Disappointing trip to Joann's today

Tried to do some fabric shopping at Joann's today, but apparently taking inventory is more important than customers trying to buy products. Got frustrated being made to feel that I was in the way as I tried to shop and left.

I wonder why they don't hire workers to do that job at night when the store is closed? I guess they have some good reason. I would think it would be hard to get an accurate count with customers pulling items off the shelf while they're trying to count the inventory.

They had a whole bunch of people there doing inventory. Why didn't they rope off a section (of course, it would have been the entire quilting fabrics section)? I basically had a person moving a ladder into my personal space and then climbing it.....giving me the look that I was in the way. Or close the shop for half a day? Arrgghhh!

I had a bit of a disappointing experience at Joann's this weekend too. I was looking to test out a sewing machine and I was pretty shocked to find they only really carried two models that I would consider affordable (less than $200) and none of those were set up to test. All the workspaces were filled with the high ticket, computerized sewers and sergers.

I really am anxious to get my mom a sewing machine (that I can use while both of mine are still in storage!) but I don't want it to be something overly complicated that she will feel intimidated by and not end up using. It really is for her to ease back into sewing things herself, not just for me to borrow so I can quilt. LOL She was quite the seamstress in her day, making many outfits for herself and my siblings, but she has been out of practice for many years.

I googled some "sewing retailers" in our area of Delaware and came up with 2. Guess we'll be road trippin' at some point to check them out.

Our Joann's in Berlin Vermont recently moved from their large space in the mall to a smaller location - due to lease costs from what I hear. But in addition to not carrying what they did (no handbag supplies, not as much batting, etc.) they cut way down on the help. When I want to cash out you have to ring the buzzer as their never is anyone on the register anymore.

I avoid JoAnn's as much as possible.

I'm familiar with that attitude...I get it often at WalMart.

We don't have a Joann's, but we have other stores that have done this and it annoys me to no end! When I worked retail, inventory was done after hours because then you didn't bother any customers and, more importantly for us from an inventory perspective, customers didn't bother us by picking stuff off a shelf and leaving it somewhere else in the store lol

The worst for this in our area is Walmart! When they are open 24 hours for the three weeks leading up to Christmas, it's expected that if you go late at night they're doing inventory because they have to do it at some point and being open 24 hours means no time without customers in the store. But I guess because people tolerated pallets worth of stuff blocking aisles so well during those three weeks they decided they could pull it off all year. We have FOUR Walmarts, soon to be five, and every one has pallets worth of stuff blocking aisles. Where there used to be gaps between the large displays so you could get to the other side of the aisle there are now huge pallets wrapped in plastic. Dumb, dumb, dumb and annoys me EVERY time we go! And last time I went they had their fabric section blocked off so bad you couldn't even get in. Don't they understand I need fabric?! lol And don't get me started on the missing price tags on shelves and large pieces of paper taped up with their new display schemes all over the place...

I went to my Joanns earlier to see if they had Jenny's new magazine. Nope, not yet. As much as I don't like Joann's, I brought a bunch of coupons with me, just in case. Usually they only let you take 50% off regular priced merchandise and only on one item. Today, I got a few cuts of fabric and the woman at the cutting table asked me if I brought coupons. I replied, yes, I have four. She told me to use all of them at the check-out counter. Quilting notions were also on sale 50% off and the coupons are good til the 20th. If only they had nicer fabric, I'd make another trip before Saturday.

So, I ended up with about $36 worth of stuff, used all my coupons and paid less than $20. It was worth going out in the heat. It's about 93F right now and we're having cheeseburgers from the grill. No cooking here today! And maybe not tomorrow either. :D

The inventory workers are not Joann's employees. They are an outside company hired to do inventory only.

I can relate to the comment about Walmart and pallets in the way. A few months ago my husband and I decided to make a late night trip to our 24hr Walmart to do a little shopping and I was so frustrated by all the pallets everywhere. I could've understood a couple here and there but it was crazy to have them all over to such an extent that it was impossible to shop. So now we either battle the crowds during the day or battle the pallets in the evening---not sure which is worse.

Since I live in a fairly small town the only 2 local spots for fabric are Walmart and Joann's. I like to buy WM fabric when it's discounted since I sew clothing items as well---unlike some other comments I've seen on the forum I have had good luck and there's always someone in the department to cut what I need. The only bad experience was when they were doing inventory because they had huge tables setup in the entire department in front of the displays so there was no way to shop but that was only for about 10 days.

I haven't encountered inventory at Joann's yet but I'm sure that it would be crazy! I would think they would do it after hours as well. I used to manage a small retail store and we always did our inventory after hours but that was several years ago. The workers in my Joann's are always very friendly and over the past couple months of shopping a couple of them actually recognize me (I won't tell my husband this because he would think this is a bad sign). All this talk about fabric now has me wanting to go shopping :-(

It looked to be an outside crew doing the inventory. I just didn't appreciate the woman putting the ladder in my personal space and then climbing it, leaving her posterior about head high next to me.......

I recognize most of the regular workers at my local JoAnn's - they were trying to help, but I just wanted to compare some different colors, so was trying to do it on my own - still trying to get all of my fabric for the Mystery Quilt group. I may call and see if the inventory crew is gone. I was trying to rush on my lunch hour which didn't help matters.

Joanns opened a new store in Selinsgrove, PA. My friends and I bought lots of fabric from a lady that had a fabric shop and gone out of business and had applied to the store for a job. After 'training' her, they told her they couldn't hire her because she was too friendly, knew too much, and customers didn't want the employees bugging them asking what project they were going to use the fabric for. Hello? I haven't stepped in there and don't plan to.

Even if a store has to bring in outside agencies to do their inventory, it affects their business and customers. Perhaps the Joann's should have a talk with the outside help.

Hugs,

ilive2craft2 .............. if that women was standing next to me with her butt at my head height l wouldn't have been able to resist sticking a pin in it hahahaha.. l'm bad l know........... :icon_heh: :icon_heh: :icon_heh: :icon_heh:

I anyways feeling like I'm bothering the staff at Joann's...I dislike having to go there anymore.

I did send a comment to their on line feedback form. I rec'd a response from them - they apologize that the customer service that I rec'd was less than excellent and that they would address it at the local level. Not sure if it will really do any good or if just the local employees will get in trouble, which was not my intent.

I have received less than stellar customer service at Joann's in the past....esp waiting for fabric to be cut. It seems that there is always a line (a loooong line) and only one, MAYBE two people cutting...when they have spots for 5 or 6 to be cutting fabric! As for Wal Mart, their customer svc always seems to be lacking, esp when it comes to opening up enough registers when there are lines. And I have run into the ever present palette (and ready to be stocked) merchandise standing EVERYWHERE!! Seems they just don't care, unless they have "big wigs" coming into the store. And I have been into more than one store that has been doing inventory during the day and have had varying experiences....the best being at our local CVS, the people they have come in (during the day) are always courteous, go out of their way to stay out of the way of the customer and try to "blend into" the store.

They are very rude people no matter what. They don't care since it isn't "their" store... they only get paid to do the inventory so they don't have to be considerate.

But Wal-Mart is going the way of the warehouse stores.. bunch of junk piled to the ceiling. The profit margin is greater. OK, rant is over.