Rudest store ever? Bride-to-be called 'undesirable' by boutique chain in viral email exchange
Shopping for your wedding day isn't always stress-free, but it shouldn't be degrading.
So when Keara O’Neil, a bride-to-be, was ridiculed about her weight while trying on dresses with her bridesmaids at an Australian boutique, she didn’t break out into tears. She got even.
It all started when O’Neil walked into Gasp, a high-end Australian clothing store, on the hunt for a dress for her bachelorette party, as well as wedding day dresses for her bridal party.
When she wasn’t sure about a pink number for herself, she claims a pushy salesperson, named Chris, told her, " With your figure I really think you should buy it." When she stormed out of the store empty-handed, she says he called after her, "I knew you were a joke the minute you walked in".
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As a former retailer herself, O’Neil decided to write a letter to the company about the rude employee.
She detailed the salesperson’s pushy nature—how he barged into the changing room as she dressed, pressuring her to make a purchase. She also recounted his “immature dig in relation to my healthy size 12 frame.” Her letter ended with a unassuming, polite summation. “Ring me, don’t ring, not fussed………I’m just one retailer notifying another of an extremely inappropriate sales assistant.”
To her surprise, Gasp’s area manager Matthew Chidgey did respond, but not in the way she had hoped.
In what might be the most passive-aggressively hostile company response ever crafted, Chidgey writes: “Our product offerings are very, very carefully selected, so to ensure that we do not appeal to a broad customer base. This is something which is always at the forefront of our minds when undertaking buying duties... we only carry products which appeal to a very fashion forward consumer.” He goes on to explain that her comments tell him she’s one of the “run of the mill” shoppers that don’t measure up to the standards of their A-list clientele, name-dropping Kim Kardashian and Katy Perry in the process.
“Similarly these items are priced such that they remain inaccessible to the undesirable,” he adds. Got that, unassuming woman who just wanted to find a nice dress with her friends? To Gasp, you’re undesirable. He also defends this Chris character as a sales superstar with a “sixth sense for fashion,” and for shoppers. “He knew you were not going to buy anything before you even left your house.”
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(Side note: since O'Neil's exchange went viral another shopper has come forward claiming Chris used his sixth sense to call her a "fat b----" when she didn't buy anything.) The letter ends by banning O’Neil from Gasp stores for eternity, a punishment for wasting retail staff’s time.
O’Neil’s revenge came in the form of the internet. Her shocking email exchange (republished in its entirety below) went viral and a Facebook group entitled "Gasp Clothing Treats Their Customers Like Dirt" was born. Several other web campaigns to boycott the store have also been launched.
So the company was again forced to ‘waste time’ responding to the media about their store policy. This time, Chidgey told the Herald Sun that O’Neil’s “stunt” has been good publicity for the company and boosted sales. In case he didn’t insert enough of Gasp’s signature hostility, he added this: “To all the rude and obnoxious clowns, we respectfully ask that you get out and stay out, we don't want you or your business.”
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That seems like a fair request. If O’Neil is, by Gasp’s definition, a “rude and obnoxious clown,” I’d like to think most shoppers, including A-listers like Perry and Kardashian, would join Team Clown and pass on Gasp clothing altogether. In a store where the average customer is always wrong, I don’t want to be right.
Check out the email exchange that introduced the world to Gasp's customer policy.
From O'Neil to Gasp:
I had the privilege of shopping at your brand new Chapel St store on Saturday 24th September with my three bridesmaids in tow. On the hunt for bridesmaids dresses and a hens dress for myself we walked into the store and were automatically pounced on by a male staff member, I understand that this is protocol for many retail outlets and ours is no different.
