I know this is going to sound like one strange review, given the fact that I only gave this…read moreparticular Watch Station location one star, but here we go.
I absolutely love Watch Station and I have been shopping at the Wrentham, Massachusetts location since they first opened, and I still do. However, I often visit other locations in search of yet another great bargain on my favorite Michele watches, which Watch Station sells.
On a recent trip to Hong Kong, flying out of JFK, I asked my husband during our return flight if we could take a little detour and pay a visit to Woodbury Commons. Although The Watch Station in Woodbury Commons was not my initial destination, it does sit right between my two favorite stores, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to pop in.
On this particular visit I found two insanely discounted watch bands. Watch bands on most Michele watches are interchangeable, which is part of their crazy appeal. So for me, yet another fabulous purchase at Watch Station I thought to myself, but this is where it got weird. When cashing out, I was told that the very nice young lady who had been assisting me the entire time was unable to cash me out and someone else would be helping me with my transaction. Not a problem at all!!! Or so I thought. I hadn't even pulled my charge card completely out of my wallet before I was told by the man who was now assisting me that I would need to show my identification. Please note that in all of my years in dealing with Watch Station, I have never been asked for an identification, so I was a bit surprised. No problem!!! However, I have to admit that I found it quite odd that I hadn't even presented him with my form of payment before he asked for identification. Very strange!!! After a brief moment of thought, I decided there was something fishy about the abrupt change in sales associates assisting me and his asking me for identification, so I asked to speak to a manager.
It doesn't take a Rocket Scientist to figure out when someone is being profiled and that's exactly what happened to me at this Watch Station that day. Somehow, the staff in this store got it into their empty heads that I was a "suspicious character!!" Indeed!
So, for any Watch Station employees who work at the Woodbury location, and who can actually read, this is for you. Yes, my husband and I had just traveled half way around the world and mascara, lipstick stains, and 24 hour old make-up was plastered all over my face, but so what, I still want to go to my favorite outlet mall on planet Earth, and I want to be able to go into any store I please and be treated fairly, but that was not to be on this particular day.
When the manager came out, she was so incredibly rude to me, and to make matters worse, she was rude to my always level headed and polite husband. My husband asked me in front of the manager if I had begun the transaction and I said that I had not. My husband then said that it was time for us to leave, and the manager responded to my husband by saying, "yeah, why don't you do that." Now to most people that may not seem like a rude remark at all, but from a managerial standpoint, that is as unprofessional as it gets. Needless to say, my husband has forbidden me from ever entering that particular Watch Station ever again.
I recently purchased a new Michele watch at another Watch Station and although this purchase was substantially more than the purchase I was to make at the Woodbury location, I was not asked for my identification. It was actually the manager of this location who was assisting me with my transaction and when I asked him why he didn't ask for my identification, he responded by telling me that he only asks "shady looking" people for identification.
NEED I SAY MORE!!!