This review is long overdue, but what I experienced with Mueller's Furniture--the owner,…read moremanagement, and sales associates--was unacceptable, unprofessional, and manipulative in their effort to make a sale.
My experience began while working with Kimberly. We met in person at least three times over several weeks while I was shopping for a dining table. During each visit I clearly explained that I needed a table that could seat 10 people. I planned to purchase 8 matching chairs and use 2 additional chairs I already owned when we had larger family gatherings. When we finalized the purchase, I spent $9,584.07 on the table and chairs.
When the table was delivered, we had not yet hosted a large gathering, so we had not used the butterfly leaf extension. During our first large family gathering, we installed the butterfly leaf to expand the table and quickly discovered the table could not even fit the 8 chairs purchased with it, let alone the additional two chairs we intended to use. In fact, the table they sold me realistically only fits 6 chairs, which means it never could have met the requirement I clearly communicated multiple times that I needed seating for 10 people.
After the event, I went back to Mueller's and spoke with a manager. They sent a technician to my home to see if the table legs could be widened to allow the chairs to fit. When the technician arrived, he did not even know why he had been sent. After I explained the situation, he immediately said it would not be possible to widen the table legs and did not even need to inspect the table to confirm that. At that point, it felt like management was simply trying to dismiss the issue rather than address the problem they created.
After waiting several weeks without any follow-up from the company, I returned to Mueller's again and spoke with Viviana Mueller. She contacted the table manufacturer, Hermes, and told me the only option would be to replace the tabletop for an additional $2,000, while reusing the original legs. She also said we could keep the old tabletop. When I asked what I should do with it, she casually said I could "just throw it away." Considering how expensive the table was, that response was both shocking and wasteful.
As we reviewed the dimensions of the replacement tabletop, I quickly realized it still would not seat 10 people. At that point it became clear that they were trying to sell me yet another product that would not meet the needs I clearly communicated from the beginning. Instead of acknowledging the mistake, they were attempting to make another sale.
I later wrote a letter to CEO Mark Mueller explaining my experience. He called me and stated that their company policy says returns or refunds after delivery are "at the discretion of management." He then told me that his decision was not to work with me, provide a refund, or offer any credit.
Throughout this entire process I felt dismissed and ignored after the sale was completed, despite the fact that the issue resulted from their salesperson selling me a table that did not meet the requirements I repeatedly communicated. Based on my experience, this felt very similar to a bait-and-switch style sales tactic.
Mueller's often highlights their history and their roots with "Honest John" Mueller and their commitment to community values. Unfortunately, my experience reflected the opposite. Once the sale was made, there was no accountability or effort to correct the situation.
Based on my experience, I would strongly encourage others to carefully consider shopping elsewhere when purchasing furniture.