I'm a southern girl living my dream in the PNW with my family of all boys. I love the color yellow, fresh picked berries, outdoor adventures, and summertime. I've been doing this photography thing for over 15 years.
Wellness Baby Store – Dallas – Why I Will Never Shop There Again
August 24, 2012
I recently had a very poor experience as a customer at Wellness Baby store in Uptown Dallas, which stretched across more than 2 months. Below is an “Unhappy Email” I sent to the owner. I’m not usually one to bash a store for 1 bad experience, because most stores make up for it in customer service or some other redeeming quality. However, that’s not the case for this boutique. I also requested contact information to speak directly with the store’s owner, Jinny Park, but was only given the store’s main phone number and generic “info@” email address and was told this is the only contact info they have.
I am a FIRM believer in delivering quality/over the top customer service. To me, that’ really makes a brand/store. It’s what keeps people returning as valued customers and helps your brand grow. It’s sad when I see a cool store, restaurant, or service fail to meet expected customer service, or at least deliver on what they promise (even if it’s just placing an order and providing what you ordered.)
We (tried) to order a well made glider and ottoman from Wellness Baby. This was a big investment for Brian and me. I even sorta planned the nursery decor around this beautiful glider and ottoman. I wish I would have been informed earlier along in the process that they were not able to provide what I ordered so I could have resolved it sooner. Now we’re almost out of time and SOL on something we were excited about and spent a decent amount of money on. My hope is that my bad experience will bring attention to the Wellness Baby Store in Dallas and help IMPROVE their customer service experience for others from here on out.
Enjoy the email below…
Dear Jinny Park,
My name is Lauren Allen. I requested a phone number and email to reach you, but the only info I was given was the generic store contact information, as I’d prefer to speak to you in person about this. I am very confused as to how we got to where we are today with my order, or should I say lack there of? Back in June I visited your store SEVERAL times and spoke with Meredith each time about the Nursery Works Cole Glider and Ottoman. She was a pleasure to work with and after visiting several other stores in the area to “test drive” gliders and researching online, I decided to return to your store to pull the trigger on ordering said furniture. This was the biggest investment for our first baby’s nursery so, I was very excited. Your store was randomly closed one afternoon, so I called the next day to make the order over the phone with Jasmine.
Jasmine took my order and charged my credit card over the phone and I requested she send me an email confirmation and receipt (see attached emailed receipt from your store & email correspondence). After several hours, Jasmine informed me that the slate ottoman with ecru piping was discontinued, so I requested she just order the all-slate Cole ottoman with dark legs, even though this wouldn’t match the slate with ecru piping Cole glider. I was ok with this, as I just wanted to get my order in for both pieces.
Three weeks had passed since placing my order with your store on June 29 with no updates yet which were promised so, I called to check on the status of the order/shipping. When I called and spoke with Jasmine, she seemed unsure of my order status and said she’d return my call once she checked on it. TWO days passed before I heard from your store again. I called and Jasmine informed me that my original order was never placed. How does this happen??!! She said they were “dealing with it” and would call me back to confirm the successful order placement. When Jasmine called me back within a day or two, she confirmed that they were able to order both matching pieces (Slate with ecru piping Cole glider AND ottoman). I was confused since when my original order should have been placed I was told the matching ottoman was discontinued, so I asked her several times “Are you sure??” She informed me it’d be 2 weeks before they received the items in-store for me to pick up.
Three more weeks had passed with no updates since we last spoke on the phone, so I called to check on the order status. I spoke with Jasmine and she checked the shipping info while on the phone with me. She said the glider would arrive in a couple days, Thursday (8/23), but they hadn’t receive shipping information for the ottoman yet and she’d let me know once they did. I received a call from Jasmine Thursday that the Glider had arrived in-store, but that the ottoman might not be available. What?! I requested she check on it immediately and please send me email confirmation of the order status by the end of day (email correspondence attached). Why is that the order has been placed more than 3 weeks before but she was just now “checking on the availability” of the item when it should have already arrived in-store for pick up?
What I don’t understand is:
1) How does this happened not once, but TWICE across an 8 week period?
2) How is it that during this entire unpleasant screwed-up-order process I was not apologized to until yesterday when I’m SOL b/c one of the pieces is no longer available after I paid for it 8 weeks ago?!
3) Why did you hold onto my money for over 2 months and tell me that my order had successfully gone through THREE times, when that was a lie and now you’re telling me it’s not available?!
I feel I deserve an explanation as to why my order was “placed” over 2 months ago and yesterday I’m told that it’s no longer available !!
I have several friends that are also pregnant, and it’s unfortunate that I cannot and will not refer them to your boutique. I am so frustrated by the lack of customer service and poor communication that your store provided, which led to a horrible experience. I’m not one to bash a store for 1 bad experience, because usually the store makes up for it in customer service or some other redeeming quality, but that’s not been the case for your boutique, unfortunately.
I’m now about 6 weeks out before my baby arrives and screwed over by your store’s mistakes. This is ridiculous.
Please refund my Visa card for the cost of the ottoman that I never received. Also, please feel free to contact me via phone (see below) or email.
Thank you,
Lauren Allen
UPDATE:
The store manager refunded the cost of the ottoman and gave me an additional 10% discount on the glider. It was then communicated to me that the manufacturer (Nursery Works) that was selling these items was shady to work with and she showed me some email correspondence between them and the store. Overall, it was just a lack of good clear communication between all parties that was never communicated to me and made it seem like the store didn’t really care and was only being sorta reactive. If you shop here, ask for the manager, Meredith, she’s nice to work with.
I'm a southern girl living my dream in the PNW with my family of all boys. I love the color yellow, fresh picked berries, outdoor adventures, and summertime. I've been doing this photography thing for over 15 years.
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