Dear Gap Customer Service...

Dear Gap Customer Service,

On Saturday, I went shopping at the Gap store in Los Angeles (at the Grove shopping center) for a maternity outfit for my baby shower! I'm 8 months pregnant, so obviously it's not the easiest thing to do--which is why I'm writing you! See, your salesperson in the Maternity Section...she decided she'd point that out to me by starting her "sales pitch" with just that "Well, it's going to be REALLY hard to find something that looks good on you at this point."

Oh, that's just the beginning....

Let's see, she told me the pants I had in my had would be terribly unflattering to my "large" figure, and proceeded to show me some jeans that "might at least be a little better". She then asked me my size, and before i could answer said three sizes higher than I am as a "guess". Sigh. When I told her the size I normally wear in "Gap Maternity Styles" she just eyed me up and down, and said "are you sure? Well you can try them, and I'll bring you a bigger size if they don't fit". (I was right, luckily!)

She did as any good sales person should do, and came to my room to see how things were going. But then she just kind of looked at me...and suggested another sweater (that draped down to my knees...I think maybe she thought if i just covered myself up!) and when I declined it and went to purchase the one i'd found she just shrugged and said "suit yourself".

It's not that I'm complaining. I get similar treatment from other people, I guess it was just embarrassing to say the least coming from a stranger who was supposed to be helping me in a store--and had I not absolutely needed an outfit for my shower, I would have walked right out of the store!

I absolutely understand a business sale--ask them if you can help, make suggestions to boost profit, see if you can lure them to applying for a gap card, suggest other styles similar to what they're buying in hopes they'll buy both or increase what their purchases are...but there was just something missing--TACT! A person wants a warm, genuine, and NICE salesperson, ESPECIALLY when they're not feeling their best (i.e. pregnancy). Maybe you could have people who are sympathetic to pregnant people work in the Maternity Section? Or maybe just people who have been pregnant before and know that no matter what...you just tell pregnant people that they are fabulous and that it's such an exciting time?? Just a thought--I really am not normally much of a complainer, but this was just TOO much for me to handle! I cried and cried and cried (I AM pregnant, afterall!) after I left the store, and I'm glad that I have a wonderful mom who just said something to the effect of "Janey, don't let them ruin your shower, you just go in with your head held high!"

Anyway, I'm glad that I'm done Maternity clothes shopping. Gap has done a great job for me--I wear mostly gap maternity clothes and recommend them to my 40 other pregnant friends. I just will have to recommend that they NOT shop In-Store for them--online is much easier and less embarrassing!! It's my hope that you can prevent this from happening to other pregnant ladies--we all deserve some dignity while we're growing little miracles and sacrificing our figures for something far more important!

Regards,

Jane Johnson

Update: I heard back from Gap Customer Service. They regret disappointing me, since providing our loyal customers with world-class service and a great product is their goal. They also said they'd pass some information along to the store, so I guess from here I can just hope that they talk to the employees! Sigh.