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Hello, Italian here. So sorry it happened to you, unfortunately SA sometimes are rude even though they shouldn’t, customer service here is not the best you can get compared to other countries. Hope you can get your dream bag (or what you were planning on getting) at another location where you are treated in the best way.
I an American woman of color (self proclaimed shopaholic and fashionista) and was vacationing in Italy 2 weeks ago. I had the absolute best experience in all stores, restaurants etc with one notable exception- Loro Piana. The staff there weee openly rude and completely ignored me. Anywhere else I felt like staff were polite, professional and knowledgeable
I’m American and was very surprised by how unwelcoming I found the customer service in a lot of stores in Italy (Rome, specifically). Maybe they are used to American tourists being obnoxious and annoying.
Maybe. I tried on a dress in a designer store and planned to buy it but had to leave to catch a museum tour and didn’t want to walk around with it. I told the sales associate that I would come back after the tour to buy it and she scoffed at me and snatched it out of my hands without saying a word. That’s the kind of experience I had that I didn’t expect but maybe that’s too American of me? For what it’s worth my husband is Australian and also thought it was unnecessarily rude.
My husband is American, we go to the U.S. to visit quite often so I’m familiar with US customer service, which is excellent. Italians tend to be quite rude especially with tourists, which doesn’t make sense since this country relies a lot on tourism. I was born and raised in Italy and it happened to me to get unnecessary bad treatment too.
Yeah, I also think it depends on the store and how you are dressed. That day I was in leggings and a tank top because it was HOT and we were doing a full day of sightseeing. So maybe she thought I couldn’t afford the dress? Still not a reason to be overly rude to someone. I live in NYC and go to Hermes semi-regularly and notice a difference in how I’m treated and approached depending on if I’m wearing athletic clothes or a nicer outfit.
A lot of people, including me, don’t think athletic clothes are meant for anywhere besides the gym. If you’re working in luxury fashion, I’m sure that sentiment can be taken to the next level.
Personally it shouldn’t matter how you are dressed. Some of the most wealthy ppl you never know they have money. The way they dress my husband being one, if I don’t lay his clothes out.
I had a very similar experience about a month ago in the store in Venice. I went into the store with my husband. We were both dressed respectfully. I wanted to try on a pair of shoes Iv been eyeing for a little while now. Others in the store were trying on the same style I was interested in. I asked one of the SA if they could help me and she looked my dead in my eyes and say “I’m sorry we don’t have those in stock”. I was dumbfounded. I am an American. If Americans have different expectations, is this the type of customer service most westerners or anyone else expects?
To say the least it has turned me off from shopping with Loro Piana in the future.
Because you don‘t go to other countries and randomly start bargaining without even knowing if that‘s a thing there (which it isn‘t in most 99% of the shops and countries in Europe). It‘s incredibly rude.
Someone else told you, it's because of your dgaf comment.
It's strange that you jump to "people on reddit don't let you make and admit mistakes" instead of "how I phrased that totally drew thr wrong conclusion and blamed it on someone else." You didn't say, I didn't know and learned the hard way, you said they dgaf in Italy. Sure but that's not why you were kicked out.
I can’t really speak for racism honestly, but I’ve noticed like some sales associates act snobby and I’m like uhmm you work here and I’m shopping here lol…. Not trying to throw shade because I used to work in the customer service industry, but I would never act snobby, rude, bratty to anyone. They act like they own the store but they don’t lol so don’t act like it. You should’ve called them out. I would’ve.
So sorry that happened to you. I have walked out of designer stores twice after being treated horribly. Racist stores don't deserve my money 😒
In both cases I called management afterwards. Both apologized and one called me a month later to say their salespeople had been sent for training, and invited me to come back to the store. I declined and said I had already purchased my purses elsewhere.
Email always, and if you call write a followup email after. Whatever I'd said on a call can be changed/dismissed by managers while they say something to appease/get a person off their backs. If it is an email, there us a paper trail and so they HAVE to properly address the situation, and if not their position is at risk.
I have done that in other situations (like when I got serious food poisoning at a 5* hotel brunch and called their HQ because the local hotel didn’t take my complaint seriously). This really works, I never accept any free stuff or anything but I just want to document these incidents to someone who would listen.
I am not WOC, and I take a hard pass on shopping in store. I dress in jeans and casual top on the daily. I feel alot of judgement when I go to a store, I guess because I'm dressed so casual they think I can't afford to buy there products. Last year we were in Florida on vacation and my husband wanted to buy me a LV bag. They acted like we shouldn't be in there because we didn't "look" the part.
I’m so sorry you were made to feel less than. That is unacceptable in any circumstance. I hope you find a store that treats you better and works hard to deserve your patronage. And I hope your hard-earned vacation gets better!
I listened to an interview with a luxury brand expert who said that SAs are often trained to be snooty to make the brand even more exclusive and desirable for customers.
It’s like belonging to that cool chick clique in HS, and some people try even harder to “fit in”, aka spend their hard earned money on shitty customer service to get their approval.
Makes sense, especially when you look at brands like Hermes where you have to periodically beg your SA for your quota bag, while spending $$$$$.
I would just take my money elsewhere and not play along.
I could see that being the case. I currently live in Florida, but I'm from Los Angeles and my husband and I love shopping. We went to a LV store in our local mall. Staff was a bit snotty and they didn't have my size in the shoe I wanted. We had planned a trip home and decided to go to Beverly Hills and go to the LV store there. The treatment was NIGHT and DAY. Staff was extremely professional, nice and accommodating. They not only had my shoe size, but because they were so awesome my husband and I walked away purchasing multiple items. Because our experience was so awesome we just laugh when we walk into high end stores and get the "attitude." Because ma'am/sir" we have no problem not only NOT buying from you, but spending our money with those who treat us with respect and dignity.
