yourstrulyquilts

I jut shop on-line. Save me a hassle.

roseOfsharon

I can say that I have not really had any bad experiences in Joanns thus far. I know they are busy at times and expect the wait. As time has it, hiring extra help is out of the question, even though it might generate both jobs and better relationships with customers, the ecomony won't allow it. Sad but true. I enjoy getting the coupons and putting them to use on either material or notions (always need to buy something or other). In fact I am planning on a run by there this week with the coupons I had received in the mail! I need to check out the fall fabrics for a couple of projects ahead of me! I am sorry that some have experienced bad times when shopping at Joanns, hopefully things will improve.

momski

I tend to have similar problems at Joann's. My local store is smaller and generally not stocked with much as it is in a lower income area but I go anyway because the next closest one is about 30 minutes away. With a toddler, I try not to make the trip too often.

So the last few times I have gone, mostly during the day, there has been ONE employee in the store and a manager (who is magically never available to help). So this ONE employee works the cutting counter until everyone's fabric has been cut then goes to the register to ring everyone up. This means that if your the first to get your fabric cut, you can wait up to 45 minutes (more in the evenings and weekends) to get checked out. And if you wander too much and miss her at the register, you have to wait for all the new people's fabric to be cut.

Last time I was in, I casually mentioned that they always seem understaffed and the manager (who was watching the ONE employee at the register but not doing anything) in a very nasty voice said, "well we don't do that much business so there is no reason to need more people." The employee, whose back was to the manager responded in my direction by sneering. Haha... now I make a weekend trip to the farther Joann's when my husband is home to watch my little guy.

I hate the big store attitude but I can't afford the $7.99-$12.99 a yard that my local private quilt store sales for every project.

kapatt

I must be spoiled because we have 2 very good JoAnn's within driving distance and they are great. We do use numbers at the cutting table so I can get the number (and if there are several numbers before mine) I can do more shopping. They use a hand gun type of reader where they put in the correct amount of yardage and I am charged the correct amount. If there is only a little bit left on the bolt (after they have unrolled the amount that I ask for) the will give me the rest of the bolt at a discount. (Say I ask for 1 1/2 yards and they have 2 yards on the bolt...they'll ask if I want the last 1/2 yard at a 50% discount)...I always say yes.
:wink:

I live about an hours drive from both stores so I plan my trips to town to co-incide with their sales. :lol:

The clerks are very helpful. Many times they'll ask what I'm going to make and they give good ideas if it is warranted. I feel a lot more comfortable in JoAnn's than I do in many local fabric stores. It is a very relaxed atmosphere. The store does get busy quite a lot, but the clerks are great and pleasant almost all of the time.

Parrothead

My JoAnn's experiences has been the same as many of yours - long lines, unfriendly and unknowledgable clerks. The best one was when I found the twin pointed needles on their website and went to the store to see if they had them. The clerk told me "You are crazy". I think they sell too many other things besides fabric and notions.

Crafty Chick

As a former employee of Jo-Ann's, I would like to respond to some of the remarks: 1. There is a card taped to the desk that gives you the proper decimal amount to put in for anything cut or measured less than the norm (like 34 inches)-unless it is an old store that does not use the handheld devices; 2. They are very short handed and I always grab a ticket when I walk in so I can be waited on sooner; 3. As far as letting the night crew set up the new merchandise, I worked the night crew and we were busier at night than they were during the day and then we had to put up all the stock that the day shift did not get to before we could go home-which was sometimes 11pm after the store closed at 9pm--THEY NEED TO HIRE MORE PEOPLE-LOTS OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT NEED A JOB!

Kitsie

There is 1 Joann's close to me and its a real pain in all the above ways. There is another about 15 miles away and they are all super with customer service. With a couple of MUCH better stores nearby I don't go there either. Admit I did luck out on a 18 x 24" Fiskars cutting mat(self-healing) for $12 recently.

bjacobs

I too am a former member of Joann's. I totally agree that they need to hire more employees. We had enough people to work, but the upper management told our managers to cut hours. Our store does very well in sales and most of the employees are very plesant. Our district manager is not so pleasant with the customers however. It seems that all they look at is the bottom line. I realize they are in the business to make money, but it sure makes it hard on the regular employees by cutting hours.

Granny B

I love JoAnn's and have had nothing but great experiences there.

Jeri

I think the managers are lining their own pockets. Keep staffing costs down and get Bonus.