This store had the worst customer service! They have an issue with staring, following, and unfriendly rude behavior, and also racism.
We have a big family with 5 children, and as an Asian family, I understand that there can be racism or some staring. But as soon as my family and I entered the store, the employees started following us around. They would just follow us around, pretending to work, but clearly staring at us all the time. Even when we made eye contact, they wouldn't acknowledge us. How is that minding their own business?
The least they could do is ask, "Do you need help?" or "Do you have any problems?" But they just stared at us, as if we were zoo animals. When my son went to the bathroom, a female employee rushed to the bathroom as though she thought my son was about to commit a crime. I saw the panic on her face.
We may be visitors, but we come here every single time we visit. We didn't come to spend our money to be treated this way. We just wanted to buy ski socks for our daughters. What did we do to deserve this treatment? Some may say it's in our heads, but we've felt this way every visit, even back since in 2022. The employees have always been rude and treated us like potential thieves.
This isn't right. It's not right to buy products and leave with a foul feeling. We didn't speak up back then because we thought it was a misunderstanding. But after several visits, we realized it wasn't a coincidence.
Nobody should have to keep their thoughts to themselves when they feel something is wrong, which is why we tried to speak with the manager, Tariq H., on 02/07/2025, our last visit here. We simply wanted to express our frustration.
What was worse was Tariq's response. He didn't care about our situation. As the manager, wouldn't he at least apologize on behalf of his staff and the store? He just kept nodding, saying "uh-huh" as if he was in understanding our situation. And the funny thing was that I saw him playing around with a price sticker, fidgeting his fingers with it. He wasn't paying attention, and didn't even apologize once. He was talking to the other employees through his earpiece while we were speaking. His behavior was unprofessional.
I've never met a more "idiotic" manager. He avoids responsibility and doesn't do his job properly. He doesn't deserve to be in this position. He claims his wife is also Asian, but that shouldn't matter in this situation. The arrogance of this man is just over the top. He clearly thinks customers are just people who buy things from the store, with no regard for their experience.
I made the mistake of thinking this issue could be resolved with a simple conversation. A manager should address customer concerns and try to find a solution, but Tariq just ignored us, thinking it would solve everything.
We didn't want to fight, we love Sierra Trading Post for its quality products. We also shop online purchasing several products. But why should we leave the store feeling regretful and determined to never return? The least Tariq could've done was listen and apologize on behalf of his employees.
We ended up returning the items we purchased because the whole experience left us with regret.
Sierra Trading Post has great products, but the employees and the management at this Reno store are tarnishing the reputation of the brand. If I were the CEO, I would seriously reconsider the management and the staff at this location because their behavior is damaging to the company's image. The employees and the manager need better training in customer service, and Tariq, in particular, should not be in a managerial position if he cannot take responsibility for his team or treat customers with basic respect and professionalism.
I hope the store takes this feedback seriously and works to improve the experience for future customers. I also hope this store finds a better manager who can properly train their staff to treat customers with care and respect.
And if you're an Asian, I recommend not visiting this store location for your own good. read more