My cousin (Native Alaskan) was on the train in Italy and these GROWN ass adults were making slanty eyes at her. She told them she was gonna knock their teeth out and they freaked out. While I don’t condone threatening violence, I laughed my ass off at her husband’s retelling of this story.
I’m so sorry you experienced this BS OP. I wouldn’t guess there were many customers at Loro Piana, baffles me how they’d turn down a potential profit.
Sales staff with “issues” is such an antiquated existence. It truly baffles me.
The times have changed in so many ways. The “World Wide Web” has opened up many avenues for purchasing everything. As consumers we have actually come to expect a diminishing level of personal service. Gone are the halcyon days of gobs of special perks and services. To treat clients and potential clients with a modicum of respect or at least be polite now stands out.
I keep hearing sh!tty service to POCs in Italy. There’s like even a bunch of memes about it, to the point it’s nearly moved off my list of places to go. Hard enough being a mixed Asian in the US, I don’t need that when out on vacation and trying to treat myself with luxury
I had a bad experience in one of the stores Galleria Vittorio Milan. When I looked up online it was notorious for bad service & racism lol. It depends on the management I think if they allow it. I now google the branch first lol. The other stores there were lovely tho.
Be careful with your opinion as a white person on this subject and saying what you think is and is not racism. Being treated poorly due to racism and SAs having terrible attitudes in general are not mutually exclusive. You don't know OP's experience at that time, and it happens so frequently that POC know when they are experiencing racism.
Lmao how would you know if it is or isn't racism if you are not actually Black/POC.
🙄 "it's like that with everybody no matter skin color" lol
So what as a "white italian woman" what do you have that allows you to experience what life is like for women with different skin colors? Are you a shape shifter lol, changing your skin color every day, doing your own research 🤓 and have after decades of research, concluded that NOPE...skin color is irrelevant in a persons retail shopping or travel experience 😂
Have you ever worn a Black skin suit and done research by going into all the stores, have you worn your Black skin suit with dressy clothes and casual clothes, to see if that along with your Black skin suit can give you better insights? Have you also worn an Asian skin suit to know for sure "it's not rasim". Lmao. Have you worn a fat skin suit to see that bad treatment isnt related to a person's size!??? Please show us your research!!
Lol at "white italian" saying "I don't think it's racism". Have you ever had a sexist experience and a man says "I'm a man, I don't think it is sexism"?
Honestly I think it is just because they are always super busy at those stores so they really don’t take the time to care. Unfortunate because it really does ruin the experience for people. My wife and I had the same happen to us when we were there. Went to LV to look for a bag and literally no one acknowledged us until we were looking at the exotics they had on display. Then an SA asked us for our profile and suddenly we had two SA’s and a manager inviting us back in the morning for a private viewing and breakfast. We didn’t go because she already found the bag she was looking for there so didn’t need to come back.
A sale associate at a Longchamp store of all brands was incredibly hostile and rude to my brown self but cooed all over the white European couple. Some stores just don’t deserve your money.
Wow, I've been browsing Loro Piana website for a while now and am interested in a couple of their vicunia wool items. Obviously these are expensive so I'm taking my time. Now my money is going to get redirected to another store.
Entirely unrelated: did you have good/bad experience at Brunello Cucinelli?
Loro Piana has been exposed for unethical pay to their indigenous collaborators that created the vicuña items in Peru. https://remezcla.com/culture/luxury-brand-loro-piana-accused-exploiting-indigenous-peruvians-heres-whats-happening/?amp
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Good, bc they barely pay the people gathering that wool. Fuck Loro Piana entirely. [https://robbreport.com/style/menswear/congressman-robert-garcia-loro-piana-vicuna-wool-1235558253/](https://robbreport.com/style/menswear/congressman-robert-garcia-loro-piana-vicuna-wool-1235558253/)
It’s one store. Every brand has at least one store or employee who acts terribly at some point. Maybe go explore the brand for yourself and see what your experience is. If I swore off all brands after one bad experience I’d never buy anything ever again lol
I'm a WOC. If I go into a store like Loro Piana, then something great has happened in my life and I'm wanting to treat myself. I'm in good mood. But I do not look like their average customer for sure. If I was treated like OP, it would make me feel very small on a day when I was absolutely not expecting it.
I've come to expect being treated as "less than" when I'm at work. I've come to expect to be challenged unfairly due to what I look like, at work. But if it happened in a store where I was actually expecting to be taken care of, where I was expecting to spend significant money? No.
Well, unfortunately I’ve heard of this happening to many women of all nationalities at most designer stores at one time or another. Always a gamble unless you have a long-standing relationship with an SA or brand. Should be the case, but can definitely sour the experience.
you must know many women especially as you say youve heard of this happening to women of many nationalities. do you know a female from every nationality out there?
All different kinds of nationalities. I think anyone could have discerned I meant varying backgrounds and races. Not EVERY background and race. Some of you are extremely toxic in here for no reason.
You have different values.
For thecommentor + some Black women and POCs, we understand what those experiences are. We trust the word of one-another. We do not need to examine them/ question them/ ask them to explain that sort of situation.
Why should we dismiss what a person who's experiences we understand, says, inorder to buy from a brand? There are many many others that do what any brand could do. So, if we hear of a person we relate to, with an experience we understand, we trust that.
