Comments

22/10: Boycott Minnie Minors

Most of you having young children or siblings (below 10 years of age) would know about the shop Minnie Minors (a subsidiary of Bareeze) which deals in ready made garments for babies and young children. In Islamabad, this shop is located on the floor above Bareeze (near Chen One) in Jinnah Super.

Minnie Minors Notice

Recently, when I got the opportunity to visit this shop, I saw a sign taped onto the payment counter and the wall nearby which stated that 'privilige cards will not be accepted'. Privilige cards here are credit card type customer loyalty program cards which can be used by frequent customers for getting discounts and acquiring points on their purchases. These cards have been in use by Bareeze and Minnie Minors for some time.




Eid is just around the corner and there is always a high influx of shoppers in the last ashra (part) of Ramadan buying stuff for celebrating Eid. This obviously includes shopping for clothes by people of all ages.

On seeing the notice in Minnie Minors, I questioned the person present on the counter about it. He said "Orders have come from Head Office that privilige cards are not be accepted for purchases before Eid". I was surprised and disgusted at how eager such shops are at ripping off ignorant Pakistani consumers. The reason he presented for this ripping off was that during the time before Eid, there are a large number of consumers who have to wait for long times during checkout while privilige cards are processed alongside the purchase.

I suggested that they should get another computer system and divide the Eid rush load into half while still utilizing the privilige cards. My reasoning for this is that they are a popular destination for clothes shopping and must be earning quite high profits in the order of millions of rupees. Investing just Rs.30000 (cost of a good computer system) into the business would yield good results in the form of better checkout time management and consumer satisfaction. The person just laughed and hummed and hawed while trying to avoid giving an answer. This angered me and I suggested that perhaps it would be best if people stopped shopping at their shop to which he still didn't gave a reply and kept inputting purchase info for other customers on the computer system.

The only reason why the person didn't do anything and continued ripping of the clientele is that we don't have any real consumer protection organizations which could ban a product or vendor if he/she did anything against the rights of the consumer. On an individual level, we can protest on a limited level (resulting in being mostly ignored). Disemination of such information through the internet is on a rather small scale when considering the lack of Pakistani people doing something constructive on the internet (and I don't consider Orkut, MySpace and useless chatting on MSN or Y!Messenger constructive uses of internet).

I urge those who read this and who purchase clothes from Minnie Minors to avoid dealing with them and to seek alternative sources. The only way to make them realize their mistake is to not buy anything from them until they reverse this policy permanently and take constructive steps to ensure consumer protection.
Asad  Reviews 
Karma: 468 [Add to karma] 


Comments made

You have a point - sadly I don't live in ISL to avoid this store but I echo your protest to other stores in Karachi who employ the same policy (or as I have heard)
23/10 02:38:31
@ Teeth Maestro:

From what I have heard and read, Minnie Minors and Bareeze outlets are present in Islamabad and Lahore. I tried googling for any outlets in Karachi but didn't get any valid results.

As citizens of Pakistan, unless we take a stand against such practices and highlight such issues and practices in mass media, we will continue getting ripped off by these people. I only wish we had an effective consumer protection organization which could disseminate information about such issues and possible actions which could be taken by the consumer in a better and more effecient manner.
23/10 05:43:45
i'm a regular customer of bareeze.so let me tell u what this sign mean as its always pasted on the desks during sales and eid rush days.u just have to go back there again after this rush time ends and enter ur bills in ur card account.i've done this in winter sale early this yr n also during this eid rush days.only problem is that one has to go back to that particular shop to have the points entered.
11/12 15:10:39
@ Hifsa:

Be that as it may, I did not see any such notice alongside the one that stated no privilege card will be accepted nor did any of the staff there tell me this. How are the hundreds of consumers who purchase various items from the shop, and are regular customers, to know that they can get the points for their purchases after Eid? This is a ridiculous way to con people out of their hard earned money by not giving them the full benefit for their purchase(s).
11/12 17:39:43
yes i agree with what is stated here but the prob is that there r not many stores available in pk. i shop from this store regularly and hav been promised the card more then ten times atleast and hav not recieved it. staff at my favourite branch know that i m regular visitor but no movement towards card side so i guess it is another marketing strategy that is not at all customer friendly.
13/12 21:14:55
@ Saima:

You said it. If they had fear of retaliation from their customers, they would never do this. This is the precise reason why we need to have consumer protection groups who could increase awareness about such incidents and take decisive action to boycott these shops.
18/12 01:56:59
Hi,

Cards like these are started by the company to give the consumer some benefit. The other way to look at this card is that, if this card was not there then the consumer would not be getting any benefit at all. At times it is the company's right to make certain changes to entertain the customers and make things easier for them.

