Bad Service At The Montblanc Boutique.

[Keyless Works]

I am sorry to hear about your poor experience. I have been frustrated by rude customer service at a number of stores (though not Montblanc) and while I usually realize I shouldn't care what they think, it still doesn't feel good.

 

I was at the Montblanc store at the big mall in Honolulu yesterday (wearing shorts a v neck and flip flops) to buy the new limited edition Defoe ink and the woman at the store couldn't have been nicer to me. She asked me if I liked the Defoe pen and I said I mostly like vintage Montblancs. She said she had some beautiful old limited editions that might not be to my taste but are fun to look at none the less. She showed me two brand new Patron of the Arts fountain pens, they were the 2008 and 2009 models. Don't recall what they were called but they were beautiful apart from the out of proportion nibs...I am not sure why they don't put bigger nibs on these pens.

[gwyneddd]

Very badly needed a laugh, got one out of this. Danke schön )

Hey! I was SERIOUS! Someone needs to do this. I would--but the nearest Montblanc store is over an hour from here. So a drive in my overalls would stink up my Ferrari.

[gwyneddd]

The other customers were offered beverages and the op was not. This story kinda reminds me of pretty woman.

 

Perhaps the OP didn't crook his pinky in the accepted manner. You know, it's the little things that give one away...

[jar]

Folks get way too upset over the little stuff.

[Brian]

It's not so much an indictment of the brand as much as an indictment of the idiot who was supposed to serve you. Fear not, his lack of respect and sensitivity will not last long. Be well.

[Blade Runner]

Most (perhaps all) brands don't work on their vintage pens that are no longer in production. I would send such a pen to a vintage pen restorer.

[Ste_S]

I had a reverse experience to this with my local Boutique (Birmingham, UK).

 

Initially went to a Pen Shop branch to buy some Mont Blanc ink, and was indecisive between a couple of colours. The sales person was watching me like a hawk, without approaching me. It felt as though she thought I was going to steal the inks. Walked out of the shop without buying anything.

 

Went to the Mont Blanc Boutique, and the sales assistant interrupted a pen sale to sell me some ink. Always go back to the Boutique now if ever I need some ink.

[Keyless Works]

Most (perhaps all) brands don't work on their vintage pens that are no longer in production. I would send such a pen to a vintage pen restorer.

 

This is a good point. I wouldn't want MB to service my pens for fear they would replace them with new parts...though the OP would probably be safe with the 32.

[meiers]

I have always been treated with kindness and respect at the MB boutiques in Toronto, San Fran, Chicago and Cologne.

Edited August 31, 2014 by meiers

[_Stormin_]

 

you can fake this with a lot of newspaper carefully cut, and flanked with 100 buck bills. Looks impressive. Chicks dig it

 

So, you would confirm their suspicion that you had zero business being there because you weren't going to buy anything, but only after faking that you could actually have afforded to buy the item that wasn't quite expensive enough for you...

 

I don't understand stuff like this. Maybe it's just me.

 

The store staff are in dire need of retraining, but that is handled with a call or a well written letter to the manager. I've been treated like I own the place when I have gone into the MB stores I've visited and often times in jeans or khakis and t-shirts or maybe a polo.

[torstar]

when i went to MB last year, after a business meeting and in a suit, they pulled out the high shelf whiskey and we enjoyed a good hour laughing about how they treat lesser mortals that enter the store like garbage.

 

then they gave me 3 free bottles of the latest MB ink releases. i made sure they insisted three times before smiled slightly and said "thank you."

[gwyneddd]

 

So, you would confirm their suspicion that you had zero business being there because you weren't going to buy anything, but only after faking that you could actually have afforded to buy the item that wasn't quite expensive enough for you...

 

I don't understand stuff like this. Maybe it's just me.

 

The store staff are in dire need of retraining, but that is handled with a call or a well written letter to the manager. I've been treated like I own the place when I have gone into the MB stores I've visited and often times in jeans or khakis and t-shirts or maybe a polo.

 

I only was suggesting some deep sarcasm here. I believe the staff can't really tell who has gelt and who doesn't. Some of my wealthiest clients look like, well, it's astonishing. You can never tell. And a shop clerk is hardly a judge of high society, though they may take a sapphire credit card or two now and then. If you aren't courteous to someone who walks into the shop at at least meet, greet and inquire, you may miss quite an opportunity.

[Vlad Soare]

On the other hand, just to play the Devil's advocate, the way you dress, and overall the way you present yourself, reflects the level of respect you have for the people you interact with. If you go into a highly elegant store dressed like a tramp, that makes the personnel feel like you have no respect for them and for their store. And how can they give you respect, if you don't show any to them?

OK, you may be an eccentric millionaire, and they lose a sale. Tough luck. But maybe they're not that desperate for money. Maybe their business is going well enough so they can afford to select their customers. This is not McDonald's, and the staff aren't some bunch of starving students who would do anything for a sale.

Just trying to point out that there are two sides to every coin.

Edited September 2, 2014 by Vlad Soare

[gwyneddd]

That doesn't even require being "devil's advocate" because it's very true. Our firm reminds us not to go around on weekends dressed sloppily because you'll run into someone and regret it. The one time I was wearing a really bad t-shirt, yep, ran into an important client.

 

But in retail, one is supposed to be courteous to customers, unless the customer is disruptive or doing something they shouldn't.

[de_pen_dent]

On the other hand, just to play the Devil's advocate, the way you dress, and overall the way you present yourself, reflects the level of respect you have for the people you interact with. If you go into a highly elegant store dressed like a tramp, that makes the personnel feel like you have no respect for them and for their store. And how can they give you respect, if you don't show any to them?

