I went to Fredericks today at the recommendation of LG, as it was listed as a nearby dealer for their products. I'm in the process of building a new construction home and needed 4 fridges: a full-height primary fridge for our kitchen, a full-height wine cooler, and two under-cabinet fridges for an office and espresso bar. I was also in need of a dishwasher and an outdoor grill.
The store is located in a great part of town and easily accessible. Upon arrival, we were greeted warmly by one of the sales representatives and asked how he could help. I mentioned the new construction home and our need for a full-height primary fridge for our kitchen. Throughout the course of our short conversation, our other needs did not come up (the other 5 items we were looking for).
Not knowing much about fridges, we had provided an initial size of 70" to our developer (not knowing anything else), those dimensions could have been changed to support one of the larger fridges if necessary. However, our salesperson didn't try to get to know us or our project, and he didn't inquire whether adjusting the dimensions would be possible at the stage of construction we were in. I'm not a fridge expert, that's why I'm here, to learn from one. We were willing to make adjustments if needed. I'm looking for a quality product, and being new to this, I was using LG as a starting point as we have their washing machines currently.
Although, as soon as I provided our height requirements, you could see the salesperson's interest fade from his expression.
He took us to the back of the store and showed us three fridges that would fit within our available space. We asked a few questions to understand the differences between the models and their features. However, the sales representative showed very little interest in us as customers and displayed hardly any knowledge or expertise in his field. We had done some research through consumer reports but were looking to get a better understanding of what was available. When we inquired about features to keep fruits and vegetables fresher longer, he said all the fridges were about the same and mentioned something about crisper drawers. Knowing that some fridges offer features like multiple compressors, linear compressors, specialty air circulation, and air filters, I was disappointed with his response.
He only showed us three fridges and seemed eager to move on. When we returned to the front of the store to inquire about other brands and features, we found him sitting at his computer and he again showed no desire to help us.
We left and found another company sitting in the parking lot, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen, and Lighting Gallery in Bellevue. Their showroom experience was completely different. We were shown to a sales representative who sat down with us, and discussed all of our appliance needs, and showed us several fridge brands and models, including Miele appliances and outdoor grills. While not purchasing an oven through them, they inquired about the brand so that they could show us fridges and dishwashers that would match.
It might have been an off day for the sales representative (everyone has them), but we felt completely disregarded as customers. read more