Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores review: very rude customer service 30

I totally agree! I have been treated VERY rudely by the "ladies" at the Joann Fabric in Trotwood, OH. When I needed to even exchange something, they tried to charge me more, because the item is not on sale anymore...saying I have to pay the difference. Not only that, EVERYTIME I go in there, there are 4-5 employees standing around with the line 4-5 deep! And heaven forbid you need help with anything or ask a question, you will get huffing and puffing...they do not want my business...FINE! I will never step foot in a Joanns again...my money wil go to HobbyLobby

I have had very similar experiences at the Joann Fabrics in Sault Sainte Marie MI. I needed to exchange a $4.00 item for the identical item, simply in a different color and they told me I would have to pay $2.00 because I may have purchased the item on sale (which I didn't). I explained to them that all I wanted to do was swap the same item in a different color, I was not looking for any type of refund. They claimed this policy is for inventory puposes, which makes no sense at all. Adjusting the inventory would happen in an exchange process. The old item would be added back into inventory while the new item purchased would be removed. I am very disappointed that after traveling 35 miles each way to this store that I would be treated this way. Additionally, to process the transaction I had to give my name, address, phone number, drivers license, it was absolutely ridiculous and took over 15 mins, which I thought should have taken 2 mins.

Oh, I so agree that Joann Fabrics has "Terrible" customer service. I visited a store in Taylor, MI to buy wedding favors. I found a shelf that had small gobblets with lace (5 containers @ 25 per) with a sale sticker on the shlf and container so I picked them & went to checkout with some other things. The cashier was Rude and tells me, "I can only sell you one container for the sale price because they were mismarked and it looks like someone (meaning me from the look she gave me and the loud tone of her voice)
PUT these sale stickers on! Ok, for one I am NOT a thief and if it was mismarked then why would I be sold Any of them! I can't even begin to tell you how mad I was about being called a thief and on top of that both the manager and cashier were to LAZY to walk back to the isle (that I asked them to do) and see/touch/feel/whatever) the Huge Sale sign on the very shelf were the remaining two containers were. I will be buying "all" my wedding supplies at another store where my money/business is appreciated and I'm treated like a "customer". Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad, customer service. Oh, I also called corporate and have yet to get a call back and that's really not a big surprise huh but at least the employees there were nice.

JoAnn.com has terrible customer service, I ordered a fabric online that was supposed to arrive in 2-3 weeks. After 4 weeks I emailed them and never heard back. So I called them I talked to a person who was going to find out what was going on and get back to me, she never did. So I called again and said that I wanted to speak to a manager and the person insisted that she could help. She promised me that she would find out what was going on and let me know, guess what she never got back to me. I also told her that I wanted to be contacted by a manager, guess what- no called. So I called again and finally got to talk to a manager, she said that the fabric was cut and ready to be picked up, and said sorry for the trouble. Then a day later I get an email stating that the fabric is backordered and it will take another 2-3 weeks before I will get it. Guess what I don't have my fabric, and I don't have a refund. Guess what else- I will never shop there again.

it's especially the women at the cutting counter. ALWAYS the biggest B's in the store. I CAN'T STAND that store!

Honestly, with the recession the way it is and people desperately needing jobs - JoAnn Fabrics is a store that SHOULD be closed down.

The miserable and rude people who work there DONT deserve the jobs and customers DO NOT NEED to be treated with contempt and disregard. Employees -especially Corporate idiots- need reminding that if it wasnt for the customers spending - there would be no wages in their pockets. But they are too stupid to think about that!

This company does not possess any business ethics and they truly deserve to go under.

The BBB should be involved and customers should go elsewhere for their goods - where CUSTOMER SERVICE actually means something.

Good riddance JoAnn Fabrics - because I wont spend another fricken dime in your store again, and will inform friends and associates likewise!