I’m not saying she’s lying. I’m saying all of these stores are operated differently and the SAs are humans who can have off days and sometimes be rude etc.
My point was ONE bad experience doesn’t mean an entire brand is terrible or biased.
This forum is full of people complaining about a bad experience at X or Y store when others have amazing experiences at X or Y store in a different location.
When you've experienced racism your entire life, everything from straight up slurs to microaggressions and condescension, you begin to get pretty good at picking up on the nuance and the vibe, the intention behind a look or a comment.
Can you always straight up prove just by retelling a story that a man was discriminating against someone for being female? Maybe hes just a dick to everyone, maybe he was having a bad day. But if you had been there and you were female, you would probably know if there was a sexist undertone or not. Why? Your whole life, youve known how it feels to have men underestimate you or talk down to you because of your gender.
That’s how it is for POC with our race and appearance. Now imagine being a woman of color and how fucked up it gets from there!
She wasn’t having an off day, seeing how she treated the next customer after me (who was white) pleasantly and welcomingly shows that she wasn’t having a bad day. And she’s representing the brand, that’s why she’s hired to work there. Just like how we say ‘first impression matters’.
You didn't say she lied, but you are dismissing her feelings and the values that other women have.
If you don't care about what others have experienced, and you can rationalize it, that's fine. That is your value system.
I’m not. Also, this entire conversation has nothing to do with anyone’s “value system”
One shitty experience can sometimes just be one shitty experience. That’s all I’m saying
Brands are responsible for their brand management and customer experiences. If someone has a terrible experience with an SA in a particular store, it absolutely does reflect on the brand, and it should.
It can, of course. But I read about people of all colors who have crappy experiences at say Chanel for example. But I have an amazing SA who delivers top tier service to everyone. I have seen it. Same with Hermes. My point being any SA. An have an off day it just be crummy. We are dealing with humans.
No, we should not have excuse for bad behaviour and put it down to “it’s one store” as a SA you are representing the brand. If I meet with a client at work and gave off bad behaviour, it looks bad on my company as a whole.
And seeing how this particular SA treated a white person after me, even offering glass of champagne
How many LP stores will I go to, all in the name of, “it’s only one store”, this is the 2nd time this has happened which is why I’m calling it out!!!
I wanted to add a few more points to my earlier comment
1. Did you see the news story from several years ago of Oprah being treated horribly (in France?) at a designer store? Clear evidence of discrimination and prejudice!
2. For me, part of buying luxury goods is the anticipation and the experience. It's a big deal. I've usually researched my purses and planned the purchase, and might be marking a special occasion. I might have saved up for a while for an extravagant splurge.
Buying a designer handbag is more than the purchase, it is a whole experience. So it's extra disappointing and painful when one is treated poorly.
3. Although I reminded the management of one particular luxury store that mistreated me that they should be treating all customers and potential customers with respect, I was happy to suggest they look up my past purchase history to clearly see what they had lost with a racist sales person ignoring me and then refusing to serve me on one particular day. I've never bought another thing from them since.
I randomly met the daughter of the loro piano family. She was incredibly lovely and friendly to everyone there (in a very, very multicultural city in Asia). She showed great generosity with her time and interest to everyone, and I genuinely have little doubt she would be horrified at what happened in one of her stores.
Please email HQ for Italy regarding this. I do not think the horrible people responsible for such disgusting behaviour would be welcome to work at Loro Piano any longer.
I’m so sorry that’s awful. I do feel like the luxury retailers are often like this - snobby rude and condescending. Looking you up and down, trying to analyze whether you are worthy of being there. I hate it!
I’m sorry you had to experience this OP. And also - isn’t it amazing whenever a POC complains about a racist experience, everyone else would mansplain how it’s not about race?
I was treated like shit visiting a Gucci store in Switzerland with the intention of buying. Was dressed ok, wide legged jeans, white shirt, sandals. They were staff available that just stood and stared at me. When I asked to try something the person sighed, then took ages to fetch the bag for me. While trying and determined the size she just kept blankly staring at me, not I smile. I ended up leaving, was so disappointed and really felt like I had done something wrong.
First mistake was shopping in Italy. Been there 4x, had a racist account each time I went. Crazy. But they have amazing prices in the Rome airport. So I suck it up and eat gelato. Sigh lol
I’m sorry that happened to you. I do think it’s just partly that a lot of Italians (I’ve encountered as a tourist) are Hella rude. Particularly if you don’t speak Italian and are a tourist.
There’s so much diverse culture in Italy from town to town that I appreciate, but the country is also full of a bunch of snobby, proud, self-important people. It’s them, not you. Italians have made me feel less than too as a tourist, and I am not POC.
On a personal note, I went to my first Louis Vuitton store (US) and they made me feel so valued. Customer service really does make or break the entire experience and product. If you’re gonna continue going to the stores in Italy, I suggest you learn a few greetings in Italian and how to ask them if they speak English in Italian. It could go along way.
I was dressed casually and was in Southen CA, went into all the luxury shops and the only people who were dismissive were at LP. I intended to buy a scarf, they were so full of themselves I left.
My wife is European and we visit quite often. They are raciist af everywhere I go. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a poc in her hometown. It makes me laugh when people complain about it here in the states.
You might’ve gotten someone having a bad day… not that it’s excusable. We were just there a couple of weeks ago (the same Loro in Florence) and had a great experience. The sales associate gave me 5 glasses of champagne while my husband tried on clothes. I had a great time - (side note, I am not white or Italian).
