After a long day, I write my tale of woe:
We started going to IRG months ago when we started planning an entire home remodel.
I went many times and spent hours wandering alone through the warehouse with a clipboard, waiting hours for a sales person to make time for me. I needed basic questions answered, like how much the different stones cost. You can't get this information without talking to a sales person. We need a few different stones. One of which is very unique, the others more regular.
About 4 weeks ago, our contractor told us we need to finalize our decisions. I went back to IRG. I work, so I usually go in on Saturday. I waited a long time and finally got the attention of one of the sales persons, Alexis. I had come to know her as the most knowledgeable. I looked through the specific stone I wanted. This type of stone is very unique and varies slab by slab. It is also expensive. I chose a slab and Alexis put a hold on it for me. She did warn me that that particular slab might be sold. She said she would call me if it was. No one called.
Next week, I took off of work, thinking that I would quickly buy my special slab and choose the other regular marbles and close the deal. I saw that my hold tag was gone. I was told that the stone was sold. Alexis reminded me that she had said it might be. (Yes, but she also said she would call me if it was...But, I thought, ok, I was warned. I was disappointed, but...) Alexis was busy with another customer, so I worked with Jeremy. With Jeremy, I looked at other slabs. The remaining slabs were not the best dimension for my long counter. So, I put two slabs on hold and needed to check with the fabricator and contractor to see if these dimensions will work. Jeremy assured me that he would call me if there was any problem. He knew that I had already had a slab sold without notice so I thought that I could rely on his assurances that he would call me. He also said they would call me before releasing the hold to another person. (Surely they wouldn't sell a slab out from under me twice; and without a call twice.)
I didn't receive a call. I went back about 10 days later. I didn't see my holds or slabs. I thought they might have moved them. I spoke with Jeremy about the slabs, and we went and looked at the stones. My holds were gone and so were my slabs. I asked why he didn't call. He said "Oh, we don't call people any more." He became quite squirrelly and said he needed to work with another customer. So, I worked with Courtney. Courtney and I then started going through these. There were lots of holds and some that were "sold". I saw a stone that might work; I noticed that the hold on it had expired a few days earlier. I asked to put it on hold. Courtney said, No. She said, we NEVER release a hold, even an expired hold, unless we speak with the customer before. (????!!!!) I told her what happened to me and what Jeremy said ("We don't call"). She said, sorry.
So, today I called and asked to speak with the owner Ameeta. I started the call by saying, I thought you might want to hear what has happened to me. I told Ameeta my story. She said she would call me back. (She didn't take my number.)
Interestingly, she called me back (she must have had my number). When she called back she said, IRG doesn't spend time calling people back because that is not productive. She said, if I want a stone, I need to come in and buy it the same day. She said, that if I wait a month to come back that the hold will not be in place. (I answered, I didn't wait a month; it was a week on the first, and then 10 days on the second.) She said I should have called and checked on the slabs. (??? your employees assured me that they would call me). She blamed me because I did not call. (Am I supposed to nag the employees? Jeremy assured me that I would have time to check with my contractor and fabricator. They said they would call if there was an issue.)
IRG's owner blamed me when IRG sold these very unique slabs sold out from under me. I thought the owner would at least say something like, this is not supposed to happen. I thought she would take responsibility. She did not. She did offer that she released a hold on one of the stones so if I want to come in, I can buy it today. (I wonder if she checked with that customer.)
Anyhow.
I like to work with businesses that deal fairly with people. I expect a business to follow through on what they say, and admit it if they drop the ball. I don't deal with a business expects me to drop everything on a work day to rush to their store to pay thousands of dollars, when they have already double sold multiple stones on me.
It fatigues me that IRG wasted so much of my time. IRG has set me back on our project for weeks. It fatigues me to start over on a time consuming search for an appropriate stone and dealer. But that is what I will have to do. Very disappointing.
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