Yes, getting a second computer might be a good idea but the cost related to that would not just stop at one shop, it

would have to be calculated for every shop that they have.
19/05 19:19:29
Cost can be much more than what we think they are, due to which before going against any company we should stop and think clearly what they are saying and try to understand why they are doing this. None of us want to wait in line during eid and other sale times, due to which this sign could have been put up. Yes they could have phrased it better and told the consumers that you can get your points loaded at a later date, but then again as us being customers we also have some obligations of finding out things before slandering a company.
19/05 19:21:33
@ Saad Aziz:

That is absurd logic. The program is there for loyal customer. There is no basis for "what if it wasn't there" line of thinking.

Nobody stated that their other shops had similar problems. For all I know, they might have over a dozen computers but as the issue stands, this particular branch didn't.

A swipe doesn't takes more than 2 seconds at most. The customer stands more time waiting for the bill/receipt than the time it takes for the card to be swiped.

Slandering would be if there was some false basis to my arguments. My arguments are based on the truth as it stood at that time of a shop trying to con loyal customers. It is people like you who try to justify a wrong thing with another wrong thing (as you are so used to it that you cannot think outside the box) without realizing that two wrongs do not make a right.
23/05 01:31:29
@ Asad.

There is always a "what if this card was not there". Also, if the shop manager could not explain it to you properly than that does not mean that the Company is trying to con its customers. Another thing is that the card swiping does not take only 2 seconds. All the customers are not like you, who just want to load points and leave. Many customers want to know their balance, then load their points and once that is done then redeem their points also. That takes alot more time than 2 seconds.
27/05 01:33:42
@Asad

This is also a sort of slandering. You did not bother to find out what they were actually trying to do, assumed something and started to blame the company for it. If something was mis print then it is also the customers good will to tell the shop manager that he has printed something wrong. I have done that many a times, walked into shops read something that sounded wrong and told the management. Yes, customer is King but still they should be a little more understanding.
27/05 01:36:17
@ Saad Aziz:

There is no "what if". Only "what is".

The person at the shop represents the company since he is managing the franchise/shop, etc. If he doesn't knows it, that means that the company management is at fault for not explaining the situation to the concerned employee who will be actually dealing with customers.

What an arse you are to make this about me! The card is swiped after the transaction. By that time, the payment is concluded including the return of any balance. If the issue was redemption of points on the spot, the notice would have said "redemption not allowed at this time", instead of "not entertaining any privilege card". get your facts straight before you start mouthing off.

You are repeating the same old points as in previous comments. Slandering is when the facts on which the basis is formed are wrong. Here, the facts are totally straight. How is the customer supposed to know what is right and what is wrong as far as the meaning of the notice is concerned? It wasn't a spelling mistake nor a grammatical one.

If a road sign tells that turning left is prohibited, will you go to the traffic police and tell them that it should state that turning right is forbidden? What a foolish man you are!

Your persistence and foolish arguments (which are baseless too) make me think that you are a Bareeze employee [scroll down for more info which I later uncovered]. Read the comments above and see what the people feel about this deceptive practice adopted by Bareeze. Furthermore, this issue is now two years old. For all I know, things could have changed by now. If they haven't, someone really foolish is in charge.

Edit: On further investigation, I have uncovered why you are so concerned about this issue. Isn't Seema Aziz CEO of Bareeze? You must be a part of her [direct or extended] family. After all, you did lead the Bareeze delegation to Bridal Asia last year in October, to New Delhi, India.

Please refrain from posting needless junk praising Bareeze and putting the blame on the customer. A suggestion: Apologize for the mistake and move on. Your customers will appreciate this far more than your alternative/current attitude of 'blame the customer' and arrogant chest thumping.
27/05 03:36:11
@ Asad,
Nice to know that you can use bad language here also. I have not commented directly at you or said anything to you, but in return you have called me an arse. I have not been mouthing off, as you have said what you thought i have also said what i thought.
I did not say that the customer is to blame, only said that the customer should be a little more understanding of the situation. The managers should also be made to understand what is happening, so they can put up correct signs and explain them better to the customer.
Agreed, there was no spelling mistake nor any grammatical mistake but there was an error in explaining the sign. It should have explained that during Eid customer flow is high and time is short due to which Privilege cards will not be entertained, but points will be loaded on those bills after Eid.
Good comparison you made between a shop sign and a road sign.
As you said, this is a two year old thing and i am sure all the shop managers have already apologized to the customers and made sure that anything like this does not happen again. Which was just a misunderstanding and a writing error.
29/05 12:19:34
@ Saad Aziz:

Bad language? LOL! What are you in? 3rd class? Maybe 4th?

