Ross Dress for Less review: poor service, unkempt store 25

The staff would probably be much nice to everyone if the customers were not rude mean to us. the stores look like they do because customers don't know hoe to put clothes back on the hangers or pick up after theirselfs. if ross paid more than there would not be such a turn over of staff and they would know more because they have been there for a while. most staff quits because they don't want to deal with the customers any more. there is not enough cashiers because we need the staff on the floor cleaning up.

My wife, who is 6 months pregnant, when to Ross to buy do some random shopping. She came across a pair of maternity pants. She wasn't able to try them on in the store because she also had my 1 year old son with her.

She debated about buying them, but when she found out the return policy, 30 days with tag and receipt, she was comforted. She actually read the return policy that was posted at the checkout counter.

Upon getting home with the jeans, she found they actually didn't fit. It wasn't a surprise, her stomach and body in general are growing.

That was on March the 8th. Today is Sunday the 12th. Yes, four days later. I dropped my wife off at the entrance to return the jeans (which were pulled on...as well as she could, and pulled back off and put into the bag...I need not forget to mention, as she was pulling them up to try them on she had to cut the tags off because the were irritating AND my son kept tugging at them as she pulled them up). I sat in the car with my son and drove around.

In 10 minutes my wife came back to the car in tears. I couldn't understand what had brought her to tears! She explained that the sales person, derrik told her that she could not return them because the tag, which she had... all of them, was not ATTACHED TO THE JEANS, by the little plastic string. He then tried to comfort her by telling her that it was a sad policy and that he felt bad but there was nothing he could do. She then asked for the manager that basically said I'm sorry, I can't help either. Its a new policy. When my wife asked how old, she said, Hunny, its been a while. Sorry.

I went back in with the original bag, original receipt, original tag, with my wife and son and asked for the manager. She turned and said, what do you need. As I began to speak she cut me off saying I've spoken to your wife we can't return them. I started to speak again and she cut me off again repeating herself. Tried once more and she said sir I cant help you. this time I rose my voice above hers and told her to get her manager. She said she was gone. I said what is her phone number. She pointed to a sign on the wall and said I could call tomorrow. I told her I wanted to call right now. She told me there wasn't an outgoing line that I could use. I told her that SHE could call. She said I wouldn't and that I could call tomorrow. So I asked her where the sign was that explains their new return policy. She said, "Sir, I've explained to you that we won't return your jeans, I've told you the policy, I'm not going to argue with you." She walked away from me. I asked derik the number to the home office or the corporate and he couldn't get it for me, so he paged Christy again. Christy spent FIFTEEN minutes in the office and then sent an associate to deliver the number. I asked for Christy again. She came out but wouldn't attend to me. I asked what is the manager's name, they asked me to leave. I asked again the manager's name, they asked me to leave. I then asked the customers as they walked past if they had been informed of the new return policy and told them they couldn't return their purchase unless their tags were ATTACHED to the clothes. They looked at me and I asked again, what is your managers name. Christy told me that i could either leave or she would have me escorted out. She claimed to have called the police. I said, why wont you explain your policy to me, she said I'm not talking to you again. I said because you know i'm right!

At this point Derik, while ringing up his customer, looked at me and said, "I'm about tired of your white gay ###. I don't know who you called, Christy, but I'm calling 911." and he proceeded to do so.

They refused to tell me anything. This new policy was not posted ANYWHERE. I asked the policeman to help and they wouldn't tell HIM anything. I'm no longer allowed in the store as I'll be trespassing, all for a fifteen dollar pair of jeans and I should have been able to return per the back of the receipt.

So, how do you explain this one... were we really mean to you?

