WTF?!?!?!?

Posted by Aimee on June 16, 2007

I am PISSED OFF. I went to a local bead shop this afternoon to pick up out some beads for the Mystery Stole #3 project. I go to a HUGE locally owned bead shop (I shall not name it because it doesn’t deserve it, but it is the one on the southside of town). When possible I try to first buy local, then independent BEFORE going to big chains.

So, I go in and walk around for awhile and no one talks to me. Fine really, there is only one other customer in the store and what looks like several employee types huddled together. Whatev. Finally the other customer and I (who are now in the farthest room from the front door and the room where the employee types were are spoken to when a woman comes in to the room. She says if you need help, let me know. So I said, actually, I do. I don’t know a lot about beads, I am a knitter, but I want to add beads to a project and I am looking for blah blah blah. She looked at me as though I was trash. Worse. Dog shit on the bottom of her brand new shoes. White shoes at that. that spattered onto her pants. She informed me that she isn’t into seed beads and since it IS her shop she doesn’t really carry THOSE. She shows me what limited selection she has (which are the wrong size) and tells me that I will have to go to Michaels – she has SEEN that size there and is SURE they carry them. I thank her and leave headed to Michaels. I debated. I thought – I should just buy online, but no I want to swatch tonight. So I go over there. Guess what? They only have the same size as that lady – NOT the size I needed.

Note to small business owners: STOP BEING SUCH ASSHATS! It comes down to your customer base and I swear I will tell everyone NOT to go to your shop if you are an asshat. I have already relayed this story to several local knitters on this project (and you will now lose out on probably all their future bead business as well – you know the non-seed bead business) and now it is off into both of my blogs. With shops going under and whining about how brick and mortar can’t compete with the internet – is it any wonder. I would rather get a confirmation email and PAY FOR SHIPPING than EVER darken your door again.