I have been shopping at this Hallmark for years there service is usually good, but yesterday will be my last time due to the way I was treated. I pay extra each year to be a Keepsake Ornament Club member, one of the perks is you get to shop a day earlier and it is usually less busy. For those of us who have been shopping the premiers for many, many years this is usually an exciting day, but not this year in fact it really took the fun out of shopping.
I went in and this one clerk was so rude (she approached me and asked me if I need help), she was put out that I wanted 30ish ornaments (for July's release) and wanted me to come back on Saturday. I showed her my KOC early invite card and she just huffed and puffed stating she was busy, mind you there were exactly 5 customers in the store and at least 8 employees. She wasn't with any of those other customers, so I asked the lady in charge what was going on, she said that I could pickup my ornaments on Friday as a club member. I think the problem was that all the ornaments besides the display ornaments were in the back, so they had to be pulled by employees. She handed me my ornaments and gruffly said she couldn't help me anymore as I didn't have an appointment, and handed me off to two very nice ladies. Mind you I ask the lady in charge if I needed an appointment she said no as they were not that busy. I also asked if they advertised that people needed appointments she said not really. I understand the clerk was busy but I thought that Hallmark Stores were in business to sell ornaments to clients that come in their stores, especially premiers. Because she was so rude I didn't pick up my cards or shop for gifts. I just wanted to get my ornaments and leave. At the end of the day I bought $650 worth of ornaments for the July release.
Today I checked out their online store, found out I can order all my ornaments, cards, gifts, including my favorite series online. No rude sales clerks, lower taxes as I live in a rural area with lower online taxes, I don't have to drive 45 minutes each way to the store, and shipping is free. So why would I step foot in a place that is too busy, too annoyed, and too rude to sell me Hallmark Ornaments, cards, gifts, wrapping paper ect. No wonder that brick and mortar stores are not making it. read more