It is clear that you are stuck in a rut regarding an issue which is two years old. I have expressed my arguments clearly with proof about the notice.

In your previous comments, you are constantly implying that the customer should have done the thinking to rectify this mistake for you. My question from you is, why?

What is the management of Bareeze being paid for? Isn't it their job to do strategic management and how to manage customers? It is not the customer's job to be understanding.

Admit it. You guys made a mistake and apologize for it. You are just creating more of a negative image by being stubborn and by not admitting your mistake.
31/05 06:54:48
As i said above also, that this is a two year old issue and i am sure the managers have apologized for it quite a bit. The thing is that i will not defend anything that i think i wrong even if it is the company i am working for. But if i think that someone made an honest mistake then yes i will defend it.

Also, these notices that are put up are not sent from the head office, the managers make them in their shops and put them up. The head office tells them what has to be done, but they write their own notices. This has been changed a while back and now all notices go from head office. When the notices were being written by managers, you do have to realize that their English is not the best and mistakes like this can be made. Then again, i don't expect you to understand that.
02/06 12:56:24
@ Saad Aziz:

At least, you are admitting your mistake now and the rectification steps taken since then. That is a slight improvement over your previous attitude. I hope you get to improve your attitude even more.
03/06 03:15:40
@Asad

Don't think that anything was wrong with my attitude. But you on the other hand somehow don't want to realize the things that are not up to standard with our country, one of them being education. Due to that you are not willing to give anyone the benefit of doubt, and want to get everything on a silver platter. We are all humans and mistakes are made by humans and it is expected of other humans to understand them at times.
Good Bye
06/06 17:49:06
@ Saad Aziz:

The only things visible from your post are:

1 - Bareeze deliberately hires uneducated managers.
2 - Bareeze is trying to save on salaries by hiring incompetent managers.

Note, that the latter claim of incompetent managers directly reflects the top management of the company who hired them.

Education might not be up to the standard but you can find people if you are willing to pay them an appropriate salary.

Benefit of doubt is given where the mistake might be unintentional. From your comment, it is clear that the mistake occurred due to skimping on funds from the management. That is not unintentional. You reap what you sow.
06/06 21:19:20
weirdness!
25/09 13:12:34
I Am Naveed from jhelum and doing job in minnie minors i just have to talk u abt space we need to improve our sale for that we need space and the other one u must extend yr sizes from new born to 10 years i shall be very obliged to u.
08/01 21:33:21
hey can anyone tell me where Minnie Minors is located in Rawalpindi ?? thanks
22/01 15:28:51
in saddar and comercial market
24/10 06:52:44
salaam.... can i c you r new articals baby sute or baba sute dress
06/12 01:12:28
salaam sir or madem my name is asif . ..from lahore i have a smaal unite f garments manufetings i need some order give me plz contact my number 03004629082
06/12 01:18:56
i totally agree with you asad, i went to minnie minors like 2-3 weeks back and saw the sign, i even qualified for a loyalty card as i shopped for more than Rs 7000, but the manager said SORRY MADAM, we are not entertaining the old cards and new will be made after some time....God knows when??? Minnie minors is a major rip-off!!!
24/05 17:33:31
Saad Aziz,
Please spare us of your sick marketing gimmicks and the false hopes to customers who are intelligent enough to know what consumer business is all about now.
You and your chains suck. You were always a loser and will always be.
16/10 03:11:29
Such unethical corporate practices must be curbed by customers by refusing to give business to such businesses. And utilizing such platforms as this blog is just the start. I hope this practice of expressing one's discontent with corporate malpractices gains more mass with time amongst Pakistanis.
23/10 13:50:37

Add comment

 

Allowed BBCode:[b] [i] [u] [color=] [size=] [quote] [code] [email] [img]

Comments must be approved before being published.

 

Copyright © 2006-2013 Asad Asif - All rights reserved unless otherwise noted.

CSS | XHTML 1.0 Strict | RSS