A New York pioneer ventures across the country with designer standards.

by Contributor

In Short
Saks is the retail hub for classics like Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Ralph Lauren, Prada and Badgley Mischka. This department store gets props for its petite and Salon Z (sizes 14-24) women's collections, as well as great selection for the little ones. Each department is a boutique to itself, boasting well-trained clerks who not only sell the good life--they set the example.
Saks is the retail hub for classics like Calvin

03/14/08

Denim dept customer svc is always friendly.

by austinmommy

I couldnt find a sales clerk to save my life in the denim dept, but I really didnt need one, however, when checking out, the sales girl was this petite woman who was very friendly and outgoing. My husband went into SFA and was greeted by several salespeople, although he was dressed in flipflops and shorts. Just from this I think that their customer service is great. I think it is funny when the salespeople as mentioned in other reviews- are rude or curt... hello! Wake up- you may work at SAKS- but you still work retail!

• Pros: quick and easy

08/23/07

Solid service

by capriisle

I've been shopping at the Austin SFA since they opened. The staff in the shoe dept. is very friendly and will go out of their way to locate a shoe (especially since their selection is smaller than other stores). The contemporary section varies (I think this is because they sometimes employ co-eds that are less familiar with customer service). However, as a regular shopper of this store, you can easily form a relationship with an associate that matches your personality.

• Pros: Very comfortable setting; friendly staff
• Cons: Selection not as large as larger cities

12/20/06

Poor customer service, don't bother

by melestelle1

The first time I went to Saks, I thought maybe the sales person was having a busy or hard day and that is why she treated me in such a curt and rude manner. However, after the second, third and fourth times, I realized that this was just the extent of service that Saks provided. The sales people were rude, curt, and tacky (i.e. rolled their eyes at me and continued gossiping away with each other while I was standing in front of them waiting to get service). "High-end" or not, there is no excuse for service like this. I will no longer shop there and would not recommend it to anyone, especially now that we have a Neiman Marcus coming to Austin. I have shopped at Neimans in my home town all my life and look forward to experiencing true customer service once again.

10/18/06

Great shopping experience

by lacyfraz

Well, I'm sorry for the lady from San Francisco, but I've found the Saks staff friendly, attentive, and kind. Perhaps she just got them on a bad day. Especially in the cosmetics area, they have excellent staff and talented make-up artists. It's certainly not your typical Austin shopping experience, and many of the locals feel they must wear designer clothes to go in, but I haven't found this to be the case.

• Pros: Only place you can find some high-end cosmetics, fragrances, couture. Post-holiday/seasonal sales are wonderful.
• Cons: This is a high-end store, except for cosmetics where typical dept. store brands like Clinique cost no more than elsewhere.

06/27/06

Nice shoes.

by barbaragail

I live in San Francisco and go to Saks in downtown San Francisco. This one has the most unfriendly sales staff I have ever dealt with. If any place should be "snobby" is the Saks in downtown San Francisco but Austin is the one with the worst. Hard core sales and not even remotely nice. My husband has a very high profile position and I am used to snobby and pretentious people but this store is horrible. I still would go in there if I lived in Austin because there are not very many places to shop.

• Pros: Great location and easy parking
• Cons: Sales staff are some of the worst I've ever dealt with