Nordstrom Tailoring Question

Because of the Burberry thread, I broke out an older suit I bought from Nordstrom. I tried it on (first time wearing it in about 2 years) and it needs some work. I took it to the store and they want to charge me, despite the fact that their tailoring is suppose to be free if you purchased the suit from their store. The Nordstrom patch is plain as day on the inside, so there's no debating where it was purchased. The fist sales associate told me that if I purchased the suit at full price, it would be free. Full price or not, I'm under the assumption that they advertise it to be free, correct?

As I see it, I have two options.

Push the issue and try and get the tailoring for free. If they aren't willing to budge, I can simply ask for the suit back and tell them I'll gladly give the business to my personal tailor, in hopes that this may persuade them. This could backfire. I'm probably getting a big discount on the alterations since the suit was purchased there, even though it isn't completely free.

Pay for the alterations. They offered to take the pleats out of the pants, which requires a re-cut, for $58-which I would pay-but I feel as though the regular alterations on the jacket should be free of charge. What do you think?

first question: do you really think it's OK for you to bring in a 2 year old suit and demand free alterations? IMO it's a bit of a jackass move, no personal offense. but here's some advice anyway, if you really have thick skin.

unless you have proof that it was bought at full retail, i don't think it's wise to argue with them about the alterations. sale suits do not receive free alterations. only SOME alterations are free with full priced suits, NOT all. taking your business elsewhere will not persuade them to do anything but laugh at you.

however you should talk to the manager in the suits department to see if he's nicer than the SA's (they usually are; or at least the ones i've had the pleasure of working with). if this doesn't work, then it looks like you will have to shell out full price for your alterations.

Originally Posted by stickonatree

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first question: do you really think it's OK for you to bring in a 2 year old suit and demand free alterations? IMO it's a bit of a jackass move
I was expecting anything, I was told by one of their employees that the alterations would be free of charge. Did you see that in my original post? Expecting someone to make good on their word is not a jackass move.

Originally Posted by suited

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I was expecting anything, I was told by one of their employees that the alterations would be free of charge.
again, if you read my post, and if you check the nordstorm policy or bothered to ask for clarification on it, you'll see that suits only at full retail can have certain alterations free (basics like hemming, taking in waist, etc.). it's your fault for believing him without clarification.

Originally Posted by suited

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Full price or not, I'm under the assumption that they advertise it to be free, correct?
incorrect. a simple internet search on their policy or call to their customer service can easily answer this question.

Originally Posted by suited

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If they aren't willing to budge, I can simply ask for the suit back and tell them I'll gladly give the business to my personal tailor, in hopes that this may persuade them.

Not trying to be snarky, but you're giving them the choice between doing work for you for free, and not doing the work?

Originally Posted by stickonatree

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again, if you read my post, and if you check the nordstorm policy or bothered to ask for clarification on it, you'll see that suits only at full retail can have certain alterations free (basics like hemming, taking in waist, etc.). it's your fault for believing him without clarification.
Let me get this straight. I try on the suit, the tailor does the alterations while another employee watches. Both of them inform me that this is all free of charge. When I get to the register to pick up the slip, I get charged, and that's my fault? Seems to me like it's ****** customer service and lack of product knowledge on the employees part. I guess next time I'm at Nordstrom I'll present any questions I have to 5 employees and go for a 3 out of 5 in hopes of getting a right answer. Their policy (which isn't always black and white) goes out the door when 2 of their employees tell me to my face that this service is free, for all I know they were doing me a favor. It does happen, you know.

Originally Posted by stick

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Not trying to be snarky, but you're giving them the choice between doing work for you for free, and not doing the work?
Absolutely. My tailor use to work for them and left because he wasn't happy with them. I'm sure he'd appreciate the business.

A few things:

If any employee told you it was free, then it should be free. Hands down, no questions asked should not be charged for the alteration because an associate told you as much. The department should take the charge and the fee for the alteration comes out of the departments bottom line.

Nordstrom Tailor shops work almost entirely off their work. The employees in the shop get benefits, options etc... but they live and die by the amount of tailoring and work they do personally. If Nordstrom does a lot of business the business of the tailor shop goes up and the tailors make more money, if business is down they lose money. The tailor shop has goals just like all of the other departments so it is not fair to expect someone to re-cut your pants, doing skilled manual labor, for no charge... Which is why the Clothing department foots the bill, the tailors just deservedly wants something in return for their labor.

Many tailors stick inside a Nordstrom tailor shop because of the very good benefits and the safety of a large company over their head rather than risking their own capital on their own business.

On 'free' alterations you pay nothing, but the numbers are kept and the tailor shop gets paid, just not by you.

