Capital Quilts, Gaithersburg, MD
by Leslie
(Silver Spring)
The store that works hard to make new customers cry.
This all started after I'd seen online that my sewing machine had a new model out. The last time a new model came out, customers were able to get an upgrade for their machine that included the new stitches, etc. I'd bought my machine on ebay, so I called the local dealer "Capital Quilts" during the week and asked if I could get the upgrade, and if I could come in over the weekend to do it.
The woman on the phone said yes, that the upgrade was either free or in the range of $150 (she couldn't remember upgrade vs. update prices), and that if I brought it in Saturday and left for a couple of hours I could probably pick it back up that same day.
I noticed from their website that they also offered quilting classes, so I was looking forward to my trip to the store. Thought I'd buy some fabric while I was there, sign up for a class, purchase some presser feet for the machine, etc.
When I go in, however, the owner is downright hostile to me. At first, he just seemed mildly annoyed at my stupidity for thinking I could get the machine upgraded, which apparently you can't this time, but he was courteous and showed me what the new feature was and why it probably wasn't really worth the money.
But then, when he found out that I'd bought my machine online, he treated me to a lecture/guilt trip about how people like me were driving him out of business, slowly but surely, and he'd eventually have to shut down his store because of Internet shoppers.
When I said I bought it used off of ebay I was told that didn't make a difference to him, it still meant people weren't buying from him and he was going to lose his business.
He then said he didn't know what if any obligation he had to me for updates to my machine, since I wasn't his customer. I did point out that I was a potential customer (which made me feel like I was begging to let him have my business), which seemed to set a lightbulb off in his head because he was slightly less snarky after that.
He kept saying we'd have to "negotiate" a price while looking at me in some weird "I know you're expecting a free ride, you cheapskate ebay shopper" kind of way that was incredibly insulting. I mean, I walked in expecting to give him $150 for the upgrade alone, and I'm being treated with hostility! After I said, "Of course I expect to pay" the snarkiness dropped a little more, but then went up again after the following: He said if I left the machine he might be able to get to it in a few days.
I told him what the person on the phone told me -- that he might be able to do it quickly that day. He told me Saturday was the busiest day of the week, in a very snarky "why are you so stupid and selfish to bring your machine in on a Saturday" kind of tone.
Actually, originally he told me to take the machine home and then come back and drop it off on a weekday (they're open 10-6) -- meaning I'm supposed to take off of work to bring you my sewing machine, even though I have it in my hands right now??
Then he said, "As you can see, I'M heading out now." I really wish I could convey his tone -- the whole "Are you a complete idiot? Can't you see I'm wearing my COAT? Don't you know I've got more important things to do that help YOU?" way he said everything.
Anyway, it was awful. I took my machine with me and bought nothing, nor do I ever intend to buy anything from him. On the drive back home I kept replaying it over again in my head and, of course, replaying what I SHOULD and WOULD have said to him if he wasn't in his 60s, which would have made me feel like I was talking back to a grandparent or something.
I am ashamed to admit it, but I actually ended up crying a bit in the car and on my husband's shoulder when I got home.
So, what I'd like customer service representatives to realize is:
1) when ANYONE walks in the door, they are a POTENTIAL customer, and you should treat them as such. Just because I shopped at Giant before doesn't mean I won't switch to Safeway if I walk in and have a great experience.
2) Don't look at the Internet as just some evil competitor. I FOUND his store ON the Internet, otherwise I would never have known it was there.
And there's no reason he can't sell his used machines and other items via an ebay store like many other retailers do.
The fact that you are unwilling to change your business practices does not mean that other people are evil for doing so. That's what a capitalist economy is all about -- fair competition. People who offer better prices and/or service have a fair advantage.
Which brings me to 3) the ONE thing every retail store should easily be able to do better than an online retailer -- customer service. I guarantee you that if I had felt welcome in that store, it would have been the start of a good relationship. I would have bought fabric, machine accessories, and other items THAT DAY. I would have signed up for a class. The next time I wanted a machine, if the relationship had grown over time, I probably would have felt guilty buying from anyone BUT him.
But if you can't treat new customers with anything but hostility, your business IS going to fail, and it's NOT going to be because of the Internet.
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