If you'd asked me 2 weeks ago about this store, I'd be writing a much more favorable review. After my experience last week, two stars is about as generous as I'm going to be able to muster.
I've been visiting this store off and on for about 10 years. For the greater Lancaster area, the variety of fabrics is impressive, but I will echo another reviewer in that you pay for that variety - to the tune of $1-2 per yard more than competitors 20-30 minutes away. Since I normally visit 8-10 fabric shops on any given trip, I generally pace my spending, but have always managed to spend a lot of money here.
To better illustrate my most recent experience, I'm going to copy/paste from the email I sent to the Owner after this last trip. So far, I haven't received any acknowledgement from the Manager/Owner.
May 4, 2015
Hello,
This message is actually intended for the Owner or Manager of your store as I need to make him or her aware of a customer service issue from my most recent visit last Wednesday, April 29th.
I make the trek from Virginia to the Lancaster area 1-2 times per year for fabric-buying excursions. I've made Burkholder's my first stop for the last couple of years because I've always been amazed by the variety. With the TravelHost coupon I pick up at the PA Welcome Center or my guild discount, it brings your price point down to a competitive level for the region. I always bring friends with me, and we spend sizable amounts of money.
Last Wednesday, as we were stuck in traffic on Rt. 30 trying to get to you, we had time to look up the discount tab on your website. We were excited that the "Linda's Birthday Sale" was still going on - we'd thought we'd missed it based on the timing of our trip. We had still picked up the TravelHost coupon flyer, because there are other places on there we planned to visit as well, and two of us had guild cards at the ready - just in case.
When the cashier rang my order up, I held my smartphone up to her and said "What do you need to see? I have the website discount page pulled up. We were so excited to see that the 25% sale was still going on." (We had even talked about the birthday sale as she was cutting out my fabric). She proceeded to tell me that she only needed to see my email, so I pulled that up for her after closing the web link.
I thought my total seemed a little higher than I was expecting, but I had no reason to doubt the cashier's competence at that point. I only discovered it when we got back to our rental house that evening, and our entire party was missing the 25% off piece on their receipts.
I called the next morning, hoping to rectify the situation, thinking that it should not be a problem since your check-out process is computerized. I had my receipt and the invoice number ready. The first lady who answered the phone was polite, but after a brief run-down of the issue, passed me off to a woman who identified herself only as, "I'm the one who checked you out." According to her, the 25% off sale was online-only, and there was nothing she could do. When I asked why she didn't share that information while we were SPECIFICALLY talking about it in the store, her response was - and I quote - "It's not our fault you can't read and understand what's on sale."
I then told her that the website did NOT say online-only, but had that been the case, I had a TravelHost coupon or a guild card. I would NOT travel that far out of my way to come away with no discount. She again reiterated that, "It's not our fault, and all sales are final." I told her I found her to be unbelievable in the way she was speaking to me, and I hung up as she launched into Round #3 of, "It's not our fault."
I had no reason to believe the 25% wouldn't apply to in-store purchases. In what universe do online customers get better discounts than the people who take their time to make a physical presence in your brick-and-mortar storefront? That Code "Party" could have just as easily been entered into your computerized check-out system and applied to any in-store sale.
I am not looking for my $30+ back at this point. I'll chalk it up as an expensive lesson, and I'll spend my time and resources elsewhere. What I would like is to know that you as a Manager or Owner do not endorse this behavior in any way. That Associate is a detriment to your business. As I'm sure you know, quilting is a luxury hobby - not a necessity. People who have the discretionary income to shop in your store will not tolerate being condescended to in such a manner. Unfortunately, what I discovered on Yelp and TripAdvisor reviews after I got home was that mine was not an isolated incident. This is a pattern.
If you're interested enough to see my invoice, the # is AP156581. I'm also attaching a screenshot of the discount link that was active at the time of our visit.
Thank you for your time. read more