Julie, Erie PA

I was trying to get 5 yrds and 4 yrds of the same fabric. I could not find a way to do it in my online order. I tried putting two different fabric times and it kept adding them into 9 yrds. I then thought this is a fabric store I am sure their will be a location to type in requests because people are making things out of this fabric. nope. so then i was like a lil bit of a hassle but I will just call and have them do it for me. So I called a lady Jackie (who refused to give me her last name or her extenstion) she told me this was impossible and she made me sound like i was the only person who has ever had this request. REALLY?!?!?!? I kept asking her in different ways because I was figuring she just wasn't smart enough to understand my request. She indicated that I couldn't possibly get anything cut they buy in 8 yrds only. i said how did i buy 9 yrds then and where are they cutting this 1 yrd from if they only sell by 8 yrds. No response. yeah thats what i thought so how am i suppose to do this buy two transactions and pay 14 dollars for my shipping because i couldn't do it all on one transaction. and the lady said yes thats how you should do it. I said well so you are telling me i can get this in 5 and 4 yrds. I am so frustrated.

You have to understand that the people at Jo-Ann fabrics don't get paid a lot at ALL. I started there at $7.50/hour and got only a corporate-set $0.20 after a year, then a $0.50 raise for taking a key-holder position (way more responsibilities). That's not enough for anyone, let's be real. I'm not going to lie, though, there ARE some people that shouldn't be in customer service at all.

S-honnila: We HAVE to ring up exchanges because different colors have different SKUs (the barcode). Most of the time if it's the same item, but a different color, I give it at the price that was paid originally. No-reciept returns take 50% off the item automatically. There is NO WAY to work around it. Also, we have employees that steal items from their store and returning it in a different store. It happened in my district, thus the need for personal information. We can't just "give" you anything. It's a retail store that is corporately owned. The head manager HAS to follow rules or else it's an audit hit, thus a job threat.

SHOPPER007: That's terrible. That would not happen in my store. We always check the signs to see what it says and the exclusions. If the sign is up, we HAVE to honor it, no matter how many you're buying.

Julaki: The people at Jo-Ann Fabrics aren't paid enough to put up with the crap that some people throw at them. We are asked the same stupid questions day in and day out, and it gets very aggravating having to hear, "This is on sale, and this is on sale, and this is on sale, " for every item a customer puts on the counter. "Oh it said this was 30% off." You can see the 30% off but you can't see the text right underneath that clearly states what it's on sale for? (Just an example.) It's very maddening working in retail, mainly because about half of society is legitimately stupid. I'm not talking "I don't sew" stupid. I'm talking "I don't have a 4th grade knowledge" stupid.

sewing mom: You can't even get a 4 yard and 5 yard cut of the same fabric in the physical store. We cut what you need, you do the rest. We do not do any custom cuts, nor can we take returns from the online store, and vise versa. It's a retail store, not a tailor. The people at corporate are ridiculously stupid, I will totally agree with you on that, BUT almost EVERY bolt of fabric that we get in is already cut into an 8 yard strip. Some fabric collections come in less, some come in more. There is no way to work around it unless it is a home decor fabric (I believe).

Overall, I feel mainly that there needs to be some set rules on shopping.
* If you don't know where something goes, and you're planning on buying something... BRING IT TO THE REGISTER SO SOMEONE WHO knows WHAT THEY'RE DOING CAN PUT IT BACK so someone else doesn't come along and think it's on sale! If you're not planning on buying something, GIVE THE REMOVED ITEM TO AN EMPLOYEE TO PUT BACK!
* I don't need to know what's on sale. I WORK IN THE STORE. I'm pretty aware of the big red and white signs hanging all over the place every week.
* You are in an aisle of draped fabric, you pull one out... DON'T PUT IT BACK, DON'T PUT IT ON TOP, DON'T TURN AROUND AND SHOVE IT IN THE CUBBY BEHIND YOU, give it to the cutting table people. Don't even need to say "I don't need this." Just drop it in the bottle cart and walk away... DON'T WRAP THE DRAPE AROUND THE BOLT AND SHOVE IT IN UP-SIDE-DOWN.. It's freakin common sense! I can only imagine how some people's houses look with the way they treat this store.

