Wedding Planning Hooplah, Part 2: The Blowing of the Mind

Good Afternoon Readers.

I suppose that I should begin this blog post with a bit of back story, as to why my mind is totally and completely blown.

Right after I got engaged, like most brides, I made a bee-line to find my perfect wedding dress. My mother and I took notes and made appointments with the usual big-box bridal shops: David's, Alfred Angelo's, and also at a few smaller boutiques in Seattle: Cicada, Blue Sky Bridal, and Belltown Bride, to name a few.

I was especially excited to try on dresses at one of my all time favorite stores: the flagship Nordstroms in downtown Seattle.

The scene of the mind-blowing.

When I went in to make an appointment, there was one dress in particular that caught my eye...a lovely silk ball-gown with pockets. I've promised my mother that I am NOT going to describe the dress too much until AFTER the wedding, so please accept my apologies, Readers, for the lack of wedding dress detail. However, I FELL IN LOVE with this dress. It was simply gorgeous! The perfect shape, color, fabric, detail, price, EVERYTHING!

I made the appointment and made a note to the bridal consultant that I was interested in this particular dress. She wrote down the style number, designer, my measurements, and for the time being, all was well.

About a week and a half later, I went back into the store to browse. I looked around, and found that the dress was missing. I panicked a bit, and asked the receptionist there (yes, Nordie's has a receptionist for the bridal department...I know, right?) about the dress...she told me that the dress was no longer in stock, as the bridal department was "inventory based" and that dresses "rotate out" every sales quarter or so. I was heartbroken, and cancelled the appointment.

Well, Readers...I guess that this letter I sent to Nordstrom Corporate tells the story best. I changed the names to protect the innocent, and took out the style and designer of the dress in question to appease my mother:

 To whom it may concern:

My name is (Orb Weaver), and I am writing this afternoon because I am a heartbroken bride.

I live in downtown Seattle, and I have always admired the Bridal Suite located in the Nordstrom flagship store. I adore shopping at Nordstroms, as the quality of clothing/shoes and customer service is second to none. During the vast majority of my visits to your store, I am very happy with the customer service experience.

That is not the reason I am writing today.

When I first became engaged, I got very excited and of course, made a bee-line to the Bridal Suite to set up an appointment. While I was there, I saw what I can truly say is my dream wedding gown: the (dress). This gown to me is what the Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle was to Ralphie in A Christmas Story.

I made the appointment with a bridal consultant by the name (Bad Bridal Consultant). Not long afterward, I received an email from (Bad Bridal Consultant) asking me the usual battery of bridal questions: wedding date, dress size, style, etc. I answered her questions, and let her know that I was particularly interested in the (dress)gown.

About a week and half later, right before the appointment, I went into the bridal suite to browse...and was shocked to find that the gown was nowhere to be found! I panicked a bit, and asked the salesperson there at the time (I'm afraid I can't recall her name,) if the dress was still in stock...she told me no, since dresses "rotate out" every sales quarter or so. I later went onto the Nordstrom bridal website, and was heartbroken to find that the dress had also been taken down from the site.

I called later, asking the bridal consultants there at the time if there was any, ANY possible way to find the dress. The consultant assured me that she would check to see if there was anything that she could do, and that I could expect a phone call from her by the end of the day. I also emailed (BBC), letting her know about my predicament. I didn't hear from either (BBC) or the bridal department.

I ended up cancelling the appointment, as my dream wedding gown was apparently no more. I bought another dress at a different bridal shop (which, unfortunately, I am now stuck with because this particular shop does not accept returns or refunds).

Fast forward to today. I came into the bridal suite to look at shoes/accessories.

My heart sank to my stomach and broke into a thousand pieces.

There was the (dress) Gown. The very same one that I was repeatedly told no longer existed. Had I known that this gown was back in stock, I would not have bought the other dress.

I was simply shocked, and nearly burst into tears. There is my dream dress. The PERFECT dress! But unfortunately for me, the dress is unobtainable, due to either the negligence or the dishonesty of the sales staff.

