Long time loyal WS customer. I stopped in yesterday and loved the big store here. The staff were friendly but not intrusive. Lots of great stuff and good sales. I really try to support the shops here. When we don't buy in stores, they close as you will see around you. I need kitchen items, so it's easy to buy things here. There is everything you need for your kitchen including food items. So why not stop over and then treat yourself at Islands, Lure or Starbucks after? See website for details. Free parking available. read more

I will no longer be shopping at Williams Sonoma. The level of customer service and the way management handled my most recent experience was incredibly disappointing. What should have been a simple situation turned into weeks of confusion, contradictions, and zero accountability. The way this situation was handled reflects a serious breakdown in customer service and management, and it has left me extremely disappointed. After this experience, Williams Sonoma has completely lost my business. read more

I went to exchange tea I bought, that was sold with less than a month to the expiration date. When they didn't have any newer product, I asked for a return. I said to the clerk that I was on my lunch break and so I only had so much time, that I wanted a refund, she said she didn't have time either (yet she is on the clock...). I asked for the name of the sales clerk, as she proceeded to walk away. read more

What happened to the friendly women who worked here? The past three times I've come in to shop I've been fully ignored for too long and then treated like a huge nuisance when I ask for help. read more

We came in to buy a Le Creuset kettle. The sales clerk with the lumberjack boots was so condescending we skipped it. When we asked him how much it was he told us " It's a Le Creuset" no duh dude. He also informed us that it was $200. On the Williams Sonoma website they are $100. The guy must not understand how money works, there was also a glass priced for $150. read more

See all

We have visited this store frequently in the past, but the last few times the store workers have been extremely unfriendly. We visited on December 26 to make a return, without a receipt (although we bought the item). We asked them to look it up via our card or via our key rewards. The interaction was very unfriendly - the on duty manager was borderline acting like we stole the item. Finally they looked up the purchase via our card (after repeatedly telling us they couldn't). I originally planned an exchange but just took a return due to the unfriendly behavior. This is now the second time I've avoided making a major purchase at this store due to how the managers and workers act toward customers. Don't you need local repeat customers to stay open? They have definitely lost our future business at this point. read more

Great store to have in Santa Barbara!.. Top end house and kitchen supplies. Everyone is super friendly and very helpful. I especially like when they have the sample tasting. The store is super easy to find what you need. They designed it so you can find things easily according to category. read more

I ordered a kitchen utility tool and chose to pick up at the store to avoid a delivery charge. They charge me eight dollars to pick it up at theirStore. you have to be joking. Did they want people to come in for business or alienate them? Outrageous to say the least I can't believe this company would do something so cheap, like that. I will never do business with them again on just principal shame on Williams Sonoma. This item costs $19 and they wanted eight dollars delivery fee to their store! They should be embarrassed. read more

It's an ok store, in a quiet dead mall location which makes for easy parking and not too many lines. That said, where it's lacking is in customer service, which given the general quiet of the store you would think would be outstanding when there is customers there. Generally the employees seem annoyed when asked for help. There is one older woman who is very sweet and kind of too personal to a fault, but does help out, otherwise it's stoic judgement with bare minimum interaction. Today for example, went in with a gift card. Was greeted at the register, but then had the coldest experience where she seemed annoyed we hadn't had anyone help us, and also did not have a rewards number or wanted to sign up for one. To top it off, she then went on to pretend that they had no bags, and gave the most passive aggressive response of "sorry, it's embarrassing" while not even looking at us. All the while I noticed bags of various sizes stocked behind her, but didn't care to make a fuss of things. Just all seems very trivial how little they care to sell the store, especially given that it isn't like they are bombarded with customers. read more

