I’m definitely unhappy with Macy’s.  I know that friends of mine and other people that I talk to aren’t too happy or impressed with them either.  I’m trying to help Macy’s because I’d like to see them become a power in the retailing business like they used to be.  I’d like to see some competition between them and Nordstrom and others so that consumers can have a better shopping experience.  Just like competition makes things better with other business, I feel that if Macy’s were to step up to the plate and really become competitive with the likes of Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s, then people could find great clothing and other merchandise at a great price and these stores would still be turning a profit.  It would be a win-win situation for all parties involved.

Mr. Lundgren, I challenge you to upgrade the Macy’s experience, your stores and the benefits you offer employees so that they create a better experience for shoppers.  Publish a customer bill of rights so that the public knows that Macy’s is serious in trying to restructure their business model and serious about their customers.  Only then will Macy’s become a truly great store and the world will really be able to “discover the magic of Macy’s.”

Their commercials on television promote “discovering the magic of Macy’s” but I don’t see it at all.  In the early 20th century, Macy’s used to test everything they sold.  When you walked into a Macy’s you knew what you were getting because they had put their stamp of approval on it.  That’s why it was in their stores, because it was good quality.  They knew their products and they knew them well.  Macy’s was the premier store and everyone knew that.  It’s nowhere near that level now and I’m wondering why.

I’ve never visited the flagship store in New York, but I imagine it as a beautiful emporium with a lot of merchandise that any shopper can appreciate.

Macy's on 34th Street in New York

I have heard their West Coast flagship store in San Fransisco is giant and absolutely stunning.

Macy's flagship store in San Fransisco

I understand every Macy’s can’t be like these two stores, but they should all be of a certain quality and caliber.  It seems like some are just so uninspiring.  Something needs to be done.

I went to a Ross store this morning and found a couple of dress shirts that are the same shirts you can find at Macy’s, but at a significantly lower price.  At Macy’s, a Geoffrey Beene shirt retails for $49.50 but it’s on sale for $32.99.  The same one I found at Ross for $14.99.  I also found Van Heusen dress shirts at Ross for $12.99 and $17.99.  Van Heusen shirts at Macy’s are $40 regular price and on sale right now for $26.99.

Why on earth would I go to Macy’s to buy cheap dress shirts when I can go to Ross and get the same thing?  Why would I buy a more expensive shirt at Macy’s when I can get something similar at Nordstrom or Bloomingdales for around the same price?  And I definitely won’t have an employee giving me a hard time for trying on a shirt at either of those stores.

I think I’ve answered my own questions.

At Nordstrom the employees know their inventory.  If I have a question about colors, styles, a brand, whatever it may be, they know it and they are on top of their game.  When it comes to expertise, I’ve gone to the Rail at Nordstrom and asked about a pair of jeans and the employees knew that they didn’t carry them and gave me suggestions as to where I could find them.  I don’t anticipate such help at Macy’s.

Nordstrom’s is more “upscale” then Macy’s.  But I feel that Macy’s prices are almost equal to Nordstrom. It’s just that Nordstrom may carry a few more brands that are more expensive compared to Macy’s.  Macy’s and Nordstrom are in the same mall thus shoppers can compare prices.

The other day when I was at Macy’s, I was walking through one level and saw in the woman’s department a display of clothing for Marc by Marc Jacobs.  This surprised me a little considering Macy’s carries some pretty inexpensive brands.  But I must give some credit to Macy’s because they do carry all kinds of different brands and they have something for everyone.  For me though, I’m not interested in buying Ecko Unlimited or Sean John, so if I’m in the mood to buy something from Ralph Lauren, I am going to go to Bloomingdale’s or other upscale shops because I’m just so turned off by the negative image that Macy’s presents.

They take no initiative at all.  In other words they don’t offer suggestions or don’t go out of their way for you.  The salespeople wait for you to come up to them if you need help or have questions.  You might as well walk out of the store and find another venue where they are more interested in you.

Is there any training of employees at Macy’s?  If there is, there certainly isn’t much supervision by upper management or by shareholders.  This place needs some shaking up by someone if it isn’t going to be done by the CEO.  The salespeople are not welcoming and not necessarily friendly either.  You might come across the occasional employee who is decent, but for such a big company is this normal?  No salespeople go out of their way for you which makes me wonder why I every spend any time or money there and why anyone else does either.

Mr. Lundgren, are you going to give your employees some satisfaction other than a paycheck on Friday afternoon?

