Here to echo the numerous complaints about the customer service unfortunately. Came in today (6/19/25) looking for a coffee table they have in stock. Not one employee was on the floor to field questions. I waited in line at the register just to ask about the availability of a table displayed on the floor. The sole person at the register was the manager of the store (I assume), who looked like he was hating his job and his tone with the customer he was helping suggested he was agitated; therefore, I prepped myself mentally to navigate his attitude if he was the one to help me once I eventually made it to the counter. By the time I made it to the counter another associate was there and in all fairness he was very cordial and polite. I asked about the coffee table he told me 1 of the 2 I was interested in were in stock. The table was on sale online, and there was a HUGE sign in front of the store that displayed additional* discounts on sale items and regular priced items (on select items) therefore, I inquired if there was an additional discount for the coffee table I was interested in. I jokingly told the associate that my partner said "she'd kill me if I paid $700 for a coffee table, but I'm so desperate that I'm willing to take the risk" the associate laughed while the manager shot me look as if he was annoyed with me for asking about an additional discount. The associate turns to the manager and pointed to the screen as if to show a valid reason to get rid of the inventory or suggesting that a sale would be more advantageous than holding onto it because he then says to the manager "how bad do you want to let this go?" The manager without thought or pause shoots back "no, no" while shaking his head, the associate pointed again and says "well look here, could we..." manager in a rude tone cut him off and said "No, the price it's at is what it is , that's it" Now, I understand this isn't the flea market and I don't go into stores (especially West Elm) with the intention to haggle, so this review isn't a retaliation because I did not get a better deal. It is in response to the tangible feeling my business was unwanted and unwelcome with a pompous arrogance. The coffee table is on sale for a price that I might be able to justify with my partner, but I am not interested in giving this store my business. In fact, the associate that helped me is the only reason why this review is two Stars - one would think the manager would actually read the reviews and switch things up, but something tells me this location might not be open for long. read more

Zero stars, the rudest staff we've ever experienced at any retailer, the staff members hate their job there. My wife entered the store with a William-Sonoma bag (after purchasing an item there) and a staff member there (with the Pride tag on their shirt) looked at her in an angry manner. She asked which section had kitchen rugs in the store and he answered "you can go to William-Sonoma" in a very sarcastic manner. We were regular shoppers in West Elm and we've never EVER faced such a behavior in any store by any retailer, this is disgusting and we're never going to shop in West Elm again. read more

Terrible post-sale support. The delivery was supposed to happen at 11am. At 2pm, they messaged me saying they would only arrive at 4pm. I called their customer support number, and the representative literally hung up on me. Completely unacceptable service. Don't bother buying anything here -- shop somewhere else. read more

Terrible customer service experience. Would never come here again We were looking for an associate to answer questions since there were none on the floor. We eventually went to the front desk where there were 6 associates standing around, one with headphones around her neck. They looked positively annoyed that we were looking for help and disrupting their chatter. Eventually one asked if they could help us, and acted flat out inconvenienced the entire time. read more

Please consider my review as -5 stars. I'm wondering why I'm wasting words here coz the 1 star rating is legit. The store manager and the staff are so rude, its unbelievable. I purchased a chandelier from their floor model and the guy literally took it off the ceiling and told me to pull the item apart myself and take it. I asked him to disassemble a 6 foot tall chandelier and they said for "liability reasons" - mam we cannot do it. I was like what liability do you have uncrewing your own product in your own shop, is beyond me. But if I uninstall or get hurt, there is definitely liability. I think this store hires the cheapest and most incompetent and hostile customer service and sales people in the county! Rude and stupid...a commonly found combination flourishes here. read more

Horrible customer service. There was no one available to help us, and when we finally found someone to ask a question, they made us feel unwelcome and rushed to leave. We were prepared to spend thousands of dollars on furniture, yet it was clear that our business did not matter to them. read more

Someone from the headquarters should figure out what is going on with these employees. Customer service is laughably bad. I would give this store 0 stars if I could. Completed turned me off of shopping at West Elm. My experience makes me wonder if the employees get bonuses based on how FEW people actually make purchases in the store. No one greets you when you walk into the store, no one asks you if they can help you. When you ask for help , every single customer service representative looks peeved that you are asking them for help. They are not friendly nor helpful. No one knows which display models are in the store. Reading the reviews, it looks to be a common experience. Pretty appalling how this store is run. read more

