Macy’s Customer Service

I am making a public complaint about Macy’s Customer Service.  I realize that the economy is hard. I get that companies have to role back and make changes in business practice to keep themselves above water, but this is more about a blow to my ego than any thing else.

About ELEVEN years ago, as in 2001,  I want through a really bad divorce.  Many of us can relate.  My story is no different than the next guy or gals.  Divorce happens.  I owned a successful business that went into crazy divorce attorneys hands. Not my choice, but really I was not about to spend the next two years fighting over a business.  I ended up carrying the debt load and thus my excellent credit was shot in a few short months.  In all of that there were two things I maintained.  My Target card, and my Macy’s card.   A member with both companies for over 20 years.  Pay off the balances each month in full and although my credit was shot I could still swipe those cards any day of the week and slowly build back my credit. That was until last Friday.

Every Christmas, with Macy’s card in hand, discount coupons, $10.00’s off, and 20% off coupons for STAR account holders like myself I start my Christmas shopping.   My family room furniture that I sit on today, the area rugs, the furniture in my living-room, the special dishes, the food processor all purchases made from Macy’s Department Store.  All respectfully put on my Macy’s card and paid if full with next month’s bill.  Half the clothes in my closet and the lovely linens purchased only four months ago, respectfully put on my Macy’s card and paid in full with the next statement. I know this to be true as my husband pays the bills and would never allow a balance to transfer to the next month. He married a woman who is mindful of purchases not to exceed our spending of mad money. So what’s my complaint?

On Friday, December 9, 2012 with my first gift of the season to be purchased I go to my favorite store Macy’s.  I buy something for my oldest.  Traditions as old as he is, socks, t-shirts and chocolates.  I buy matching jammies for the younger three boys.  I then go downstairs to purchase my daughter’s favorite perfume and the card is declined.  A mistake, so I ask the nice sales gal to run it through again, and once again it is declined.  She then offers to call Macy’s customer service line for me, to which she whispers into the phone, then looks at me and says,” I am sorry they can not give me any information.”  I am convinced my identity is stolen.  I walk out of the store, buy a coffee and call the customer service line.  To which they tell me this.  “Two months ago we changed our business practices.  We now extend limits of credit based on a credit score.  Ouch.

Does a divorce and financial slaughtering carry forward this many years that two months ago my “revolving limit” (which basically means you are our Star Rewards Card Holder, buy what you want when you want) is now only worth $100.00  credit limit.  I was wounded, my ego, that is. I went back to the store and returned my purchases.  I have been a loyal customer for 20 years.  My personal financial slaughtering ELEVEN years earlier did nothing to effect my perfect credit with Macy’s, until two month ago.  I am a girl. Sometimes I cried. I had my list in my hand and five kids I was shopping for. Like every year past.  I thought I should just write them a letter and enclose my cut up card.

Target and Macy’s were two companies that walked with me through tragic times and I could still enjoy shopping and paying when the bill came.  Those are the only two credit cards to my name.  Now I will be a Target card holder only.  All purchases aside from these two stores are from my debit card.  Like I said, I am always mindful when shopping of our family finances.

Sorry Macy’s Department Store.  A store in which I brought my interior design clients  to for lovely furniture, home fashions, interiors, and all the little things. This will be the first year in ten that my boys are not wearing matching Christmas sweaters from your Ralph Lauren department. Nordstroms got that business on Friday.  They also got my business for jammies, t-shirts and socks for my older son. See’s Candy will provide the chocolates, and all those fun stocking stuffers you carefully place around the escalators, items I look forward to buying will no longer have my eye for purchase.  I get it. I am not offended that you have to change your business practices for survival. I am offended that my twenty years of being a terrific customer was just a number in your computers.  I was bummed that I could not use all those coupons they sent me.  Coupons that say…”receive an additional 20% off entire purchase when using your card”.  It was a silly teaser to a shopper like me, but I will recover.  The gal who waxes my eyebrows, Katie will no longer have my business or the other women in this household and lucky for me the lovely perfume my daughter loves was at Nordstrom for $2.00 less.

Our Christmas will be much enjoyed.  Macy’s will not break our spirits, well okay it did mine for about ten minutes of whining.  Only to realize and remember how very blessed we are. In times when department stores are struggling and changing their business practices to keep a float I am truly blessed.  We have jobs, we have health, we have a little extra to check items off on seven Christmas lists in our home. Our large family will gather around the tree and no one has ever asked “where did you get that?”  Macy’s will not be the subject of conversations.  Jesus, a little baby to which we hold great honor and placement in our home.  Stockings filled with treasures and next month my ego will not have even remembered that moment of being left behind in the numbers system with what was once my favorite store to shop. Macy’s will not have to try to provide customer service.  They did however issue me a $15.00 credit for my inconvenience, which will never be used, but thanks it was an attempt at customer service.

UPDATE March 30, 2016

I was skipping through older blog posts and came across this one. Who was the ninny-noggin who decided it was a good idea to cut back on credit being extended.  Macy’s now closing stores all over the nation, four years after writing this post. Did they not realize that a nation was under economic down turns.  That people WILL recover and when they do, they will keep shopping even more at their favorite stores. Imagine the roll out of taking away shopping privileges and credit. When people recover, people like myself, we have dropped the habit of Macy’s and found other avenues to shop. This is sad and tragic on many levels. I am sure I am not the only customer, that day back in 2012, who had their once revolving account declined. Keep in mind, my account was up to date. Never a payment missed and I pay my cards off each month. It was a computer spit out of compromised credit history from almost 12  years earlier. Customer Service and Customer Relationships are what TRUMP business today. If only the ninny-noggin at Macy’s Corporate could have known that brand loyalty will survive every economic turn.

About Elizabeth Harris Art Gallery

Interior Designer, Consultant, Artist. Which is it they ask? All of the above. God has blessed me in ways that words cannot describe. Doing what I love and making a career out of it all. Starting with a beautiful designer showroom. Decorating homes and specializing in kid's spaces. Magazine covers and spreads, then show homes. Adding in business consulting. Working alongside my clients to develop a strategic plan to design and market their product or service in the correct markets. Then one day, after years of painting for my clients, a few gallies, my hobby business I decided in the second half of my life to bring Elizabeth Harris Art Gallery to life. I took my paintings to the streets and flipped my website into my "Art You Love" business. Do what you love and love what you do. Adding Elizabeth Harris Art Gallery and creating artful pieces for your home, office, business. An empty wall invites art you love by Elizabeth Harris Art Gallery. Your Dreams & Passions, My Experience & Help. Let's work together and build something beautiful in your home business, or on your walls.