I had a bride call me in tears a couple of days ago. Bless her heart, she just returned from a trip to her bridal gown store. She had called to see if she had any recourse against very pushy sales ladies and their unfair practices. After I listened to the issues, I had to reassure her that she was doing everything she could and if she wanted the dress returned to her, she would have to play by their rules for just a couple more weeks. Unfortunately, they were holding the upper hand for the moment.
It makes me very sad when I hear brides in tears, especially over their bridal gowns. A bride's gown is very important to her. It is the one formal gown she is ever likely to purchase with the symbolic nature that a wedding gown carries. She has dreamt about it while parading down grassy paths with a towel wrapped around her neck as a child. She has poured over books and pictures to ooh and awe over just the right one for her special day, and then to have her dreams trampled on by sales associates that don't care just plain hurts.
When a bride tries on a wedding dress she not only has to be savvy about her body type and what looks best on her, but she also has to be smart business woman. This is a large purchase that will be worn for very few hours, so the purchase must be smart, make sense AND appeal to the emotional; a rough business combination for even the most savvy of Wall Street investors!. It takes a good boutique that can fulfill all of those requirements and come out ahead. Unfortunately, there are some shoddy boutiques out there so buyers beware!How can you protect yourself? Here are a few tips for getting the dress that you want in the way that you want it:
1. Shop around. Do your homework. Get referrals and check with the Better Business Bureau if needed. This is not the time to let your heart rule your pocketbook when the boutique shop smells like left overs from three years ago when you walk in.
2. If the shop associate doesn't rise from their chair or come out of their office to greet you with a smile and warm handshake, turn around and walk out. They don't care about you as a client. Plain and simple common sense. If they want your business, they will come to you.
3. Take your time; this is not the time to rush through any decisions. Again, if the shop associate is not focused on you by listening to your requests and asking you questions about your tastes but are trying to push the latest and greatest, turn around and walk away. They don't care about you as a client---you are only a $$ sign in their eyes.
4. Get everything in writing! If they state that they will do something, order something, or alter something---get it in writing. This is a non-negotiable point. Don't let the heat of the moment cloud your better sense. Get it in writing to protect your investment. A handshake is fine, the written word holds up in court.
5. If a boutique or any business for that matter asks you to pay in cash, run away as fast as you can. The old saying that if it smells fishy, it probably is holds quite true here. Any legitimate business is NOT going to demand that you pay in cash for any of their services. If they do---they are cheating someone somewhere and their business practices are not ethical. Again---get it in writing!
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