Piss Poor Customer Service! Frustrating company to work with. I have furniture items three months back ordered! This was not revealed to me when I purchased it. You have to pull teeth in order to get a manager or supervisor on the line. They use the poor call center folks to answer questions in which they rarely know , so they don't have to take the brunt of the responsibility. It's shameful. The manager, I finally spoke with would not give me her last name. What the F is this Walmart? ! Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere! read more

DO NOT BUY FROM WEST ELM!Ordered a couch with custom fabric in June. Couch was just under $4k. We were told the lead time was 3-4 months. In early October we let our daughter in Oregon take our couches. On October 15th our delivery was confirmed for the 17th. On October 16th we received an email that our order was cancelled "due to inventory issues". I don't understand inventory issues on a custom build. We were given a new delivery date of 1/12. My wife was willing to wait because she really liked this couch. The January delivery date did not happen. On February 6th, we received an e-mail that delivery is scheduled for the 11th. On the 9th we receive an email that the delivery on the 10th will be a partial delivery due to another "inventory issue" on a custom item. I immediately call West Elm and after 45 minutes on the phone they confirm that the entire couch will be delivered the next day. The 10th comes and half of the couch is missing. Today I receive a voice mail that the missing part will be delivered at the end of May. Literally two weeks less than a year after this was ordered. What is West Elm's response? Sorry for the inconvenience, do you want to return for a full credit. The total lack of organization, effort and care for the customer is unacceptable. Again, this was a $4k couch not something you pick up for $700 at IKEA. read more

westelm - Part of our new couch - Home Decor Near Me - San Mateo, California

Horrible experience ! Ordered a curtain rod online and it arrived with missing hardware. Called customer service and they ordered me another one BUT would not ship it out until they received the missing parts one . I went out of my way to send it back. Fast forward 3 weeks and received the replacement one and AGAIN MISSING HARDWARE !!!!! How inconvenient! And for your price point... thought you could do better ! read more

I'm writing to share a deeply frustrating experience I had at the West Elm store located in Hillsdale Mall, San Mateo. Based on my experience, I strongly advise others to think twice before shopping at this location--or even with West Elm in general. This situation involved employee Alma and Store Manager Joseph (Joe), both of whom demonstrated an alarming lack of professionalism. It began when I called the store with a question regarding the $1,400 Anton dining table I had purchased. During the call, Alma hung up on me not once, but twice, claiming she didn't like my "tone" or the way I was asking questions. I requested to speak to a manager three separate times, and each time she told me he was "unavailable." Frustrated, I went to the store in person. At the front register were Alma and a man who identified himself as the store manager, Joseph. I asked if he had time to speak about my interaction with Alma. Without asking for any details, he immediately said, "I'm aware of the situation--how can I help you?" I explained that my issue was being hung up on twice while trying to get information about a product I had purchased. Before I could finish, Alma interrupted, speaking over me to justify her actions. I turned to her and said, "Excuse me, I am speaking." At that point, Joseph raised his voice and said, "You are not going to speak to her like that! I am siding with her. There is nothing we can do for you here." I was stunned. I could not believe a store manager would address a customer that way, especially while supposedly trying to "deescalate" a situation. Since then, I have tried multiple times to escalate the matter through customer service and corporate channels--with no response. It's been over a month, and no one seems interested in addressing my complaint. I am committed to pursuing this further because no customer should be treated with such disregard. A manager who supports unprofessional and confrontational behavior should not be in a leadership role. This experience reflects a toxic culture that should be addressed immediately. read more

Very deceptive product display and incorrect pricing on products. They were selling individual plates/bowls but each one were priced as a set. Bought two and was charged for 2 sets but staff never bothered to let us know it was only sold as sets. Depending on the item you picked up, the same items might have different price tags so be sure to check each one you buy. Staff are extremely rude as if we were the ones in the wrong for asking about the incorrect pricing. I wish they'd replace the staff here with the ones from Palo Alto since they're usually much friendlier. read more

