I'm done giving Judd's chances…read more
Social media influencers love to describe this place as "quaint," "cute," or "cozy." My experience has been very different. At this point, I see Judd's as little more than a tourist trap built around nostalgia and old-fashioned candy, and I don't think it's worth the time or money.
I have literally never had a good experience here.
That doesn't mean every visit has been a disaster. Some have simply been uneventful. But over multiple visits, they've been out of things I came for, and virtually every employee I've dealt with has made me feel like I was an inconvenience or an annoyance rather than a customer. I have repeatedly walked away feeling disrespected.
Tonight was the last straw.
I rushed home from work because I wanted to take my daughter on a dad-daughter date. We specifically came downtown to go to Judd's, look through the nostalgic candy, and let her pick something out.
We arrived before their posted closing time and found the doors already locked about ten minutes early.
I knocked and asked if they would honor their posted hours. The manager eventually let us in, but immediately told us, in an extremely snippy and condescending tone, "You've got three minutes. Go ahead and buy whatever you want. You've got three minutes."
So instead of enjoying a fun little experience with my daughter, we rushed through the store trying to pick something before we were apparently no longer welcome.
At checkout, the total looked a little higher than I expected, so I paused to do the math in my head. The manager asked if something was wrong. I calmly explained that the total just seemed high and I wanted to make sure I understood it.
Her response, again in an aggressive and condescending tone, was: "Would you like a receipt?"
Yes. I would like a receipt.
Despite all of this, I still tried to end the interaction graciously. I thanked her for staying open for us because I wanted the evening with my daughter to remain positive.
Her response was essentially, "Here's the thing about family businesses: when traffic gets slow, sometimes they close early. Okay, bye."
And then she immediately walked away before I could even respond.
That, frankly, sums up my problem with Judd's.
Being a "family business" is not a shield from basic customer service. It doesn't mean your posted hours are merely suggestions. And it certainly doesn't justify treating customers like they are inconveniencing you by walking through the door and spending money.
If you want to close ten minutes earlier, post an earlier closing time. If you advertise that you're open, customers should reasonably be able to expect that you're open.
The irony is that there really isn't enough here to justify putting up with poor service. The main attraction is buying nostalgic candy in an old-fashioned setting. You can call that quaint or charming if you want. After enough visits, I call it an overpriced tourist trap with consistently poor customer service.
I have given Judd's multiple opportunities, and I cannot think of a single visit where I left thinking, "That was a great experience."
Tonight made the decision easy.
I won't be back, and I would tell anyone considering going: don't waste your time or your money.
