Clint at Seattlest went shopping for a suit for his wedding. The wedding isn’t until August, but he and his beyonce just wanted to see what Men’s Wearhouse had to offer. Mostly, they had to offer a really rude sales clerk who told them to get out of her store and come back in the summer when they were ready to shop.
“B” is the sales lady, and “S” is Seattlest:
B: What color do you want? Grey? Black?S: Brown, actually.
B: Brown. That’s a different choice for a wedding.
S: That’s the idea.
B: Light brown? Dark brown? Tan?
S: Dark brown.
Bitchy pulls out a black pinstriped suit and brandishes it at us.
B: This is dark brown. Is this what you’re thinking?
It isn’t. It’s black.
S: Well, not really.
B: It’s dark brown. But we won’t have this in August.She hangs the suit again and stares at us.
Seriously, sales clerk? You work at Men’s Wearhouse and have this attitude? This writer has personally hated Men’s Wearhouse ever since an aggressive employee tried to physically intimidate me into buying a jacket I didn’t like back in 2006. It was my second and last time to ever enter one of their stores. Oh, also their suits are gross.
(Thanks to James!)
“Men’s Wearhouse Presents: How to Lose Customers and (Negatively) Influence Sales” [Seattlest]
(Photo: Getty)
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B: This is dark brown. Is this what you’re thinking?
It isn’t. It’s black.
He should have immediately launched into Spinal Tap on this one:
It’s like how much more black could this be? And the answer is none, none more black. It’s like a black mirror… you can see yourself… in both sides.
Men’s Wearhouse? I wouldn’t even consider setting foot in one of those places. I wear nothing but fine Italian suit by Brioni, Armani and Zegna. It’s not easy finding those great items at the places I shop but if you keep going back to thrift stores you never know what might turn up.
Some men know which suits fit them well (or will with the usual alterations) and some don’t. If you can’t tell, then you’re relying on the salesperson. And if it’s a bad salesperson, then they can’t tell either. Men’s Wearhouse has a surprising number of such employees, and the reason that they’ll say thing like “we can’t help you if it’s this far before your wedding” is because they know that you’ll only be happy with what they pick out for you if you’re desperate.
If you can find a good salesperson, or if you don’t need the salesperson, some of the stock at Men’s Wearhouse is ok. But some of it is real crap, so a bad salesperson can really put you into a terrible suit there.
My only experience at Men’s Wearhouse was pretty similar. My husband and I were looking for a suit for our wedding – he wanted something modern that didn’t break the bank. Well, MW doesn’t really “do” modern, but our sales guy forced him to try on a god-awful double-breasted, pleated number that made him look like Tweedle Dum. I asked the salesman for anything that was unpleated or even less heavily pleated, and perhaps with a lower rise on the trouser, and he quite literally YELLED at me, “THEY DON’T MAKE SUITS LIKE THAT.” Apparently not at MW, they don’t. We found a smashing suit at Filene’s Basement, SANS PLEATS, for a similar price.
Its funny, because I just went looking for a brown suit at TMW last week. The salesperson just came out and said they didn’t have any. Probably helped that I was already buying another suit when I asked (and for that I was shown a wrong color, admitedly). I mean, they are a little pushy, but never rude in my experience. If anything, they are over-the-top accommodating, but they’ve always still been that way when I’ve declined the 42 things other than a suit they try to get me to buy.
Only problem I ever had was when I bought a suit and someone put it back on the rack instead of directing it to their tailor. Got free tailoring out of it, though only after I wrote to complain that no effort was made to make up for the mistake initially.
I accompanied my dad once to a MW and while he was shopping for a new suit, I tried on some corduroy jackets. They didn’t have any in my size, so an employee offered to have them ship one over. I said he didn’t have to go to that trouble, he said it was no problem.
When my dad goes to buy the suit, it’s twice as much as he expected to pay. WELL–they had added the corduroy jacket to his bill. We told them that was a big mistake, and they backed down–but still…way sneaky.
To be fair, my previous experiences have been reasonable and they’ve tailored old suits that don’t fit me anymore for free. Big plus for that.
