Nad J
Very bad experience at COS including the store manager’s approach. I tried to return a suit within two days of buying it, with the original tag still on, because the material felt too thick. The manager refused the return, claiming there was a small foundation stain on the back of the collar and implied I had worn it. I was immediately taken aback by this approach, rather than handling the situation professionally, he implied that I had worn the suit and was being dishonest. I explained that I bought it in this condition and hadn’t even noticed the stain, which means the store failed to check the item properly before selling it. His response was dismissive. Instead of acknowledging the possibility that the stain was there before my purchase, he kept repeating that they "always check their items carefully" which is clearly false, as I previously bought a white T-shirt from COS that had a slight stain. I simply washed it at home and moved on, but this shows they do not inspect their items as well as they claim. This manager’s attitude was simply not professional. When I told him he should handle customer service better, he remained dismissive, smiling under his nose, completely not being interested in all of this, he showed no willingness to help a simple human to human approach. When I got upset, he told me to leave the store, making the situation worse. A store manager should aim to resolve conflicts, not escalate them and I was within my rights to express dissatisfaction. I also mentioned a past issue where I bought a shirt that was supposed to come with a belt, yet the belt was missing when I got home. They didn’t pack it. Clearly, mistakes happen on their end, yet when a customer points it out, they refuse to take responsibility. To make matters worse, a woman entered the store who seemed to know the manager / friend / colleague. She had not heard our conversation, but after he spoke to her and probably implied again that I’m maybe trying to return a used item, she looked at me aggressively and made a hand gesture next to her head while talking to him, as if implying I was crazy. Naturally, I looked at her, and she immediately started walking in my direction, shouting aggressively “Why are you looking at me?" I responded by asking why she was making disrespectful gestures about me. At that point, she completely lost control shouting at me, insulting me, making aggressive gestures, and calling me names. This happened right in front of the manager, who did nothing to intervene. In the midst of this I simply said, “It’s Ramadan, and I’ll leave judgments to God,” to which she responded insulting God! This is called harassment. This experience was completely unacceptable, from the lack of professionalism from the manager to the outright hostility from another woman, seemingly encouraged by him. A store manager should know how to treat customers in the right way. I understand that policies exist, and I was willing to discuss it professionally, but the way I was treated was insulting and unacceptable. He didn’t even try to have a proper discussion, just kept repeating that he wouldn’t sell it to another customer, placing all the blame on me in a dismissive manner. I understand that the situation was stressful, and I recognize that stores need to be cautious with returns. That level of unprofessionalism is completely unacceptable. Stain or no stain, don’t come and tell me I wore and used the item. He even wrote on my receipt “ item used”. People try clothes and it’s not unusual to stain them while trying. I will not be shopping at COS again, and I strongly urge management to reconsider who they hire to handle customer service. I regret I did not call the police.
