This was my very first buying experience at Gray's.
It's Mother's Day so naturally I'm looking for hanging baskets for my wife. Costco was sold out and Gray's is located near my office.
They have a tremendous selection -- enormous really. I found the basket I wanted -- right away as there are many haning on the fences.
When the cashier told me I couldn't buy that particular basket -- at first -- I thought she was kidding me as no one in a retail environment has EVER said that to me before. Like anyone else, I wanted to know why I couldn't buy that basket... I could tell she didn't want to respond directly. Her answers were vague -- I pressed her until she she told me "You can't have any of those plants because we treat them with a special fertilizer. And we need them for the front of the business." I even asked if they would be for sale come the following Monday (after Mother's Day wekeend). "No" she responded again.
She tried to help me by walking me through the place. Hanging baskets were literally everywhere -- perhaps 100's.
Unfortunately, NONE looked as good as the forbidden baskets hanging out front.
Perplexed, I searched in vane. Too plain. Only 2 colors of plants.. (I prefer three colors) Wrong color here too much pink there. I was begining to get frustrated. I asked if they do custom baskets. "No" again.
Then, as my color and search standards began to lower, I saw some potential candidates. BUT WAIT! What if these are also "too nice to sell?" I thought to myself. (confusion sets in) I asked of there were any more "can't buy these" plants in the area and, if so, to please point them out. My frustration level was increasing.
I can buy any of the baskets that are not on the fence was the answer.
I finally settled.
I was not particularly happy with the first time Gray's experience. I consider myself a "good consumer," none-the-less and deemed it important to tell the cashier that she ought to pass a message to the owner about posting a message outside so that other would-be customers could avoid the frustration.
I also said that I thought it a poor policy to have better looking plants for yourself than what you'll sell.
Imagine the following experience:
You go to a car lot to buy a car and see a beauty -- you ask to buy it -- and are told NO. In disbelief you naturally ask "Why not?"
"Because we take better care of these cars (over there) than we do the cars that you can buy (over here)."
Because there are no posted signs about what you cannot buy, That's the same message Gray's sends to its unsuspecting consumers.
Am I the only one that thinks this practice absurd? Why don't they spruce up all the plants? Increase the price-- I don't care...
Oh and incidently... you can buy the fertilizer that they use for the nicer plants.. Whcih is, no doubt, a successful sales strategy aimed at increasing profits.
Nice set up. I'm not impressed.
Would I return? Good question. Only time will tell.
Was the staff friendly? Yes..
Did I get a good value? Fair value.
What will I rememember about Gray's? The crappy buying experience, poor sales practices, snobish clientelle, and the phrase "NO you can't buy that (because we take better care of our own plants than the plants we sell -- see for yourself)." read more