I completely agree, and I'm sorry, but just because people may feel they are underpaid, they should not allow that to change their performance in their work ethics (to the 1st comment, who is obviously an employee)

I've worked retail off and on for many years, yet am still completely taken aback at the lack of respect consumers have for merchandise that is NOT THEIRS! The reason customers have a hard time finding what they need at Ross is because it's probably laying across the store because another customer is too lazy to put it back. Everytime I work, I find so many clothes and women's shoes in the Home Department. I consider Ross primary a women's store, so it is women who are lazy and inconsiderate to other women shoppers who follow behind them. I'm sure it's not men who are leaving bras, shoes, bathing suits, and other women's garments in the kids, home, and men's and accessory departments. So many times, they have to pass that department on the way out, why not put it back? Do you know how many restaurant cups and other assorted forms of trash we find throughout the store? Ross has a selection of candy, snacks etc. Nearly every time I work, I find an empty package when I'm doing recovery, someone has helped themselves to something that is not theirs--or stealing. I cant imagine a customer is paying for the product to eat while shopping because checking out is always a long and drawn out process at Ross, a person would have to stand in line a minimum of 30 min. to pay for the snack, then eat while checking out, I doubt very seriously if that is happening. Somehow the public at large is of the opinion that retail staff is their personal slave(s) and their job to pick up after them. No, our job should be to keep the racks sized correctly and merchandise displayed in a pleasing manner for the shopping. Ross has such potential for wonderful displays, and that is my favorite part of the job, but there is no time because of the amount of time it takes to recover the store. Is it REALLY necessary to unfold every towel of the same color/pattern then wad it up and put it back on the shelf? Not to mention the severe cut backs put forth by corporate. Mother's Day, there were 2 people scheduled on the floor, myself and another young lady, who wasn't scheduled until 3 p.m. When I left there at 8 pm, I was exhausted. Even through all this, I am never rude to the customers and will go out of my way to help someone. I treat customers the way I want to be treated, because I have shopped at Ross for many years and the staff is usually rude and just do not care and this goes for management as well as other staff.

Being an employee and customer, I can see both sides of the issue.

Shirley

I went into the store at Hillcroft and Westheimer to look for sales needed to use the ladies room. Went in did what I had to do and in turn was no toilet paper,
paper towels, and on top of it no soap to wash your hands. Talk to the person that was handling the area where you try on clothes and was told that they were issuing out pieces of toilet paper to customers because children were stuffing paper in the toilet. Then after my response to her was that is nonsense to handle adult women that way. Her response was that you should have looked before using the restroom. I was so applaud that I am going to even call the television station to see if this could be brought out in the open so that if only minorities is being treated this way that could be a lawsuit against the store. I am still angry because of the way the employee was so rude to me.

There are a couple sides to the issue. One was already addressed. The other customers. If you take an item and decide not to buy it, put it back where you found it. Don't leave it on some other rack across the store. Don't leave it on the floor of the dresing room. I don't think the Ross employees are the ones putting the bathing suit trunks on the rack with the t-shirts.

Same goes for the drink cups and such. Have a little respect, people. If you wouldn't leave your empty soda bottle in the clothes closet at your mother's house, don't leave it among the clothes at the store. I assume you're all adults, is it that much trouble to finish your drink before you go in to a store?

Don't say you leve your trash around because "they pay people to pick that up" then complain you can't get any assistance. Gee, you think maybe you can't get help because the employees are busy picking up the mess the other customers left?

And on the customer service bit. Ross employees should act somewhat professional., yes. However, I just don't understand the idea that one should expect a Nordstrom's level of customer service at Ross. They may not know what is in stock of what it costs. They aren't going to follow you around and suggest something to go with those new shoes. They are low-paid workers in a discount store. Why do you expect to be waited on hand and foot?

I've worked retail for many years, and I've found that different stores and chains have a "tone" to the customer service that they provide. How much they get paid really doesn't effect the level of customer service as much as this tone that is set by the managers. I think Ross has a bleak soul-sucking atmosphere that I feel every time I visit one of their stores, making me want to find what I need quickly and exit the store as soon as humanly possible. I have never encountered any sales rep at Ross that has even a hint of helpfulness, most seem to roll their eyes and give the impression they wish to escape as soon as possible, and most don't even have basic knowledge of the store layout and where everything is. Customer service really is an art of making the customers feel as if everything they need is at their fingertips, and that a helpful person is available to give assistance without hesitation. Ross fails in all aspects of this, I would suggest they revise the way they handle human resources, and supply positive role models through helpful and hard working managers.

Kadene Porters email so reflects my feelings. I am however talking about ROSS at Boca Park in Las Vegas. You literally feel like you are walking through piles of garbage. Merchandise is littered all over. I love the store so it is painful.