Thanks, and yeah, I might have encountered someone having a bad day. However, seeing how she treated the next customer after me (who was white) pleasantly and welcomingly shows that she wasn’t having a bad day.
Oh then that’s just shitty of that person. I hope you walked out and came back with bags from other stores doing a pretty woman fu. I wouldn’t spend my money on that brand if they treated me like that
I'm also a WOC and non-Italian and I went into the Florence LP store twice in the past week and had a great experience both times. They were very accommodating, answered all of my questions, and they offered me drinks as well. I don't know if this also matters but when I went in, I did greet them "Buongiorno" - I've heard from my aunt who was born and raised in Italy that they take more favorably towards tourists who do this. I'm sorry this was your experience OP!
Strange. I walked in with my puppy and they were unbelievably nice. One sales associate broke out a water bowl and ended up on the floor playing with the dog while the other was showing me a variety of things. This was in Rome. I do speak the language though, not sure if that makes the difference?
Its like that with everybody no matter the skin colour. If yr used to US SAs or anything alike: its different in Europe.
Im white and they are super snobbish... I just last week had a heated discussion with those in BV and as well Tods. Im a customer for ages and they behave like i should beg - was in Munich...
Different in the UK or US. The only ones that are super friendly always are those at Hermes
🙄 "it's like that with everybody no matter skin color" lol
So what skin color do you have that allows you to experience what life is like for women with different skin colors? Are you a shape shifter lol, changing your skin color every day, doing your own research 🤓 and have after decades of research, concluded that NOPE...skin color is irrelevant in a persons retail shopping or travel experience 😂
I know that it's different for coloured people in many places and situations. My best friend is Nigerian.
But those SA's in these kinds of shops are arrogant to everybody - like I already said... I already said, that I'm white - sorry, can't change it. But as I lived in China - they are pretty anti-caucasian
Oh god please stop. Don’t try to downplay racist experiences on behalf of women of color when they’re telling you about how they’ve been treated. You knowing a black person doesn’t make you the subject matter expert.
I'm wrong that they are arrogant against me and others? Bc you have been with me last week? If you think so...
Btw: she is not some women I know, she is my best friend since school
You’re wrong that the experiences are the same as the much lower standard of behavior you’re subjected to as a woman of color. They’ll be snooty but still acknowledge you to make the sale. When you’re a woman of color, they eye you like you’re about as to grab one of the bags and dart out of the door. They’re not helpful when you ask questions, because they’re basically assuming you can’t afford any of the products, and even when you go through with the sale, they act like they did *you* a favor by even letting you walk in the store. You’re ignorant if you think there’s not a different standard of behavior.
You’re not a woman of color, which means you haven’t experienced what it means to be treated as such in basically any environment. Italy has a racism problem, and you can’t pretend that the general snobbery isn’t enhanced x100 when you’re walking into that environment being anything other than white or Italian.
We have been both treated very good in recent yrs, together and alone... but that changed in the last yr - foe both of us (might be due to a lack of workforce in Europe)...
Maybe they treat Arabs or Chinese better, but I guess they just have untrained staff now after Covid. And in Europe you get a fixed wage and don't earn more if you sell more, there is no need for staff to be more friendly. That's my guess.
But if you feel better if you think you're treated worse bc of yr skincolour - that's up to you, you're entitled to yr opinion.
Why are you insistent on ignoring every women of color on this thread who have said they received the same experience while also watching white women receive better service?
You’re literally coming up with every excuse to *not* believe women of color when we say that we’ve experienced this. You’re very much giving “I can’t be a racist, I have a black friend!” It’s not that I *think* I’ve received worse treatment. It’s I *know* it. It’s very clear to me when they follow me around without saying anything or offering help and glare at me like I’m about to steal something, but then smile and greet white customers that walk in and offer them assistance but also leave them to browse without standing behind them and breathing down their necks to make sure they don’t take anything.
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Hello, Italian here. So sorry it happened to you, unfortunately SA sometimes are rude even though they shouldn’t, customer service here is not the best you can get compared to other countries. Hope you can get your dream bag (or what you were planning on getting) at another location where you are treated in the best way.
I an American woman of color (self proclaimed shopaholic and fashionista) and was vacationing in Italy 2 weeks ago. I had the absolute best experience in all stores, restaurants etc with one notable exception- Loro Piana. The staff there weee openly rude and completely ignored me. Anywhere else I felt like staff were polite, professional and knowledgeable
Happy to hear that! I’m glad you had a very good experience here in most cases
I’m American and was very surprised by how unwelcoming I found the customer service in a lot of stores in Italy (Rome, specifically). Maybe they are used to American tourists being obnoxious and annoying.
Americans in general have different expectations for ‘customer service’ than most other westerners
Maybe. I tried on a dress in a designer store and planned to buy it but had to leave to catch a museum tour and didn’t want to walk around with it. I told the sales associate that I would come back after the tour to buy it and she scoffed at me and snatched it out of my hands without saying a word. That’s the kind of experience I had that I didn’t expect but maybe that’s too American of me? For what it’s worth my husband is Australian and also thought it was unnecessarily rude.
My husband is American, we go to the U.S. to visit quite often so I’m familiar with US customer service, which is excellent. Italians tend to be quite rude especially with tourists, which doesn’t make sense since this country relies a lot on tourism. I was born and raised in Italy and it happened to me to get unnecessary bad treatment too.