Check out Macy’s employee benefits vs. Nordstrom employee benefits and the way the pages are layed out.

Macy’s

http://www.macysjobs.com/benefits/

Nordstrom

http://about.nordstrom.com/careers/careers/benefits.asp

About 3 weeks ago I was thinking about getting a pair of slacks for an upcoming event.  I was thinking Hugo Boss because I like the way their products fit me.  It’s good quality.  My dad had mentioned seeing in the Macy’s newspaper circular that they had Joseph Abboud slacks for an excellent price.  Almost too good of a price.  I like to shop so I figured I’d take a look at them.  I went to the premier mall in Orange County.  I assumed their Macy’s had a good men’s department.  I noticed they had a huge section of suits, slacks and sport coats.  I had to track down a salesperson as the only other ones I could find were busy completing a sale.  When I finally caught the man’s attention I asked him about these slacks and where they were.  He thought he knew and took me around the whole store before saying he wasn’t sure where they were located.  He handed me off to another employee who then told me they don’t carry Joseph Abboud slacks.  I thought to myself this is crazy.  It’s in the Macy’s advertisements yet this store doesn’t even carry them??  Ridiculous.

I ended up going to Nordstrom’s, paying more, but having a much better experience.

(Click Photos to Enlarge)

In the upper left is an empty checkout station where men’s dress shirts and shoes are located.  Where are the employees?

The second picture is just a general look across the floor of the men’s dress shirt and tie area and no employee’s can be found.

The third picture is another shot of a checkout near the sport coats and blazers.  No employee is at the desk and they’re not in the vicinity either.

The fourth picture is still in the men’s department but where some underwear and more casual clothing is located.  The checkout area is once again deserted.

This place is a ghost town.  There was a nice lady inside the men’s cologne display who said hello to me and asked if I needed help with anything.  There were maybe 2 or 3 other employees I found roaming around but I’m not even sure what they were doing.  They didn’t greet me, just looked at me.  I kept walking.

I’m not surprised.  The more research I do, the more and more I am disappointed in this department store.

After experiencing these situations, I started to think of ways that I would improve Macy’s if I were in the position of CEO.  It’s funny because the cosmetics department actually looked fairly nice.  It was a lot brighter and shall I say “louder” than the one at Bloomingdale’s but that is understandable since they are not the same department store.

But to the CEO of Macy’s, Terry Lundgren, I would like to see some major changes at Macy’s.  First, Terry, I want you to create a customer bill of rights and publish it.  Included in this bill of rights and the most important item should be, the customer is always right.  He is your bread and butter.

This is a golden rule of retail or sales, yet your locations cease to exhibit or understand this principle.

Number 2, your stores need plenty of salespeople on the floor that can actually assist customers.

Number 3, your employees must know the products you carry.

Number 4, the salespeople you hire must have a sense of what looks good on a customer.

Number 5, the customer should never have to hunt down a salesperson.

Number 6, you must have enough checkout areas so you don’t have 7 people waiting just to buy a shirt or a box of underwear on a busy day.

These are simple changes that could greatly enhance the shopping experience for customers and your profitability.  I will elaborate later on what other improvements can be made besides just the customer service requirements.  With just these simple steps, I believe Macy’s could become a more popular shopping destination and be the first choice among consumers when they are thinking of places to shop.

All of the shirts seemed to be the same even though they had different labels.  I’ve always had good luck with Ralph Lauren so I decided to try their shirt on in the dressing room.  Once inside the dressing room I had to open the shirt up and take out all the pins and the plastic around the collar.  The shirt was kind of baggy just like the others with way too much room in the arm portions and around my torso.  I showed my dad who was standing outside the fitting room to get his opinion.  A woman who was standing next to my room folding shirts started scolding me for trying the shirt on.  She told me I’m not allowed to try on shirts.  I ignored her.  Then she comes up to me and snarls “You can’t do that here, you have to buy the shirt.”  So I asked her in a gentle way “how will I know if the shirt is right for me if I can’t try it on?”  Her response was I have to buy it and if it doesn’t fit then I can return it within 6 months.  I laughed, took the shirt off and left the store.  I couldn’t believe this woman would say this to me!  I’m still not sure what her position is at Macy’s because she definitely wasn’t a salesperson on the floor of the store.

I’ve been disappointed in Macy’s before but never like this.  I’ve never worked in retail but the customer’s always right.  I was going to buy a shirt there that day.  With that employee being so overbearing and demanding I left without purchasing anything.

I won’t be back.