You cannot fault the design and style aesthetics of the hugely successful “Anokhi” stores, purveyors of upmarket, rather pricey sort-of-Indian-but-also-sort-of-Westernised clothing to many thousands of women in India.
Beautiful, instantly recognisable prints. Good designs, that are regularly updated. What’s not to like ?
Well, to be honest, their exchange policy and their staff.
Wildly successful though brand Anokhi may well be, the staff across many of the stores visited seem to be united in their inability to smile. Perhaps they feel success doesn’t require pleasantness.
The male employees are marginally better. The female staff, sad to say, are by and large indifferent, bordering on surly.
Which leads this reviewer to their exchange policy.
No refunds. Ever.
No exchange from one state to another, which means visitors buying, for example, in the flagship Jaipur store cannot exchange at a store in Delhi : from personal experience, this has happened several times to overseas visitors.
And even when you go to do a routine exchange, within the 14 days, with the bill, as this reviewer did just a day ago, there is always a hint of suspicion.
“Why are you exchanging ?” was the unsmiling enquiry.
“Because I don’t like the colour”
“Why is the corner with the price torn off the label ?”
“Because it was a gift”
Whatever happened to the customer is right ?