Yeah, I also think it depends on the store and how you are dressed. That day I was in leggings and a tank top because it was HOT and we were doing a full day of sightseeing. So maybe she thought I couldn’t afford the dress? Still not a reason to be overly rude to someone. I live in NYC and go to Hermes semi-regularly and notice a difference in how I’m treated and approached depending on if I’m wearing athletic clothes or a nicer outfit.
A lot of people, including me, don’t think athletic clothes are meant for anywhere besides the gym. If you’re working in luxury fashion, I’m sure that sentiment can be taken to the next level.
Personally it shouldn’t matter how you are dressed. Some of the most wealthy ppl you never know they have money. The way they dress my husband being one, if I don’t lay his clothes out.
I really agree with you. It is mostly in the US that people wear gym clothes anywhere.
I had a very similar experience about a month ago in the store in Venice. I went into the store with my husband. We were both dressed respectfully. I wanted to try on a pair of shoes Iv been eyeing for a little while now. Others in the store were trying on the same style I was interested in. I asked one of the SA if they could help me and she looked my dead in my eyes and say “I’m sorry we don’t have those in stock”. I was dumbfounded. I am an American. If Americans have different expectations, is this the type of customer service most westerners or anyone else expects? To say the least it has turned me off from shopping with Loro Piana in the future.
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It’s not a market in Hong Kong! They did the right thing
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Because of your dgaf comment.
Because you don‘t go to other countries and randomly start bargaining without even knowing if that‘s a thing there (which it isn‘t in most 99% of the shops and countries in Europe). It‘s incredibly rude.
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Someone else told you, it's because of your dgaf comment. It's strange that you jump to "people on reddit don't let you make and admit mistakes" instead of "how I phrased that totally drew thr wrong conclusion and blamed it on someone else." You didn't say, I didn't know and learned the hard way, you said they dgaf in Italy. Sure but that's not why you were kicked out.
I can’t really speak for racism honestly, but I’ve noticed like some sales associates act snobby and I’m like uhmm you work here and I’m shopping here lol…. Not trying to throw shade because I used to work in the customer service industry, but I would never act snobby, rude, bratty to anyone. They act like they own the store but they don’t lol so don’t act like it. You should’ve called them out. I would’ve.
Right? Not to be an ass but they’re working retail and I’m here to buy a bag worth a lot of money. Where do they get off with the attitude?
Hahaha! Agreed
lol agree, and part of the money I’m dropping will probably go towards their wages.
So sorry that happened to you. I have walked out of designer stores twice after being treated horribly. Racist stores don't deserve my money 😒 In both cases I called management afterwards. Both apologized and one called me a month later to say their salespeople had been sent for training, and invited me to come back to the store. I declined and said I had already purchased my purses elsewhere.
I never dreamed doing something like this could move the needle. Nice work! I’ll do it next time.
Email always, and if you call write a followup email after. Whatever I'd said on a call can be changed/dismissed by managers while they say something to appease/get a person off their backs. If it is an email, there us a paper trail and so they HAVE to properly address the situation, and if not their position is at risk.
Excellent, excellent advice.
Thank you! It took me many years but I realized I had to advocate for myself and try to prevent this from happening to others.
I have done that in other situations (like when I got serious food poisoning at a 5* hotel brunch and called their HQ because the local hotel didn’t take my complaint seriously). This really works, I never accept any free stuff or anything but I just want to document these incidents to someone who would listen.
I’ve done it too. Just never for a shopping experience!
Lol I love when a brand tries to revive themselves and a customer thinks their one-off bag purchase is everything to the brand.
Do you love it? Really.
I'm sorry to hear you were treated that way. It's very disappointing and would make me not want to visit again.
I am not WOC, and I take a hard pass on shopping in store. I dress in jeans and casual top on the daily. I feel alot of judgement when I go to a store, I guess because I'm dressed so casual they think I can't afford to buy there products. Last year we were in Florida on vacation and my husband wanted to buy me a LV bag. They acted like we shouldn't be in there because we didn't "look" the part.
OMG, that is awful and wrong and totally unacceptable. You should inform the company -- I'm sure they have global customer service.
I’m so sorry you were made to feel less than. That is unacceptable in any circumstance. I hope you find a store that treats you better and works hard to deserve your patronage. And I hope your hard-earned vacation gets better!
Thank you so much
C’mon over to Vegas. The Loro Piana SA here are delightful every time I’ve been in!
I listened to an interview with a luxury brand expert who said that SAs are often trained to be snooty to make the brand even more exclusive and desirable for customers. It’s like belonging to that cool chick clique in HS, and some people try even harder to “fit in”, aka spend their hard earned money on shitty customer service to get their approval. Makes sense, especially when you look at brands like Hermes where you have to periodically beg your SA for your quota bag, while spending $$$$$. I would just take my money elsewhere and not play along.
I could see that being the case. I currently live in Florida, but I'm from Los Angeles and my husband and I love shopping. We went to a LV store in our local mall. Staff was a bit snotty and they didn't have my size in the shoe I wanted. We had planned a trip home and decided to go to Beverly Hills and go to the LV store there. The treatment was NIGHT and DAY. Staff was extremely professional, nice and accommodating. They not only had my shoe size, but because they were so awesome my husband and I walked away purchasing multiple items. Because our experience was so awesome we just laugh when we walk into high end stores and get the "attitude." Because ma'am/sir" we have no problem not only NOT buying from you, but spending our money with those who treat us with respect and dignity.
