In the middle of a major renovation to my apartment. A good friend suggested I check out Fiddler's for knobs and possible plumbing fixtures. I did tons of research online and I knew I could probably get everything cheaper ordering from the mainland, but I'm a firm believer of supporting local businesses whenever possible...even if it meant paying a little more. Plus I felt it might be easier to return if I had a change of heart on my selection.
From the outside, Fiddler's looked like a small, dated, dusty mom and pop store. I walked in to find the INSIDE exactly what I thought from the OUTSIDE. The fixtures were dusty and unpolished. The decor was very dated and the layout was a mish-mosh of brands, styles, and finishes from different designers. Keep in mind that these finish-products are pricey. I thought, such a disorganized and unwelcoming way to display your nice products...but, what the hell.
The first person who approached me was a young lady who looked like she was in the middle of her lunch. I just asked for bathroom accessories and she pointed me in the direction. Cool. The second person who approached me was an older Asian lady. She was curt and almost condescending in her answer to my questions. Horrible! She was so unhelpful that I just ignored her after a minute of interaction and strolled around the rest of the store, being careful not to bump into any dusty, rusty displays.
My final thought...local is NOT always better. Went the Fiddler's on a recommendation and will NOT be suggesting this joke of a place to any of my friends. Left the shop without buying anything. Went home to order everything through amazon.com, efaucets.com, and Fergussons (Expensive, but at least the customer service was stellar!).
Sidenote: Asked other friends doing major renovations if they heard of Fiddler's, and they had similar stories to mine. Lol...How on earth are they still in business? read more