Nordstrom Rack — Local services in Manheim Township

I have never really shopped at Nordstrom Rack on the regular, but I will occasionally stop in to browse around. Sometimes, I'll pick-up things here and there...it has always been very hit or miss for me.

This past weekend, I had to return two (2) items to the newly-opened Lancaster, PA store. One item was purchased by me from the Newark, DE store and the other was purchased for me as a gift by someone who ordered the item online through Nordstrom Rack's website. I had the receipt for both items.

I entered the store shortly before 4:00 PM EST. The first return was complete by 4:07 PM...it was the item I purchased myself. No issues at all. The second return was a complete disaster and I didn't get out of the store until 5:00 PM.

I let the cashier, Kaveena, know the item was purchased as a gift and that I had the online shipping receipt. I asked if I could just have cash back or have the item returned to the purchaser's card. The total was $28.97. She advised me that they could not offer cash back per policy since cash wasn't used as the form of payment. She said the only option was refunding the item to the original method of purchase, or to a gift card. I said that I didn't want a gift card since I don't really shop at Nordstrom Rack.

At that point, she said the system was going to force her to issue the gift card and wouldn't let her back out of the transaction. I said that I was very up front from the beginning that I did not want a gift card, so at this point, I'd just opt to keep the merchandise and get in touch with the original purchaser to have them contact Nordstrom Rack Online to process a refund there. She mentioned that she already finished the transaction and it was forcing her to issue the gift card now. If she canceled the transaction, it would mess things up. Her manager came to the front and said the only option was a gift card at this point. Kaveena tried to call Nordstrom Rack Customer Service and they looked up the original transaction, but could not do anything from their end.

Kaveena started trying to get creative in solving the problem. She mentioned trying to re-buy the item with a gift card and then refund it to the credit card used to purchase if I could get the number and manually key it in. She was really trying to think outside of the box and seemed like she genuinely wanted to help remedy the situation. She was doing everything to her ability to make the situation right, so I commend her for that.

In the end, her manager came back up front and said she apologized for everything and was going to just authorize a cash refund and ended up issuing me the cash. This is where the entire situation is frustrating. As a manager, why couldn't that have been done from the get-go instead of making a customer sit in the store for close to 50 minutes while they were trying to figure out how to manage this in their system? The manager obviously had the authority to authorize the cash refund and did it in the end. I would have even been fine with it going back to the purchaser's card. The other frustrating part was that it seemed like the system automatically closed out the transaction and the cashier even seemed shocked on her end that it automatically tried to issue a gift card without finalizing it.

At the end of the day, I'm all about providing great customer service. I am giving this review a 1 star rating more-so due to Nordstrom Rack's overall process and system dealing with online returns. They need to really simplify and optimize this process for their customers. Like, I said, Kaveena was amazing and I do want to make sure she gets the credit she deserves for not once getting frustrated and trying her best to help make the situation right. She was the bright spot of that...

Let me preface this by saying I’ve visited this location several times and frequently visit the King of Prussia Rack as well as brick & mortar Nordstrom. I wish there was a way to give it half stars because it’s about a 3.5! Staff is typically friendly and helpful at this location. Items are severely limited and sizes are random at best. I believe this Rack caters to a different price point than many other Racks do because I’ve found a lot of items you’d find on HauteLook (ie Joe Fresh, which was a JCPenney line 5 years ago) and many other cheaper items specifically carried for the Rack. Folks who assume this is an outlet are wrong- it’s not. It’s a stand alone separate store who does pull off season/left over items but at this location maybe 1-2 racks per department. Again, I think it is going back to catering to a local clientele price point (ie huge concentration of Calvin Klein and Michael by Michael Kors purses). I do wish there was more of a selection of items (clothes, shoes) you’d traditionally find in the past- as NR has expanded the quality has changed. It’s nice to pop in and browse every now and then but I still find Nordstrom to carry more relevant/current clothing at often the same price point (or maybe $20 more) than you find...

While I like shopping here, their customer service has left a lot to be desired. I live 45 min away and visited during a 40% off sale. Left with some good deals & was pretty happy! However, I got home and was browsing their website sale, and noticed one of the items I purchased for full price was to be marked down as part of the 40% off. I called the main customer service line which was useless. They apparently only assist with orders placed online. I was told to call the store I purchased from who told me I’d have to come back in for the refund to be issued. Not only that, but I’d have to make the trip back within the next DAY as it “had to be done while they’re sale was still going on.” I explained I didn’t live nearby and that this posed an inconvenience. The associate speaking to the store manager relayed back to me “that’s the only way for us to do an adjustment.” (No apology for the fact it was THEIR store’s error). I begrudgingly went back for my 30$ refund, where I had to wait another 20 min in line because they don’t even have a separate returns area. Would suggest the company find better ways to handle these situations as it’s extremely inconvenient and inefficient, especially to your non...