Beware of buying furniture from West Elm. We ordered from Hillsdale, received no help from Hillsdale (not even the saleswoman who placed the order and likely received a commission), but mostly this review is for the corporation: West Elm and Williams Sonoma. In the past I would give a 4 or 5 for the furniture pieces we have bought: two chairs, a bar cart, a dresser. Good quality for the price (not a superior price and top quality, but solid, and eye catching). Nov 2024 bought a custom bed, waited two months, received it, and there are many structural errors. One bed rail is half and inch lower than the other; if used, a mattress would slant. One exterior side rail is not flush with end of bed and there are three 7-8 inch bulges in the headrail beneath the upholstery. Trying to get this remedied has already spanned almost two weeks. Reps in store and at the 800 number do not always return calls. There were errors taking down the pertinent information so the problems can be remedied. I'm still working on it. Because of the headboard, in particular, the bed need to be returned for repairs. Instead of taking it straight away, I must wait for a tech to come, look at it, and potentially order a pick up if the tech thinks that's necessary (stalling tactic). And that pick up will happen at a future date (more stalling). We can't use the bed, it's dominating the room, and no one will expedite this process. We received the bed January 13, it's January 24th, and a tech won't come until next Wednesday. I used to really like West Elm. I'll never look at another catalog or go into another store. A couple employees are responsible and do what they can in this system where the customer is last. They say "sorry" a million times, but it's empty. You're a number in a line of customers waiting to have problems fixed. Once they have your money, you lose all leverage. read more

Stopped by to pick up an on-line order...I placed the order and received an email stating it would be ready in about 3 hours...being impatient my friend and I headed to the store about 1.5 hours in...went to the store and it was packed! Exact reason why I dislike shopping! Walked upstairs and crowd not too bad...asked the salesperson, Annette about an online order and did mention I hadn't received the confirmation email for pickup...she was honest and said 'hmm I'm not sure' and checked the system...sure enough it noted the status as: 'Procuring Order'... Annette could've had me wait (like a lazy worker) but she was helpful and a true professional...after she mentioned she'll look for the item, people were hovering the counter for assistance. She was able to assist a couple of customers before heading down to locate my Ceramic Llama Planter (hey, it's cute!)...5 minutes she was back upstairs looking for me...yay! With the long line downstairs I was quickly out of the store in 15 minutes! Thanks to Annette for making this a great shopping experience! read more

westelm - Home Decor Near Me - San Mateo, California

This review is for West Elm delivery. Although I love West Elm products, I will not be ordering again from this brand. I have been waiting for more than a month for a delivery and today they have asked me to wait another two weeks. Had I known about this delay sooner I could have made alternate plans, but according to their customer service, their delivery dates are 'estimated' and shouldn't be relied on. After charging 280$ for delivery I expect better service. I will not be ordering from them again, and if you do, be ready to wait indefinitely for your order. read more

Poorly run store, terrible customer service! We walked into the store, looking for shades and curtains. While my wife waited in the shade section, I went over to the check stands. Since there was no one at the check stands, I was hoping to get the attention of staff who would notice me standing there. Staff member Carol was finishing up a conversation with a couple nearby on the floor. We made brief eye contact, then she proceeded to move in a direction away from me. I waved her over. "Did you need help?" she asked, apparently surprised that people hanging out near unstaffed check stands might actually need help. I asked her if she could help me with curtains and blinds. "I could, but its all online, nothing in store" I then pointed her to a section dedicated to curtains. "Oh, we have some samples in store, but its all online" I asked if we could see some size options, pricing and maybe talk installation "Oh, while we do have curtains, we only do one fixed size. We don't do installation, or *any* manner of customization". All this while we are standing near a sign singing praises of their "design services" (see photo). It would be almost funny if this wasn't a giant waste of our time. I asked if we could speak to her manager "We don't have a manager" I asked if she referred to her shift supervisor with perhaps a different title "Yes, we have a supervisor" At this point she walked us over to Heidi, whom I immediately recognized. You see, I had previously had a brief chat with Heidi upon entering the store when I informed her that her store hours on Yelp and other online sources were completely contradictory to the store hours she just informed us about. She told me she would "do something about it" and then proceeded to finish her conversation with a coworker. I also pointed out that her storefront did not display any store hours. "Oh, they have been changing so frequently, it's hard to keep the signage updated" So, when we were left in the very capable hands of Heidi, I realized that there was no hope in this location. If Heidi's supervisors cannot see that this store is headed for doom, I really have no business trying to make it work there. We walked out. read more

westelm - Sign that pretends that the store has "design services" - Home Decor Near Me - San Mateo, California

