I was visiting Dallas & drove about 30 min from my hotel to check this place out. I needed some…read morePalo Santo, & while there were a few other places that sold it (that were much closer to where I was staying), I specifically wanted to support a Black-owned business, so I made the trip out here.
The visit started off pleasant enough. I found quite a few useful things in here, plus 2 pairs of waist beads (they have a great selection of them here!).
While I was shopping, 2 women came in after me who also wanted to get waist beads applied. They were each getting multiple strands applied, which I was not aware of until after they left.
I kept shopping until I ran out of things to browse, then pulled out my phone to listen to music & scroll on Instagram while I waited. After 45 min, I was frustrated at the lack of communication about the wait.
I'm empathetic to the fact that there was only one girl working in the shop at the time (I believe her name was Ashley) & I understand she can only work so fast, but it would have been great for her to say, "Hey, just so you know... both of these customers ahead of you are getting multiple strands of waist beads applied, so it'll be about 30-45 minutes or so before I can get to you."
That would have given me the option to leave & come back, get a snack, chill in the car with the AC running, or choose to continue to stand & wait.
The point is, a little communication goes a long way.
I was ready to put my items back & leave when the owner came into the store & thanked me for my patience. I had no idea who she was at first, but appreciated the acknowledgment because it was the most communication I'd received in almost an hour.
When it was finally my turn, I told Ashley where & how I want the beads placed, but she struggled to get the placement right. I'm using waist beads to track my weight loss journey & was very intentional about placement. Even after helping her place them & clarifying the tension I wanted, she still couldn't set them the way I asked. Annoying, but not a big deal. I expect them to fit looser over the next few weeks/months anyway.
When she was done applying my 2nd strand of beads, Ashley asked me if I wanted to keep the excess beads. I asked if she had enough to apply the rest as an ankle bracelet. She confirmed she did, but told me she "doesn't have time" to apply them because a new employee was shadowing her.
The owner was giving the new employee a tour of the store & there were no other customers there when she said this.
I explained that I'd waited 45+ min while she applied multiple strands to the 2 customers ahead of me, & felt insulted because her statement made it seem like my time wasn't as valuable as theirs, because they got every strand applied that they asked for & there was no concern about time for them.
I wasn't asking for a favor or anything extra... only that she use the excess beads I had already paid for & apply them to my ankle similarly to how she applied them to my waist. It was also a perfect opportunity for the new employee to learn how to apply them.
Fortunately, the owner understood that & told Ashley to apply the ankle bracelet, then sent the new employee over to watch. It took 5 min, if that. The new employee learned a skill, & I got my ankle bracelet. A win for everyone in my book.
What was particularly disappointing was the shift in how I was treated after I expressed that I was unhappy with how my time had been, and was being, handled. Instead of simply acknowledging the concern, the interaction became uncomfortable enough that I felt I was being treated as though my concern was the problem, rather than the communication & customer service deficiency.
Afterward, I sat in my car for a few minutes trying to shake off the negative energy & figure out my next activity. The owner came out to check on me & brought me ginger peach tea. I really appreciated the gesture. Unfortunately, it couldn't change how the experience had already made me feel.
It's disappointing that this experience has become the memory associated with my new waist beads. It's especially unfortunate because I bookmarked this business before leaving home for Texas & went out of my way to support it. I intentionally pour as many of my dollars back into my community as I can, but experiences like this make it tough to do so.
