Your business is not welcome

[LA Guy]

There was a thread here a little while back about independent stores. Some independents, like Wilkes Bashford in San Francisco, are exemplary. On the other hand, some are atrocious. I'd like to ask you guys for examples of the latter, sort of a warning carved outside the threshold. My personal pick is:

Zillioni's on Wilshire: terribly aggressive and arrogant salesmen. The salesman insisted that I was a 38, saying "Look, I am a 40, and see, I am, you see, bigger. You are a 38, not a 40." I obliged him by trying on a 38 jacket, which was, predictably, too small. He backpedalled: "Well, you are a 40 in Canali cut. The cut is smaller, you know." I guess I didn't. As I was leaving, he saw me eyeing a suit, and said: "Yes, this just came in, and is sold out already. The last one. Your size. I'll give you a deal." And then quoted a price higher than for any other suit in the place. The type of place that inflates the retail price so that their deals sound better.

I'm glad they're apparently going out of business. Although that may be a ploy too. Another place I wouldn't go unless I wanted to be gouged for old stock merchandise is Riccardo's in the Horton Plaza in San Diego. He has the usual second tier, "contemporary urban" sportswear by Zanetti, Versace Classic, etc.. But what distinguishes this shop is not the poor tastes of its buyer, but the apparent disregard for its clientele. I went in looking for mainline Iceberg, and the owner looked me up and down and told me: "I only have the cartoons. Iceberg: everyone wants it, but no one wants to pay the price." Thanks. I'd rather shop at J.C. Penney.

Anyways, I'd like to see what others think.

 

[Stu]

I hear ya LAG. I went through a similar experience recently with a close out store that has some nice stuff. One of my favorite things to do is to go dig, and at this place, you have to do just that.
Amidst all the junk you will find an occasional Zegna or Corneliani. The owner followed me everywhere in the store, I mean everywhere -- he was on me like bad cologne. Kept saying: "Look at this Emilio Whatever, will cost you $700 anywhere else.." Kept explaining to me what a Zegna was, and so forth, finally I just said: "Look, I just want to look around, I'll let you know OK?" Finally he left me alone. Later I bought a Corneliani there and told him:
"You treat me right and I will bring you plenty of business." He got my message and now he just lets me browse.

 

[jetLab]

One time I wore distressed jeans with a t-shirt to this upscale men's store and the salesguy goes: "HI, THE VERSACE AND DOLCE & GABBANA IS OVER THERE"

 

[FRATERNITYSTUD]

I hate workers who try and tell me things I already know. I was at Saks Fifth Avenue in Chi-town this past summer, and I have a 33'' sleeve, but there was this amazing shirt (designer I forgot) on a great sale with a 34" sleeve, and when I tried it on, the salesguy made a big scene about it saying how the sleeve was too long...What an asshole.. Thanks for pointing out something so clearly that I can already see...Other than snobbish bouncers, snobbish salespeople are the worst..