My review is for Sabrina at San Mateo- West Elm. There was a chair I wanted to buy in store but it was not available in San Mateo (after being told it was by the Palo Alto- West Elm). Sabrina went the extra mile and called around and found a location who had the chair I needed. I drove to the location and purchased the chair. Thank you so much Sabrina! It is people like you who make a difference! read more

They have nice modern items. Their problem is with their customer service. There's barely anyone available to help you out. And the ones who are there are not attentive even when you ask them for help. They would say they'll find someone to help and disappear. So their attitude shows they're not well trained well and lack interest in selling. If you like an item, easier to purchase it online. read more

In summary: Medieval and inflexible customer service. Nonsensical price adjustment and order cancellation policy. Absurd and unavoidable/unrefundable shipping cost. I'm truly amazed that in 2022 a major brand name can still get away with such abysmal policies. If you ever buy a big ticket item for delivery, always set the delivery date to the latest one possible- so if they try to play games with the price like they did with me, you can cancel and re-order. Even though you will likely eat the shipping cost, you may still save by doing this: Storytime: I spent about 4k on a couch including about $300 in mandatory 'white glove' delivery service. Not even a week later the price dropped almost $500 before I had even received it, so I called customer service. They refused to adjust the price and even to cancel the order, claiming the couch was custom (it wasn't). After some back and forth they allowed me to cancel and I reordered, delaying the arrival date by 2+ weeks. Of course, when I got the refund, it was minus the shipping fee even though delivery was never even attempted. Called customer service again, was told they don't refund shipping period. So I tried a credit card chargeback since I never received the 'white glove' install service. A month later, got an unpleasant surprise when the chargeback was reversed. Apparently West Elm had made up tracking details in their own system to show the item was delivered, then returned on the same day, and submitted this to the credit card company as proof of delivery when in fact delivery was never attempted. Unbelievable! The only positive was I got 10% in credit towards West Elm/Williams Sonoma stores by signing up for their credit card, which I of course will cancel immediately after redeeming since I never plan to buy anything else from them again... read more

You will be greeted with condescending attitude and lack of professionalism at this location. Better off ordering your items online or another store altogether. read more

Long time shopper of West Elm. But most employees at this location in particular are rude, dismissive and don't even make eye contact with you. If you hate your job so much - leave. There are so many people who would be grateful to be employed and offer excellent customer service. read more

If I could give zero stars I would. We picked West Elm to get our living room furniture back in January this year and the post purchase experience has been absolutely abysmal. We still don't have our furniture but the charges are all put on the credit card! The designer from this store, Victoria, was super eager with very active follow ups and pushed through the sale with us. We bought a mix of Pottery Barn and West Elm items. Suffice to say the customer experience and response from both brands has been really bad. Never buying from them again. Strangely I've had better customer experiences from Wayfair and Etsy compared to these brands. At least they don't overcharge for their products... read more

Horrible horrible horrible customer service. I ordered a modern lounger for my daughter on Sept 1. I have called so many times to get an update on the delivery and I have left my name and number for someone to get back to me and no one has called me back at all. today, I finally spoke with someone but I still got horrible service. They were unsure about the date or the status of the delivery of the chair. They do not follow through and they have a horrible customer service over the phone. I will not recommend this place to my family or friends and I am definitely going to stop shopping here. read more

We have been looking for a side table for awhile. We wanted to see what they have in their physical store. The location is nice, they do have a lot of selections but we wanted to see more. Maybe this is not their biggest locaiton. read more

Like most of the reviews, this place is where souls go to die. The customer service is the poorest i've seen...i came in asking if swatches were available for a particular couch and she acted rude and unhelpful...like we should have known she couldnt help us, why did we even ask!? Maybe other locations are better? Who knows, rather not waste my time... We even called west elm's general support number and got the same exact rude, unenthusiastic service. Definitely buy elsewhere. read more

