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Post by Clair on Nov 16, 2019 2:52:11 GMT
I made a big purchase at Williams Sonoma today. I purchased a few le creuset cast iron pots so my order was quite heavy. Sales person was great. Suggested I use curbside pickup so I didn’t have to carry bags.
I was given a claim check and a number to call to have my packages run out to my car in front of the store.
Fifteen minutes later - drove my car to the front of the store and called.
No one answered the phone. Let it ring 60 tines. Had to call 2 more times before I got an answer. I was in a spot where I couldn’t get out of my car. Meanwhile security had pulled up behind me and wanted me to move. It’s a fairly busy road within the mall. I would have parked a fair distance away if I needed to go into the store to get help.
My packages were finally brought out. I thanked the employee but let him I had to call multiple times and that no one answered.He said they were too busy to answer phone. He apologized but seemed irritated that I thought they should answer the phone.
I was a bit put out. I spent a boatload of money on heavy items - used a service they offer and the employee was not happy with me.
Is it just me or would this have bothered you.
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Post by katlady on Nov 16, 2019 2:57:12 GMT
That would have bothered me. You did what they told you to do, and then you had to get hassled by the police. I would be calling/writing someone that they need to look into their policy regarding curb-side pickup.
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Post by oliquig on Nov 16, 2019 3:07:21 GMT
I would be calling/emailing CS. I find it very annoying when a company (or their representatives) is churlish over a product/service they offer.
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Post by Belia on Nov 16, 2019 3:11:40 GMT
I don't get bothered by much. That would bother me.
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Deleted
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Oct 6, 2024 17:27:00 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2019 3:15:04 GMT
I made a big purchase at Williams Sonoma today. I purchased a few le creuset cast iron pots so my order was quite heavy. Sales person was great. Suggested I use curbside pickup so I didn’t have to carry bags. I was given a claim check and a number to call to have my packages run out to my car in front of the store. Fifteen minutes later - drove my car to the front of the store and called. No one answered the phone. Let it ring 60 tines. Had to call 2 more times before I got an answer. I was in a spot where I couldn’t get out of my car. Meanwhile security had pulled up behind me and wanted me to move. It’s a fairly busy road within the mall. I would have parked a fair distance away if I needed to go into the store to get help. My packages were finally brought out. I thanked the employee but let him I had to call multiple times and that no one answered.He said they were too busy to answer phone. He apologized but seemed irritated that I thought they should answer the phone. I was a bit put out. I spent a boatload of money on heavy items - used a service they offer and the employee was not happy with me. Is it just me or would this have bothered you. It would have bothered me, but not necessarily at that employee. I've been the one understaffed and over-worked with policies that don't work for the customer. We were expected to work with the customer in the store as priority instead of the one on the phone. That seems to be pretty standard practice. They need someone in the store who has the phone as their priority. I think a call to corporate about it is worthwile without being upset at the low level employee. They need a better system instead of a carry assistance having to call. |
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Nov 16, 2019 3:15:39 GMT
Yeah, that's annoying. Shouldn't have suggested it as an option if they were going to be too busy to actually provide the service.
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Post by Clair on Nov 16, 2019 3:17:18 GMT
Thanks. I’m usually not one to be bothered by things either.
If they would have answered the phone and said they were busy - I would have moved my car and returned when they could run the packages out.
I thought maybe I was overreacting.
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Deleted
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Oct 6, 2024 17:27:00 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2019 3:18:43 GMT
TO me, this is just another reason to shop online.
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julie5
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,611 
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Post by julie5 on Nov 16, 2019 3:31:16 GMT
I don't get bothered by much. That would bother me. Yes it would have bothered me. Enough to call their customer care line or send an email. I wouldn’t expect anything to come of it, but I would want my experience noted. |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Nov 16, 2019 3:54:42 GMT
Yes, I would be bothered. They offered! He had no reason to be irritated with you!
