I can't think of a worse business that I've ever had the misfortune of trying to work with. I needed a pool heater replaced and I started in all chipper and ready to buy.
So I called the Leslie's store and they put me on hold for 15 minutes (not a problem, I can wait), but then they come back to the phone and say they just don't have time for me. Come in and see what they have. Well, I know what they have, what I don't know is how to get it installed.
So I go online to order from the website and they have a $99 installation special. I'm thinking, "how lucky is this?" So now I try to find someone to order from, but either no one answers, the person answering can't really help (you have to order it, then we'll see what we can do), but we don't know if we have it... Well, what's reported on the site is not in stock apparently.
So I call a customer support line which tranfers me to a rep in Phoenix (headquarters). I tell him I want to buy a pool heater and he proceeds to tell me they have to get a guy out there to look at it which will cost $100, but some would be applied to installation. No problem. I get it set up. A guy comes out and gives me a bid for service. Great! When can I get you to install it. He doesn't know because I have to buy the heater then give Leslie's a call to have them set up an install.
OK, fine. He leaves, I call Leslies, and they don't have a heater that they can ship to me within 2 weeks and have no idea who the guy was that came out. So I'm looking at buying a heater, with no idea if it will work, and Leslie's has no idea who came out so I can check with him (since he is the ONLY one that would know). After first basically being told not to call them, to two weeks of non-stop back and forth with no one knowing what the other person is doing, and absolutely no success in anything but paying someone $100 to come out and look at my heater, I went with Pool Supply Unlimited, who immediately took my call, went over my system and sold me a heater.
Now I'm just finding someone myself to install. Unless you have no other option, I would steer clear of this procedural mess. Managers not wanting to help, employees pushing you away (over the phone or in-store), they are so "over" the customer that they leave a horrible impression of the entire organization. Corporate, local stores, affiliates, no one, and I mean no one could tell you what the other hand is doing. The most frustrating experience of any company I've ever dealt with. It's a hot mess, and you'd be so much less stressed just to stay away from the store, and give their employees some much needed alone time so they don't have to deal with any of us bothersome customers. read more