Talbots

I went to Talbots on ¹²⁄₁₈ to purchase a last minute gift. I asked the sales associate to wrap it as a gift. The woman said there policy is not wrap gifts the week before Christmas. Who needs a gift wrapped the week before Christmas?!? Are you kidding me? Talbots is a expensive store, I shop there because the gift wrap is a nice feature of Talbots. Now you are taking this away. What is the incentive for me to shop there? There were 3 customers in the store… They weren’t busy.
I am sure Talbots was effected by the recession, but if you want customers to come back, it might be helpful to keep some of the features that distinguishes you from the competition.
Very disappointed.

I am not a huge Talbots fan. While the quality of their clothing is good, I generally find the style to be a little stuffy. However, lately I have been pleasantly surprised. I found a dress for my daughter, who needed something for a funeral, on their clearance rack that was not only perfect but extremely reasonable (read cheap!). The sales people were helpful, offering opinions when asked and bringing in several alternatives for my daughter. More recently, I was in at christmas time. I chose a sweater for myself which was on a great sale. I then spent a ridiculous amount of time choosing socks for my kids. Again, the sales staff was sweet, offering assistance and advice without hovering. I wanted a pair of shoes for my daughter and the store did not have her size so they called around and found them for me.

Several years living in the states and I just discovered Talbots today. While I absolutely loved most of the clothes, I will never shop at this location. Ever.
Today’s long story of my experience with upper montclair talbots: I was cheated by the shiny day and our super heating system underdressing myself and the daughter for this windy day. Been dropped off by daddy in upper montclair we were going to walk after the music class down to edgemont park for a picnic with friends and then further to downtown home. (I am explaining the long walk ahead of me on purpose– to show how disparate I was at the moment). While I Stood in Starbucks line thinking to get hot chocolate and tea I see the clothing store through the window. Eureka! I can use a spare sweater in the future and the clothes in the window looks great. Daughter can get an extra layer from the change clothes I have in backpack on me. I walk in and the place looks really cute. There is an olderly lady looking though the clothes and couple of young ones. I understood they are employees only because they were not wearing coats on that cold day and the older lady was! They didn’t smile at me, didn’t greet me or anything. Ok, I am browsing through the stuff thinking what item I can use now under my thin raincoat and trying to keep a toddler in a stroller. Notice unpleasant looks from the sales persons. Decide to grab the cheapest thing cause daughter is not patient. Love a polka dot blue shirt on a sales rack and ask where the changing room is. The sales person just pointed a finger at it in the manner my mom used to point to something I messed up (not a smile, not a word). I tried 2 sizes on, picked up the one I needed (of course the larger one (((and at the entrance to the changing room my sitting-​in-​a-​stroller daughter was almost ran over by the sales person. Not «I am sorry/​excuse me» from her. I paused to check on a child if she is ok. That sales person followed me from there carrying the shirt I left in the changing room and murmuring something. I asked «pardon? ». Her reply in a rudest manner: «whats the problem?» «I am not sure. You are saying something». «I am talking to myself» and all 3 of them laughed. I paid and put it on in Starbucks bathroom before I picked up my drink. I truly believe the very first review of this place and don’t think that the lady exaggerated anything because their employees do behave like this. They make customer unwelcome. I am not sure what exactly it takes to get gracious service the company claims among their policy. Maybe i didnt look right for the staff (too young? dressed plain?)The quality of the clothes at talbots is superb and I like the colors, so I definetly will be checking their website. Hey, in the end I got discounted (under $ 40) shirt that is adorable and looks to last long.

I needed a khaki skirt that covered both sides of my knees.
Bad.
Like I’ve-been-searching-for-a-month bad.
I found a skirt that fit the bill on
but, I admit, their clothes can be pricey. I figured that I’d poke around some thrift stores to see if I could snag something on the cheaper end of things and file away the Talbots skirt as backup.
No luck on the thrift front, but (dun dun dun!!!) they’d stopped selling the skirt online. So I went to my local Talbots in Manhattan Beach. They had the skirt in my size, but in the wrong color. One of the guys who worked there, Fabian, promptly went to the cash register and searched for other stores that could have it in stock. He found one possibility – Upper Montclair, NJ – and printed out their contact information for me.
I called a few days later and they had the skirt in stock. The woman on the phone took my credit card information over the phone and said it would be delivered in a little over a week. I asked if I could get a copy of my receipt via email. She said that Talbots didn’t do that, but she offered to text me a copy on her phone. So I gave her my cell number and she texted me a picture of the receipt.
I absolutely love how both these employees from stores across the country went out of their way and worked together to get me one skirt, which ended up being on clearance since it was the last one. Like I said earlier, Talbots is a little pricey for me and isn’t a place I’d ordinarily shop, but based on my experience with the employees, I’d definitely shop there again. :)

I need a dress for a wedding, and I’m a size 18. I saw online that Talbots had a few decent looking options for me in their plus sizes. This Upper Montclair store is just a few miles from my house, so I figured I’d check it out. The store’s Google+ page says «…We have a great selection of petite and plus size women’s clothing.» Sounds like a slam dunk, right?
Well, I got slammed all right!
When I got to the store, I immediately saw a large Petites section in the back. I looked around the front and sides and saw nothing but the regular sizes. I was one of only two customers in the shop. The other was being helped, and there was a store employee folding a pair of pants at the checkout counter. She continued to fold that one pair of pants the entire time I was in the store.
After looking through six or seven racks, checking to see if there were plus sizes (there weren’t) I walked over to the checkout counter. The woman there did her best to avoid even looking at me. I said «Your Google+ page said you stocked plus sizes in this store???» She tilted her eyes toward me, laughed, shook her head, and incredulously said «Not at this store!»
I sh*t you not. This is actually how this woman spoke to me. She continued folding the pants and staring out the window. I started to walk away, and she called out «there are other Talbots near – » and I cut her off to tell her I wasn’t shopping in her store.
Now, I’m used to being relegated to a top floor /​back of store /​separate dressing room /​complete lack of selection /​online only /​higher price because I dare to be a sturdy and bosomy size 18. And while it annoys me that stores don’t generally stock my size, I do appreciate that they are welcome to stock whatever the heck they choose to. But to have a salesperson be THAT dismissive to my face when I’m trying to give a store my money… that’s a new one for me.