Do you shop online? I do, and I am doing more of it. Part of the reason is because of where I live and the lack of shopping in a small town. But much of it has to do with unsatisfactory customer experiences in stores. I would like to patronize local merchants, although there are few of them around. But the local outlets for the big national chains are horrible. A recent experience at the local Lowe’s home improvement store started me on this rant. We visited the store last weekend to look at and probably purchase blinds for a couple of windows. There was a sales clerk in the department, and we were the only customers around. When I asked for help, I was told “the computers are down”, and “I am really busy”. She finally agreed to call for help. But when the new clerk arrived, she conferred with the clerk I had been dealing with and then left! The original clerk then proceeded to ignore us, so we left. We tried to speak to a manager about the lack of service but… none could be found!
I proceeded to write a complaint on Lowe’s web site, but I also started looking at window treatment options online, and found that I could save 50% by ordering myself. So why should I put up with the aggravation of poor customer service. Of course maybe that is what the big chains want, so they don’t have to hire adequate employees, but in Lowe’s case it is self-defeating. Even online, Lowe’s prices were higher than at least 6 other options. So, for lack of reasonable customer service, Lowe’s has lost my purchases. This isn’t just a rant about Lowe’s, all of our local national chain outlets suffer from the same problem. Home Depot, Best Buy have the same issue, poorly trained, unmotivated sales staff. At least Best Buy’s web site is better. You can often get better prices on their web site than you can in the store. And, you can buy online, and pick up at the local store saving shipping costs, and getting almost instant gratification. But, even on the web, big national retailers seldom have the best prices.
One product I never thought I would buy online is prescription glasses. Last fall my prescription changed and I wanted to buy a new pair of glasses. I was unable to find a pair of no-line bifocals (spare the jokes) in Las Cruces for less than $300. I wanted to get the new pair before our Paris trip in December, so I drove to El Paso and bought a pair at Costco for about $200. Then a couple of months ago, I came across the Glassy Eyes blog (link:Glassy Eyes Blog.) I thought about it for a while and then finally decided to try ordering online. I chose 39 Dollar Glasses (link:39 Dollar Glasses .) A pair of no-line bifocals, with decent frames and anti-glare coating cost me $102. The glasses arrived in 8 days and they are great. They fit well, and the lens are accurate and are comfortable. I have been wearing them for about a month and they are great. I have no complaints. So, if you wear glasses, give them a try. If you use the link for 39 Dollar Glasses that is on the Glassy Eyes blog, you will get an additional 10% off. I will put the links in my ‘links’ list on the left side of the page.