Here's a good mood setter for everyone that has problems with this store... I walked into the bathroom with fecal matter on the floor and smeared on the mirror. $8.20 an hour is NOT enough to be putting up with that, on top of a messy store you just cleaned because ONE person is too damn lazy to remember where it came from or give it to an employee, 3 customers coming up to you all at once asking you 20 different questions and following you around asking you more questions, someone waiting for fabric to be cut, someone is out on break, the register freezes, and the lights go out because they forgot to change the timer for our holiday hours. I am on my feet for 8 hours straight constantly helping people. WE ARE ALL PEOPLE. If YOU had to put up with all that wouldn't YOU be a bit pissy when someone comes up to you asking a stupid question and second guessing your response?

Mainly:
* IF YOU DON'T WANT IT, DON'T TOUCH IT!

It is time for Joann Fabrics to get some competition and we need a chain that has nice, helpful people. Every time I go in there I am treated like the 'ladies' are doing me a favor! I think they get paid to help the customers! If I was ever that rude to customers when I worked retail, I would have been fired! Apparently this company does not get it! I read about the customer who was refused bathroom use and they let diarhea run down this poor woman's legs! This company is rude and more disrespectful than any other place. Any normal person or company would help out a fellow human being! I am disgusted about this company. All they care about is the bottom line (the might dollar) however, they can care about that and their customers too! We need to stop shopping there and use other alternatives like Hobby Lobby, and even Walmart just to get them gone!

I hate this store, the ladies are all [censor]es, and need to grow up and realize they have a fricken EASY JOB! I dont see them giving brain surgeries, or doing construction work. They work in an air conditioned store, folding fabric, cutting fabric, answering questions, and checking customers out. ALL THEY NEED TO DO IS SMILE! You know what? If you're going to be so sour about your job, why are you there?! Do your job like a respectable human being, and do a good job. BTW, they suck at cutting your fabric., they gip you on your lengths, and if the edge of the fabric is crappy and you ask for 4 yards, they will measure 4 yards, cut it like a 3 year old, and 2 inches of the ends on each side are unusable because 1, they are crappy cuts, or 2, its a dirty, fraying edge. and you pay for that?! I DONT THINK THATS RIGHT! Get over yourself Joanne employees, you work a cushy job, so suck it up.

I will never ever shop at Joann.com again. It's the first time I ordered online and it was a horrible experience. They sent the wrong fabric, I called to get the authorization number for return, after hours on the phone talking to 5 different people, I got my number 10 days later. Well they said they will send fedex to pick up my fabrics, 3 days later still no one shows up. Called Joann again demanded to talk to manager. She never called back. Who is running this business? They have a bunch of incompetent people. Very frustrating and you wondering why you have no business. recession is not the reason, it's the people

This is so funny... I just happen to stumble upon this page while looking for fabric reviews... and I had no intention of posting, but I just went into a Joann Fabrics for the first time EVER 2 days ago in Chico, CA, and my main impression was how unbelievably rude the employees were. I was clearly looking for something, saw an employee and tried to catch her notice. When she saw me, she looked down and seemed to try to pretend I didn't exist. I thought she must be a customer, but walked up and saw more clearly that she was indeed an employee. I finally queezed out of her where the upholstery section was, found what I wanted and went to the cutting table. The employee there was chatting with a customer and completely ignored my presence . At minimum, she should have said "I'll be with you in just a moment". So after a few minutes I left.

Really though, if the managers of these stores want to increase sales, they really need to put their employees through customer service training. Shoot, it's cheap and easy, just get some DVD's, send them home with the employees, and inform them a 20 question test will be waiting for them when they get back.

I love it when customers don't know how many feet is in a yard. Oh and how about the question, I have a table about "this big" (trying to demonstrate with your arms) "how much fabric do I need?" C'Mon people for real. Measure your stuff. If you can't read a pattern guess what...that's your first clue that tells you DON'T TRY IT. TAKE A FREAKING CLASS!

So for future reference, 3 feet is in a yard, which equals 36 inches. Oh and this is 2011, so standard windows and tables don't exist anymore. So stop asking how much material you need for standard ANYTHING!

To the last poster. What is with the attitude. That comment is no help to the review.

It's called "freedom of speech".

And you're supposed to check your spelling before submitting. Just another example of someone that can't read.

