How To Lose Customers
Everyone has a bad shopping experience now and then, nothing is perfect. But when you keep hearing the same problems - from different people - about the same store (different locations) you sit up and take notice.
I read a lot of blogs, posting, and reviews of shops - online and off - patterns, notions, and other sewing or quilting related products. There’s a bunch of complaining going on about one sewing-crafting store, and it’s pretty darn startling. Here is just a sampling of what I’ve been reading.
“…poor quality and selection of everything. Dribs and drabs of fabric, no real concentration of anything.”
“…picked up three bolts of quilting fabric. One seemed to be of good quality, one marginal. The third was very poor–the fabric was limp, paper thin, and was unraveling quite a bit.”
“…she claimed that yes, it was my fault and the cutter should have asked me for my coupon.”
“…always slow lines at registers and cutting. Some clerks cannot cut fabric, I’ve had to ask for things to be re-cut…”
“…what little fashion fabric they have tends to be poor quality and/or in outdated styles.”
“…should stop trying to compete with Michaels and expend its resources on being a decent fabric store instead of trying to be all things to all people.”
“…this is the most unprofessional and least knowledgeable chain.”
“…was so disgusted by what I saw that I didn’t bother looking for anything else that might interest me. I just walked out, and I will never return again.”
“…even wrote to the company website because it just seemed so wrong, and they didn’t even bother to respond.”
“…hate ****** and go only when I have a coupon because I have never met a clerk that was helpful and not rude.”
“…major detractor is all the candy and cluttery things that are not sewing- or craft-related that block and crowd the front of the store.”
“…store is cluttered (like is seems most ****** are anymore) filled with craft stuff, chairs, umbrellas, nick-nacks, dried flowers and leaves and on and on.”
“…sales are the only thing that make them even with other stores. They seem to mark everything up just so they can offer those 40-50% off coupons.”
“…asked a young girl where the particular fabric I was looking for was and she stated flatly, “I don’t know, I don’t sew… went up to another woman who waved her arm in a direction and stated, “Somewhere over there, look for the sign.”
“…store is typically dirty and chaotic. On several visits, there were big holes in pegboards or displays that looked like whole sections were being discontinued.”
“…don’t know what happened and when, but it seems as though they just don’t care anymore. The store is filthy, and most of the fabric selection is disorganized and poorly stocked. ”
“…simply awful and has been for years…”
“…hideous - the employees are the least helpful and rudest beings on the face of the planet…”
“…you have to wind your way through small aisles with bolts of fabric in your arms - go ahead and try not to knock something over.”
“…approached the fabric cutting counter and the only greeting the sales lady gave me was, “Did you take a number?” I hadn’t, and she didn’t say one more word to me even though I was the only person at the counter!”
“…this particular ****** IS one of the “new and improved” superstores. It just goes to show that a fancy superstore can’t replace good, old-fashioned quality and service.”
“…the saleswomen act put out if you ask them a question. If you’re buying lots of fabric they turn their back on you and let the young girls cut it.”
“…they have made it clear they could care less about their customers.”
“…went back to the same clerk to ask for help and she yelled at me rather than showing me where the item was.”
“…I presented the fact that if the manager wanted to “abide” by store policy that I wanted a check to be mailed. She refused, and then dismissed me like I was annoying her.”
“…have attempted countless times to shop in the three ****** stores near my home each time hoping for a decent experience. Each and every time I come away frustrated, bewildered, feeling quite abused and wondering what in the world is up with the staff of those stores…”
“…took it back the next day and they told me anything over $100 regardless if you use cash or a check the refund would be mailed to me from Corporate. It will take 5-6 weeks to get your money… feel they are pretty much blackmailing you to keep your merchandise regardless if you like it or not.”
“…worse still, the cashier got angry with me because I insisted that the items were on sale.”
“…have reported ****** to the Better Business Bureau”
Whoa. And this was only a sampling! I don’t know about anyone else, but I am truly appalled at all of this. Reporting a business to the BBB is usually a ‘last resort’ action. With that in mind I did a search on the national BBB to see for myself.
The records are tracked for three year periods; here’s what I discovered.
- The company is not a member of the Better Business Bureau
- None of the 85 locations listed ever provide answers to any of the requests for company information from the BBB
- In the past 36 months there were a total of 19 official complaints filed; in the past 12 months 13.
Sounds like things are getting worse instead of better. Now to be completely fair there were good posting too - but the ratio was running 90%-10%. That’s just plain sad. The good stores had good managers and well trained staff. Well duh.
Anyone have any ideas on how to get the company to sit up and take notice?
July 22nd, 2007 at 10:35 pm
I agree! I stopped going to Joanns last year because of the rude clerks and non-sewing merchandise clogging the aisles. If I want craft products, I’ll go to Michaels.