Last year I went to buy a sport coat only, and ended up being absolutely piled on to buy pants, or a tie, or a shirt. I explained to them at least 10 times I was there to just get the sport coat only. They still didn’t let up.
I’ll never shop there again.
I went to have a suit tailored once, and again to shop for dress shoes, and got leaned on pretty heavy to buy something else while I was there both times.
Later I was in the bridal party for a wedding in Florida (as an “attendant,” don’t ask). My tux matched the groomsmen’s and was being rented from Mens Warehouse.
When I went to pick it up, I noticed two things:
1. The tux rental section of Mens Warehouse was hastily tacked on, staffed separately from the sales floor, and obviously poorly run
2. The salespeople knew this and generally ignored you if you were there to pick up a rental. Not quite to the point of rudeness, but close.
Everyone had problems with their rentals. No shirts, wrong ties, something or another for everyone. In the end though it was nice being able to pick the tux up in Northern Virginia but return it in Orlando Florida. That was about the only nice part.
I try not to shop MW. High pressure sales tactics make me freak out, and when I have to shop for menswear, it’s due to an extreme need that getting pressured will derail.
@MercuryPDX:
“I’M freeeeeeee!” (“Mennnnswear.”)
Had a similar experience years ago at the Men’s Wearhouse in Novi, MI. Haven’t been back since. The sales guy was a serious jerk.
That place has gone downhill since Michael Scott left.
@kittenfoo: I know. I actually wrote that in my post, then changed it before I hit “submit”.
LOL!
@MoCo: I’m with ya on Syms, but also recommend looking for outlets and the like.
There’s usually a “fashion” district in most larger cities, too.
@smitty1123: I find that they’re also very diligent about measuring my inside leg.
Men’s Wearhouse saved my ass last winter.
I flew into Des Moines for my fiancee’s Winter Formal at her school. I needed a suit ASAP, so we went to Men’s Wearhouse in West Des Moines to see if they could fit me into a suit on short notice. They did, and had my suit fitted, altered and ready to wear the next day.
If Francine Karshbaum @ the West Des Moines location is reading this…THANK YOU!
@brendanm14: This suit is blacknot.
Didn’t feel like reading all the comments, but in case no one else said it, it is pointless to waste the salesperson’s time if you aren’t buying. If you aren’t buying immediately, or in the near future, you need to let them know that at the beginning of the conversation. They work on commission, so if they’re spending time with you, they’re liable to lose a sale to another salesperson.
It is also pointless to go shopping for wedding gear until you’re close to the wedding – if you’re shopping in January for a suit you won’t need until August, you might gain weight, lose weight, etc. The suit probably won’t be there. The stock *will* change, they may sell it, and on and on. When you buy a suit at one of these stores, they’re going to make alterations to it. If you don’t like it in a month, tough, you’ve just wasted money.
All that said, of course, the OP was fairly clear on telling the salesperson that they weren’t interested in buying, so this was just a bad employee. Just keep in mind that that isn’t always the case, and frequently, people WILL waste the salesperson’s time for an hour or more, not buy anything, never plan on buying anything, and if enough individuals walk in and do this, people who DO want to buy will be forced to wait for ages before being served.
Men’s Wearhouse won my family over when my father (who is 6’5″) was able to be fitted at a store in Florida for a tux for my brother’s wedding in California, including huge shoes they had to get from a third store someplace else. They really went out of their way to accommodate them even for a two-day rental.
hey, i dont blame the salesperson, they are there to sell TODAY, not next august. these nitwits should go browsing, if a salesperson approches them say they are just looking. is the salesperson suppose to spend a hour with them and not make a sale?
@axiomatic:
Thinking outside the box would be not using the term “thinking Outside The Box”
Thanks for playing.
@ShortBus: Cedar keeps the bugs away, iirc.
Men’s Wearhouse has been great to me. They are right up there with Costco, Starbucks, Tiffany, and the lot of “good” firms.
We went to MW once and only once, while looking for a suit for our wedding reception (privately eloped, then had a reception for family and friends). We wanted something that could be worn again, dark gray. We WANTED to just rent, but the prices at MW were outrageous. So then we looked for buying. Husband’s pretty tall with broad shoulders (think football d-line), and not only did they have a limited selection, the price was outrageous (for what we wanted) – $300 for just the suit, before any tailoring, a shirt, or anything. And the salespeople were very rude, particularly at the size we wanted, which wasn’t even that big – it’s not like my husband has to shop at special stores or get his clothes custom made!