Came here to drop a review and not surprised to see such poor rating for this store. Their customer service is the worst I have ever experienced and they are incredibly difficult to work with. The quality of their products is terrible and the shipping costs/lead time is a joke. There are plenty of other stores that offer far better quality products, stay away from this one. read more

westelm - Couch from West Elm was delivered completely broken !!! West Elm refused to provide any customer support. This is a SCAM, stay away. - Home Decor Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I've ordered online and picked up in store at the West Elm here a couple times now, and every time it's a streamlined, friendly experience. Upon entering the store, I'm greeted by folks at the front desk, I give them my name for the pickup order, and within 10 minutes my packages are wheeled out. The first time I came to pick up two large rugs, only to realize that the larger of the two rugs would not fit in my car. I appreciated that upon seeing my car, the staff person quickly and confidently stated that it would be unsafe to try to fit the rug in my car and to come back another time with a large vehicle or hire Lugg to pick up the item later. I came by with a rented truck about a week later and successfully picked up the rug. We parked outside the store for a few minutes to grab a bite to eat at the mall food court nearby; as we walked up to the truck to leave, one of the West Elm staff people came jogging out and shouted, "Did you get your second rug?! I just wanted to make sure since it wasn't confirmed on our end." I confirmed that I had, and he walked back looking relieved and satisfied. Again, I appreciated that they were looking out for the customer and trying their best to minimize any hassle down the line. Despite the negative reviews from others, I've only had positive experiences here so wanted to share them! I love West Elm's style so will always keep them in mind for future home decor efforts. read more

Rodrigo was helping us select a dining table, chairs, and a couch and was really helpful, knowledgable, and friendly. I'd recommend asking for him if you shop at West Elm. read more

westelm - Difference between sample and floor model - Home Decor Near Me - San Mateo, California

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My goodness... you would think at an establishment like this... there'd be better customer service! It makes me regret spending our money here. We were never greeted, never asked if we needed help, nothing! We saw a mirror we liked and we got a "the tag is on the back" and I said nope, there's several items with tags missing. She then checked the back of the mirror and was like "oh ha customers like to take off tags".... ok but no need for a rude response when we just wanted to know where to look for the pricing. After that, we browsed for a good 30 minutes. Found an item we liked, a LARGE and HEAVY centerpiece for our dining table. We wait in line for awhile.. with 2 people ahead of us. The lady was like "so can I help you?" And my husband goes "yeah! We'd like that centerpiece over there" and she goes "carry it over here". I said what? Are you serious? And she says yeah I need it here. So whatever, my hubby goes and carries it. Then another lady steps in and says "oh! I'll get you a brand new one in the box from the back" and then the original cashier stopped helping us altogether, answered the phone and ignored us. I've worked in retail and let me tell you it does not take much to be helpful or reasonable. It seems like the associates here don't know what the heck they're doing or how to help people (when it's their job). Rudeness and selective helping is available at this location, if prefer to take my shopping elsewhere if this is what the company stands for... read more

I visited San Francisco with my girlfriend for Christmas during the Pandemic. We were coming from New York where things were quite bad at the time, and during our visit I stumbled into a few West Elm stores in search for some furniture. I was greeted by the manager, Marty, who helped with my order. When the order arrived in NY, there appeared to be a misnomer with the size of the sectional. It was advertised online as 112" wide, whereas what arrived was only a 90" wide sectional (not his fault). Despite this, he made every single effort to make it right. Every. Single. Effort. The replacement sectional is to arrive tomorrow and Marty's customer service excellence has encouraged me to make other purchases with him and his staff even while living on the other side of the country! He also provided great advice when helping me furnish my apartment and I have learned a lot from him. I was, and still am grateful for Marty and his prompt, professional, customer-first attitude. Life does not always go as planned, and there is comfort knowing Marty and his team will be there to make it right when it doesn't. Thanks again mate! Chris read more

Don't shop here, they sent us broken tables twice and tried to double charge us. Then on the refund they didn't add the tax...wtf kind of business is this? read more

