Pipe and Row — Local services in Seattle

I'm really bummed to write this review because I love the merchandise at P&R--it's one of the few local places outside of the major retailers where I could find certain designers. While I've had some great customer service in the years I've been shopping here, I've noticed a huge shift in the quality of customer service. I've tried to give the business the benefit of the doubt, but the poor customer service has become consistent over the past 1-2 years.

Today, I went in to spend money--I had an item in mind I wanted to buy. I was not greeted by the ~4 people on the floor despite an almost empty store. Nobody asked if I needed help--I had to interrupt their conversation to ask for a fitting room. I was in the fitting room for probably 10 minutes without the typical courtesy check about sizing and fit. I wanted to try on another item, so I left the dressing room to grab it myself once I realized the staff was not going to interrupt their animated conversation to check on me. As I went to grab another item, the person who started my fitting room just stood behind me silently and still didn't follow up with me about if I needed any further help. At this point, I just chose to leave the store entirely without buying what I wanted because it was the most awkward shopping experience I've ever had.

I'm really eager to support local businesses like P&R, and I know from their recent Instagram postings that sales were slower earlier this year. I wonder why the response to this hasn't been to ensure basic friendliness among staff at the very least? I'm super bummed to stop shopping there, but I am not going to bend over backwards to spend money when I feel like I'm burdening the staff...

I’ve been in here a few times and have always been a bit weary of the staff because usually they say stuff that makes me feel like they notice instantly that I’m not their standard size because when I walk in they tell me automatically that they have bigger sizes in the back if I need anything. Which I’ve never been too sensitive to because they only keep extra smalls and smalls on the sales floor, and I’m obviously neither of those. But when I came in last time I was looking at a bra and asked for a size medium in it. The woman at the cash register asked if I’m sure I wouldn’t like an extra large. When I replied and told her no she said that she just thought that would work better for me. I honestly felt my heart fall into my stomach, it was a really disgusting interaction and I just want to prevent women who aren’t wanting an experience where the employees almost pick fun at you because of your weight. I ended up purchasing the bra because I liked it, but I’ll be getting the stuff they carry directly from the sellers. They need to do better.

Update: I had honestly hoped for some sort of response or responsibility taken by this company considering they reply to good reviews. When you choose to create an environment that’s uncomfortable for people who don’t look like you, you’re actively contributing to a culture that hates people who aren’t a size...

I’ve spent well over $1k at Pipe and Row to-date. This store has great clothes and it’s obvious the owner has amazing taste. That being said, similar to what another reviewer said, it’s really hard to get any amount of customer service if you aren’t their ideal customer (skinny and white). During a recent visit with a friend (also not white) an employee focused exclusively on helping a white woman in a fitting room next to ours and didn’t once check on us (the only other customers in fitting rooms). I popped my head out ten minutes into trying on clothes to politely ask for another size and the employee scanned me up and down and said she’d try to find someone else to help. The only person who did come help was another brown woman. Disappointing experience given how much money I’ve spent at this store but unfortunately seems to be standard practice for Pipe and Row. There are some friendly employees but the unkind ones clearly have some sort of unconscious/conscious...