a complicated return (lyn)

I meet Corinne for a noon screening of Amour, the movie I had suggested my family see over Thanksgiving.  Everyone would have hated it.  It is sweet and sad, and keenly shows the ravages of old age.  It is not a cheery holiday movie.

I bring along my Isabel Murant dicker boots that I bought last December and have worn twice, briefly.  Both times I could barely walk in them.   When my mother was here in October she had suggested bringing them back. I thought she was nuts.   “They’ll never take them back,” I say.  “I bought them almost a year ago, and even had rubber soles put on them.”  But she planted a seed, and I have been thinking about it.  But every time I imagine doing it, I can’t get past, what excuse could I possibly give?   That I realize now, a year later,  the shoes don’t fit?  If it were me, I wouldn’t take them back. 

I decide to try anyway.

After leaving the screening, Corinne says, “I have total faith in your ability to return these boots.  You are great at challenges like this.  Maybe we should dirty them up a bit, and see if you can overcome any arguments you get.  Make it even harder.”  I imagine a reality TV show where contestants are given absurd customer service problems and they have to achieve a pre-assigned outcome.  I think I’d be good at that.

I go over to Bergdorf’s and the store is packed.  It’s the first day of their big 40% off sale.  I contemplate coming back another day when the sales people aren’t being besieged with real customers wanting to buy things, versus a customer like me only there for an improbable return.

But here I am so I decide to proceed.  I go to the shoe department and ask for a manager.  I know this can’t be addressed with a first line shoe associate.  A few minutes later Josie appears.  I start to explain the problem and she puts her hand up to stop me.  Nicely she says, “You know, I really don’t care about your story.  We’ll make a one time exception, but I can only give you a store credit.”  I am incredulous of her response.

Josie tells me it could take a while as she needs to go to Client Services.  I don’t care.  I roam the store, buy nothing, and leave with a big store credit.