Macy's — Attraction in Tucson

Mays is what it once was. Getting help and sometimes even paying for merchandise is difficult due to staff cutbacks. And there are many other signs of cost cutting notable to a discerning eye.

Still... Macy's is the one large department store in all of Tucson, where the best quality merchandise is available.

One can easily compare different choices and get help if appropriate. As mentioned, it's not as easy now, but it's still doable. And the staff is professional,extremely well trained and knowledgeable. Plus when necessary, customers can try clothes on to make sure they fit, look and feel just right. And of course return, no questions asked, of need be.

I picked up a couple of men's shorts and shirts there today. Great selection. Had my size in all of several styles and colors. And I tried them on... just because I could.

And here's something subtle on significant I noticed for the first time:

THE CLOTH IN BOTH THE SHORTS AND SHIRTS WAS EASILY TWICE AS THICK AS IN WHAT I'D BOUGHT RECENTLY AT AMAZON.

Safe to say, the Macy's clothes will last twice as long as what I got at Amazon, and look better.

Something else that may seem trivial, but not to me. I also became aware of how calm, quiet and relatively pleasant the surroundings were inside the store. Soft music, soft lighting. A/C set at 72 degrees. Wide aisles, walkway squares (means less walking to get from A to B than stores with row aisles), with attractive display tables featuring merchandise neatly, attractively displayed (vs. long straight aisle rows with tall aluminum shelf found racks elsewhere).

Macy's has multiple entrances on each floor so parking can be had closer by the department where you want to store. Also checkout stations throughout the store so no shopping carts are needed. Purchases are individually wrapped within master bags during checkout. Convenient for hand carrying, so no need to push a shopping cart to the parking lot and then have to find a place to put it.

No giant row of mostly closed cash registers at a single store entrance, so no long hikes from and to a parking lot where close in available parking spaces are usually are filled. And no hikes to and from the area inside the store where you want to shop either, from that single entrance and exit... while pushing a shopping cart and navigating shopping cart traffic, like when driving on Oracle Road.

My point is there's a vibe, assured merchandise quality, a lot of convenience plus comfort at Macy's that used to be common but now is found nowhere else.

Yup, this all costs Macy's a lot more to provide than competitors. Target and Walmart pay, for example. And Macy's customers must pay for this difference. But if you can afford it, I think it's well worth it.

While it's still...

I must share with you all what is unquestionably, one of the most enjoyable customer service experiences I ever had! Recently I discovered that my lifelong favorite men’s fragrance had undergone a formulation change and as such, no longer resonated with me. So I ventured into the men’s fragrances counter at Macy’s on the lower floor at the Tucson Mall. My first encounter was with a lovely and most accommodating lady named Mariclare. I tried a number of fragrances and finally picked one, but before I had done so she made certain to remind me that there was literally no rush and no pressure as I have 30 days to try it. You can imagine how suddenly lost I felt after wearing the same cologne every day for 30 years, only to find that it no longer bears any of the signature aromatic notes and fragrant nuances that had me literally showered with compliments from passers by, every day, for three decades. So I decided on a cologne and took it home. Needless to say, although it was a fine cologne, it just didn’t speak to me. So I came back a couple days later and was greeted this time by yet again another lovely and kind woman named Katrina who also spent considerable time and effort trying to find a cologne that would replace my lifelong fragrance. Katrina was also very thoughtful and empathetic as she pointed out that my signature scent had literally become a significant part of my identity and was most excited to help me navigate through the litany of men’s fragrances, all the while keeping in mind the signature scents that my original favorite fragrance were composed of. So I decided to try another one. Again, it was a delightful cologne and I’m sure it would speak to a variety of men, but it just wasn’t for me. So back to the fragrance counter at Macy’s in the Tucson mall. This time, much to my delight, both Mariclare and Katrina were both working and literally standing right next to each other when I walked up. Again they were very understanding and extremely patient. We went through a variety of colognes, again with them both pointing out the subtle nuances that would be familiar to my original chosen scent of thirty years. Eventually, I landed on a handsome fragrance that bears many of the characteristics that I’m most fond of. I’m delighted to say that this is my new fragrance! I’m already getting showered with compliments about it. It’s wonderful I know that I have two expert customer service personnel who are both patient and extremely knowledgeable and professional and above all, very kind. Mariclare and Katrina thank you both so much for...

Went in to purchase some colognes as gifts. Went up to the counter. Wasn’t acknowledged which was okay because it was clearly busy. We went around to the other side and ended up picking out two colognes and checking out. We asked if they could be gift wrapped and our associate told us gift wrapping was around the corner. She put our things in the bag. And told us to show our receipt to the lady wrapping gifts. We made our way and saw the gift wrapping associate was busy wrapping multiple items for a customer before us. So we waited. Once again that wasn’t a big deal because they were busy and Christmas is next week. So we stood there like 5 feet away. During the time we were waiting another associate went up to her and gave her a perfume to wrap for another customer. She said okay and that she would do it right now. Hearing that I told her we were next because we’ve been waiting and she said okay. Well I don’t know what ended up changing in a matter of two minutes from being told we were getting helped but She gets done with the first customer and starts to pick up the other customers purchase to start wrapping it. At this point I am triggered and said we’ve clearly been waiting here waiting for you to wrap our items. She then proceeds to roll her eyes, walks away and comes back to say “this gift is small and It won’t take me long to do”. I told her it didn’t matter if it took her 30 seconds to do weve been waiting so it’s our turn. She then asks me if I was kidding and rolls her eyes once again and says she didn’t see me. Which is hard to believe when someone is just standing there for what was probably 15 minutes or how ever long it took her to wrap the 3 gifts 5 feet away. At this point I am done and over with going back and forth and being talked over and asked to return my items. She says “ ugh I’m going to wrap your stuff right now” I said no thanks multiple times and to return my things. She told me she couldn’t because she’s wrapping gifts… I had to wait another 10 minutes for a manager to come do it. She was nice enough to listen and actually let me speak. Denise though .. the one wrapping gifts.. I know it must be difficult working minimum wage and working with the public during times like this but you shouldn’t project your misery onto...