Horrible customer service. Purchased a toaster over. Was told by two clerks who remind me of Elon Musk that because we used it to toast one piece of bread it was not returnable as it was not new. A review of the Williams-Sonoma website reveals the return policy state: "Please note that returned items must be in new condition." Of course the product is still in new condition after one piece of bread is toasted but the clerks consider this used. I will now need to escalate this needles matter due to inconsiderate clerks who do not see the larger picture regarding customer service. read more

I went into the store today 6th Sept when we have an excessive heating warning and both front doors are wide open with the air conditioning running. I was told by the sweet elderly lady that it was corporate ( have they never heard of the climate crisis) . But she said she would talk to her manager. The female manager then came out and so I could hear said " don't worry about it " - which I find truly unprofessional that a manager would say that. Well based on that and corporate I am voting with my feet and wallet and will go somewhere where they do think these things are important and not all about greed. read more

I have been here a couple times within the year, as I'm slowly replacing my bakeware, cookware and kitchen items with items that aren't made in China, as it's just a preference with my husband and I. Nicole at first asked if I'm finding everything and I told her yes. I then went back to the bakeware area and could only find a 7" springform pan. I went to the counter and had asked if that was the only size and she stated that there might be some in the back. Nicole went above and beyond to locate the item and had asked what size I needed and then brought out a 9" springform pan. Nicole ended up making my experience welcoming and a bit better as I left their sister store earlier and had a bad experience. read more

I walked into the store and the sales person was on his phone. He never asked me if I needed help. I asked to purchase a knife and he acted annoyed I asked for anything at all. He came back and said we don't have the knife you are looking for, but we have one for $230. I said ok, I will take it. He does not offer to wrap it and hands me a tattered box that looks awful. I spent $247 on a chefs knife and it looks like a used knife. I will never go back there again. Awful customer service and POOR presentation to sell me a tattered boxed $247 knife. read more

What a great experience. Really nice organized store and friendly helpful staff. Debbie was awesome, she went way above customer service and made sure we found everything we needed and helped us make the perfect choice. I would recommend this store for any household items. Great quality, great customer service. read more

I have been to 10 Williams Sonoma locations, at least! Each location is a "Disneyland of kitchy stuff!" Every customer service representative is delightful. Somehow, Williams Sonoma has the formula for hiring the most helpful and caring associates. Yesterday, my 2 sons visited the Santa Barbara location and Bootsie helped us. She was utterly charming. I could have stayed for hours but my sons had places to be. Thank you for your kindness, Bootsie. You brightened my day. :) read more

There are very few stores that I get giddy to go to and I have to restrain myself. I swear by their demi glaze. I can look at all their pots and pans for hours. (I love to cook) Everyone that works there is very helpful. Asking if you need anything. Getting product from the back. read more

I went in the store today to return a rice cooker that was shipped to me broken. The customer service name is Liz, and she instantly asked if I used it. My answer was no, it was shipped to me broken. She then opened the box and said you tapped it up pretty well with a mocking voice. Then she took the rice cooker out and said it was used and asked again and again if I used it with an assumption that I used it broke it then try to return it. Her attitude was so rude and raciest. I asked to speak with a manager and she was not in today. I need to call customer service as the store won't do anything. Other people working there is nice, except that lady named Liz as her attitude towards her customer is unacceptable. They need to re-train her if she continue working there. read more

Just had an awful experience shopping. I saw an item I wanted on sale and listed on the website for the S.B. store. So I went to the store and asked for the item (non-stick frying pans). I quoted the sales price and described the item but didn't remember the brand. The sales person was rude and resistant to help me and criticized me for not knowing the brand. I told her I just saw it on the website. She finally looked it up for me and said "that, we don't carry that brand anymore in the store." At this point, even if it had been the sales item I wanted I think I might have left the store because of the rudeness of the service. read more

Poor customer service! Instead surfing the web and annoyed when asked a question about a meat thermometer. Did not get up to help me find it in t he store. read more

