I had a very uncomfortable and disheartening experience at this location today.
I came in simply to return a pair of shoes. When I walked in, the employee helping me looked at me, and I greeted her, but she did not acknowledge or greet me in return. I explained that I needed to return some shoes, and she instructed me to email the return information so she could retrieve and print the shipping label.
She then told me that I could not ship the shoes in just the shoe box and that I would need additional packaging, but she offered no further explanation or assistance. I had to specifically ask whether the store sold a bag or some type of packaging that I could use. She said yes, but throughout the interaction I felt like I had to pry information out of her just to understand what I needed to do to complete a basic transaction.
What made the experience especially upsetting was the difference I observed in how she interacted with another customer who came into the store while she was helping me. That customer was of a different race, and she greeted them warmly and with a smile. When I finished my transaction and told her to have a good day, she did not acknowledge me or look at me and simply continued with her business.
I cannot say what her intentions were, but as a Black woman who is also masculine-presenting, I could not help but wonder whether my race, my presentation, or both played a role in the noticeably different treatment I received. I left feeling unwelcome, as though I did not belong there or as though my business was not wanted.
I want to be clear that I did not get this impression from the entire staff. The other women working there appeared approachable, friendly, and kind in their interactions with customers. My experience was specifically with the shorter employee who assisted me.
I came into the store to handle a simple return. I did not expect to leave feeling hurt, uncomfortable, and questioning why I was treated so differently. Regardless of the reason, every customer deserves basic courtesy, communication, and professionalism. Unfortunately, this experience made me not want to return to this location.