I want to Scream!

#1

I am so frustrated I want to scream! I just called my local Jo-ann’s to see if they had the sock set knitting DP needles. They had been out for the last 6 weeks. The girl (woman) didn’t even listen to me the first time and had to repeat myself 3 x. Then she went and looked… and stated “Yes, we have DP’s” I repeated my request for the set, and she said we don’t carry sets.

She hadn’t even listened to anything I said. Just makes me more sure not to visit there anymore. The service there in person isn’t the greatest, and from now on, I’ll just go to Michaels if I have to have something local…otherwise, I’m shopping online.

When will these stores realize customer service is what is making them loose customers?

Ok I’m over my tyraid. I’m sorry… Just so frustrating!

#2

I hate bad customer service! I’ve worked as a cashier, and I know it can be a rough job, but a cashier is hired to be a front-line representative of a company and to keep the customer happy. If you’re not happy about the service you received, they are not doing their job.

When you send a letter to the store owner and to head office saying that they have lost you as a customer because of the poor service at that location. If they make it right, good on them. If not, do you really want to go back there anyways?

#3

I feel for you too. I was in retail for several years too and I always tried my best to help people. It makes me so mad that nowadays when you ask a clerk if they have xyz item they typically say, “well, if we do it should be out on the shelf.”
:wall:
well, if i’m ASKING you for it, then that should be a clue that you are OUT and perhaps you should CHECK and see if MORE are coming!!!

for this I get constantly belittled at other customer service jobs I have had, like now…that I do too much for people. Um, hello!? Isnt’ that a GOOD thing? :!!!:

#4

I’ve just got to respond.

Poor customer service is such a pet peeve of mine.

I used to do mystery shopping as a way to make money while I stayed home with my children. I learned so much about what companies expect of their employees. Many companies just don’t deliver. I sometimes felt bad for them; however, I knew that my reports would help make future customers’ experiences better.

Write a letter…the company’s higher-ups will appreciate it.

#5

Thank you all for your words. I sent an email to the corporate headquarters. I doubt if I ever hear from them… but I feel better just sending it.

I’m going to go make some chocolate chip cookies and be bad. I deserve it! lol Meantime I’m ordering the needles online… It will be a bit more, but I don’t mind paying when the company sends me thanks for shopping and I still get it w/in a week.

Take care, & I’ll think of my knitting friends online as I’m eating cookies & knitting…

:hug:

#6

Joann’s service sucks at the one I’ve been in, too. I wonder…

#7

It’s because they don’t pay enough to hire good, knowledgeable employees. And the good, knowledgeable employees get fed up with dealing with rude, stupid customers and quit. And because they are good and knowledgeable, they get better jobs.

(Not saying you were rude, snowbear, in this instance, the employee was at fault.)

#8

Whenever that happens to me I immediately ask for the manager of the store. I’ve been burned so many times just like you were, pathetic individuals. :roll:

On a side note, as for contacting the company, we took our Oreck vacuum in to be serviced and it wasn’t even cleaned. You spend that kind of money on something and they should deliver, anyway, my husband sent an email to the headquarters, or whatever it’s called, and he got a phone call on a SATURDAY responding to his email.

So it could help. :shrug:

Sorry that happened to you though. Sucks, I feel your pain.

#9

I’ve had experiences like that too…one time I called Hobby Lobby and asked if they had a certain size circular needle, and the lady on the telephone wasn’t sure what I was asking for. I’m assuming she didn’t know anything about knitting, which is perfectly fine–I don’t expect someone to be an expert about every product, but I really wished she would’ve transferred me to somebody that did know. I called to see in advance if they had my knitting needles to save me time and trouble of making a trip, but I had to go anyway.

On the other hand, when I’ve called Joann’s to check inventory on knitting needles, I’ve had clerks put my needles up at the cutting counter before with my name on them so I wouldn’t have to walk through the whole store. I’ve also had very courteous clerks at Hobby Lobby too that went above and beyond their job and check inventory in the back room for yarn, as well as on the shelf to save me a trip. I guess it just depends on where you go and who you’re dealing with, but it is all about customer service. I typically have better luck at the chain retail outlets (Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, or Joann’s) with customer service than I’ve had at the LYS. Sorry this happened to you! :hug:

#10

Low pay means you get low quality employees. Customer service is rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

While I know that there are some good people working in retail, they are the exception and not the rule. The vast majority of retail workers couldn’t care less. They just want to put in their time and collect their paycheck with the least amount of effort possible. It’s sad but true.

Is it any wonder that internet shopping is rapidly outpacing brick and mortar retail?

#11

I’ve never liked JoAnn’s (in Houston, TX). Hobby Lobby is the best!

#12

Well, I have had good experiences with joann’s… in particular one clerk at my store is so very friendly and helpful and I told her i wanted to learn to crochet too… well we kept talking and she gave me her business card~ SoOOooo… my girlfriends and I will be taking a class from her in the near future~

:cheering:

But I have to agree with Mason: you generally get what you pay for in customer service~! :pout:

#13

I don’t even think the cashiers care about the customer. They just care about getting paid.

#14

Well, if you were working a minimum wage job, do you think you’d really be chipper and bright and happy all the time?

#15

I used to cook with a chef who would say If you pay peanuts you get monkeys. Now I know that’s not true for everyone but for the most part I have yet to get good service at any of the big retail stores (Michael’s and AC Moore, though to be fair AC Moore is a little better than Michael’s. Michael’s is the worst. No Hobby Lobby or Jo-ann around here). The employees don’t seem to know anything about the products and when you have a question they act like you’re a major imposition. So when I do go to one of the big stores I make sure I know what I want, how much I need and where to find it. Normally if I have the $$$$ I just go to my favorite mom and pop LYS.

:muah: :hug:

Nadja xxx

#16

I don’t have alot of love for JoAnn’s anyway. Seems everytime I pick up something that’s on their sale shelf when I get up to the register it’s not on sale, even though the sign says so. Last time they “forgot” to take the sign down, or at least that was the excuse. :-x My husband was with me one time and we were picking out fabric to make some cornices with. There’s usually little samples attached to the fabric that you can take home and compare, etc. Well the one fabric I liked had no samples so my husband asked a woman if she could cut some and she got all huffy and told him she had to log in the amount of the samples she cuts, she didn’t have time right now. My husband asked for a pair of scissors to cut a sample himself and the lady about had a freak. Mind you, there was already an uneven selvage from them cutting samples off of it so it wouldn’t have damaged the fabric in any way. I try not to shop there but sometimes I have no other choice, no Hobby Lobby here.

#17

Nah, probably not. :rofl:

#18

Couldn’t have said it better. I’ve been on both sides - the retail employee and the mystery shopper.

Retail is a very rough job and it takes its toll on a person. Add to that the low pay and there are plenty of disgruntled employees. However - when companies contract to get themselves mystery shopped, they need to pay attention to the results and use that to improve their stores.

One large retailer who shall go unnamed never learns from their poor shop ratings. :!!!:

#19

Amen!

#20

Wow, I can’t believe all the bad things I seem to hear about Joann’s. I love my Joann’s. The ladies are always friendly and helpful. Wal-Mart is where I always seem to have problems. When I manage to find an employee, it’s “not my department”!