After visiting this store several times and having bought some expensive items from them, I WANT to give them more than three stars, but, alas, I can't, because they don't deserve it for lack of effort. I'd be all right with them not having something in stock, ordering it for you and having you come and pick it up. But no! They don't stock most items offered online, and then they charge you shipping to your address. So how do they justify their existence as a brick-and-mortar store? Don't they realize that they actually DRIVE people to shopping online in the first place, thus make themselves and their employees redundant? Folks, get it over with and call it a showroom or consultation service instead of pretending it's a store! This applies to many, if not to most, such insufficiently stocked walk-in "stores" in this age of overwhelming online mail order business and consequently dying brick-and-mortar stores and malls. read more

Walked into WS around 6pm. Not one customer. Sales person on the phone. No problem. Walking around looking for a specific item. After her phone chat salesperson never acknowledged me at all...had her head buried in something...... until I walked up to the counter and said I'll take these. Her response..'oh okay. No customer service!!!!! And these businesses wonder why we shop online. read more

I love going here just to browse. This store is never busy and I like how they serve samples of their food and drinks.

The selection here is great and it's fun to browse. They also have some seriously good sales tables most of the time, in virtually any and every season. The staff is a bit hard sell. They need to pay attention to each other (I don't really want to listen to the same daily or weekly specials spiel from one person and then literally take two steps and be told the same thing from two other salespeople. This happens all the time and they aren't busy enough to claim they didn't see another sales person approach you.) They also need to take some ownership of their line/counter situation. If you stand at the counter and follow he sign that says "Form line on other side" you shouldn't have to stand there and wait while a salesperson rushes to help people who stand on the wrong side of the counter. In non-busy times, take that sign down and PAY ATTENTION to the people who arrive at the counter while you're just standing there behind it. It's frustrating to be helped third when you've been standing there alone for five minutes and virtually ignored and then someone goes to help someone who hasn't heeded the damn sign. This isn't something that's happened once or twice, it's nearly every time I'm in there. The pros to this place is that they really do have the best of the best of culinary equipment and supplies that you can find in a normal, to-the-public retail place in SB. Definitely go for that. Try to avoid the hard sell and don't be offended when you DO belly up to the bar to buy something that you're ignored. read more

Went in today to exchange a gift. The sales clerk took about 15 minutes to try to figure out how to enter the amount of original gift and charge me the difference for items I was purchasing. Very frustrating. I still don't think she got it right....I just wanted to get out of there!! I have always loved shopping at Williams Sonoma, but today was a total bummer. read more

I have been a loyal and enthusiastic customer of theirs for years. Within what I can spend, I have spent a lot of money investing in my home and kitchen. I bought a product from the Santa Barbara store about 2 yrs ago. Because I lost a child I haven't been doing fancy desserts for which I would have used the Creme Brûlée Torch. We were entertaining this Christmas and I went to use it for the first time and it was defective. I had to call my husband away from our company to help and it still didn't work. He is a professional General Contractor and went and got his large commercial torch and finished my dessert and the night went on. I was honest and said it's been 2 yrs and why. I thought losing a child would have meant more than Joan in the Santa Barbara store saying there is nothing that they can do. People usually offer their condolences when they hear what happened. It's not a reason to post a review, just hurt my feelings. So, I would have appreciated a gift card or some other offer if they couldn't credit me. I just had a poor experience with a Washington Square Williams Sonoma in Portland Oregon last month as well. I frequently shop in Portland and with no sales tax -I had a $600 order. I asked when I walked in, will you ship to Ca and she said yes. But upon checkout and waiting in a long Holiday line. The Mgr. expressed how difficult this would be etc. I told her what I asked before shopping and said ( I am going to pass because this is getting unpleasant). Now with what just happened with S.B. Store, I am really disappointed. read more

Very knowledgeable about products. Service is hit or miss during COVID as it is cumbersome for staff to look up if they have stock without the ability to go themselves in stock room. Staff gave conflicting info for an hour. Highly mismanaged and unapproachable for solving problems. To bad read more

