In the fourteen years, that I have been involved with the bridal business, many things have changed. Some things have changed for the better but not everything. One item that many independently owned bridal stores pride themselves on is customer service. This will never change. In this post, I would like to explain to the younger generation what kind service to expect from a bridal store.
The main priority is individualized service: This means that you should have the full attention of the bridal consultant during your appointment time. This consultant should help you look for the type of gown you are interested in purchasing, help you try on these gowns, give you suggestions about how the gown fits your body type and if changes can be made to the gown to make it your dream dress. The consultant should also inform you of the time line required to order the gown, make alterations and have the gown ready for your special day.
Of course, this service will vary depending upon the store you select. Here are some things to know before you select which stores to visit.
a. If a store is very small, there may only be one person working each shift. Therefore if you do not schedule an appointment to try on gowns, you may not have individualized service. I know that I have had days in my store when there were no appointments on the book but had 3 to 4 brides show up at about the same time to try on gowns. I had to do my best to divide my attention between them. Although I do not require an appointment, it is preferred so that several brides are not scheduled at the same time or an extra consultant is available for added appointments. In our "fast food" world of today where few people want to be bothered with appointments or reservation, I do offer an added discount for those brides who take the time to make an appointment.
b. Some stores will not allow anyone to try on gowns who does not have an appointment. So don't spend lots of time on the road to visit a particular store to only be told that you cannot try on any gowns because you do not have an appointment. Plan ahead.
c. Also realize that larger stores have many consultants. So if you visited the store and really liked the consultant that worked with you, there is no guarantee that the same consultant will be scheduled for your next appointment. Again, if you plan ahead, you should be able to schedule an appointment with the same consultant from the first appointment. On the other hand if you did not like your first consultant, do not settle for her/him for a second appointment. Remember that you are the customer and the store is servicing you. If they truly want your business, they will give you a new consultant.
d. Is there an advantage working with the owner or manager instead of a hired consultant? Certainly! The difference is getting the answers to the questions you have about gowns. If it is important to you to have a direct line to the answers you need, you may want to select a small independent store where the owner works every day. In these stores, there is only one person who takes the order, places the order, checks that the order is on time, receives the order, inspects the order, presses the order and finally gives the order to you. As you can see, in a large store there could be a different person for each of these tasks who do not personally know you. Things can get lost or misplaced. They do not know exactly which gown you ordered so will not be aware of a wrong style number or size until you see the gown.
There are so many things to consider at this most precious time in your life. Please take some time to plan carefully. Here are some questions you need to answer before purchasing your wedding attire.
1. Do I like the idea of making an appointment or just showing up to shop?
2. Did I receive the service I expected at my appointment?
3. What did the consultant do that I liked?
4. What did the consultant do that I didn't like?
5. Did I feel pressured to make a purchase on the first visit?
6. Did I feel that the store valued my business?
If you are not completely satisfied with your answers to these questions, keep looking. As I stated before, you are the customer and have the final decision on how you spend your money.
My final three words of wisdom about the bridal industry are:
1. NEVER GIVE YOUR MONEY TO SOMEONE THAT YOU DON'T LIKE! This applies to anything you do. If you are not happy with the business you are doing business with, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE! You never have to settle for bad service or rude behavior.
2. What if you found the gown of your dreams at the store with the terrible service? This is why you need to plan ahead. Do some research about what each store carries. Look at the designers on the store websites or look for store names on designer websites. You will quickly find out that the best designers are available at numerous stores. So unless you select a gown that has been discontinued, you should be able to find the gown in another store. If you cannot get the gown somewhere else, you still may have fewer headaches selecting a new gown than dealing with terrible service.
3. Although many websites feature the horror stories about weddings, there are hundreds of reputable bridal salons. There are plenty of really good people working in the bridal industry that live to make brides happy. If you don't already know one of these people, ask around. It is very likely that someone you trust will know where to find a great bridal salon. But the last word of warning is to remember that people do make mistakes. Hopefully it won't happen to your wedding, but if it does, give the store a chance to correct the mistake. A truly genuine store will bend over backwards to correct a problem. I think this is a whole new post, so read the next one on how to handle the problems.
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