Karma is… Michelle’s Closet in Pullman

I loved shopping and consigning at Michelle’s Closet in Pullman when I lived there. Their items were generally in good condition, and the prices were affordable. Shopping in consignment stores is fun because of the variety of items I might find. It’s a great way to try a new style or brand that I never would have bought brand new.

I don’t live there anymore, though. I live in California, and I can’t think of a single reason to go back to the area. Not right now, at least. So when money ran tight for the umpteenth time in my life, I remembered Michelle’s Closet and that I never closed my account.

Mr. Sexy hopped on the phone to let them know we had moved and to ask about my credit. They told him I had $97 that they could send me via check for an additional fee or deposit to my Venmo for free. Well, I had an issue with my Venmo at the time, so we called back later, and the person on the other end said they would transfer it.

About a week went by, and I didn’t see any money in my Venmo, so I called again.

The girl working there gave me the same information as Mr. Sexy, and I gave her my Venmo again. She said they would take care of this in three weeks because the owner was abroad. I felt super disappointed that it would take so long because I needed that money for groceries that week.

Well, the next day, $78 showed up in my Venmo! It felt great to get the money so fast, but what about the $19? Something went a little wrong here, and I knew I wouldn’t have a problem getting the issue rectified. Mr. Sexy and I were specifically told multiple times that we would see $97 in my Venmo with no additional fees.

I called the store that day, and the person sounded really apologetic. She said she would pass it along to the owner and that I should see the missing money in my Venmo soon.

Later that night, I got a text from Michelle herself.

We had texted before, it turns out. She had mistakenly texted me for a playdate with our kids, thinking I was another boy’s mom. That wasn’t a big deal, and in fact, I was glad she texted me because Emily would love to have a playdate as well. She said that sounded great, and then the conversation didn’t move on from there. This has nothing to do with the story I’m telling; it’s just one of the many nuances of living in such a small community.

Everyone is so connected, and honestly, it’s unnerving. I am really enjoying the city life and having a bit of anonymity.

Anyway, Michelle sent me a long message explaining why she purposely sent me $78 instead of $97. While I felt perturbed by all this nonsense, I didn’t feel mad. Not until I received this text message. First of all, why is the owner of a business texting a customer about a money error? That seems totally off-putting to me. I would have expected a voicemail and then an invitation to call back or text back with questions. In my opinion, that’s the professional thing to do, but what do I know?

I’ve never run a brick-and-mortar store, and small towns have their own special breed of business owners.

In her text to me, Michelle explained the downgrade in the percentage of my consignment fee. Because I asked for my payout in cash instead of in-store credit, the payout changed from 50% to 40%. Now, I didn’t realize that at the time, and I totally get that. My problem is, though, that we told Michelle’s Closet we had moved, we requested a cash payout, and they told us to expect $97. Period.

I’m a big believer in the age-old phrase: The customer is always right. That said, every situation is unique, and this isn’t a cookie-cutter system.

In this case, though, the right action in my book would have been to quickly rectify the missing $19.

So, Michelle and I texted back and forth throughout the evening. She sent me a copy of a contract that had my name on it and my husband’s signature. I didn’t tell her that, though. Thankfully, I didn’t need to bring up any holes in the invalid contract she sent me because she ended the conversation by saying she would gift me the remaining $19. Voila.

While $19 might seem silly to make a fuss about, it’s not about the $19. Okay, well, for me, it’s a little bit about the $19 right now because I still carry a lot of money trauma with me. But overall, this was about what’s right and how you take care of a loyal customer. Which I was. Michelle’s Closet was my favorite place to shop. Before I moved, I had my eyes on some earrings that were shaped like a uterus giving the finger. Funny and cool stuff can be found in that place.

I feel really good about how I handled that whole situation, not just outwardly, but also inwardly.

I never got to a boiling rage. I was waiting for that to happen, kind of. But it didn’t. And when I realized I wasn’t super upset and just wanted to see this through, I could relax and actually kind of enjoy the process.

I wasn’t rude; I was firm. I stated my case and my desires clearly and directly. I used my voice, and I got exactly what I wanted in the end. Now, on the other hand, if I didn’t get my measly payout, I had prepared myself to write a scathing blog post with bomb SEO and leave reviews all over the place.

Instead, I’m telling a story about how I’ve grown up a little over the past year. Therapy really does work, ladies and gentlemen.