Customer No Service!

Strong convictions precede great actions. - Louisa May Alcott
Long post but I have some venting to do!!!

Remember my gift from Santa? I have been doing quite a bit of research. Reading, asking questions, snooping around. I'm a get around kind of girl. I'm NOT the person that buys the first thing I see. I have to overthink everything. Sometimes this is a good thing and sometimes this is a problem. I am seaking help for this issue.

In the case of sewing machines I am fortunate that I see, hear and touch a lot of different machines, I'm exposed to so many machines and quilters. I have been studying machines for a long time. A VERY LONG TIME. Also, I will tell you that the most asked questions when I'm out on the road teaching are, "What kind of machine do you sew on?" and "If you were going to buy a machine today, what would you buy?" My standard answer to the second question is "Buy the best you can afford to buy!" I say the same thing regarding fabric and notions etc. etc. How is that for a non answer? but I'm quite serious here. That statement alone is a worthy future blog post subject.

I digress, I will not mention brand or store in the next part of my story boys and girls, but there is a story here. The story is about the selling of a machine and customer service.

I went to one store to look at a particular machine, I knew what I wanted to look at and had my questions ready! I was greeted and given tons of information regarding the machines I was looking at and was interested in comparing. I was not rushed and the store was busy with lots of customers, my questions were answered and I was given a fantastic brochure with tons of information and comparison charts on the other machines within the line of machines I was inquiring about. I was also given verbal comparisions on the other machines they sell at the store. I told them I was looking at competitors and the sales person cheerfully said that she thought that was terrific. She spent no time bashing any of the competitors.

Next store (different day, I can only take in so much you know..I have to go home, I don't love to shop and I needed to go sew something or I was going to get grumpy!). I walked into the store and was the only person in the store. One lady was behind the cash register and one was dusting. The machine I was interested in was not there I was told it was a floor model and was sold. I asked if they had another and was told there was one in the back and that she would get it and set it up. She did that set it up...but did not thread it, turn it on, or offer to tell me anything about the machine. She walked away and went back to dusting.  I guessed all I was going to get was a look at the thing (which I have seen about a zillion times). I asked about cost, I asked her to quote me her best price. She gave me what I thought was a price that was a bit high (based on research) and told me that the machine I was looking at was their last machine and that the price she was quoting would go up if I did not purchase THAT MACHINE. I told her that I had a friend that bought the same machine and paidxxxxx$.  She wanted to know her name and WALKED to the computer to look her up...I promptly said "No I will not give you her name, we are just talking about what you can offer me," (seriously lady, you want me to tell you my friends name and you look it up!).   Ok, then she offered to throw in an extension table! Then she walked  away, back to her dusting. I took the BOLD move of asking her to show me some stitches. After some huffing and puffing and finding a spool of thread she asked me what I wanted to see.....holey cow! She stitched only what I asked for and made ZERO attempt to sell me on ANYTHING or any of the features of the machine. She never asked if I wanted to stitch a single stitch. She kept jumping up and walking away. Did I mention that I was the only person in the store???? Also, at some point in time I told her that I was just shopping around and looking at different machines I did not tell her what I was looking at. She began bashing the other major brand competitor to her machine.

This situation went on and on I kept trying to be cheerful and pleasant, up beat as possible! At one point in time I aplogized for taking her away from her work (dusting). I asked for a brochure. After some searching on the part of her coworker and the said emplyee I was told there were zero to be had,  but I could look it up on the website. Did I mention that I had done my reasearch and already looked it up??? Call me old fashion but sometimes I would like a piece of paper I can put in my hand! take notes, etc.

OH, I asked her about service etc. I was told that they only service machines that are bought from their store.huh? Is this a good business practice? I bet the sewing machine company expects their affiliates to service any of their machines. Possibly they have to be careful because people bring in junk and stuff from the internet. She gets a pass on this one I guess.

The moral of the story children. This business and the company they represent, have lost my business. It is quite possible I may be cutting my nose off here but I'm so discussed by this experience I don't think I can bring myself to lay down my economic $$$'s on this product. There is another dealership in the Atlanta area but they are across the city from where I live. This is not a big issue (yes a very big city)  but I'm still not real happy here. BTW I'm not downloading the brochure either, I won't waste my paper or ink. 

Here is another item. I have not mentioned the brand or the cost of the machine or if these machines I'm looking at are top of the line or base models. IT DOESN'T MATTER. This issue is about the treatment and selling of a product and all about customer feel and the shopping experience. nuff said, I will get off my soap box now.

No photos because then you would know the brand and models I'm looking at. I wanted this blog to be about my experience and the selling of a product and customer service! 

Thanks for letting me vent I feel so much better now. 

   Here is a pretty quilt for you to look at. Let's be joyful!