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American Morning
Minding Your Business: Banned in Boston
Aired July 14, 2003 - 08:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Shoppers beware, you might want to think twice before you return something again.
Andy Serwer is "Minding our Business" this morning, hey.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Hey, how are you?
O'BRIEN: This is a great story out of Filene's Basement.
SERWER: That's right, out of Boston. Newton, Massachusetts, to be exact.
And you know, the customer is always right, Soledad, except when they become too much of a pain in the neck. That apparently is what happened here at Filene's. A couple of ladies, Nancy Singer is the woman's name, and her sister, is how the "Boston Globe" identifies her, there was no name there, were banned from Filene's Basement. That's the first off-price department store. You might know them, things keep getting marked down and marked down. Apparently these two women were just too much of a pain in the neck and they have been banned.
We have a statement from one of the corporate officers. Let's see what he says here. "Given your history of excessive returns and chronic unhappiness with our service, we have decided that this is the best way to avoid any future problems with you and your sister," signed David Sherer. He is the V.P. of Loss Prevention at Value City Stores. That is the parent company of Filene's.
And it's just really interesting, I mean how much of a pain in the neck can you be? These women, apparently long-time customers of Filene's, but they'd buy stuff, they'd return, they'd compare prices, they'd complain. And finally, I guess the store just said you know what, enough, we just don't want your business anymore. It's a very rare thing.
O'BRIEN: I wonder if they have any legal recourse?
SERWER: I don't think they do. You know stores are private businesses and they can. They certainly can ban shoplifters, disgruntled employees, but banning customers, I mean it's -- you just don't hear about that.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: You know the bottom line is some of us can just be a pain.
SERWER: Yes. O'BRIEN: Us, speak for yourself, kemosabi (ph), I'm a very happy shopper.
HEMMER: Right.
SERWER: Well, and you know, I've never gotten close to this kind of thing, I mean I must say, but it is -- it is a little different. And you know Filene's, of course, had these markdowns. You know the annual bridal sale. You've spent some time in Boston.
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Right. I spent a lot of time in Filene's...
SERWER: Where the brides would rush in. And you know they -- the customers, they were always known as rowdy. I mean the women elbowing, maybe men too, elbowing each other for sweaters because things were marked down. So they are used to rough and tumble customers.
O'BRIEN: I know, so really, they -- these two must have been tough nuts.
SERWER: Yes, gone a little bit too far.
O'BRIEN: I would imagine. All right, Andy, thanks very much.
SERWER: OK.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 14, 2003 - 08:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Shoppers beware, you might want to think twice before you return something again.
Andy Serwer is "Minding our Business" this morning, hey.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Hey, how are you?
O'BRIEN: This is a great story out of Filene's Basement.
SERWER: That's right, out of Boston. Newton, Massachusetts, to be exact.
And you know, the customer is always right, Soledad, except when they become too much of a pain in the neck. That apparently is what happened here at Filene's. A couple of ladies, Nancy Singer is the woman's name, and her sister, is how the "Boston Globe" identifies her, there was no name there, were banned from Filene's Basement. That's the first off-price department store. You might know them, things keep getting marked down and marked down. Apparently these two women were just too much of a pain in the neck and they have been banned.
We have a statement from one of the corporate officers. Let's see what he says here. "Given your history of excessive returns and chronic unhappiness with our service, we have decided that this is the best way to avoid any future problems with you and your sister," signed David Sherer. He is the V.P. of Loss Prevention at Value City Stores. That is the parent company of Filene's.
And it's just really interesting, I mean how much of a pain in the neck can you be? These women, apparently long-time customers of Filene's, but they'd buy stuff, they'd return, they'd compare prices, they'd complain. And finally, I guess the store just said you know what, enough, we just don't want your business anymore. It's a very rare thing.
O'BRIEN: I wonder if they have any legal recourse?
SERWER: I don't think they do. You know stores are private businesses and they can. They certainly can ban shoplifters, disgruntled employees, but banning customers, I mean it's -- you just don't hear about that.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: You know the bottom line is some of us can just be a pain.
SERWER: Yes. O'BRIEN: Us, speak for yourself, kemosabi (ph), I'm a very happy shopper.
HEMMER: Right.
SERWER: Well, and you know, I've never gotten close to this kind of thing, I mean I must say, but it is -- it is a little different. And you know Filene's, of course, had these markdowns. You know the annual bridal sale. You've spent some time in Boston.
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Right. I spent a lot of time in Filene's...
SERWER: Where the brides would rush in. And you know they -- the customers, they were always known as rowdy. I mean the women elbowing, maybe men too, elbowing each other for sweaters because things were marked down. So they are used to rough and tumble customers.
O'BRIEN: I know, so really, they -- these two must have been tough nuts.
SERWER: Yes, gone a little bit too far.
O'BRIEN: I would imagine. All right, Andy, thanks very much.
SERWER: OK.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