The staff member was initially funny and extremely helpful with sizes etc. I chose a bright pink dress to try on but was unable to do the zip up so asked for the size up, when I eventually got the correct size and came out of the change room I was unable to discuss the likes or dislikes of the dress with my bridesmaids as the sales assistant kept saying "you should just get it", when I told him I would think about it, he pulled me aside and whispered "Is it the price your worried about". By now I was extremely frustrated, and again told him I'd think about it, I walked back into the change room and closed the door behind me, only to have it pushed open with the sales assistant half standing in my change room, again whispering "I think you should just get it", when I gave him attitude and said rudely, "I already told you I would think about it", he then replied, "With your figure I really think you should buy it".
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I'm not sure exactly what he meant by that, but considering the attitude used to deliver such a statement I can only imagine that it was an immature dig in relation to my healthy size 12 frame. I got changed in a hurry and walked right out of the change rooms and out of the store, I could hear the sales assistant yelling out to me, but I just ignored him and continued to leave, assuming my bridesmaids would follow. After waiting down the road for my bridesmaids to come out of the store I was told by one of them that the sales assistant yelled out "Have fun finding something at Supre", when one of them approached him in regards to his comments, he replied "I knew you girls were a joke the minute you walked in". When my bridesmaids walked out of the store another two customers walked out with them, they too could not believe the immaturity of the sales assistant.
I have worked in retail for 12 years and have come across an array of customer complaints over the years, none of which come even close to what I encountered on Saturday at your store, I wish I was exaggerating but unfortunately for your company this person actually exists and is working in one of your stores. I am pretty laid back and was quite happy just leaving your store, it was my bridesmaids who felt the need to say something to him.........I dread to think how many customers he has not only offended but how many customers have left your store due to the pressure placed on getting the sale, and then to be harassed when that sale hasn't taken place.
Ring me, don't ring, not fussed.........I'm just one retailer notifying another of an extremely inappropriate sales assistant.
Keara O'Neil
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Response from Chidgey:
Dear Keara O'Neil,
Having now had the privilege of having both version of events, I am now in a position to respond to your complaint.
From the very outset, one thing that you should be mindful of is; Our product offerings are very, very carefully selected, so to ensure that we do not appeal to a broad customer base. This is something which is always at the forefront of our minds when undertaking buying duties.
The reason for this is to ensure that we only carry products which appeal to a very fashion forward consumer. This by default means that the customer whom is acclimatised to buying from "clothing for the masses" type retailers, is almost frightened by our range, sometimes we have found that this type of customer, almost finds our dresses funny, and on occasion noted comments such as 'it looks like a dead flamingo'. When we receive comments like this, we like to give ourselves and our buyers, a big pat on the back, because we know we are doing our job right, and modus operandi is being upheld.
Our range is worn by A list celebrities to the likes of Kim Kardashian, Selena Gomez and Katy Perry to name only a few. Now, as one might appreciate, the style counsel for these types of celebrities are not ones to pick "run of the mill" type clothing, and they do so on the basis to ensure that the styles are cutting edge, and only worn by a select few. Similarly these items are priced such that they remain inaccessible to the undesirable.
Insofar as our employee goes; Similar to our product offerings, our employees are selected with a similar approach. Chris whom served you is a qualified stylist whom has a sixth sense for fashion, and Chris's only problem is that he is too good at what he does, and as I am sure you are aware, people whom are talented, generally do not tolerate having their time wasted, which is the reason you were provoked to leave the store.
Whilst I concede that you work for chain retailer, unfortunately that does not make us like for like. It is probably fair to assume, a lot of what I have said in this email, either doesn't make sense to you, or you totally disagree with it all, which is what I would expect (unless of course I have you totally wrong - which I doubt).
Let me guess, you would never, ever hire Chris in the course of your duty, would you? This is the very reason, why your comment "from one retailer to another" is so disproportionate, it's almost as though we are in a totally different industries. Chris is a retail superstar, who possess unparalleled ability, and I am sorry you feel upset by him, but he knew you were not going to buy anything before you even left your house.
So if you would like to do us any favours, please do not waste our retail staff's time, because as you have already seen, they will not tolerate it. I am sure there are plenty of shops that appease your taste, so I respectfully ask that you side step our store during future window shopping expeditions.
Thank you for your enquiry.
