ALO — Local services in London

What an absolute farce of a shopping trip, blowing £68 on a fitted T-shirt to survive London’s infernal summer. Down I go to the men’s section—if you can call a pathetic corner overshadowed by the women’s retail empire a “section.” Not a single staff member in sight. Brilliant. Gives me all the time in the world to hunt for the T-shirt I’d already scoped online, while dread creeps in about the nightmare awaiting. I corner one employee, who, with the charm of a soggy chip, shrugs that he hasn’t a clue where my T-shirt is. Cheers, mate. Off to the fitting rooms, where there’s no queue but somehow still a wait that feels like purgatory. The place is a shambles, overseen by two staff—a white lad and a black lady—gossiping feverishly about their “situationship.” Spicy details echo through the stifling heat, because who needs to tidy when you’re scripting a soap opera? Thankfully, an Indian chap, the only soul actually working, dashes about like a man possessed, sorting the chaos and guiding me to a cubicle. Meanwhile, the situationship saga drones on, so loud I’m practically a hostage to their drama. London’s a furnace, I get it, but must I endure this? When I emerge, the gossiping duo gape as if I’ve risen from the dead. Tempted to suggest they elope to a tropical island and spare us all. At the checkout, the service is so lifeless it could double as a funeral. The cashier hands me a bag big enough to smuggle a 69-inch TV. I ask for a smaller one, having seen him toss them out like confetti moments before. “We’re out,” he drones, eyes dead. Naturally. Last week, Lululemon across the road had a dozen staff buzzing like bees, treating me like royalty. Here? It’s retail misery. Spend your money where you’re treated like a monarch,...

A 1-star rating even though I had actually made a purchase, now what does that say? Management and recruitment - do better.

I have never ever left a review for any retail store before (I also know how hard it can be working in retail previously) but the customer service I experienced today was SHOCKINGLY bad.

What is the point of investing in a brick and mortar if the customer experience is worser off versus online. I was at the bottom floor changing rooms and had simply asked to try a size down (of just one item) to make sure I could deduce the best fit. The employee poorly communicated the stock check on the walkie talkie, kept lazily repeating the item. And when I was eventually given something, it was the wrong item. People can make mistakes but the sass and cheek I was given instead was totally uncalled for - the employee asked whether I was sure I didn’t just want to keep the wrong item and sighed out aloud, exclaiming “again?!”, when they had to actually go get the correct item I had initially asked for (?). The changing room wasn’t even busy (the employees were just chatting away about one of their boyfriends).

Just some basic courtesy would have been nice. Not even a “hello” or “thank you” was uttered at the cashier too (the guy barely spoke a word). Take notes from your neighbours, Lululemon, across the road from you - ambassadors greet you at the door, proactively ask if you need help/suggestions and personalise your changing room experience.

And mind you, this was my first time out shopping after my mum’s passing. A little kindness goes a long way.

NB look at the other negative...

ALO Regent Street – Unprofessional, Rude and Frankly Embarrassing

I had an appalling experience at the ALO store on Regent Street. I came in to return a pair of leggings I’d bought from Covent Garden—with the tag still attached. A tall blonde staff member took the leggings, sniffed the private area vigorously, and asked, “Have you washed these?” As if I’d buy, wear, wash, and return leggings—how tacky does she think I am?

She then called over a colleague debating the leggings smells fresh. Mind you I was just shocked with the whole interaction. They unanimously decided to process the refund, but the entire tone was interrogative and disrespectful. Completely unnecessary, and frankly humiliating. I had just spent nearly £600 at the Covent Garden store with a friend and came in ready to shop more—but not anymore. ALO won’t see another penny from me. FYI Regent Street isn’t the place for nasty customer service—there’s Lululemon, Gymshark and others who treat their customers with basic respect.

I later checked the Google reviews—turns out I’m not alone. Profiling, cornering, and accusing customers seems to be a pattern at this location. If ALO’s not making money, just say that. Don’t treat loyal customers like criminals. If You're struggling, blaming and alienating customers won’t fix it. Do...