Monday, June 13, 2011

Why I love Gap

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.  
This is a response to a fantastic experience I had yesterday.


During the record heat we had last week in the Philadelphia area I discovered that the only shorts I had that fit were my gym shorts.  I'm not a big fan of shorts in general & the gym shorts work for around the house, but what about outside the house?

A shopping trip was in order.

For those who haven't been shopping with me, I'm not one of those people who just shops to shop.  I go to the mall with a mission & not to window shop.  In general I don't go shopping with friends because it slows down the process.  My favorite person to go clothing shopping with is actually my Dad.  He's honest & no-nonsense... but also happened to be at the Phillies game yesterday... so I headed out to the mall alone.

*Additional Side Note*
I worked in retail from age 16 to 26 for seven different companies.  This post is because I know that most of the time we don't hesitate to complain when we have a bad experience.  Unfortunately most people don't take the time to tell when they have a good experience.  We need to share the good ones too!!

--

First I tried Target.  Target had a lot of shorts but everything fell into two categories.
Young - Shorts that were too short, too decorative and clearly too young for me.
Old - Shorts that were too long & too unflattering for my age and body type.

At 28.5 years old I'm in that middle ground where I don't feel the need to dress like a teenager but I also want something that has a bit of style and reflects my age.

--

Next I tried NY & Co.  I find that NY&Co is hit or miss.  Either I end up completely happy or not happy at all.  Yesterday was one of those not happy at all days.  Their selection was small and missing most sizes.  On top of that the service was less than helpful.

--

Before I even walked into Gap I knew it was my last stop.  I can only shop for so long...

I spotted a pair of shorts in the window that I thought would work & began to look around the store for them.  It wasn't long before I found them, but unfortunately I couldn't find my size in the dark wash I wanted.  I worried for a moment that this was going to be just like the previous two stores... but I was wrong.

Why I love the Gap
1. It wasn't hard to find a Salesperson to help me. {Andrea}
2. Once I expressed what I was looking for Andrea was amazing in helping me find shorts that fit the list of what I wanted.
3. She pointed out that the one pair I saw in the window was running small and I should go a size up and that they did have the light wash in stock.
4. She pointed out that the other pair she thought I'd like was running large and I should go a size down.
5. Despite the store being busy she made a point to check in with me on the sales floor & when I was in the dressing room.
6. She was right about the sizes and the two shorts I tried on fit perfectly.
7. She started calling other local stores to try and locate the dark wash pair I was interested in.  Unfortunately none of them had it in stock.
8. One last time she checked her store's inventory for the shorts and when it showed 2 she made it her goal to find them for me.  It took a few minutes of searching the sales floor and back room, but she found them for me.

Andrea didn't know me but she gave me a fantastic experience that saved what otherwise would have been a wasted trip.  The final bonus was they all ended up being on sale!

my new shorts
Thank you Andrea & Gap!!

--

In case you are wondering... Here is what I ended up with.  All jeans... but two of them are stretchy legging like jeans and feel more like yoga pants than jeans.

Boyfriend cut-off shorts <-- go a size down

Skinny cut-offs dark wash <-- go a size up

Skinny cut-offs light wash <-- go a size up

25 comments:

kerrykatiecakes2 said...

Good for you sharing the "attaboy"s as well as the "oh crap"s! I hope Andrea's boss reads this as well and knows what a good person she has working for her!
Hugs,
Kerry
PS - I detest shopping for clothes, shoes, etc. Now put me in a fabric store and it's a different story! lol

Sandy said...

I feel about shopping like you do. My hubby is a better window shopper then me by far. That was a great experience you had and don't blame you for sharing.

Rebecca Merry said...

You've made me want to try our Gap again! I love it when people give "atta boys" (girls) when they're deserved! It's sad that good customer service is getting so few and far between that we're so excited when it actually happens.

Carrie said...

I am pretty new to sewing, but am dying to learn how to quilt. I recently found your blog and am so inspired!

I'm a Gap lover too - I fall into that "I'm 26 and don't want to wear booty shorts but I'm not ready (ever?) for 'mom clothes' either" category as well.
I ordered a ton of sale stuff for my babies from the Gap and the package got stolen off my porch. :( I called Gap customer service and they re-shipped everything! And were super nice about it.

Amy B said...

i need new shorts also and am a shopper with a mission. i have the same issues with trying to find clothes for my age-33. i am not a teen, but not ready for "mom" short either (even though i am one...). Thanks for the great info!! ~ Amy

Renegade Quilter said...

