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by Marge Laney

What is the most important conversion area in apparel retail? Answer: The Fitting Room. What area in brick and mortar apparel is the least serviced? Answer: The Fitting Room. Why?

I just re-read the late Peter Glenn’s book, “It’s Not My Department.” What a hoot. The book was written and published in the late 80s, and is a litany of service faux pas and customer apathy. He called us a “nation of whiners”; that we try to top each other’s horror stories of service, and our national anthem is “It’s Not My Department.” He said that we needed to stop whining and start fighting. He also said, “Service is the hottest subject in business right now, but most of the service is lip service, not customer service.” That was twenty years ago, and it’s still the hottest subject in business right now.

Two things have changed during those twenty years; the infiltration of service technology, and the smiley face. Lousy service was and still is the service provider’s way of saying No and in the past was emphasized with shrugs, sneers, snips, and snubs. Today the shrugs, sneers, snips, and snubs have been replaced with the smiley face. You still get the same lousy service they just smile while they’re saying it and tell you to “have a nice day” when they’re finished.