Express Alterations — Local services in Westfield

BEWARE!!!!!

Extremely Disappointed — Proceed with Caution, Especially During Busy Seasons

I’m not one to leave negative reviews lightly, but I feel compelled to share my experience in the hopes of saving others from the frustration and disappointment I went through.

I brought in a dress for a simple alteration — to be hemmed shorter in the front, with the back left slightly longer (about an inch to an inch and a half) for modesty. It was a straightforward request, meant to combine a modern look with practicality. I picked up the dress the day before my event, only to discover it had been hemmed straight across — completely ignoring the request I had made.

When I called the shop, I explained the situation, but was put on hold and then had to explain everything again to another employee. Her response was curt and irritated, not at all apologetic. I asked if they could fix the hem in time for my event the next day, and her reply — “Well, you better come in as soon as possible” — was delivered with clear annoyance and zero empathy.

When I arrived, things only got worse. A woman I believe may be the owner (Asian with long straight hair, I’m Asian too so I'm not trying to be racist) approached me and immediately, told me I was basically at fault for not checking the receipt. She compared it to ordering a hamburger with no onions and receiving it with onions — saying it’s the customer’s fault for not double-checking. I was stunned. I asked her if she was seriously blaming me for their mistake. Her response was essentially: “I’m sorry you feel that way, next time check your receipt.”— a phrase that, as many know, often comes off as dismissive and insincere.

As I was checking out, another employee stepped in to defend the owner, telling me I should have read the receipt more carefully. But how could I know what terminology they use or what to look for? I’m not the tailor. I made my request clearly, in person, and trusted their staff to document it correctly — that is their responsibility, not mine.

Rather than taking accountability or apologizing for the error, their team doubled down and redirected the blame onto me. I left feeling not only frustrated by the mistake but deeply disappointed by the complete lack of professionalism, accountability, and basic courtesy. The entire time the exchanges felt very patronizing and demeaning as if I were a criminal for wanting my garment fixed. No hint of humility or sincerity for their mistake was ever addressed.

I do understand that wedding and prom season can be overwhelming for businesses like this. But that doesn’t excuse poor customer service, or treating clients with disrespect when they are the ones inconvenienced.

I have yet to pick up my corrected dress, and frankly, I’m holding my breath. I truly hope it’s been fixed properly this time.

Please think twice before bringing your garments here — especially during the busy season. If a mistake happens, you may find yourself blamed instead of helped. And that’s not just disappointing — it’s unacceptable.

UPDATE: very next morning

As expected, they have REFUSED to correct the mistake and redo the hem. I am not surprised by their unprofessionalism. The response I received confirmed that they would not take responsibility. After PROMISING to fix the hem, now they have refused to make right this issue. They called and have said we must pick up the dress and will not fix their error due to my HONEST experience and HONEST review. How unfortunate that this business has chosen not to stand behind the quality of their work. PLEASE SAVE...

The staff are very friendly, however they do not communicate well. I took 2 leather vests to them on a Saturday to have my patches transferred from the old one, to the new one. The girl I spoke to on Saturday was very polite and helpful. We discussed what I wanted, she took some notes, and placed pins where items needed to go. We agreed that I needed them back before the following Friday. The next Wednesday they called me to collect payment over the phone, I gladly paid $109 and they told me I could pick it up at 5pm the next day. I go to pick the vest up, and over half of what I discussed with the employee on Saturday had not been done to the vest. The person working apologized for the confusion and said they would stay late to fix it. Then upon coming back an hour later, the head person told me that not everything was charged to me on Wednesday and that I owed another $239. Knowing at this point I didnt have an option because I needed the vest back for an event the next day. I believe that this was handled poorly. I dont mind paying for services, but when a price is agreed upon and paid, that should be the end of it. I also understand mistakes happen. But $348 total to move some patches from one vest to another seems a bit outrageous. I have to say I will not return, nor will anyone from my...

oh my gosh.. i’m so happy with the work i had done at express alterations. first of all, i dropped my dress off with 4 weeks to go before my wedding, and it took them 3 weeks to complete it. they were so good with working with my time frame and i could tell they do this with everyone. hannah did SO much work to my dress and i actually didn’t even realize how perfect my dress could look after alterations. i had an initial fitting when i dropped it off, and then two more after that. it was a pretty complicated dress due to the multiple different patterns going on with the lace, but she listened and made changes exactly how i wanted. the biggest one was removing the bra pads(small chested) and removing the material to shrink down the whole area, and the difference was amazing. i had also gained weight because i had this dress before covid, wedding was cancelled, and now in the past 1.5 years i’ve gained weight. it was difficult but she was able to let it out just slightly, enough that i could zip it up and walk/breathe in it! fair warning, this place can get busy, and therefore communication is difficult/frustrating at times, BUT Hannah bends over backwards to do what she does and the quality of work makes up for that. she’s that busy for a reason! it was well worth it and i’m glad that i...