Julie - You are so right. You always here about the bad experiences that people have and hardly ever hear about the good ones. I work behind the scenes in retail and I love to hear customer's say that our company was helpful or that they really liked our service. I always thank them for taking the time to let us know. So thanks for sharing your great experience with the Gap. BTW I shop like you do - on a mission.

Jacque. said...

Like you, I am a firm believer in letting the store know when things went right! I also do it with customer service (phone company, etc.). So, kudos to you!

natalie. beyond the reef said...

I had a friend once tell me - there are hunters, and there are gatherers. I too fall into the 'hunters'. "Need shorts. Must get shorts. Cavemangrowl. Find shorts. Hunt shorts, kill shorts, take stack of shorts home."

Bennett and Graves said...

I always look for a manager, or call the store from home, when I get great help. Had that experience workout shoe shopping for my husband Saturday, got some great help. I am also a shopper with purpose, get in, get out. It's not recreation.

~Michelle~ said...

maybe i ought to try the gap again, the boyfriend shorts look cute - they've been disappointing for the curvy girls like me lately - not everyone is straight as a board, bring back the a-line!

mascanlon said...

How nice you took the time to write this post! And clothes shopping is jusat so annoying, its always to big, to small, sizing makes no sense...unlike fabric where you can just buy it because you love it!!

jstew51576 said...

That is encouraging! I looked for shorts over the weekend (as I am in between sizes and losing weight...one pair literally falls off if I have anything in my pockets!) and went to Old Navy. Now, I was looking for something cheap to meet the $$ allotment on my Groupon, but I should have just gone with the Perfect Bermudas. I tried some 5" shorts that were plaid (uh, no!) and another pair that were too baggy but small in the waist. I'm almost considering sticking with skirts this summer!

Josie McRazie said...

I gotta give you a YAY, too!! I also workied in retail! I was the Manager of two different stores in the mall for a total of seven years (pst one sells to large gals and the other lotions, you do the math!) and I was always blow away when someone actually took the time to say what a great experience they had! Glad you found what you were looking for!

Unknown said...

It's so nice to know there are others out there that feel the same way about shopping. Not a shopper, never be a shopper, for clothes that is!!! Avoid the Malls at all cost. BUT, fabric, Home Improvement and re-sale shops, that's a whole different ball game.
Great post and thanks for sharing.
p.s. great looking shorts.

Katy Cameron said...

Yay for great service! I'm glad I'm not the only one that has issues buying shorts. I tried to explain to my (male) flatmate about the issues of the too short/too young ones, and the old lady ones and he suggested I could fit in the young ones no bother. I tried very hard to explain that just because one can, doesn't mean one should - he didn't get it, guess men don't have these issues lol

Rita Fishel said...

OMG ~ You are SUCH a Joan Hawley clone!!! I could close my eyes and hear her saying all of that!! Glad you finally found some decent shorts!!! :-) Hugs from Ohio (way south and way less civilized that Joan's Ohio!!) Rita

Beth@seasonsofhome said...

You've inspired me. I was putting off buying shorts dreading the hassle but no more!

Angie @ craftedAngles said...

I hate clothes shopping --- but Eddie Bauer is my favorite b/c like your experience with gap, I am in and out with exactly what I want.

momto2wasd said...

So nice to hear the good stories! Sadly for me, I feel like The Gap is getting close to that point where it's a little too young for me. :(

Christina said...

That is great!!! I love the Gap, I worked there for years and I still love shopping there. Such good training there that staff is always up on there product knowledge!

WoolenSails said...

I am a baggy jean person, like loose fitting shorts. Hate shopping for clothes, seems they never have my sizes. Haven't been to a mall in years, lol.

Debbie

amy said...

I love Gap, the only brand that always fit me right :)

harleywife57/ Mickey White said...

Thanks for sharing a POSITIVE Story !! GAP has great customer service ! online and the stores . FYI , their kids clothes are well made ; watch for clearance and sales (get on their email list !) and you will find good deals for your niece and nephew ! (and you , too !) their ladie's panties and men's underwear are nice , too ; kinda pricey , but a good deal on sale ! do I like GAP --- YES !!

JuneBug said...

Yay! What a wonderful shorts buying story :) (and if you loved the fit of the gap shorts... try the Old Navy shorts too)

Janelle said...

You are so right on so many levels! It is so nice to hear somebody's good comments on things! I'm 29, worked in an espresso stand for 10 years and now am a mostly stay at home mom and work part time at a quilt shop. Everybody should work retail. It would hopefully change their views on things!