So…
Here’s A Call to Action!
I don’t know what the JoAnn’s Fabric & Craft store near you is like, but the one in Winston-Salem, NC is a total dump. It’s filthy, poorly stocked, and the customer service is horrendous. This week I added two more bad JoAnn’s experiences to the huge list I already had, and I think I just reached my limit. I just couldn’t take it anymore and posted a comment about it on my FaceBook fan page, which started a barrage of replies that surprised even ME! It seems I struck a nerve! I wasn’t alone in my disgust about JoAnn’s!
But all of this makes me really wonder how a store can show this little regard for their customers and still stay in business? And the obvious answer is, because we continue to shop there. We put up with it.
Now I know there are a few nice JoAnn’s out there.
I’ve been to a few. One in Rochester, NY, and one in Raleigh, NC to name two. And the one you shop at may be just fine.
But this post is dedicated to the rest of us who live in remote areas and do not have other viable options for sewing supplies. Tomorrow, I am sending an official complaint to the corporate offices of JoAnn’s, since I have not received satisfaction any other way. I for one, have resolved to do as little shopping at JoAnn’s as possible, until conditions improve. I am going to try my best to get my supplies either from online stores or local quilting stores, even if I have to drive further to get them. I really think the only thing that big corporations like this understand, is their bottom line, and until we effect that, we can really expect no change. They will continue to disrespect us until we get their attention!
If you’ve had similar experiences at the JoAnn’s near you, I would LOVE for you to do these three things;
- add a comment below detailing your experience at JoAnn’s, and in what town/state that JoAnn’s is located. If your experience has been good, post it, if your JoAnn’s is the pits, tell us why you think so.
- if you’ve had pleasant dealings with an online vendor, please give their web address here and what you’ve ordered from them. For example, I like dealing with www.equilter.com for Australian and other ethnic fabrics! I’d like to prepare a future post compiling these resources for the convenience of all of us, to aid in our avoidance of JoAnn’s. .
- And finally, if you feel inclined to detail your dissatisfaction in a letter I endourage you to do so! Maybe if they get a barrage of similar letters, they will stick to just discounting their products and quit discounting our opinions!
I advised JoAnn’s that I would be sharing my bad experiences in my Blog and on my FaceBook fanpage, and I encouraged them to come here to see what the responses have been, so let ’em have it! If we’ve learned anything in the last couple of weeks, it’s that the Social Networks are very powerful tools to effect change, so let’s band together and show JoAnn’s how we feel and what we’re willing to do about it! Thanks so much for your support!
Check out the best sewing pins with me on Pinterest, join in on discussions or show off your work in our FaceBook Group, or get your daily sewing fix on our Facebook Business Page or the behind the scenes scoops on Instagram! And don’t forget to check out our video tips & tricks on our You Tube Channel and be the 1st to know about new patterns, discount codes and sample sales by signing up for “Bag Making is Fun”, our bi-monthly newsletter.
4 Comments
Join Our Mailing List!
Click button below to get 15% off your 1st pattern!
Just ordered my 1st pattern from you and have been browsing your site.
When I saw your comments about JOANN Fabrics, I just HAD to show you what I witnessed in our local store in Clay NY, just outside of Syracuse.
While shopping this past Winter there was a customer with a small dog on leash & in customer’s arms that I kept avoiding due to my severe allergies & asthma and was just determined to get what I had already picked out and get out of there.
My one item was fabric I needed to be cut, which required taking a number & wait in line. While waiting, the shopper with dog had by then put her dog IN her basket SITTING ON TOP OF FABRIC TO BE CUT. See attached pic…
I immediately left my basket and searched store for an employee. When I alerted her to the problem & MY issue with being near dogs, I also pointed to the area where she was as I didn’t want the customer to see me reporting her, so as not to create any possible confrontations. The employee SHRUGGED & said ‘oh maybe it’s a service animal’! When I informed her of no vest indicating that and that dog’s butt is sitting on store fabric, she walked away slowly. I took the pic from a distance, then left store.
I posted the pic on Joann’s FB pg AND sent it to corporate with a detailed complaint saying I was also going to report to our Health Department. And I said their store employees need better training on how to properly handle customer complaints.
I got a response saying, that they now actually allow leashed pets which are allowed by health department and that there is a sign on store entrance stating that.
AND that if I have a problem with that & have health problems, that I should read store signs before entering!!!
Since I don’t see any way to attach pic here, I will try to email it to you because you will not believe your eyes.
Thanks for letting me vent again!
Thanks for commenting Pat! Unfortunately nothing Joann’s does surprises me anymore and that’s all I can say about that. 🙁
I love my Joann’s! (Batavia, NY) The staff there are very customer experience oriented, always willing to help and consult with me about my projects. My only negative comment is that it is a small store and thus the fabric selection is limited. Wish it were larger!
There is a wide variation in the quality of the JoAnn’s stores. If you have a good one, be thankful, because ours honestly couldn’t be much worse. 🙁