We went down the street to a small local suit shop and ended up with the jacket, pants, a shirt, tie, and socks, AND tailoring (which they did same-day!) for $130. And it’s a beautiful suit, my husband’s worn it six or seven times, and wears the pants twice a week to work. I haven’t been back to MW since, and tell everyone I know to not go there.
On another note, it IS important to start looking for wedding attire early in the game. A good suit shop will, if you so choose, place your order for the suit and postpone the tailoring until 2 weeks before the wedding. There’s no reason this salesperson could not have been reasonable and helped them out – odds were if she played her cards right, she would have ended up with a sale.
I have equally bad experiences at MW. They have very small selection in my size – 38 short, so the salespeople will try and high-pressure a sale by making me try on something I tell them I’m not crazy about, and then trying to insist that it’s “the latest style” and “looks really classy”.
Sorry, but I’m a thin guy. I know that tailored, fitted suits look good on me – not shoulder pads and extra wide waists.
I’m NOT shopping there anymore either.
The saleslady should have explained herself more tactfully, but she had a good point. Why look at winter suits for a summer wedding? That really doesn’t make any sense.
I fail to see how the salesperson was “bitchy”. Nor do I see how she failed to help them. This Consumerist title is hyperbole (again). Her response is being recounted by the customer – who knows how much it got contorted…..of course it makes for better reading this way.
I have no doubt that rude salespeople exist. Having worked in retail I know first hand. However, I have to give the salesperson the BOD (benefit of the doubt). This customer came into MW assuming he could just buy a summer suit in Jan/Feb. Obviously, the only “brown” option in stock was something very dark (hello, it’s winter!) and the salesperson is right – they won’t have that suit she pulled out in Aug. They will sell out/dispose of them to make room for new stock. It makes much more sense to shop closer to the wedding. If they plan on buying “off the rack”.
On the flipside – salesperson could have been a little more tactful and offered to find out what may be coming in down the road that’s more suitable.
I say this one is a 75/25 split with the majority of blame going to MW.
My beyonce came with a luci lu. I hope he got in on that deal.
Everytime I’ve gone in a MW, it’s always been high pressure, and the people working there could care less about what you want.
I remember one time in particular, I was graduating from Business school and wanted an appropriately powerful business suit. What the sales person showed me was something straight out of the 80′s – heavy wool and plaid. When I asked for something more modern, I got the cold shoulder akin to other posters above me.
I ended up getting a nice Calvin Klein suit at the mall across the street.
@kostia:
Your father apparently had the exact opposite experience I did when renting a tux, although under similar circumstances.
@jaya9581:
Not to pick hairs, but a 130$ suit is great for wearing “six or seven times.” If your field of work requires wearing a suit every day or so, you’re better off spending twice that (but in my opinion, not much more). Your comment made me remember there IS a difference between a good suit and a wearable suit, and that’s something that hasn’t entered into the discussion so far.
I think the real issue is that guy’s toupee. That think couldn’t look more unreal if he had a chin-strap.
Related story:
I bought a suit for my wedding at Nordstroms. I then looked all over the place to buy the shirt I wanted to no avail. I, slightly embarrased, went to a Men’s Wearhouse as a last resort but could not find it there (ended up buying it ad Damiani for a mint). When in MW the lady asked me if I had a suit yet and I told her I did. She then said she could get me one much cheaper and I, who hate aggressive marketing, politely told her no. She insisted and for some reason I went along. I walked out with a suit I liked much more than the one I had bought at Nordstroms and for about 1/4th the price. Not really my type of store but I must say I was very happy. On an aside, Nordstroms honored their “we will take it back no questions asked” beautifully when it came to me returning the suit I had bought. Even though I returned that one I will be doing business with them often.
First of all, I think Beyonce has already married somebody. SECONDLY, I think that the person working there knows a little bit more about suits and their quality than you do. And finally, think about how dumb you sounded to the salesclerk. I would have told you to leave, personally. So think about it, sass pants!