Monday my mission was to get a range hood for the new house. I need white and I needed 30″. I went to a local town where three different places that sell appliances. I thought the odds were good that one store would have one. I do like to shop local when I can but sometimes it’s difficult and honestly sometimes not worth the hassle.
I stopped at the first place. All workers were on their cell phones. When someone did come to help I told the guy what I needed. White-in stock-30″. He was rude and not helpful but assured me that yes they had what I needed. I bought it…or at least I thought I did. I wrote the check and paid and then oops. They don’t have it in stock. They could have one there by Wednesday. They have other stores and one of the other stores had one in stock. I could come back Wednesday. I wanted it today. I didn’t want to drive a half hour back to pick it up.
The second store I stopped at I walked in and said I need at exhaust fan for my stove-white-in stock-30″. I was told that they were call range hoods…not exhaust fans and no they didn’t have one.
The third store I stopped at I walked in and said I need at exhaust fan for my stove-white-in stock-30″. The don’t have them in stock but their other store has them and they could have it there on Wednesday.
I stopped at another shop I walked in and said I need at exhaust fan for my stove-white-in stock-30″. They were happy to write up a ticket for me for a stainless steel one. I need white. SORRY. Again they could order it and I could drive back and pick it up on Wednesday.
I called a fifth store. It was an appliance store in the opposite direction. I said I need at exhaust fan for my stove-white-in stock-30″. After waiting on the phone and wondering if I had been disconnected I was again told that they could order it and I could drive over and pick it up on Wednesday.
I get completely frustrated with local stores that don’t have what I need but then suggest that they can order it for me and I can drive back and pick it up….Don’t they know that I can order it for myself and get it delivered to our door-typically with free shipping and I won’t have to drive to get it?? I want to shop local. I tried five stores….I ended up on Amazon and ordered it and you guessed it! They will deliver it to my door on Wednesday and I don’t have to go pick it up. I have had this experience more than once. After a customer hears this same line again and again, how long does it take until the customer simply gives up on the store and just orders for themselves?
In my world, my time is precious…my money is precious. I spend $6 in gas to drive to town. I wasted two hours of my life. I was left feeling frustrated. For me, experiences like this make me wonder how long small businesses will be able to stay open.
I know, it’s so frustrating. I try to shop locally, too, to keep those stores open. Customer service is almost a thing of the past, isn’t it? And the clerks on their cell phones–I just want to give them a piece of my mind.
Our local quilt shop is really the only shop with wonderful employees.
Tonight we went to a new restaurant in our small town. Stood inside ten min. and no one appeared. The door had a bell on it. We left and I doubt if we will go back. The owners will wonder what they did wrong!!
I know your frustration and that’s why if do a lot of shopping online. It’s usually cheaper, there’s more variety and it gets delivered to my door. Now days a lot of online places also have free returns if you are not happy with your item. Can’t beat that.
We’ve been shopping around for a new roof on our house. We would like to buy at the local lumber yard, their prices are in line with other places, but guess what? We can’t get anyone local who wants to do the work!!! Small jobs like roofing a small house just aren’t their cup of tea. So we will probably end up going with an out-of-town roofing co. who won’t buy materials locally.
You get an A for effort.
I have learned to call first to see if a store has what I want. Not only do I ask if they have the item, but I also asked that while I wait on the phone that they go and physically bring the item back to the register so that when I get there I won’t have to run all over the store. That also insures that they really have it! Most of the time that works.
We live in a fairly large town-Albuquerque. However, more than once we will go to the local stores only to find they DON’T have what we want. We get on Amazon, they have, and they ship it direct to our door. Not sure why local stores don’t carry stuff. Even food items that are popular will suddenly be discontinued. This has happened more than once at Trader Joe’s. Companies need to start catering to their customers or pretty soon, we all will do all our shopping online-which I do a great deal of as it is.
I feel your pain, but also understand that small stores cannot stock everything. They just can’t afford to have a large inventory that may or may not sell. A double-edged sword for both you and the business. We just have to do the best we can to keep our local stores in business, and get the items we need!
Hey, did you ever think the stores do exactly what you did and order it from AMAZON? LOL Hang in and breathe.
We have the same trouble here in Oregon. Nobody carries anything we need anymore. Case in point. Shop at local employee owned grocery store. Switch coffee because they don’t carry hubby’s brand/taste/ (re: decaf). Give up asking after 4 years. They quit carrying our new choice after 2 months. We give up. Have to go to big box store to get it and might as well pick up a few other things while there. Cheaper than local store I might add. Arghhh!!
I agree, I try to buy local….. but sometimes it’s just not cost affective. I just bought a yrs supply of DENTAL FLOSS!!! bc I can’t find the type I want at any of teh stores I go to!