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tanya2
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Refupea #1604
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Post by tanya2 on Nov 16, 2019 5:56:52 GMT
welcome to the age of cutbacks! never enough staff to deal with clients on site & still answer the phones - story of my job for sure. they need a better way of offering that service
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Post by nlwilkins on Nov 16, 2019 7:01:07 GMT
Yes it would bother me. If they cannot hire enough people to deal with customers in the store and curbside assistance, they should not offer the curbside assistance!
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Nov 16, 2019 11:47:03 GMT
He apologized but seemed irritated that I thought they should answer the phone. I'm always a bit torn on this issue. There's a school of thought that store employees should give priority to customers standing in front of them and not make them wait through interruptions with phone calls. I somewhat agree with that. But yet, when I'm the one calling, I am annoyed by having the phone ring and ring before it's answered and then being put on hold. So, what's a store to do? In your case, the store suggested the service and it was completely warranted due to the heavy purchases. They should have then been on 'standby' of sorts to get your call and run your packages out. I do think it would be a good to provide feedback to the company on experience. I find a company's Twitter account to be a great way to get the attention of someone who will take that kind of feedback seriously. |
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Post by originalvanillabean on Nov 16, 2019 11:50:16 GMT
Yes I would be bothered.
Lately (last few years) I have noticed the decline in answering the phone at businesses and it irritates me.
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Rhondito
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Post by Rhondito on Nov 16, 2019 14:47:52 GMT
welcome to the age of cutbacks! never enough staff to deal with clients on site & still answer the phones - story of my job for sure. they need a better way of offering that service Yep, and I worked for Williams-Sonoma for a few years. Stores reporting issues like this to corporate fall on deaf ears. They give you X amount of hours to use and expect you to make it work, which adds up to not enough staff working to take care of all the store's needs.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Nov 16, 2019 18:13:52 GMT
Yeah, that's annoying. Shouldn't have suggested it as an option if they were going to be too busy to actually provide the service. Exactly this. Why even offer it if you know no one is going to answer the phone or be able to quickly bring the packages out? |
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sueg
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Post by sueg on Nov 16, 2019 18:18:07 GMT
There's a school of thought that store employees should give priority to customers standing in front of them and not make them wait through interruptions with phone calls. I think there is a difference between random people calling in to ask whether something is in stock, and someone calling who was told by the staff to call them for pick-up of an item they just bought in store. I know there is no way of them knowing - perhaps a second phone line for the curbside delivery would help. |
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Deleted
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Oct 6, 2024 17:27:00 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2019 18:38:40 GMT
The in-store customer is always the most important.
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QueenoftheSloths
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Post by QueenoftheSloths on Nov 16, 2019 19:06:04 GMT
I would have been annoyed too. Not to the point of contacting corporate to complain, but if they emailed me a survey about my experience, I would definitely mention it.
I would also understand that there is no way the employees could have known what time I was going to arrive for my purchases, or the level of business in the store at that time. If I were the customer in the store asking a question, I wouldn't be very happy to have the employee walk away from me to answer the phone, or to carry out an order.
It does all come down to stores cutting back on staffing to save money.
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Post by Clair on Nov 16, 2019 19:56:16 GMT
Thanks for all of your opinions.
I do think someone should have answered the phone with something like - we are assisting another customer, please hold.
I was an in store customer that had an order that was too heavy to be carried out. I called the number I was told to call and that was printed on my claim check.
To add insult to injury - I just opened one of my pots and there is a chip in the enamel. I need to head back. I was going to order on line but I wanted to use one of the pots this weekend.
Not that it should make a difference in the customer service but it was a large order for items that are pretty much standard prices at all stores. Customer service is what should have set them apart. The person who helped me in store was great. It was just the attitude of the person who ran the items out.
i,did,receive an on line survey that mentioned the employee who did the sale. I gave her a great review but in the comments mentioned what had happened at pickup.
