My name is Matt, and I am an employee of Next To Nature, and am also the employee that CB is referring to in the previous post.
Unfortunately, the review that this former customer wrote completely misrepresents our two brief interactions in the store. I'd like to address her post, and clarify a few things.
CB writes: I went to the store on Tuesday and Wedsnesday [sic]. I was told to come back another day even though they were scheduled to be open for another 45 minutes.
Matt P: This customer did in fact visit the store on Tuesday evening. She stated that she was in the process of adopting two cats the next week from the Friends of the Animals Foundation (FAF), and wanted to place a deposit towards the adoption fee in advance. I explained to her that Next To Nature and FAF are two separate entities, and that there were no representatives of FAF in the store at that time. I explained to her that Next To Nature and its employees wouldn't be responsible for any money being exchanged between herself and FAF, and that she should schedule a meeting with an FAF representative if she wanted to give them money in advance. I asked her if there was anything else that I could help her with. She became visibly angry, and repeatedly said "I get it, I get it..." as she hastily left the establishment.
CB writes: I went back the next day and the employee would barely give me the time of day. He wanted me to place a special order for an item I didnt' [sic] want. When I wouldn't place the special order he became angry and wouldn't help me get an item down from the top shelf.
Matt P: She did return the following afternoon. When she entered the store, I asked her how I could help her. She aggressively asked "Are you going to sell me something today, or not?" I reiterated to her that I wasn't refusing any business from her during our previous interaction, but was rather explaining that Next To Nature and FAF were mutually exclusive, and that I appreciated her understanding. She raised her voice and said "I don't need a lecture from you. Are you going to sell me something or not?" The other customers in the store (as well as my co-workers) were visibly perturbed by her outburst, so to calm the situation, I said "Of course. How can I help you today?" She calmly stated that she was interested in purchasing two cat carriers, in anticipation of adopting two cats. I showed her the one (1) carrier that we had in stock that was specifically for cats. Not only did I retrieve it from the top shelf for her, but I also assembled it and demonstrated the various components of the carrier. I explained to her (quite clearly) that we only had one (1) carrier, but that one of our other stores in Edmonds or Tacoma may have one as well. I told her that I could call them, and have them send the carrier to West Seattle if need be. She smiled, and asked "Would you please?" I happily obliged, and we were pleased to find out that our Edmonds store had the same cat carrier, albeit in a different color. I explained this to her, and she said that the different colors would be just fine. I then retrieved our "Special Orders" book, which we use to document and track any item that is ordered or transferred specifically for a customer. I wrote down all of the pertinent information, and asked for her name (which is standard practice for the hundreds of orders and transfers that we process each month). She became very upset and yelled that she "didn't want any special orders!" I reiterated that I was simply transferring a carrier from another of our locations. I was quite confused, as she had just agreed to this transfer. I began to tell her that there was no obligation for her to actually purchase it, only that it would be at our store when she came to get the cats. She then held up her hand and said "Shut up. I'm not dealing with you anymore. You're obviously not very good. Is there anyone else here who can help me?" I relinquished the customer to another male employee, and he dealt with her for quite some time.
CB writes: BTW. They don't honor the 10% discount they say they'll give if you adopt a pet in the store.
Matt P: Once the other employee had begun to deal with her, she began collecting a large amount of merchandise that she planned on buying. I explained to the employee that she should be advised that if she were to buy the items on the day of the adoption (once the FAF paperwork is signed, and the cats are in her possession) that Next To Nature would offer her a 10% discount on ALL of her purchases that day. The employee told her this. Again, her demeanor became highly aggressive, and she demanded that we give her the discount prematurely. I explained that since she hadn't yet adopted the cats, I couldn't break store policy and give her the discount. At this point, she hastily left the store.
At NO point during either of our interactions did I once raise my voice, or treat her with anything less than respect and court read more
