I'm curious, are you people even talking about the same store I visited on Loudon Rd in Latham? Next to Night Moves (the strip joint)? This place gave me the worst experience I had in a dress shop. I left the store in tears.
I called a week before I was planning on going in to find out if they had the ONE dress I wanted to try on. I was told by the owner that she didn't have the same dress, but had one that was very similar by the same designer that I could try on and then I could order the other one if I wanted to. She told me that I didn't need an appointment (because I wanted to make one in case something came up). Fine. I told her I would be there the next week to try it on.
I got there and one of the staff led me into the ""bridal area,"" which was full of at least three other brides running around with their dresses half-pinned and hogging the mirror and the pedestal. The staff member showed me the section I was looking for and told me to pull what I want and she?d get me a dressing room when I was ready. Um, ok, not even a little bit of help here?
We started looking through the rack for the dress I was expecting to find when the owner came over and told me that she sold the dress I was coming in to try on right off the rack, and she could bring it out and show it to me but she couldn't let me try it on. THIS is why I wanted to make an appointment, so she could call me and tell me if something happened and I wouldn't waste my time coming down!
I had found a dress that looked somewhat similar to what I was looking for and said I would try that one on instead. Then I wanted to know if she had a dress I had tried on previously at another store that I liked a lot, and just wanted to see it side-by-side with the one I had come in to try on. She didn't carry that line but started pulling a bunch of dresses I really didn't want to try on. I was overwhelmed so I just let her pull them, and she put me into a dressing room with three dresses I didn't want to try on instead of the one I had come in for, and left. My bridesmaid had to come in and help me into the dresses. And the dress I came in to try on was smaller than the other samples that had been pulled so I couldn?t even get it on. I gave up.
The owner and the rest of the staff gave most of their attention to the brides who were still trying things on and hogging the mirror. THIS is why you make APPOINTMENTS. I have never seen a bridal shop run this way. When I left, I left crying. What bride wants to feel like that on leaving a dress store? I certainly didn't deserve to feel like my business wasn't necessary, especially if they wanted me to drop more than $1000 in their store.
The owner was nice, but indifferent at best, and I had a better experience at DeAnna's Country Shoppe in West Sand Lake, where I was the only appointment, I had a full hour of Dianne's time, and was made to feel special. So that's where I chose to spend my money, and she will be getting my 6 bridesmaids' business too.
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