Hmmm I must have hit a nerve, LOL. Let me guess you're one of those people that didn't know how many feet is in a yard. Did I call you out? I'm sorry to have embarrassed you. Oh hold on, you're one of those that expects employees to know how big your window is and how much fabric you need.

That's all you got...ROLMAO. If you claim to be a big dick, oops I mean have, then in reality you really don't! I'm sorry.

Ok. And what was your point?

You can stick it up your boyfriends. He seems to admire your stuff.

Gather up more of your little friends. Troll, really? How old are you like 12? But hey thanks for the costume idea.

You know what happens when you assume right?

Did you contact headquarters and file a complaint? It was insulting to you to have an employee ask you personal questions and tell you what you need to be doing with your own money. I would have dropped everything and said "Apparently I DONT need to waste my money HERE...I will go someplace else" and walk out.

Contact headquarters. File a complaint with them.

There are two JoAnns I go to here in Dallas. One of them doesnt have enough employees working the store, but they are nice to the customers.

The other one is in an "upscale" part of town (or so they like to think), so they act snobby a lot, but they are still respectful to the customers.

Ive learned from past experiences...file a complaint with headquarters. Ive had some very nasty people fired that way.

I'm very relieved to see I'm not the only person who thinks Joann Fabrics has some very subpar service. I tried to use a mobile coupon, but my phone is non-android so the barcode would not come up right. Instead of still honoring it, I received blank stares and was told that they've never seen that before. You might have thought I was trying to pull off some grand criminal scheme. They would not give me the discount, and the funny part is, I was planning on going back to buy some additional things when I had more time to shop, so they lost multiple purchases over an $8 savings. The entry-level employees are really not to blame though, as the whole corporate culture seems to suck. No one who works there seems happy to be there and I can't think of ONE time when I've ever been greeted or asked if I need anything. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever even been looked at by an employee there until I've made it to the register. I wrote a complaint to them via their website, but it cuts you off after a paragraph, so they really don't even want feedback. With Hobby Lobby, Michael's, etc., there's no need for Joann's. They are an extraneous scourge to the crafting market, and the new economy will be the best teacher for this lesson.

I shop at Joann sometime but every time I have a bad experience even I shop a different store. At first I was thinking maybe the employee of this store only so I try to shop other store even they are 20 miles further from my house and hopefully to have better good feeling customer service. Unfortunately it is not, Joann has “TERRIBLE” customer service.

On January I bought two wreaths and I said I might take back one. I was careful to ask the cashier if I could take it back since it was holiday item. She went back to check with other lady and confirmed with me that if you have receipt. Now I return back one item, the lady name “PATTI” at 31523 Pacific Hwy S Federal Way refuses to return and keep saying this item is no longer in the store and we don’t carry any more. She also said “IT IS A MONTH CAN’T RETURN”. It is not a month yet, 22 days beside the policy is 90 days return with receipt. I do have a receipt. I am trying to explain but she said “it doesn’t matter”. What does it mean “DOESN’T MATTER” and I asked her if I can speak to manager or someone else, she said “IT IS ONLY ME”. She could have a better explain then treat me like a trash. She was so RUDE and took other customer right on front of me and refused to help me.

If cashier told me my item won’t take it back then I won’t buy or I will be aware before to buy. She might be a new employee but she checked with someone else before she told me YES AND WITH RECEIPT.

I never see any cashier like PATTI; she refused to call manager, refused to help me instead helping other customer. One of the customer said “JUST CALL SOMEONE” then Patti said to customer “STAY OUT OF THIS”. WOW!?

Finally manager CYNTHIA came out. She gave my refund but the way the manager doing was completely not professional or good customer service at all. She told me next time “don’t yell and I’m a person to deal with this”. I’m so mad, she didn’t see what was going on, she and Patti are the same BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE. I didn’t yell, I didn’t swear I just need someone to explain and help me and what I have been asked beginning. They are so mean to me, I feel they have no respect probably they are thinking I am minority people. Yes, English is my second language. It is hard even talk why yell?!

The miserable and rude people who work at Joann DO NOT deserve the jobs in America and customers DO NOT NEED to be treated with contempt and disregard.