 

I think the concept of having "respect" for a brand is ridiculous. If I am going to pay premium prices for a premium product, i am jolly well going to do it on my terms. I dress the way I feel comfortable, and thankfully, am in a position where i dont need to try to impress clients or customers anymore, let alone sales staff. And the MB sales staff's job isnt to judge or approve of how people dress - their job is to try to sell overpriced pens.

 

If I am not getting attention, I'll just politely ask the sales staff to help me with what i need. Beyond that, I couldnt care less whether I meet their approval, have their respect or not. I dont go into a store for validation, I go in to get whatever it is that i am shopping for. To be fair to MB, I've never had any issues with any of their boutiques. I usually tool around in cargo shorts, sandals and T-shirts, and have marched into their stores several times and been treating courteously enough.

 

Incidentally, the only time I've had an issue is when i had gone to buy a German sports car, dressed in similar clothes. Didnt get any attention and even when i asked, they didnt seem too interested in helping. Took the manager's number and walked out. Went into another dealer, bought the car by writing a check for the entire amount and then emailed the original dealer telling them about their poor service. Got an apologetic letter to which i replied by telling them they had lost the sale, and included a photocopy of the documents of the car that I had purchased. I am a bit older and I daresay a little more mature now, but that still brings a smile to my face.

Edited September 2, 2014 by de_pen_dent

[A1979]

 

I think the concept of having "respect" for a brand is ridiculous. If I am going to pay premium prices for a premium product, i am jolly well going to do it on my terms. I dress the way I feel comfortable, and thankfully, am in a position where i dont need to try to impress clients or customers anymore, let alone sales staff. And the MB sales staff's job isnt to judge or approve of how people dress - their job is to try to sell overpriced pens.

Perfect. Completely agree with you.

[Vlad Soare]

I kind of expected such replies.

I wasn't talking about your needing "approval" from anybody else for your dressing style or behaviour, but rather about a bit of decency and courtesy which you may show out of your own will, just because it's a nice thing to do, and not necessarily because you actually need to.

An attitude of "I am a customer, and you must like me however I am, and treat me like royalty, just because you're a little slave and it's your job to serve me" doesn't help anybody in the respect department and leads to the appearance of forum discussion threads just like this one.

And I wasn't talking about respect for the brand, but rather about a bit of courtesy for the person who stands on the other side of the counter.

One may or may not agree with me. I take it you do not agree, which is fine with me. These are just trifles, don't let them stand in your way. You show those motherf<beep> who's the boss.

Edited September 2, 2014 by Vlad Soare

[torstar]

On the other hand, just to play the Devil's advocate, the way you dress, and overall the way you present yourself, reflects the level of respect you have for the people you interact with. If you go into a highly elegant store dressed like a tramp, that makes the personnel feel like you have no respect for them and for their store. And how can they give you respect, if you don't show any to them?

OK, you may be an eccentric millionaire, and they lose a sale. Tough luck. But maybe they're not that desperate for money. Maybe their business is going well enough so they can afford to select their customers. This is not McDonald's, and the staff aren't some bunch of starving students who would do anything for a sale.

Just trying to point out that there are two sides to every coin.

 

 

I won't enter the MB boutique in my summer regalia. Afraid I'll get tasered if I enter without expressly written consent.

 

Now that you mention eccentric millionaires, watching the Blue Jays and Yankees at 3 different sports bars the last week I had millionaires screaming out their big deals or purchases for 15 minutes solid right beside me.

 

Was waiting for one to yell into his phone that he "Elmer J. Fudd, miwwionair, I own a mansion and a yacht!!!"

 

Such an honour to be sitting besides such rich people, and at a non-exclusive bar as well, shows they are of the people.

 

I just smile and nod and say "that's tough" or "you'll seal the deal, I'm sure"

[de_pen_dent]

I kind of expected such replies.

I wasn't talking about your needing "approval" from anybody else for your dressing style or behaviour, but rather about a bit of decency and courtesy which you may show out of your own will, just because it's a nice thing to do, and not necessarily because you actually need to.

An attitude of "I am a customer, and you must like me however I am, and treat me like royalty, just because you're a little slave and it's your job to serve me" doesn't help anybody in the respect department and leads to the appearance of forum discussion threads just like this one.

And I wasn't talking about respect for the brand, but rather about a bit of courtesy for the person who stands on the other side of the counter.

One may or may not agree with me. I take it you do not agree, which is fine with me. These are just trifles, don't let them stand in your way. You show those motherf<beep> who's the boss.

 

Sorry, but your entire argument seems to be predicated on extremes - "dress like a tramp", "treat the salespeople like slaves", etc. etc. In your haste to set up a strawman, you seem to have forgotten that not everyone lives in extremes.

 

There is a vast spectrum of sartorial options between "dressing in a suit" and "dressing like a tramp" - but apparently, in your simplistic universe, those are the only two options.

 

And just b/c I say that I am not there to get validation from the salespeople doesnt mean that I am lording it around or making them jump through hoops. Please point out where you get that from my posts.

 

If you are going to deliberately and offensively misinterpret what I write, then quite honestly, it isnt worth my time to try to have a reasonable discussion with you - you can play with your strawman in your little black and white world of extremes.

Edited September 2, 2014 by de_pen_dent

[amk]

I have occasionally entered a good pen store dressed badly, because (a) I was working on site at a music festival in the city and had only my working clothes with me (backstage blacks), ( I was flying out to a hiking holiday in Ladakh, and had my better but still not terribly good walking clothes on me. Both times, I have to say, I was very well treated (on the second occasion by MB staff at the airport) as soon as I demonstrated that I knew exactly what I was interested in, and knew something about fountain pens. But I made sure that I did ask about a particular pen and didn't wander round the store looking like a tourist.

 

In both cases I had no idea the store was there - but having seen a good pen outlet, I wasn't going to miss taking a look just because I wasn't wearing a suit.