For people who are justifying this state of affairs .. how come a Marshall's nearby is much more organized. And I know for sure that the same "lazy women " shop there too. Its harder to litter in a clean organized place. I agree that shoppers tend to treat the merchandise with the same respect that workers and managers treat them with. Admit it its the managers fault. Wake up somethings wrong somewhere since its the same people shopping at millions of other stores.

As an employee of Ross, located in Bossier City, Louisiana, i completely agree with the other employee. I want to apologize to many of you for the way you have been treated in the other stores. We here in Bossier have the upmost respect for our customers and everything is running very smoothly. We opened up in October of this year and already it has been a hard struggle to keep the store clean and organized. Some customers seem to have no interest in putting a simple item of clothing back after looking at it or throwing away a filthy cup from the local chik-fila that their kid threw on the ground. Everyday we are assigned a new section to recover and reorganize, and by the next day its trashed once again. I remember spending a couple of hours in the home department and it was looking wonderful. Let about 4 hours pass by (especially it being the holidays) it will be in the same dispair as before. I am a very friendly and sweet girl (being only 19, i have learned a lot about patience since working here). Ross is a great store, it just takes a few rude and lazy people to ruin that. Remember that yes WE KNOW the store is getting messy, its not our faults. Theres only so much we can do. If we had 10 hands, we would use them, i promise! And no, its not the managers fault, at least not OUR manager. She's amazing.

Monday-Saturday we get a delivery truck filled with items. We NEVER keep anything in the back stock room. EVERYTHING goes straight from the box our to the floor.

I have to agree that we have WAY too much stuff. Theres nothing I can do about that.

really sad, I used to shop at Ross Store every week, these days I was shopping every evening, the store is close where I live, the sad thing is they treated me as a theft, I realized that when I start looking at things, a security guard come ask me, he was kinda friendly, but he treated me as a theft he was looking around what i m handling and when checking out, does that mean:"we don't need you in our store?", ok its fine, I m not going to that store anymore, the staff were annoying, they seemed stressed up, they don't even have a fake smile!
so sad, I feel depressed!

Amen!

I have witnessed the same at their store in Towson, MD.
Seems the clientele is of lower class, and neatness is not one of their traits.
All in all no matter the situation the store is responsible.

Well, first and foremost I will have to disagree with you. I work at Ross and yeah the store isn't exactly as clean as we'd like it to be, but have customers actually took the time to sit and think why our stores are the way they are? Who do you think is breaking everything, or throwing the merchandise on the floor? Its certainly not the employees, WE'RE THE ONES HAVING TO CLEAN UP AFTER CUSTOMERS UNTIL MIDNIGHT! It makes you wonder how people were raised. I work the fitting rooms and I'm in charge of two departments. Fitting Rooms and Lingerie. How hard is it for a customer to put the clothes back on the hangers properly just as they had them before having tried the clothes on. How hard is it for customers to place shoes back on the racks after trying them on! And as for you Mr. Frangos, ALL in ALL ROSS is not anyone's mama so the employees shouldn't be responsible for people's lack of sense, manners, or discipline. And as far as cashier's go, well as long as people choose to steal things, our stores receive less payroll meaning less hours for people. Therefore, resulting in only ONE cashier open. DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT THE EMPLOYEES, MAKE A CORPORATE CALL BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO PROVIDE PAYROLL. We try our best with what little people we have. Ross isn't even considered a retail store, now everyone thinks we're babysitters or moms. So BEFORE YOU TRY TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT MY STORE, MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. BECAUSE TRUST ME, YOU DON'T KNOW THE HALF OF IT...

I am not sure how friendly Nataly wants the "stuff" to be, but it is that type of customer that makes it hard on employees. I am a fan of Ross and I understand how it can be messy. As the employee above states, it is not the employees that make the mess, it is the customer and their children. Customers think it is ok to let the kids climb the rack, throw clothes on the floor, open toys so they can't be sold and cause an all around uncomfortable environment for all. The lines wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to wait for you to write a check, dig for exact change, ask a million unimportant questions or be ignorant to your pin number. No matter how long you wait in line, you are never ready when you get to checkout.

Stop whining and go to TJ Maxx...wait in their lines, bump into the 1000 tables all over the store and suffer through racks of overstuffed merchandise..good luck to you...I am going to pay less, hang my clothes on back on the hanger and quit ### because I am too stupid to understand how to be a good customer.