I absolutely love this store. My hubby bought me an awesome Lime Green Kitchen aide mixer here a few years ago, and I always come here for fun baking stuff or treats for the kitchen. I love the friendly staff and the free cooking courses. This store is always neat, and clean, and I can navigate through it fairly easily alone. I also love all the sales they have. read more

I have gone to this store multiple times as they are the only WS in the area and have consistently received subpar customer service. Most recently, I went in to make a registry purchase. When I was selecting my items, the staff in the area was polite, but when it came time for checkout, service was very disorganized and all but one were rather rude. Its just not as pleasant a shopping experience as I've had at other WS stores, so from now on I'll just do my shopping online or head downtown to Sur la Table. read more

I love Williams-Sonoma, just not this particular store. The last few times I've visited, the customer service has not been great. There appeared to only be two people working & both were small talking with other customers (overheard discussing the Montecito country club etc.). Twenty minutes later, once the conversation ended, I get snooty service & leave with a bad taste in my mouth. This place can do better. read more

Long story, short review. Bought a very expensive mixer (like a $1300 mixer on sale for $750), and drove out of my way from Ventura to come here to pick it up. Dragged my 4 year old, brought the mixer all the way home to giddily open the box, and right off the bat, 2 hairs (not mine) mashed into the styrofoam. Okay, not a big deal yet, but then as I kept opening, found a used mixer with a small scratch, with barely any original wrapping, and missing the whisk attachment altogether! When I took a second look the box had been taped twice. I feel like for that price, I should get a NEW, UNUSED mixer, dontcha think?! Very irritated, called store which said they will order me another one when I come back to return it. So now I have to drive all the way back and return it and place an order for another one. I told them I would just order another one online, and they kept pushing me to come to the store to do it, and I said why? They said because they are a physical store and to help keep their doors open. No offer of a discount, only a 10% discount if I keep the used one and they send me the whisk attachment. No thank you, I'd like a brand new mixer and don't really want much to do with this store again. Don't really feel much motivation to go out of my way AGAIN to help this store keep its doors open. I have had great customer service at other locations as well as online. The staff was polite here, but really no effort to make things right after wasting my time and energy on their error. Disappointed and expected more from Williams Sonoma. Judging from reviews this may just be a Santa Barbara location issue, but disappointed nonetheless. read more

I am not writing this review to address the selection of items at this WS, as it is very standard and can all be viewed on the website. But I wanted to write about my experience with the staff, which for some reason has received some negative reviews here. For the record I have dealt with multiple sales staff, sometimes to buy (from $5 to $5,000 worth of products), dressed nicely and dressed straight from the gym. Every time I've been to WS, I have been greeted cheerfully and politely. When I am just browsing, the staff quickly ascertains this and backs off, but when I have questions I have found that you can engage them on a wide variety of topics and they are passionate about food and cooking. Best of all, if they don't know, they will gladly pull over another sales associate who does. The best part is that they will have in depth conversations with you about their experience with the product, other products you can use (some much less expensive), and give you honest tips on how to get the most from your purchase. Plus if/when you need to return a defective item, they go out of their way to make it painless and pleasant. Sorry some have had negative experiences, but with the new shift in CA sales tax laws for the internet, I shop at WS. I may pay a little bit more, but I can engage with fellow food lovers, and they have a great return policy. One final tip: Joan is amazing. She is infinitely patient, is amazing at understanding the big picture of what you are trying to accomplish, and is spot on with her recommendations and advice! read more

It seems like all I do is write reviews.. i digress... I guess this place was recently remodeled. it looks great. It's pretty large and has a great supply of everything and anything you could need. There were also plenty of people to help out if one has any questions. Oh, and also when I walked in, I was in awe of the pumpkin smell. god, it smelled delicious. It's such a trick, but I bet it works every single time. Today I bought $20 hot choco mix. what? I had to have it! read more