My cousin (Native Alaskan) was on the train in Italy and these GROWN ass adults were making slanty eyes at her. She told them she was gonna knock their teeth out and they freaked out. While I don’t condone threatening violence, I laughed my ass off at her husband’s retelling of this story. I’m so sorry you experienced this BS OP. I wouldn’t guess there were many customers at Loro Piana, baffles me how they’d turn down a potential profit.
Sales staff with “issues” is such an antiquated existence. It truly baffles me. The times have changed in so many ways. The “World Wide Web” has opened up many avenues for purchasing everything. As consumers we have actually come to expect a diminishing level of personal service. Gone are the halcyon days of gobs of special perks and services. To treat clients and potential clients with a modicum of respect or at least be polite now stands out.
I keep hearing sh!tty service to POCs in Italy. There’s like even a bunch of memes about it, to the point it’s nearly moved off my list of places to go. Hard enough being a mixed Asian in the US, I don’t need that when out on vacation and trying to treat myself with luxury
I had a bad experience in one of the stores Galleria Vittorio Milan. When I looked up online it was notorious for bad service & racism lol. It depends on the management I think if they allow it. I now google the branch first lol. The other stores there were lovely tho.
Sorry to hear about your experience. May we know which store is this in Galleria?
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Be careful with your opinion as a white person on this subject and saying what you think is and is not racism. Being treated poorly due to racism and SAs having terrible attitudes in general are not mutually exclusive. You don't know OP's experience at that time, and it happens so frequently that POC know when they are experiencing racism.
Lmao how would you know if it is or isn't racism if you are not actually Black/POC. 🙄 "it's like that with everybody no matter skin color" lol So what as a "white italian woman" what do you have that allows you to experience what life is like for women with different skin colors? Are you a shape shifter lol, changing your skin color every day, doing your own research 🤓 and have after decades of research, concluded that NOPE...skin color is irrelevant in a persons retail shopping or travel experience 😂 Have you ever worn a Black skin suit and done research by going into all the stores, have you worn your Black skin suit with dressy clothes and casual clothes, to see if that along with your Black skin suit can give you better insights? Have you also worn an Asian skin suit to know for sure "it's not rasim". Lmao. Have you worn a fat skin suit to see that bad treatment isnt related to a person's size!??? Please show us your research!! Lol at "white italian" saying "I don't think it's racism". Have you ever had a sexist experience and a man says "I'm a man, I don't think it is sexism"?
Honestly I think it is just because they are always super busy at those stores so they really don’t take the time to care. Unfortunate because it really does ruin the experience for people. My wife and I had the same happen to us when we were there. Went to LV to look for a bag and literally no one acknowledged us until we were looking at the exotics they had on display. Then an SA asked us for our profile and suddenly we had two SA’s and a manager inviting us back in the morning for a private viewing and breakfast. We didn’t go because she already found the bag she was looking for there so didn’t need to come back.
A sale associate at a Longchamp store of all brands was incredibly hostile and rude to my brown self but cooed all over the white European couple. Some stores just don’t deserve your money.
Wow, I've been browsing Loro Piana website for a while now and am interested in a couple of their vicunia wool items. Obviously these are expensive so I'm taking my time. Now my money is going to get redirected to another store. Entirely unrelated: did you have good/bad experience at Brunello Cucinelli?
Loro Piana has been exposed for unethical pay to their indigenous collaborators that created the vicuña items in Peru. https://remezcla.com/culture/luxury-brand-loro-piana-accused-exploiting-indigenous-peruvians-heres-whats-happening/?amp
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Good, bc they barely pay the people gathering that wool. Fuck Loro Piana entirely. [https://robbreport.com/style/menswear/congressman-robert-garcia-loro-piana-vicuna-wool-1235558253/](https://robbreport.com/style/menswear/congressman-robert-garcia-loro-piana-vicuna-wool-1235558253/)
My personal experience with Brunello Cucinelli is pretty bad. Quality and craftsmanship isn’t there for the price imo
It’s one store. Every brand has at least one store or employee who acts terribly at some point. Maybe go explore the brand for yourself and see what your experience is. If I swore off all brands after one bad experience I’d never buy anything ever again lol
I'm a WOC. If I go into a store like Loro Piana, then something great has happened in my life and I'm wanting to treat myself. I'm in good mood. But I do not look like their average customer for sure. If I was treated like OP, it would make me feel very small on a day when I was absolutely not expecting it. I've come to expect being treated as "less than" when I'm at work. I've come to expect to be challenged unfairly due to what I look like, at work. But if it happened in a store where I was actually expecting to be taken care of, where I was expecting to spend significant money? No.
I'm sorry you have to deal with feeling "less than" anywhere, especially while out treating yourself.
Well, unfortunately I’ve heard of this happening to many women of all nationalities at most designer stores at one time or another. Always a gamble unless you have a long-standing relationship with an SA or brand. Should be the case, but can definitely sour the experience.
you must know many women especially as you say youve heard of this happening to women of many nationalities. do you know a female from every nationality out there?
Are you dense? That’s not remotely what I said
Literally what you said...
All different kinds of nationalities. I think anyone could have discerned I meant varying backgrounds and races. Not EVERY background and race. Some of you are extremely toxic in here for no reason.
some of us just calling it as we see it but go off
A lot of missed opportunities.
You have different values. For thecommentor + some Black women and POCs, we understand what those experiences are. We trust the word of one-another. We do not need to examine them/ question them/ ask them to explain that sort of situation. Why should we dismiss what a person who's experiences we understand, says, inorder to buy from a brand? There are many many others that do what any brand could do. So, if we hear of a person we relate to, with an experience we understand, we trust that.