How difficult is it to just check if you have items like pillow cases available and in stock instead of just saying we don't have it. The guy with glasses and somewhat gray hair that was helping me today was in such a bad mood and only acted as if he was helping me after another lady checked the item and found it in stock. Then he said he found it in basement. Yes you found it after a lady called you to tell you to check on it. It does not take much to help a customer instead this guy, I think his name is Chuck, just wanted to be a jerk. Awful customer service and from this one employee. Just find another job if you are so miserable. read more

Wish I had listened to all of the other reviews about delivery delays and awful customer service. Paid for a couch in January, expected delivery in March. August and still no sign of the order. It's been "shipped" three times, each time it's just lost or destroyed. At this point I think it's just a scam. Avoid at all cost, I cannot overstate how deeply I regret getting involved here. read more

Overall, my husband and I had a great experience, especially with the help of Caroline. We recently decided that we wanted to buy new furniture for our entire living room consisting of many pieces. Since we are not the most creative people, we opted for West Elm's free design services. We had a wonderful virtual meeting with Caroline who took the time to understand our style and offer great advice. She put together two layout options with an array of different pieces. Considering we were a bit hesitant to purchase without seeing the pieces in person, we waited until we were able to physically come into the store. Caroline spent over 3 hours with us (and we technically only had a 90-minute appointment) and not only was she patient, but she shared her expertise. She helped us pull together pieces that would create a cohesive feel and even helped us find additional items online. The only reason I am not giving 5 stars is simply due to the length of time it will take to receive some of our furniture (our couch will not arrive for over 4 months). However, this is not at all due to Caroline, Didem or the San Mateo West Elm team. They were all fantastic and I can't wait to enjoy all of our new furniture. read more

If you want to get the correct order delivered, avoid West Elm. I ordered a matched outdoor set. Twice they sent the wrong pieces. Twice the delivery drivers had mentioned it to the warehouse fulfillment and twice they were told not to worry about it. So, twice it was returned wasting hours of wait time and mos of ship time. The kicker - the pice that was wrong was black. The piece I ordered doesn't even come in black - it was entirely and obviously wrong. I have to conclude they just don't care about the customer experience. Avoid avoid avoid read more

Terrible experience with return/refund. Rude personnel and terrible management. Do not waste your money here.

Unfortunately the reviews are true. I need to furnish my house and I've grabbed things from a number of different places including C&Barrel. Came here a couple times to shop and felt like I was doing them a favor to breathe their air. I still tried to purchase a leather chair and a couple dining chairs and it was one word answers. Felt like I was an inconvenience and one agent was texting as I asked a question and couldn't be bothered to stop doing that, gave me a quick answer and that was that. All and all, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and will be shopping there when I feel I have too much time and I need to waste it. read more

Terrible first time experience with west elm. Scheduled bed delivery on July 3rd. White glove service was incomplete due to missing parts. West elm constantly failed to follow-up on re-delivery schedule. I called multiple times in the past 11 days. Every response is "one of our escalation team will get back to you with more precise delivery date. Never heard from them. I had to initiate the call everytime. On July 11th, they said the delivery will take place on the 14th. Coming today July 14th, I called again for precise delivery window today. Unfortunately, as before, I was disappointed because I was told by 14th, it was meant to be August 14th. WHAT??? 4 more week? 5 weeks after the scheduled white glove service? Now I am sitting with this half build bed in the my bedroom while sleeping on mattress on the ground with no signs of completion date. This is ridiculous. None of the customer service person over the phone can make any decisions or get supervisor on the phone. DO NOT recommend working with west elm white glove service. read more

Fuck this place!!! I keep showing up about 20 mins prior to closing and all doors are locked

I really love west elm and wish I would love the san mateo store. However, I am so disappointed with the customer service everytime I stop by. One time, I stood by a cashier waiting for assistance and the gentleman that was assisting another customer was nearby and had walked behind the cashier and instead of saying he would be right with me or find someone to help me he just ignored me. In another visit, no one greeted us when we walked in and the sales were chatting behind the cash register. I think the store is great if you want to see something in person but I would expect to experience excellent customer service here. Its much easier to shop and ask questions online. Their customer service online is much better. read more