I brought this to the attention of one of the wedding stylists, her name is (bridal consultant who knows what she's doing). She asked which bridal consultant I had booked my appointment with, and when I gave her the name, she then informed me that Miss (BBC) no longer works with Nordstrom. This certainly explains why my emails to (BBC) went unanswered.

I honestly believe that there should be a better way of helping brides find their dream dresses. I would have loved to have been in contact with ANY bridal consultant regarding this, not just the one I was assigned to. Plus, I'm confused as to why the (dress) gown was brought back, if it were supposedly "no longer in stock" simply a few weeks ago!

Needless to say, I am very, VERY upset and disheartened with Nordstroms right now. I honestly feel as if my concerns regarding the dress were brushed off and ignored by your sales staff. Again, had I known that the (dress) dress would be back in stock in a matter of WEEKS, I would have bought it at the first opportunity.

The worst thing of all is that I feel I can no longer trust ANY of your sales staff. I would certainly like to think that you have your BEST stylists working in the bridal suite, given how important a wedding gown is. Now that I've been lied to/brushed off by the bridal staff, I feel that I'm probably going to be brushed off and deceived by the rest of the sales staff, too.

So here I am. I'm stuck with a wedding dress that I feel can't hold a candle to the (dress). I've lost faith in the integrity and professionalism of the Nordstrom's Sales staff, and I am a very, VERY unhappy bride.

I lost my dream wedding gown. I lost it because no one at the department bothered to find out if the gown would be back in stock. I lost it because my wedding stylist couldn't be bothered to check her email or stay in contact to answer my questions.

And there it is, hanging on the display rack in Seattle. And there is no way I will be able to walk down the aisle in that dress, because of the negligence and dishonesty of your bridal sales staff.
Thank you for your time,

Me.

Yes, Readers, it's a bit melodramatic, but I'm sure a few of you understand the emotional ups and downs that go along with planning a wedding. While I was writing this email, I was trying my hardest not to cry. I was simply in a state of wedding gown shock. And let me assure you, Readers, that there is no shock quite like the shock of seeing the wedding dress you were constantly told, "No! It's out of stock!" hung up, front and center, on the display rack merely a week after you conceded wedding gown defeat.

Are you ready for the mind blowing?

About a week after I sent the above email, I got a phone call.

From the Nordstrom Regional Manager.

Offering me the dream dress.



Free.




Of.




Charge.




......................................................

Readers, I'm going to give you all a few seconds to absorb what it is that you have just read.


My head pretty much exploded right then and there. After taking some time to compose myself, my mother, and a close friend and I went into the Nordies in question to meet with the bridal department manager regarding this whole debaucle.

They got the email right away, and spent a few days tracking down what exactly happened to make sure that I wasn't an insane bridezilla out for the blood of any and all people who didn't give me exactly what I wanted.


This is totally not me. And if I start looking/acting like this, kindly send Mothra my way. Image found here: http://brideuniverse.com/category/bridezilla

Apparently, the bridal consultant I was assigned to was let go right after I was supposed to have my appointment with her. This is why I didn't hear anything back from her when I emailed her all my questions.

Also, the wedding stylists who were working when I asked about the dress (when it was missing) did not know their stock. If they HAD, they would have known that they could easily order that style of dress from other stores. THIS is where they messed up royally: instead of figuring out which dress I was talking about and seeing if they could honestly find it (which they should have been able to), they just brushed me off and pretended that they didn't know what I was talking about so that I would just "go away".

The manager assured us that this conduct by their staff was "unacceptable" and that Nordstrom would be doing everything that they collectively can to make up for the mistake.

Not only are they paying for the dress itself, but they will also be paying for alterations and dry cleaning.

Holy. Effing. Moly.

Readers, I honestly thought that email was going to go down the usual customer service black hole. But no.

What's the opposite of a customer service black hole?

A Customer Service Supernova?

Nordstrom: the customer service supernova. Image found here:http://io9.com/5606096/first-3+d-view-of-a-supernova-in-progress



All I guess I can say at this point is that I am going to be a Nordstrom's customer for life. These people, seriously, are the best.

All Hail Nordstroms!!!! And All Hail Nordstrom Bridal!!!

All Glory to the Customer Service Supernova!

<3