There is indeed a tone in every store, and I agree management has a great deal to do with it. I work at a DD's Discounts, a store identical to Ross, save for a slight difference in product and a twenty percent extra discount in cost. We are a sister store to the Ross chain, our pay stubs are provided by Ross, our product is provided by Ross. We are Ross, but with a pink and green color scheme. The problem is two-fold, indeed. But people forget that I am both an employee and a customer on a daily basis. I also shop at stores. And believe me, the stress of waiting in line for a half hour and having a less than cheerful cashier is nothing compared to the stress of being behind that cash register.

A pleasant environment involves the cooperation of the customers to be cordial, and respectful of the space they are in. You may be attended to by DD's/Ross employees, but you do not -own- this DD's/Ross, and therefore the items you leave strewn about are not yours to throw around. We are underpaid for the amount of work we do, but aside from that, there are not enough employees hired to keep the place running appropriately, or enough hours given to the current employees to make up for the lack of man-power. So, if you think leaving one dirty cup next to the bathroom towels doesn't mean anything, likely three out of the next five customers who walk through that isle after you will be thinking the same. I admit, as a human being, before I worked retail, I left things where they didn't belong. Why? Because everyone else does it. I approached two young adult girls at our DD's, asking them if I could take their merchandise (loads of clothes that they just decided to sort in the men's department, laying it over the men's rack, whether or not they were leaving women's, kids, baby, or juniors clothes there) or if they would mind leaving the merchandise they didn't want at the customer service desk. They looked at me like I was the nerd in high school and they were the preppy cheerleaders that ran the place. They told me that they could do whatever the hell they wanted, and they could leave whatever they wanted wherever they wanted, because no body else that shopped there put their stuff up front (which, they do, actually). And they proceeded to lay a huge pile of unwanted, unsorted clothing over a men's clothing rack. So, if you were a shopper turned employee, would you stand for that kind of talk and behavior from a customer? Don't give yourself the benefit of the doubt. If you are this pissed off about employees treat you, turn the situation around and you would be just as pissed off at the treatment the customers give you. I know this, because it also goes the same for the employees who get off of work and go shopping. I wish I could understand the difference in ethics between people who shop at DD's/Ross and the people who shop at Target. Both have good prices for things. Both have some pretty unfortunate employees. Yet, customers don't trash Target like they trash a Ross owned store. I can't tell you how disrespectful people are on a daily basis. More often than not, when I say "Hello, how are you, today?" with vigor and a big grin, they barely look at me, or give me an uneasy glance, or entirely ignore me. How rude is that? I'm one of the few employees who enjoys customer service, helping people, troubleshooting for them, sympathizing with them, but DD's customers killed most of that part of me that enjoys helping people. And I have worked a lot of retail. I have to say, working at a Staples location where I received more elderly customers than middle aged or youth, dealing with the ones that came in just to start a problem with me, was a much better and more rewarding experience than dealing with the customers that come to a DD's/Ross. I get no reward from working with customers who treat us as part day-care, letting their kids run around and tear apart packages, and scream their lungs out, and climb clothing racks, and climb the toy section like stairs. I remember one time there was a little boy, about six or seven, who climbed on TOP of a juniors clothing rack, standing atop it with one foot on each bar! He could have been severely hurt if he fell! His mother did nothing to stop him, and when we did catch up with her to inform her, she said NOTHING, did NOTHING, and shrugged it off! I have had people who let their children pee on the floor, right in front of the cashier, tear apart expensive name brand clothing, trying to get the censor off so they can steal it, and leave it there with a gaping hole due to their failure. I have seen children tear apart merchandise in front of me, all alone except for the presence of other children, and deliberately not listen to me and run away from me when I try to take them to their parents. I have seen more than ten cases where children are left standing in carts, their parents paying no attention to them, and the children fall over with the cart, their heads hit by the long metal bar on the side of the cart. And the parents? They hardly react in most cases. I know an employee who is so tired of being jerked around by management and unfairly treated and spoken to, and having the same behavior come from the ungrateful customers, that she hates her job, and if she could find a better one in our broken economy, she wouldn't even put a two-weeks notice in. But she is staying there because she has children to feed, and she needs whatever money she can get her hands on right now. We suffer, too. And the customers come in, expecting to be through the line in thirty seconds, regardless of the time of day, the day of the week, or any occasions that might make it busier. They complain to the cashiers that there aren't enough cashiers, and when offered to speak to management, cowardly say no and simply continue to complain at the cashier who has no control over who has what shift and when. If the customer has respected the place they are in, has respected the employees, and still has been treated badly, they have many tools at hand. The Assistant Manager, the Store Manager, the Corporate number, the Customer Service line, the District number, and so on. They can take names of the employees and record the time and date of the misconduct, and get someone fired if they want to. I've seen it happen. But if a customer is abnormally rude to the cashier for nothing the cashier is responsible for, the cashier has to grin and bear it, and if the customer gets violent or starts to curse, on a rare occasion the most an employee is allowed to do is allow them to finish their transaction and have them escorted out, or to send them to a different employee (who will also bear the brunt of the customer's temper).

