Why is customer service in Brussels/Belgium consistently this bad?
I’m genuinely curious: is customer service just not a priority here, or am I just having the worst luck?
I went to the ICI Paris XL on Rue Neuve a few days ago at 18:20 to pick up a pre-paid order. They close at 18:30. The doors were already locked. When I knocked to get their attention, the manager didn't just ignore me - she actually called security on me like I was a criminal.
The security guard (who actually had common sense) let me in, and the pickup took literally 30 seconds. I was out before 18:30. Meanwhile, the manager was so obsessed with getting out the door that she had accidentally trapped two other customers inside the shop.
If the staff needs to have "both feet on the street" the second the clock hits 18:30, why doesn't the company just change their official hours to 18:15?
This level of entitlement and total lack of respect for customers seems to be a recurring theme lately. Does anyone else feel like service in Brussels is getting progressively more hostile, or is it just me?
PS: I contacted their customer service via e-mail and received a response stating they would investigate the matter, though I highly doubt they actually will. They did, however, issue a €10 discount voucher, which is better than nothing. For background, this took place at their Rue Neuve 37 store, which is a very busy location. The entire situation was incredibly awkward. While I appreciate that the staff do not want to work late, they should simply announce their closing time 15 or 20 minutes earlier. I was also quite disappointed that the manager immediately called security rather than just asking how they could help. It was genuinely a 30-second collection for me, which is why arriving 10 minutes before closing should have been more than enough time.