a monday @ 1:00 pm ( with a dr appt, stop over there,)_ only to find the store unexplainedly closed, with no signs to indicate why. I break out the cell phone to call them and find out the scoop, and there is absolutely no indication as to why they are closed, simply a recording, ""leave a message"".
Again, no time to get over there, what a hassle. I finally make it over there again today. The sweater has been in my car trunk for 3 months now in the villains bag it was purchased in. I find that the receipt is not in the bag. Still, I figure I will walk in see the store clerk immediately who will see me enter with the merchandise in the bag. I will tell them what happened and ask them to please remove the sensor.
The homely fake hipster sales girl says she cannot do anything about it and has to go get her ""manager"". Neanderthal looking and acting manager comes over and says he cannot remove the sensor unless I have a receipt. I say, why would i walk in here with a sweater in a villains bag if i stole it? I ask them to run my credit card to find the transacttion, the way they do at major department stores, to which fat cro magnon in slim fit jeans which he should not be wearing looks as confused as a primate in calculus class.
he says he cannot remove the tag. he says he has called his manager, and it is against store policy to remove the sensor unless i go home and find the receipt or bring back a credit card statement showing that i have bought something from villians.
Now that they have clearly dug their heels into a brilliant customer service position, i ask them incredulously why the store was closed mysteriously a few weeks ago on a MONDAY....which only served to aggravate the whole situation...to which they smugly replied...""it was yom kippur"".
Oh, yah. Right. Everyone who shops at Villians is an orthodox jew too.
For the record, I am a clothing industry retail professional. The merchandise at Villains in the nineties was something to go out of your way for. Of late, the style, aesthetic taste level and understanding of forward trend has slipped tremendously. The store is now on it's way to the sub schlock that happened to that old store called headlines, years back.
For the kind of merchandise one would hope to find at Villians, you are far better off at Nomads on Hayes St. where the proprieter is much farther along on the ape chart and actually operates the store with opposable thumbs and a true, relevant sense of alternative, interesting style. For t-shirts and quick fashion, the selection at urban outfitters is even better, or for that matter H&M, where they will at least take the god damn sensors of your clothes and you can prove your purchase if you have your credit card with you.
How sad. Was once one of the only clothing stores in San Francisco to get a glimpse of something slightly different, that you would otherwise have to go to LA or NY for.
Adam Howard, neanderthal manager: sorry my expectations of you were too high, didn't realize you were only 3rd on the chart in bio class. hooo hooo hooo.
Pros: Former Reputation for trend forward clothing
Cons: The worst customer service, miserable experience
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