If you buy a suit and in two years you have gained 20 pounds and need the waist taken out, the policy is to charge. That is standard. Again, unless of course some associate wrongly told you otherwise.

Basic alterations are free, hemming pants or minor adjustments to the jackets etc, for when you purchase an item as a courtesy. Free alterations doesn't mean life-time alterations, or for you to bring in old items ie a suit bought 2 years ago.

Originally Posted by suited

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Let me get this straight. I try on the suit, the tailor does the alterations while another employee watches. Both of them inform me that this is all free of charge. When I get to the register to pick up the slip, I get charged, and that's my fault? Seems to me like it's ****** customer service and lack of product knowledge on the employees part. I guess next time I'm at Nordstrom I'll present any questions I have to 5 employees and go for a 3 out of 5 in hopes of getting a right answer. Their policy (which isn't always black and white) goes out the door when 2 of their employees tell me to my face that this service is free, for all I know they were doing me a favor. It does happen, you know.
this is not the same as your original post. it's a good thing you elaborated, maybe you should add this to the original post. you would have received a very different reply from me had this been your original post, because in the OP you sounded like a jackass. as i have said in my previous post, going to the manager is the obvious thing to do. remember - the tailorshop has no idea about the original suit if it was retail or sale, i've personally seen this happen a few times where the tailor mistakes it for a full retail suit and the customer ends up paying. most people are good natured about it, since people make mistakes and it's better to play by the rules and most people understand that, and i hope you do as well, the world needs some more good-natured folk. the SA should know whether or not the alterations were free; however he probably thought it was one of the suits on the sales floor, given that your suit is a classic staple that for the last 2 years has not changed styles. this is also assuming you did not tell him it was a suit from 2 years ago, which then would be your fault, since the SA will have no way of knowing that it's not one of the current suits (ex: you could have bought it a day ago and brought it back the next day for alterations). or, he could be a newbie. and for the 3rd time, talk to the manager. SOMETIMES they will let you slide and give you some minor alterations for free, but definitely not all of it. just be very cordial about it, no one likes the "buh buh, but jim said, blah blah" guy. what alterations, may i ask, were you doing, other than the recutting of pants (which, in my experience, never turns out well, but best of luck to you)?

Originally Posted by suited

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Absolutely. My tailor use to work for them and left because he wasn't happy with them. I'm sure he'd appreciate the business.
interesting. my old tailor is in the same situation. my new tailor is an actual tailor tailor, though

Originally Posted by yawn123_#21

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Basic alterations are free, hemming pants or minor adjustments to the jackets etc, for when you purchase an item as a courtesy. Free alterations doesn't mean life-time alterations, or for you to bring in old items ie a suit bought 2 years ago.
exactly. see, suited, you really need to edit your OP, it's not very well explained and this is what people think of your post. it's misleading to say the least.

It seems to me that the only piece of information needed to end this discussion is the fact that two years have passed since you bought the suit. Every other point is rendered moot by that one. Pay for the tailoring.

Originally Posted by Threadbearer

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It seems to me that the only piece of information needed to end this discussion is the fact that two years have passed since you bought the suit. Every other point is rendered moot by that one. Pay for the tailoring.

They guy at the register who charged me didn't even ask how long ago the suit was purchased. One of the employees in the tailoring room did ask, and I told him over a year because I honestly wasn't sure exactly how long it had been until I thought about it.

I never expected them to re-cut the pants for free. I'll see exactly how much they're going to charge me for the jacket today when I bring in the pants to be re-cut.

Personally, I wouldn't trust Nordstrom tailors to hem trousers. I bought a charcoal Canali suit there last year, I think it was close to $1,600, and they thoroughly fucked it up by the time I got it back. I sent it back 3 times to have their mistakes fixed, and the fourth time, I just got so tired of pointing out their defects, I just took the thing home and have never worn it.

I do not think they offer free tailoring for life...

I worked at Nordstrom for a number of years. For retail merchandise, they do most of the standard tailoring for free at the time of purchase like hemming pants, taking in/out the sleeves/waist. For sale items, they hem the pants for free at the time of purchase and there is a charge for the sleeves and waists if needed. They also will do alterations of items not bought at Nordstrom but they have a price higher than what they charge for one of their sale items.

None of this includes having a lifetime of free alterations done on the clothes which is what the OP thinks he is entitled to. I am sure that the sales rep who mentioned free alterations wasn't aware you had had the item for years and that they were already altered at a previous time. That is just plain cheap and classless if you decide to raise hell until you get your free alterations, although it would probably work.

I agree that too much time has passed to expect free alterations. If you are making a new purchase and ask them to also work on the older suit they may accept the work gratis if you have an established relationship with them.