Flying Point on the Shore - Ventnor — Local services in Ventnor City

Over the last couple of days, I have read with amazement and disgust 3 negative reviews concerning an incident that occurred at the Flying Point this past weekend. I witnessed 2 of the 3 interactions. Just for information, I do not know the customers, any of the saleswomen or the owner. I was also a manager at Saks 5th Avenue in Manhattan for many years before I retired. I am not a regular customer at the Flying Point, but on that day I did purchase a blouse and a pair of sunglasses. While I was in the store, a woman came in asking to exchange a pair of pants that apparently had a stain on them. The only other pair in her size was being held for another customer who was having breakfast at a nearby eatery. Apparently, because the Flying Point is located in close proximity to several breakfast/lunch establishments, they extend the courtesy of holding product for customers while they are eating. Great business policy! The saleswoman who helped this customer explained the store's policy but the customer insisted that she simply exchange the defective product with the product being held, stating "she'll never know." That statement sized up this woman's character, or lack thereof, instantly. Despite having the policy explained to her, the woman did not let up and became increasingly belligerent, disrespectful and abusive towards this saleswoman who could only have been in her early 20's. The saleswoman remained respectful, considerate and poised the entire time showing a level of grace and restraint far beyond her years. She even offered to call the woman if the other customer returned and did not purchase the pants so the woman could return and exchange them. This did not satisfy her and she stormed out of the store. Shortly afterwards, this woman's friend came in and with a condescending and entitled tone demanded that the saleswoman exchange the pants for those being held for the other customer. Once again, this saleswoman explained the policy, explained the compromise she offered to this woman's friend and remained calm and respectful the entire time, while this "friend" escalated her verbal attacks and abuse. She then stormed off. Although I had left the store, I understand the woman's husband came in later that day and continued the abuse. All three of them then posted negative, demeaning and entirely false renditions of what occurred in the store. These three adults - and I use that term as loosely as possible - should be ashamed of themselves. They represent the worst of our society with their entitled attitudes and their propensity to abuse and demean others. Meanwhile, the 3 saleswomen who were working represented the best of our employment industry. They handled the entire situation respectfully, maturely and creatively (when the one saleswoman offered to hold the pants and call the customer if the other customer returned and did not purchase the pants). I would have been proud to have them as my employees at one of the largest, high-end retail stores in the world. And, by the way,...

My wife and I have both recently shopped at your store and spent a significant amount—over $800 on clothing. She had spoken highly of your men’s selection, which led me to return and make a purchase myself.

However, we’re very disappointed with how a recent situation was handled. One of the pairs of pants my wife purchased had a noticeable stain on the pocket. When she returned to exchange them for a clean pair, she was told the only available pair was on hold for another customer who had not yet tried them on and was currently out to lunch. Your staff said they would call us if the other customer chose not to purchase them.

We expressed that it was unfair to hold the only unstained pair for someone who hadn’t committed to buying them, especially since we had already paid and were simply trying to exchange a defective item. My wife voiced her concern, but the owner disagreed, and unfortunately, no resolution was offered.

I genuinely wanted to support your store and were excited to shop there. But this experience has left us feeling undervalued as customers.

Priority should go to the paying customer, not a “maybe”

The store was holding the only clean pair for someone who hadn’t purchased them yet. That customer hadn’t committed — you had. A customer looking to exchange a defective item should always take priority over someone who might buy it later.

Basic customer service rules favor fairness

Even if they have a “hold policy,” stores should make exceptions when someone’s trying to exchange a damaged item. That’s not just policy — it’s...

I was in the store recently when a tense situation unfolded involving a customer who appeared very upset about a return. From what I could gather, she was trying to exchange a pair of pants that had a stain, and was unhappy that the only clean pair was on hold for someone else.

While I don’t know all the details, I was genuinely impressed by how the staff handled the entire interaction. The employees remained calm, respectful, and professional the whole time — even as the customer and her companion became increasingly confrontational and demanding.

It was clear the staff were trying to be fair to everyone involved, and they explained the policy clearly without raising their voices or getting defensive. That kind of grace under pressure isn’t easy, especially when emotions are high.

As a fellow customer, I appreciated seeing how thoughtfully the staff navigated a tough moment. It made me feel more confident shopping there, knowing they treat all customers with respect — even when...