Customer service - Borrelli

[fdbaker]

Last Friday I was fully dressed except for my jacket; last step, button the shirt cuffs. Discovered that the cleaners had completely destroyed one of the cuff buttons on my almost-new MTM Borrelli shirt. #!@&*?. Remove tie, replace shirt, etc. (pledge once again to henceforth do all my own laundering). Later that day, stopped by the Borrelli store. Horace fixed up an emergency kit, consisting of several buttons in each of the various sizes I might need and some collar stays, and would't take any money for it. (He also offered to replace the button himself if I brought the shirt in, but replacing a button is one of the few clothes-related tasks I can manage.) I needed a pocket square, and learned that the store had just received some beautiful new hand-rolled squares in lovely colors. Picked up a few and out the door.

Win-win. One of the reasons I don't mind paying retail (much of the time) and enjoy developing a relationship with a store.

 

[ThinkDerm]

solid number man.

 

[jcc123]

"One of the reasons I don't mind paying retail (much of the time) and enjoy developing a relationship with a store."

With the mark-up at Borrelli I doubt very much they mind it either.

 

[fdbaker]

Of course they don't mind. I think we can stipulate that all stores, regardless of their profit margins, prefer having customers to not having customers.

It is a given that less expensive goods can be purchased, and even that Borrelli goods can be purchased at significantly less than retail via certain internet sites. The only relevant question is whether you are willing to pay the freight to obtain excellent service, to have a pleasant experience while purchasing, to inspect first-hand what you are purchasing, and to support the producers of quality goods and those who sell them. I am (although I also often buy online).