Having owned my own retail shop, I understand the importance of providing excellent customer service. Sadly, Valerie, the owner, does not. I purchased a duvet and two shams from her, having been told that the items would be custom order. I had seen the same items online at Neiman Marcus, but because I wanted to support The Monogram Shop, a locally owned business, I decided to purchase the items from Valerie. Having managed a Laura Ashley store years ago that included custom home furnishings, I knew it was possible to see the same pattern in a premade versus a custom order item. I was asked to provide my credit card information when I gave Valerie the order, and I was told I would receive a phone call when the items were ready to be picked up.
In the end, the items I purchased weren't custom made. They came directly from Neiman Marcus. Valerie misrepresented what it was that she was selling. In addition, even though I had told her that I would be paying cash for the transaction (and ultimately did when I picked up the merchandise) Valerie ran my debit card prior to even letting me know that the merchandise had arrived. As it was, I was out of town with poor cell reception and very limited access to email. There was a glitch with my bank in reference to a wire transfer. Nevertheless, I thought it was inexcusable for Valerie to run my debit card before I had even inspected the "custom order" which is the way in which all custom orders are typically handled, having worked at fine stationery as well as home furnishings businesses.
In the end, while I love my new duvet and shams, I won't be giving Valerie any additional business. I found her ethics to be questionable and she was incredibly rude to me in both her email and voicemail when she wasn't able to speak to me immediately regarding my order. Apparently Valerie was concerned I wouldn't ultimately honor my commitment by paying for the merchandise I had ordered. What's ironic is that Valerie from the very beginning had no intention of delivering on the terms of the sale by providing me with a custom order.
Sara W. A Former Customer read more