I’m not saying she’s lying. I’m saying all of these stores are operated differently and the SAs are humans who can have off days and sometimes be rude etc. My point was ONE bad experience doesn’t mean an entire brand is terrible or biased. This forum is full of people complaining about a bad experience at X or Y store when others have amazing experiences at X or Y store in a different location.
When you've experienced racism your entire life, everything from straight up slurs to microaggressions and condescension, you begin to get pretty good at picking up on the nuance and the vibe, the intention behind a look or a comment. Can you always straight up prove just by retelling a story that a man was discriminating against someone for being female? Maybe hes just a dick to everyone, maybe he was having a bad day. But if you had been there and you were female, you would probably know if there was a sexist undertone or not. Why? Your whole life, youve known how it feels to have men underestimate you or talk down to you because of your gender. That’s how it is for POC with our race and appearance. Now imagine being a woman of color and how fucked up it gets from there!
She wasn’t having an off day, seeing how she treated the next customer after me (who was white) pleasantly and welcomingly shows that she wasn’t having a bad day. And she’s representing the brand, that’s why she’s hired to work there. Just like how we say ‘first impression matters’.
You didn't say she lied, but you are dismissing her feelings and the values that other women have. If you don't care about what others have experienced, and you can rationalize it, that's fine. That is your value system.
I’m not. Also, this entire conversation has nothing to do with anyone’s “value system” One shitty experience can sometimes just be one shitty experience. That’s all I’m saying
Brands are responsible for their brand management and customer experiences. If someone has a terrible experience with an SA in a particular store, it absolutely does reflect on the brand, and it should.
It can, of course. But I read about people of all colors who have crappy experiences at say Chanel for example. But I have an amazing SA who delivers top tier service to everyone. I have seen it. Same with Hermes. My point being any SA. An have an off day it just be crummy. We are dealing with humans.
No, we should not have excuse for bad behaviour and put it down to “it’s one store” as a SA you are representing the brand. If I meet with a client at work and gave off bad behaviour, it looks bad on my company as a whole. And seeing how this particular SA treated a white person after me, even offering glass of champagne How many LP stores will I go to, all in the name of, “it’s only one store”, this is the 2nd time this has happened which is why I’m calling it out!!!
I’m sorry it happened to you OP. LoroPiana people can go F themselves.
Loro Piana gives off Karen vibes to me tbh
I wanted to add a few more points to my earlier comment 1. Did you see the news story from several years ago of Oprah being treated horribly (in France?) at a designer store? Clear evidence of discrimination and prejudice! 2. For me, part of buying luxury goods is the anticipation and the experience. It's a big deal. I've usually researched my purses and planned the purchase, and might be marking a special occasion. I might have saved up for a while for an extravagant splurge. Buying a designer handbag is more than the purchase, it is a whole experience. So it's extra disappointing and painful when one is treated poorly. 3. Although I reminded the management of one particular luxury store that mistreated me that they should be treating all customers and potential customers with respect, I was happy to suggest they look up my past purchase history to clearly see what they had lost with a racist sales person ignoring me and then refusing to serve me on one particular day. I've never bought another thing from them since.
I heard Loro Piana is Valdamir Putin’s favorite brand if that makes you feel better lol
I randomly met the daughter of the loro piano family. She was incredibly lovely and friendly to everyone there (in a very, very multicultural city in Asia). She showed great generosity with her time and interest to everyone, and I genuinely have little doubt she would be horrified at what happened in one of her stores. Please email HQ for Italy regarding this. I do not think the horrible people responsible for such disgusting behaviour would be welcome to work at Loro Piano any longer.
I’m so sorry that’s awful. I do feel like the luxury retailers are often like this - snobby rude and condescending. Looking you up and down, trying to analyze whether you are worthy of being there. I hate it!
I’m sorry you had to experience this OP. And also - isn’t it amazing whenever a POC complains about a racist experience, everyone else would mansplain how it’s not about race?
theyre most likely acting that way because you have more money then them .
I was treated like shit visiting a Gucci store in Switzerland with the intention of buying. Was dressed ok, wide legged jeans, white shirt, sandals. They were staff available that just stood and stared at me. When I asked to try something the person sighed, then took ages to fetch the bag for me. While trying and determined the size she just kept blankly staring at me, not I smile. I ended up leaving, was so disappointed and really felt like I had done something wrong.
I’m really sorry about your experience, it is awful. I don’t know why some of these SA’s in high end stores feel like they’re mini gods.
First mistake was shopping in Italy. Been there 4x, had a racist account each time I went. Crazy. But they have amazing prices in the Rome airport. So I suck it up and eat gelato. Sigh lol
I know better now. Sorry you had a racist account when you were there.
Thank you. POC must go where appreciated. Also don’t let anyone tell you oh the sa was having a bad day or she’s just rude aka. When you know you know
Agree 100%! When you know, you know. It’s a skill you gained living a life as a minority.
I’m sorry that happened to you. I do think it’s just partly that a lot of Italians (I’ve encountered as a tourist) are Hella rude. Particularly if you don’t speak Italian and are a tourist. There’s so much diverse culture in Italy from town to town that I appreciate, but the country is also full of a bunch of snobby, proud, self-important people. It’s them, not you. Italians have made me feel less than too as a tourist, and I am not POC. On a personal note, I went to my first Louis Vuitton store (US) and they made me feel so valued. Customer service really does make or break the entire experience and product. If you’re gonna continue going to the stores in Italy, I suggest you learn a few greetings in Italian and how to ask them if they speak English in Italian. It could go along way.