Please don’t say that people at Joann don’t get paid a lot. It doesn’t mean if you don’t get pay enough so you could be rude to other people. If you don’t feel good
then quit. I was usually working as cashier so I deeply understand but it is not mean you don’t take back a refund when it is still in 90 days refund policy and have a receipt. I wish the cashier told me “WE WON’T TAKE IT BACK FOR THIS ITEM OR THAT ITEM” then I won’t.

It is my lesson I won’t buy any holiday stuffs or valentine stuffs at Joann and I won’t come to this store any more.

Very frustrating Joann store and their business. They do not appreciate the business no matter what their corporate headquarters prints on their website.

There is also an extremely RUDE B-TCHY fabric cutting girl at West Roxbury, MA location and the fat white 'manager' girl isn't even close to behaving like a manager all she did was shout and make threats when I complained why? Because I asked for a PRICE CHECK?! LOL these Dumb idiotic and LAZY girls shouldn't be working in customer service if they don't want to do their jobs and Im glad they're going out of business serves them right!

Also their unisex bathroom was absolutely Disgusting apparently they were out of paper towels and they didn't even bother taking the trash out for the day so it was piled up and above the trash bin - take the trash out and STOP BEING A BUNCH OF LAZY B-TCHY whiny c-unts! Not only is the unisex creepy the bathroom smelled terrible I will never shop at that store store again only an idiot would shop there no thanks!

I have worked at a Joann for about 5 years now and desperately have been trying to escape for the past 2. I swear everyone needs to work mandatory retail for one year. We are "rude, and snappy" because of other issues...we get tired of hearing screaming children, we get tired of fixing fabric that was JUST cleaned up because someone grabs it to look at and it puts it up wrong. you have no idea what it's like to watch someone sneeze and touch everything. You have no idea what it's like to work 40 hours one week to get cut to 5 hours. You have no idea what it's like to be spit at, screamed at, called every name in the book, accused of lying and stealing, and chasing things on purpose. We barely make above minimum wage. we are all part time, and NO BENEFITS are offered. We are "rude and snappy" because we are working our butts off with a crew of 4 PEOPLE. cashiers and cut counter work the jobs of 6 people. corporate visits are random, and we have to get the store nice and pretty or we are docked. we have to get a stock room of 500 items out and the stock room cleaned in one week for the next truck. all while dealing with idiotic customers who can't read the signs, the phone ringing off the hook, taking curbside orders out that are timed in 2-3minutes or less or we are docked. we are docked if we don't get enough donations or email sign ups. I have had things thrown at me. I watched someone break a lotion on fabric to get a discount on it. we are often forced to honor expired coupons, taking back items that clearly have been used... we can't custom cut. often times i am hours behind my get off time because MY COWORKERS DO NOT CALL and say they are running late and i have to stay till someone wants to come up and relieve me. there is no communication between corporate and employees or in between employees...my manager will say one thing to me and a different thing to someone else...and then others will say other things. I once was told to clean the bathroom before i left an hour after i was supposed to, and there was fecal matter all over the handles and floors. I refused to clean it. our store is old and falling apart, yet corporate only cares about emails. our bathrooms are out of order at least once a week, and we watch people STILL go in the bathrooms with sewage seeping through the floor. I hate being the only cashier for 8 hours with a line that keeps growing and growing with no backup, and it's not always the cashier, sometimes the customers will deliberately hold up the line for coupons and just to talk. we had a $2 raise but it was taken away for some reason. the covid response was poor, and too little too late. no mask policy, we were required to wear one but we could not enforce if customers refused. or we were fired. we could take a leave of absence, but if we closed to the public, we could not file for unemployment, and had to have a drs note. we had 2 employees out for testing positive, yet we stayed open. corporate forced us to stay open to the public. we do half price returns without receipts because of FRAUD and AUDIT issues, not because we think you are stealing. we have no idea what comes on our stock trucks, and often times they change arrangements in the store without being told. I watched sewing machines just walk out, and yet we have our bags checked and hours cut without warning. there are no security cameras, we are not allowed to chase or accuse. which is understandable. but my god, you people have no idea what goes on in the store.