I've never experienced such rude and unprofessional behavior at any store of any kind as I did at The Tannery on Boylston St. I bought two pairs of shoes (buy one - get one at half price). I wore the shoes around my apartment to test them out and I could tell I made a mistake. My feet were slipping and I knew that if I walked any distance in them, I would have major blisters. So, less than two weeks later, I took them back to the store for store credit. (The Tannery has signs that say no refunds/only store credit.) When I took them to the counter, the clerk got the manager and he took one look at my receipt and said ""NO!"" and started walking away. My husband and I were confused and we asked him why. He turned around and said that they do not give store credit unless you return the shoes within 7 days of purchase. We asked him to look at the condition of the shoes - they were in the same condition as when I bought them. He did not even open the box, much less inspect the shoes. This seems to me to be very arbitrary, bad business bordering on a scam. We told him this, also told him we can buy shoes somewhere else, and we left.\r
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It was not simply that their policy lacked any regard for a customer's needs. Their attitude and demeaner was rude, dismissive, demeaning and hostile. It was one of the most frustrating and unpleasant exchanges I've ever had with a place where I'd spent well over $100. Life is way too short to do business with stores that seem convinced that their customer is their enemy.\r
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After my horrible experience at The Tannery, I ordered a pair of shoes online from a large shoe retailer. I was impressed with their selection, free shipping, and you have 365 days to return your purchase if you are not happy with it. The return shipping is free also. My shoes arrived within 3 days of ordering them.\r
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I'll never step foot in The Tannery again!
Pros: on Boylston St.
Cons: complete lack of customer service
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