Client brawls, rude staff: Has luxury forgotten retail etiquette?

Discussion of retail etiquette in luxury is nothing new. But the topic has recently gained renewed relevancy, especially in China, thanks to factors such as post-pandemic store reopenings and online virality. Several high-profile incidents set China’s social media ablaze this year, including one at Louis Vuitton’s Hefei Yintai Center that saw a woman accost a sales associate after discovering her husband’s affair with the worker. Captured on video and widely shared across social platforms last month, the incident raised ethical questions about the luxury industry, including accusations that some sales staff exploit relationships with wealthy clients to boost revenue. The same week as the Louis Vuitton debacle, workers at Fendi’s boutique in Ginza, Tokyo, found themselves embroiled in online debate after New York-based fashion specialist Annie Datouzai took to Xiaohongshu to complain about poor service. In a now-viral post, Datouzai accused a sales associate of abruptly removing a shawl she intended to buy and passing it to another customer. Despite an apology that involved staff kneeling before her, the manager defended the staffer. Fendi’s store head later admitted the mistake and unprofessional behavior in an official apology email. Rude shoppers As similar stories make headlines, a counterclaim has emerged: luxury shoppers are becoming increasingly impolite. “There’s definitely some special situations I’ve encountered that have left a deep impression,” recalls one employee who works at Louis Vuitton’s Wuxi store and requested anonymity due to personal reasons. The employee recited an incident involving a customer who refused to queue at the store’s entrance: “He threatened me to let him cut in line, but when I didn’t back down, he warned me that if I didn’t let him in, he would get physical with me.” These behaviors transcend luxury. In 2022, UK publication The Times reported that staff at the country’s largest book retailer Waterstones had been subject to abuse by customers due to delivery issues leading to six-week delays and affecting the availability of pre-ordered books. Employees shared stories of “shoppers throwing editions at them in anger.” On TikTok, the hashtag #rudecustomer has racked up almost 20,000 posts, with users sharing their run-ins with rude patrons, ranging from dealing with moderately difficult shoppers to intense meltdowns, with the vast majority occurring in the hospitality and fast food industries. Though these types of interaction have gained visibility, the Louis Vuitton employee suggests that there hasn’t been a rise in rudeness, noting that these encounters are typically isolated. With platforms like TikTok amplifying coverage and discussion, such incidents aren’t necessarily happening more frequently, but they’re far more conspicuous. As online audiences share their own experiences, these stories gain traction, ultimately driving broader conversations and intensifying scrutiny. One employee based at a luxury concession in Selfridges in the UK, who requested anonymity due to company policy, believes that dealing with rude customers is just part and parcel of the job. “In any customer-facing role you will ultimately encounter all different types of personalities,” she says. “But I think it’s a common misconception that wealthy shoppers are rude. In my experience, some high-net-worth customers have been the kindest and more understanding.” Rude retail assistants Shoppers have also taken to the internet to share their encounters with rude sales associates, particularly in high-end stores. Earlier this year, a Chinese customer made headlines after making assistants at Louis Vuitton’s outlet in Chongqing’s StarLight Place shopping center count $84,000 in cash for two hours, before leaving empty-handed, after experiencing “stand-offish” and rude behavior from the store’s staff two months prior. The news went viral on Chinese social media, prompting other disgruntled shoppers to chime in and share their own negative experiences with retail employees in luxury stores. Meanwhile, American TV personality Bethenny Frankel’s TikTok thread of her being refused entry to Chanel’s Chicago store in May gained over 44 million views. Can widely documented disputes like these dent a brand’s reputation? It’s possible, judging by the comments under Frankel’s “Chanelgate” TikTok posts. One user, for example, wrote: “I experienced the same thing in Florence and will never make the same mistake twice. I’ve always said Chanel is overrated, Dior is far superior.” One sales associate from Burberry’s Wuxi store, who also requested anonymity, explains that the brand places great emphasis on its customer service. “We conduct mystery shopper assessments every month,” she says. “While many customers don’t initially make a purchase during their first visit, they will often return within a week after conversing with the staff on WeChat, because their initial interaction left such a good impression,” she adds. Likewise, the Louis Vuitton employee explains that staff undergo rigorous training on improving the quality of service, alongside conflict management. But Daniel Langer, CEO of Équité, contends that in-store service at luxury boutiques is falling significantly short of expectations. “A recent mystery shopper exercise I conducted for a leading global luxury brand unveiled a troubling reality: inadequate customer support and a lack of total attention are more prevalent than one might assume,” he wrote for Jing Daily. Langer notes that poor staff training and clients feeling ignored are staining brands’ image and impacting consumer loyalty. “Brands must realize that client experience is not a secondary concern, but the very foundation of their success,” he continues. Conversely, the employee at Selfridges counters that soaring customer expectations are becoming increasingly impossible to fully meet. “Some customers perhaps feel more entitled to a certain level of service, but it sometimes just can’t be delivered,” she says.

Client brawls, rude staff: Has luxury forgotten retail etiquette?

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Published November 27, 2024

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Client brawls, rude staff: Has luxury forgotten retail etiquette?