Under No Illusions

I'm not really one to bitch about companies or anything on my blog, but this one takes that rule and puts it on the back burner for a little bit.

I have been applying to various stores recently and I called Victoria's Secret to follow up on an app that I had placed late last week. I asked for a manager and got one on the phone. I told her who I was and why I was calling- "just wanting to follow up on an app I placed last week." And I got the rudest, most vicious, unprovoked response I have ever gotten.

"Well if we liked you, we would have, uhm, called you."

And then she hung up.

There was no "thanks for calling" or "Can I help you with anything else?" She didn't even wait for my response. She just hung up the phone.

Now, I am under no illusion that everyone in the world thinks I'm awesome or have the set skills to work at their company. But I do have people skills, I'm friendly, and I can count back change. I am not sure what other skills one would need to work in underwear?

Let me just say this to Victoria Secret: You have seriously lost a customer. If the manager in charge of the store- you know the one who is supposed to train all the employees to be empathetic, polite, and friendly- responds to a customer/potential employee in such a distasteful manner, why on earth would I want to work there? Let alone shop there!

I cannot believe how rude this woman was and I have to say that I am frankly appalled that she would say something like that to another person.

I wonder how they treat their employees if that is how they treat the prospective employees? What ever happened to 'best foot forward'? I guess it died out- and so did my passion for over priced lacy things.

I am not jaded because I "didn't get a job offer". I am upset at the way that I was treated. There are a million other ways to say "you're not what we are looking for in a candidate" other than "we just don't like you"

Some examples:

"Unfortunately, the position is no longer available."
"We felt that you did not meet our needs sufficiently"
"There was a more qualified candidate"
"Upon reviewing your application, we have decided to go another avenue"

See? All of those spell out rejection. None of those have ever personally hurt my feelings. But when a company says "We don't like you" it says to me that you must not want my money at all then. And it must be great to be in such a position that you can afford to lose customers in this economy. After all- you were only trying to hire someone, so I am sure that there is someone else out there just as shallow and petty as that particular manager.

Or maybe she was just hungry.