craftiladi

Phyl...I have to totally agree with you. Having worked retail and customer service jobs most of my life has given me the insight of the other side. Most of the time if you come across a unhappy worker it could be for several reasons, unrealistic expectations put on the workers & most of the time w/ very little training, they aren't happy w/ thier job [even though we think they should be happy to have a job these days].
I too do the same as you, ring up my coupon purchases separate etc. I have often found w/ mass stores like wal-mart, joannes etc the service has gotton very impersonal and I do my best to make their day alittle more pleasant by being understanding. Its a choice to shop at these stores.

Phyl

WOW! I didn't know that! Bog Brother IS watching!!!! Thanks for the input. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

Phyl

Thanks for your comment. I like to be gentle. I hope someone will be gentle and kind with me as well. Have a great day.

Schnookie

Well I have sat back and read this on and off again subject, not only from this forum but others as well... Venting is a good thing to do, here we are able to vent and get feedback on how others might handle the same type of scenario. Giving us a look into how we can maybe go back and make things better or not. But that is what we are all about sharing not only the good but the bad too.

For me I don't really do a lot of shopping at our JF, don't much care for the fabric lines that "our store" carries. I mostly buy supplies and only on sale or with a coupon! I also had a mishap with the coupons in the past but then once explained how they work their coupons I understood how to use them for my most benefit. I wish our LQS would use coupons but they don’t…so I only buy my fabric from them and mostly when on sale!! I just don’t have the monies to waste. Oh, by the way...The coupon link that showed up on my screen brings you to "coupon sites" where you need to join this or that in-order to get the coupon. I have enough junk mail that I do not need twenty more coming into my email box.

IMO
The title to this thread is; Why, oh why do I go to Joanne Fabrics (just need to vent) that should give you a in-site to what this thread is about. Giving you (the reader) the option to not read it. If it bothers you that there is a complaint then don't read it. :thumbup:

TenaHF

I feel I am a smart shopper and shop JoAnne's to utilize their great sales and coupon offers. I understand the frustration with the clerks - they make mistakes.
I take the time at checkout to watch the clerk ringing up my purchases and make sure the items are charged correctly, which helps the clerks when they are so busy.

I really like JoAnne's 10% off your total purchases which they offer occasionally.

I am lucky that there is a JoAnne's in town. Hancock's closed two years ago and really miss their store. Several quilting botiques but they are so so expensive.

Happy Quilting - from Great Falls MT....

soleegirl

i feel your pain.... and i do not know why i go there either . they must be trained to act like that. i am glad i am not the only one who has had problems there.

kapatt

I have two JoAnns close to me... (laughing..close is within 40 miles). I find the women very helpful and interested in what I'm making. We talk about color and the size I need. I do get the coupons and figure the money I've saved from using the coupons makes it worth the trip.

I do have a few principles that I apply....no matter how much we chit-chat, I watch very carefully on what is being cut and if there are any problems in the material. If I see a problem, I will stop the clerk from cutting and I will inspect the material. I question the cutting clerk on rather this material is on sale or not.

When I go up to the check-out stand, I usually have a pleasant conversation with the checkout clerk (unless there is a line behind me then I try not to chit-chat) but even though everything is pleasant, I question what items my coupons are going towards and I check to see that I get the sale price on my items.

Now when I go to the nearest Hancock Fabrics, the atmosphere is very different. They act like I'm taking up their valuable time just to have them cut my material. (I don't chit-chat with them.)
They could care less whether I was there or not. So, I like to stay with my local JoAnns. I can't yet afford the local quilt stores, but I will someday.
:-)

countrycottage

Until a few years ago we had 2 JoAnn stores in our area, one about 30 miles away, the other about 45 miles away. Both were closed. Now we must drive about 130 miles to the nearest JoAnns. That's not too bad, we just try to stock up when we go. Then one day we headed to the restroom when we arrived before we started our shopping, only to find both the ladies and men's rooms locked and their signs removed. When we asked about this we were told that the store no longer furnished restrooms for their customers.

Needless to say, after driving over 2 hours to reach the store, our shopping time spent in that store was very brief. We went to the Hancock's store that is just a few blocks away where they have a very nice restroom, and had a great shopping experience.

I couldn't figure this one out. There is another JoAnn's some 30 or 40 minutes farther away that still maintains restrooms as always.

I won't say that I'll never shop at this JoAnns again, as except for the restroom problem I do enjoy shopping there. But I'll certainly make Hancock's my first stop.

Bev

I'm sorry too, for all of you who are having a hard time at Joann's. My experiences have almost always been good ones. I go to a Joann's five mns. from my home. I just about never buy fabric there because I want my quilts to last a long time. But I DO use their coupons on anything I buy. In fact I don't go without coupons in my hand. Here's the thing with their 40% and 50% off coupons. They are for one REGULAR priced item only! But that can cover a lot of items. I always wait until the item I need or want is NOT on sale. Usually the coupons give you more off than the sale does anyhow. I also have a 10% off from AQS to which I belong. That gives me 10% off of the total purchase, sales included. My DH says to work or shop at Joann's you have to have, at the very least, minored in math.
The help there are great. Several older women are sewers, and one is also a quiltmaker. They're very good with their cutting skills and their advice. Now, I can't say the same for my daughter's Joann's near Columbus, Ohio. They're always packed with customers, which is good for them, but not for us. They line you up like cattle at the registers, and the staff always consists of younger people, maybe students, who are very unhelpful. I would not go there frequently if I lived there. As it is, I only shop there when I have run out of thread or a needle breaks while I'm sewing at my daughter's house. I guess my point is ... they're all different. Small towns have nicer people on staff. And the tools and books are as good as anyplace else you go. With a 50% off coupon what's not to like?

Schnookie

Very well said Bev :thumbup: