I was exploring downtown Broad St with my partner and decided to stop into a few places we hadn't…read morevisited before. Unfortunately, I walked into this store expecting to browse and learn a little about its history and walked out wondering whether I had accidentally interrupted a private gathering.
Apparently, simply being a customer was enough to be an inconvenience.
The gentleman who is apparently the owner made it abundantly clear from the beginning that our presence was not particularly welcome. His attitude was cold, dismissive, and unnecessarily rude. I have encountered unfriendly employees before, but it takes a special level of indifference for the OWNER of a business to make customers feel like they are personally inconveniencing him by walking through the front door.
The customer service was, to put it generously, nonexistent.
There was no sense of hospitality, no genuine attempt to engage with us, and certainly no indication that we were people who might potentially spend money in the store. Instead, the entire interaction carried the energy of someone being deeply offended that we had interrupted his day by having the audacity to be interested in his business.
Perhaps the expectation is that customers should apologize for coming inside.
The owner's tone was dry, condescending, and dripping with an attitude that made it feel as though he was doing us a tremendous favor by acknowledging that we were there. I've visited countless small businesses, and I genuinely cannot remember another occasion where a business owner managed to make me feel so unwelcome so quickly.
And unfortunately, the treatment of my partner was even worse.
His tone toward them was particularly cold and disrespectful, which made the experience even more uncomfortable. Watching someone who owns a customer-facing business speak to a patron that way was honestly baffling. I'm still trying to understand what exactly we did to warrant that level of hostility beyond, apparently, existing inside the store.
I've also seen the suggestion in a previous review that this behavior is somehow connected to religious reasons. I respect everyone's right to their beliefs, practices, and boundaries. But if your response to customers is consistently rude, dismissive, or demeaning, "religious reasons" does not magically transform poor customer service into good customer service.
Owning a business means interacting with the public. Nobody is asking a store owner to become their best friend or throw them a parade when they walk through the door. A basic greeting, courtesy, and the ability to speak to customers without making them feel like an unwanted interruption would probably suffice.
Instead, I left with the distinct impression that the store would be much happier if customers simply stopped showing up.
Mission accomplished, at least with me.
I'm leaving this review because I genuinely hate seeing small businesses operate this way. I want to support local businesses, and I went in with every intention of having a positive experience. Instead, I was made to feel belittled and unwelcome for absolutely no apparent reason.
There are plenty of businesses where customers are treated with basic dignity and appreciation. I have no reason to choose this one.
If being open to the public is an inconvenience, perhaps the public should be given advance notice.
As for me, I won't be returning. Once was more than enough.