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Post by Clair on Nov 16, 2019 19:59:10 GMT
The in-store customer is always the most important. I was an in store customer. It was too much to carry out. Since I had already paid - was I no longer important? |
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kelly8875
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Post by kelly8875 on Nov 16, 2019 20:36:00 GMT
The in-store customer is always the most important. I was an in store customer. It was too much to carry out. Since I had already paid - was I no longer important? You were not IN STORE when you were calling. They didn’t know who was calling. Were they supposed to not help anyone until you called back I ? You said it was 15 minutes at least. How did they know it wouldn’t be longer? As for security, just simply tell them you’re waiting for a delivery. They can call and verify if needed. This wouldn’t have irritated me really, because you didn’t have to carry the heavy stuff out. |
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Post by Clair on Nov 16, 2019 21:16:38 GMT
I was an in store customer. It was too much to carry out. Since I had already paid - was I no longer important? You were not IN STORE when you were calling. They didn’t know who was calling. Were they supposed to not help anyone until you called back I ? You said it was 15 minutes at least. How did they know it wouldn’t be longer? As for security, just simply tell them you’re waiting for a delivery. They can call and verify if needed. This wouldn’t have irritated me really, because you didn’t have to carry the heavy stuff out. Wow. I didn’t expect to be first nor expected them not to help anyone else. I expected a response on their phone. There was no answer whatsoever. The first call, I let the phone rang 60 times (I’m a counter). As I said prior - if they would have answered and said to hold because they were helping someone else it would have been fine. I called on the number they said and that was also printed on the claim check. If they didn’t answer - I had no way of letting them know I was there. I would have had to park a distance away walk back in tell them I was there, walk back to my car and drive back. How would you expect security to call the store and verify that I was waiting for a package if the store didn’t answer the phone. I was stopped in a lane of traffic - as I was told to do. Picking up purchases is commonplace for Williams Sonoma. |
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Post by lisae on Nov 16, 2019 21:45:44 GMT
Yes, I would have been bothered by the poor service. If they can't respond to calls in mid-November, how will they manage Black Friday through Christmas? I'd call the store manager on Monday or their corporate office.
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Post by Scrapper100 on Nov 17, 2019 0:26:51 GMT
I would have been peeved since they suggested it. I understand being busy but to not answer the phone at all and leave you just sitting there not acceptable at all. It’s early in the season so this doesn’t bode well for them. After all you didn’t ask for this but they suggested it. It’s a service they do all the time I would not have been amused.
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Post by mustlovecats on Nov 17, 2019 0:40:22 GMT
I worked at Williams Sonoma for a few years when I was a new teacher and needed extra money!
It was Saturday which is usually the busiest day... right before thanksgiving... probably a very busy day and my guess is they just had kind of a rush and it was bad timing more than bad customer service. If there are a bunch of people on the floor needing help and a long line at the registers the phone may go unanswered - it happens. It’s okay to let them know you had a problem. Call the store manager or ask for the district manager’s email, but I think it was an unfortunate moment more than a snub of you personally. I bet the employee was the stock room person and they were probably running like crazy all day pulling items from stock. It doesn’t represent the best of the brand for sure but I just have a lot of sympathy for them this time of year. Thanksgiving is a huge holiday for them and the traffic in store this weekend is unpredictable.
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rickmer
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Post by rickmer on Nov 17, 2019 1:31:15 GMT
i am mildly annoyed by numerous things in any given week. yah, probably would have made me cranky at the time... but not enough to do anything about it (other than to complain to whomever i was chatting to that evening). but quickly, some other goof on the road or ineffective person on the phone would have made me forget about it rather quickly.  |
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Post by hjs on Nov 17, 2019 2:55:08 GMT
Lol. I had exactly the same experience at Williams Sonoma. Only just bought 1 item , a microwave. I ended up moving my car about 1/2 block away and went back into the store. The employee brought the item to my car.
I was annoyed that the employee told me to park in front and phone and yet no one answered the phone 3 minutes later !! But I got over it once the microwave was in my car. Next time I would just insist they take it to where my car was parked. ( which I actually did when I purchased another large item a few days later )
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Post by littlemama on Nov 17, 2019 6:20:37 GMT
Nope. Stores are crazy busy right now. I might have been irritated, but I would have understood
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Post by drummergirl65 on Nov 17, 2019 6:43:16 GMT
Not a blip on my radar. I'll save my irritations for bigger stuff
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