So, if you aren't being paid to be at Ross/DD's, don't pretend to understand where the employees are coming from and their situations. Because obviously, if you did, you wouldn't treat the store the way you do.

I completely agree with everything you said. Customers don't understand that we as employees are there to try to give then the most positive service we can under our circumstances. One of the biggest problems is that there are many customers that also work in retail, yet they still make a mess because they don't have to worry about cleaning it up later. Ever since I started working in retail, I try my best not to leave anything I have messed with out of place. After all, is it really hard to place things back where they belong if you know you don't want it? What really bothers me the most is that they know they are making a mess and then they complain about how messy the store is! If the customers were more understanding we wouldn't have messy stores and employees that work harder for customers when they know they aren't going to be disrespected.

Ross ONLY sucks because of the people who work there (plain & simple) You associates dont have to complain about how sloppy customers are, we are not the ones getting paid, you are so do your damn job, if not, QUIT! Whoever is the CEO of Ross should hire better managers so they can take care of the rude ### associates!

I had a HORRIBLE experience at Ross today; a lazy rude grumpy associate by the toys section decided to take her anger out on me: a customer. I noticed a small kids play tent was open and I was just looking at it, she decides to come to me literally out of nowhere righ behind my back and accuse me of opening the tent and try to steal the huge darn thing! I felt so assulted and disrespected. I know the associate really got mad that some other kids played with that and now she has to do her job by putting it away so therefor she has to take her anger out on me, just a customer who is looking at the tent. She brought another assocaite and that associate explained to her that the tent was out in the open for a while and that I was not trying to steal it. I asked for the horrible associates name, Clauta, and went straight to her manager, and explained that I felt disrespected and that Clauta is a HORRIBLE associate, she seems like she is having a bad day and she taking it out on customers. The manager didnt seem to care, and completley ignored me, the manager looked and acted like she didnt like or care about her job. Bottom line Ross has rude ### associates that need to be fired immediatley!

Customers deserve to be treated with respect by the employees at Ross. If the employees treat the customers with respect the trust me everybody is happy. Why is the majority of only Ross associates rude, grumpy, non helpful, careless, negative. I mean damn if you feel like that at your job then do YOURSELF a favor and quit! Dont take your anger out on customers!

"get your gay white [censor] out of here". This is wrong is so many ways. That fellow and his wife were abused and mistreated.
I can deal with the dirty and unkeep stores. I can not deal with those hate filled discriminating remarks.
Down with Ross

I used to love shopping at Ross Dress For Less. Not any more. Every time I go there, no matter where or what state, the floors are littered with merchandise, broken hangers, items on the floor everywhere, dirty and wrinkled merchandise.

The stuff is never helpful and friendly. There is always just one cashier and a line of waiting angry customers. I don't understand how this chain of clothing stores stays in business. I left the store empty handed last weekend because I just didn't have the time to wait in a line that stretched almost to the back of the store.

When we realized that the store is not opening other registers for us, I and other shoppers left the merchandise we wanted to buy and left.

I really hope they will make the necessary changes.

