Women’s clothing retailer Coldwater Creek didn’t have to do anything for Peri. She found a pair of pants that she liked in a retail store had the clerk order them in “tall” length for her. She couldn’t use the 40% off coupon she had brought for the special order, since it wasn’t considered an in-store purchase. Officially. She bought the pants anyway. Normally that would be the end of it, but then something really great happened. he sent a quick e-mail to the company, and received a response from corprorate…then a phone call from the manager of her local store, offering that 40% off retroactively. And a gift card.

I want to give a shout-out to Coldwater Creek for their awesome customer service.

I went into their local store to purchase some slacks with a 40% off coupon. The size I chose fit perfectly, except that I needed a Tall, and they do not carry them in the store, only the catalog.

When I spoke to the clerk, she stated she could order the Tall on the computer for me, and it would be shipped to my home without a shipping charge. That was great! However, the 40% off coupon was only for in-store purchases, so I would have to pay full price. That was not-so-great.

But I liked and wanted the pants, so I ordered them. When I went home I dropped an email to customer service, explaining my disappointment. As I have long legs, if I purchase pants, I can never take advantage then, of in-store discounts since they never carry the Talls in the store.

A day later I got an email from corporate expressing their apologies. Nothing else. I thought that was the end of it. But I was wrong!

A couple days later the manager of the local store that I’d shopped at called me. She was extremely apologetic; she said that never should have happened, that I should have been able to get the discount, and she was going to insure I did get it. She credited my Amex for the amount of the 40% discount ($32), and for my trouble, she was also sending me a $25 gift card! It arrived in the mail about a week later with a handwritten note apologising again for the situation.

Needless to say, I am extremely impressed and they have won a customer for life! So many companies could learn a lesson from Coldwater Creek. Kudos to them!!

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