Customer service. Big chain stores like Myer and DJs don’t worry about it. And GASP clothing have tried embraced the oldest model of retail customer service recently: just plain treating their customers like crap.

If you’ve been living under a rock, to fill you in on a story that’s been doing the rounds this past couple of weeks: Keara O’Neil was on a shopping trip down Chapel St, Melbourne, when she walked into a GASP clothing store. Hunting for bridesmaid dresses and a frock for her hen’s night, she tried on a few dresses with the helping hand of a retail assistant, who was initially helpful and cheerful.
And then he turned on her. O’Neil claimed Chris the shop assistant turned nasty, having her dig at her size 12 frame and yelling out: “Have fun shopping at Supre… I knew you were a joke the minute you walked in”.
O’Neil wrote a letter of complaint and received an extremely obnoxious reply, basically about how GASP is the centre of the universe and plebs like her aren’t welcome.
We’ve all had a bad customer service experience. But how are we supposed to deal with it? Do you write a letter like O’Neil did? Stomp your feet and ask to talk to the manager? Do you ring up A Current Affair? Comment on The Punch?
Apparently the whole controversy has even been good for GASP’s bottom line. So how do you stop retailers from getting away with it?
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