Do you think its Ross fault customers REFUSE to be neat, REFUSE to put stuff back when they changed their mind while they still shopping so somehow you guys figure its okay to drop the merchandise where ever. They feel like the employees are maids or the shop is magic and anything on the floor will magically put its self back where its found and because many people like Ross prices 2x that amount comes to the store between 400 to 700 0r more that walk in the store and 5 to 6 employees that are working 3 on cashier, 2 in stock and 1 in fitting room whose gonna have time to clean after you guys all day. Oh and there is NO night shift crew that comes in and clean after you guys; the workers you see from about 5pm or later are the night crew that cleans after you customers that have the nerve to come in rude and with all kinds of attitude. FYI you guys do not pay our paycheck as so you like to think. What you pay for is the merchandise that you bought and take home with you. If you really want to be accounted for paying anyone paycheck just hand money without buying anything.

I am with both sides here. No it's not Ross's fault that the customers throws things they decide they don't want on the floor. But it's also is not the customer's fault that Ross can't schedule worth crap. They need to learn to schedule another cashier in the morning along with the opening cashier, or have a cashier come in an hour later, then maybe one come around lunch time, instead of using people from the stockroom so they can't get their work done or people who do markdowns so they too can't get their work done and customers pick up what they are going to markdown and buy them full price because the stupid registers aren't programmed to take the markdown prices like most NORMAL stores. Come on Ross, get with the times and stop blaming your employees for lack of service to the customers all the time. Fix the registers and start scheduling more cashiers!

we barely have enough payroll for a skeleton crew :(

Let me explain something to you. I'm currently a manager at Ross. I understand your point of you as a customer and I apologize but let me explain why this happens. Because we are a discount store we get discount people. I'm not saying that's you or that every customer we have is trashy because that's simply not the case but the large portion of our clientele is trash. They come in and pick up random stuff and then decide to throw it on the floor. Where I live and work in particular is surrounded by a lot of drug addicts who could care less. They take clothes off the hangers throw the hanger on the floor and the clothing on top of the racks. This would be manageable if we had enough staff on our salesfloor to clean up after them, just as our lines would be manageable if we had the staff. Here's where we have issues. The way Ross's payroll is set up is for every $1000 in sales we get $20 in payroll. So for $1000 in sales we can afford to pay 1 associate and 1 member of management for 1 hr. Mon-Fri we get trucks. The night before the truck we get an email saying how many hours is needed to complete the truck. So if we get a truck that is requiring 64 hours to complete that means you need 8 associates for 8 hours processing that truck uninterrupted. Trucks do not get a separate payroll. The associates scheduled for those truck get paid out of the same $1000 in sales as the cashier and fitting room attendants do. We are also required by our corporation to have the truck completed everyday. If not all members of management will get written up. So all of our staff get put into the stockroom and we don't pull them out for any reason. Now these same people from corporate are also telling us that we must put customers first. So as a member of management I'm constantly being pulled as a back up cashier and then running back to the stock room to clean it up. There is no one on the salesfloor. Our fitting room attendants are not allowed to leave the fitting via policy so no they can't help you find something and they can't help on register. These same people from corporate also demand that our store be organised and recovered. So whoever the closing manager is is then held responsible for the disaster on the floor. My particular store closes at 10:30. There are times we do not get out of the store until 2am because of how messy it is. Then that late night comes out of our payroll for the next day. No matter what we do we are in between a rock and a hard place. So it's either let the store be a mess and not take of the customers but the truck is completed therefore no write ups! Or take care of the store and the customers but let the trucks get backed up and get written up until you eventually get terminated. Oh and are part time staff are not allowed to exceed 25 hours a week which makes it even harder when you have giant trucks 5 days a week and not enough staff to take care of it due to hourly restrictions. Yes we could hire more people but how would we pay these new people who need to be trained (we have no special training hours alotted either it's all the same payroll) without cutting hours from employees who already know how to do their jobs? So yes I understand your frustration as a customer but please understand we are just as frustrated as you and we are doing the very best we can with what corporate demands of us.

March 22, 2016
On 1/16/16 Store 0488 Associate 516903
My complaint is I purchase a hydroblast gum cleaner for $13.99 and returned it within a week. The product never turn on, the clerk said the price had change to $9.99. I explained to her that it never worked, it wasn't my fault, I bought it like that. She was rude and told me it policy. So by no fault of mine, I was cheated our of $4.00 + tax.
I think that practice is very wrong and is a way of beating customers out of their hard earned money