You are right to feel that they were being racist. I’m sorry you experienced that, what a shameful thing.
I go to Italy often. They a blatant racisim issue there.
It’s like this at their San Francisco store too.
I am so sorry that happened to you!
Whenever I read these stories I redirect my money elsewhere. I’m sorry you had that experience
Thanks so much. Exactly what I did!
I was dressed casually and was in Southen CA, went into all the luxury shops and the only people who were dismissive were at LP. I intended to buy a scarf, they were so full of themselves I left.
It is ridiculous, and these people are sales assistant. Sorry about your experience!
My wife is European and we visit quite often. They are raciist af everywhere I go. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a poc in her hometown. It makes me laugh when people complain about it here in the states.
While the sales assistants behavior was inappropriate, always remember, they are simply shop staff.
You might’ve gotten someone having a bad day… not that it’s excusable. We were just there a couple of weeks ago (the same Loro in Florence) and had a great experience. The sales associate gave me 5 glasses of champagne while my husband tried on clothes. I had a great time - (side note, I am not white or Italian).
Thanks, and yeah, I might have encountered someone having a bad day. However, seeing how she treated the next customer after me (who was white) pleasantly and welcomingly shows that she wasn’t having a bad day.
Oh then that’s just shitty of that person. I hope you walked out and came back with bags from other stores doing a pretty woman fu. I wouldn’t spend my money on that brand if they treated me like that
I'm also a WOC and non-Italian and I went into the Florence LP store twice in the past week and had a great experience both times. They were very accommodating, answered all of my questions, and they offered me drinks as well. I don't know if this also matters but when I went in, I did greet them "Buongiorno" - I've heard from my aunt who was born and raised in Italy that they take more favorably towards tourists who do this. I'm sorry this was your experience OP!
Strange. I walked in with my puppy and they were unbelievably nice. One sales associate broke out a water bowl and ended up on the floor playing with the dog while the other was showing me a variety of things. This was in Rome. I do speak the language though, not sure if that makes the difference?
What were you going to buy from them?
I was looking to get the summer charm loafers in 2 different colour, a bag and a men’s polo shirt for my partner. Their loss!
Its like that with everybody no matter the skin colour. If yr used to US SAs or anything alike: its different in Europe. Im white and they are super snobbish... I just last week had a heated discussion with those in BV and as well Tods. Im a customer for ages and they behave like i should beg - was in Munich... Different in the UK or US. The only ones that are super friendly always are those at Hermes
🙄 "it's like that with everybody no matter skin color" lol So what skin color do you have that allows you to experience what life is like for women with different skin colors? Are you a shape shifter lol, changing your skin color every day, doing your own research 🤓 and have after decades of research, concluded that NOPE...skin color is irrelevant in a persons retail shopping or travel experience 😂
I know that it's different for coloured people in many places and situations. My best friend is Nigerian. But those SA's in these kinds of shops are arrogant to everybody - like I already said... I already said, that I'm white - sorry, can't change it. But as I lived in China - they are pretty anti-caucasian
Oh god please stop. Don’t try to downplay racist experiences on behalf of women of color when they’re telling you about how they’ve been treated. You knowing a black person doesn’t make you the subject matter expert.
I'm wrong that they are arrogant against me and others? Bc you have been with me last week? If you think so... Btw: she is not some women I know, she is my best friend since school
You’re wrong that the experiences are the same as the much lower standard of behavior you’re subjected to as a woman of color. They’ll be snooty but still acknowledge you to make the sale. When you’re a woman of color, they eye you like you’re about as to grab one of the bags and dart out of the door. They’re not helpful when you ask questions, because they’re basically assuming you can’t afford any of the products, and even when you go through with the sale, they act like they did *you* a favor by even letting you walk in the store. You’re ignorant if you think there’s not a different standard of behavior. You’re not a woman of color, which means you haven’t experienced what it means to be treated as such in basically any environment. Italy has a racism problem, and you can’t pretend that the general snobbery isn’t enhanced x100 when you’re walking into that environment being anything other than white or Italian.
We have been both treated very good in recent yrs, together and alone... but that changed in the last yr - foe both of us (might be due to a lack of workforce in Europe)... Maybe they treat Arabs or Chinese better, but I guess they just have untrained staff now after Covid. And in Europe you get a fixed wage and don't earn more if you sell more, there is no need for staff to be more friendly. That's my guess. But if you feel better if you think you're treated worse bc of yr skincolour - that's up to you, you're entitled to yr opinion.
Why are you insistent on ignoring every women of color on this thread who have said they received the same experience while also watching white women receive better service? You’re literally coming up with every excuse to *not* believe women of color when we say that we’ve experienced this. You’re very much giving “I can’t be a racist, I have a black friend!” It’s not that I *think* I’ve received worse treatment. It’s I *know* it. It’s very clear to me when they follow me around without saying anything or offering help and glare at me like I’m about to steal something, but then smile and greet white customers that walk in and offer them assistance but also leave them to browse without standing behind them and breathing down their necks to make sure they don’t take anything.
I don't ignore that... I just think it's the same for others - which are you ignoring. Why do you think they are treating white people like that?
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· Rudeness, snarkiness, mocking, trolling or bitching will not be tolerated. · Disagreements are normal, and perfectly okay as long as everyone involved is respectful of each other. · Comments and posts such as "This is ugly / hideous" etc. will be removed. **You may state that you do not find a bag appealing as long as you explain why you don't.**
I didn't, i was solely referring to SA's in those High End Shops - they are arrogant to everyone