As Williams-Sonomas goes this one is by far the most superior when it comes to customer service.The staff is knowledgeable and friendly and they usually always have what I want in stock and if they don't they will order it and have it sent to the house. Also, they remember me when I come in. read more

Yesterday our 2117 Cuisinart espresso machine died, so I went to the Cuisinart website and entered "espresso machine Model EM-100N" into the search window. This machine did not show up on Cuisinart's website. I noted that the Cuisinart site listed William Sonoma (WS) as a retailer. We are trying to buy local so I called the La Cumbre Plaza WS store. The good news is that someone picked up right away. I gave the make and model number and asked if they had this espresso machine in stock. They asked for a SKU (seller's ID for something they sell). Having not found the machine on the WS website, I had no SKU. She offered a Breville. I restated that I was after a Cuisinart EM-100N rather than a different make. She again told me that she needed the SKU. I expressed surprise that a store like WS (high end) had no way to look up a SKU from a make and model number. She confirmed there was no way. Accordingly, WS drove us into the arms of Amazon. read more

Terrible service!! Very condescending, arrogant staff. Very little product knowledge. After previously purchasing 5 Global SAI knives at this location, we dropped all off to be sharpened. They were returned to us not in the sheaths we had delivered them in. Simply in a paper bag. When we returned home we discovered the knives had not been sharpened. The clerk we dealt with was extreme rude. We were told that "staff" is trained to sharpen knives. Very suspect. We won't go back to this location. read more

Just moved to the area as a college student and needed some quality kitchenware for the new apartment. I was obviously looking lost and had no idea what I was looking for but was helped almost immediately by a very nice woman named Connie. Connie went above and beyond what she was asked of by helping me find exactly what I needed while keeping money and quality in mind. If you come here, have Connie help you as she will do everything she can to make sure you find exactly what you need at a reasonable price. Connie is a homie. read more

I love what William-Sonoma sells but sadly this store just has bad customer service. I've had okay customer service but I've had more bad experiences with them being rude. It's at the point I just run in if I need something and try to be in and out as fast as possible. I don't think I'll be returning to this store again-- I rather get something online (not from William Sonoma) or go to sur la table on state than to deal with the horrible customer service. I'm really disappointed and was even in a state of shock when receiving bad care from such a high cost store. A paying customer should be treated well and I feel like I never am.... read more

Be careful with the "RETURN POLICY" ONLY during Christmas time they extend the return policy to 90days! some exceptions apply. Customer service representative was rude: "what would I do with this now? only throw it away. There's nothing I can do. If we were to accept every return, we would be out of business" I guess losing future loyal customers is more important for them! I will never come back to buy from this store again! read more

Purchased a Shun knife and the steel chipped apart cutting through turkey breast bone. I have worked as a Exec. Chef for 20+ years, 8 years here in Santa Barbara. Never had this problem with a knife. The real problem started when I went to return the knife. I was told, sorry you used the knife wrong, and will have to return it to Shun in Oregon. Thanks William Sonoma. What happened to standing behind your products, and your customers at that! I will make sure to pass along my opinion when people inquire. read more

My husband and I bought a Breville convection toaster oven in December of 2012 from this store. Since there are just two of us, this is our primary means of baking, and as we don't have a microwave, our primary means of reheating. Needless to say, we use it a lot. Last week, it just stopped working for us. The screen went out, and we think a fuse was blown from inside. Not sure. Anyway, my husband contacted Breville, who said they cannot do anything without the original receipt. We did not still have the receipt, as we loved the oven, and had decided to keep it. We took it to the Williams Sonoma store to see if they might have an electronic copy of our receipt somewhere in their system. We printed our bank statement as proof of purchase from that store back in December. Tina, who helped us, was so kind. She said that since they still have it in stock, they could just replace it for us. She saved us the trouble of dealing with Breville, and we left happily with a brand new toaster oven. Thank you Tina! read more