We are often quick to complain long and loud about bad customer service experiences. But what about great experiences? Sometimes a company just goes above and beyond in service — whether that is seen in correcting a mistake, offering special education and resources to customers, or just being all-round nice people. What are your stories of amazing customer service from kitchen shops and brands?
I just had a great experience with Thermapen, who got what felt like an entire team online to answer some questions and (self-inflicted) problems I had with my thermometer. We've talked about awesome experiences, too, with Tramontina and Le Creuset, which both replaced products long after they were purchased.
Other kitchen shops simply go above and beyond in education and resources for their customers. Mark Bitterman (pictured above) loves to teach customers about salt at his shop in Portland. I've been into coffee shops, bakeries, dairies, and other small artisan stores where the staff and proprietors were just so excited to show you what they do, that you leave feeling inspired and rich with resources.
Do you have stories of places like these? What are your best customer service experiences? Perhaps from a kitchen remodel? Or in a big kitchen purchase? Or simply while looking for the best ingredient for a recipe?
Related: Le Creuset: Great Customer Service Experience
(Images: Le Creuset; Leela Cyd Ross)
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Comments (25)
FISH'S EDDY in New York - one of the best CS experiences for me when buying a set of diner whites for our home. I know they've been popped here before, but they deserve the propers!
Browne Trading Company in Portland, Maine! Gorgeous selection of foods with a knowledgeable and passionate staff. They know their wines (and pairings) and clearly like what they do!!
I just wanted to add that I totally agree! We often complain loud and proud, but are not quick to show gratitude. I live in Washington as of March, and I have found the customer service to be impeccable so far. No kitchen stores yet, sorry to say, but I think it is important to compliment people where it is due.
I simply let the employee know how awesome he or she is, and I often find a manager to also praise what great service I received. I think it helps boost moral, and it makes them feel good.
Pryde's in Kansas City. They bring you a cup of coffee and then either leave you alone to browse or give you well-informed, low-pressure guidance, whichever you prefer.
I recently went to Schaefer's wine in Skokie IL (chicago burbs) to get a cheese selection for my hubby and I to share. The guy at the counter was so incredibly helpful and enthusiastic. He gave us samples which is of course typical of a good cheese shop, but he even spent several minutes asking around with his colleagues trying to locate a brand new cheese that had come in that day. Best thing was he knew the whole time we were just buying small pieces of cheese (so not spending tons of money) but he still spent a good 20 minutes with us, answering questions, sharing info about the cheesemakers, suggesting wines to go with it, etc. Great experience!
@ Nora Rocket: Fishes Eddy DOES have amazing CS, helping you find stuff and assisting you in the store. I've also found that Sur La Table has GREAT CS. The last time I was there, the young lady helped me track down a specific Le Creuset braiser in the color I wanted AND had it delivered to my apt for FREE since they didn't have it in the store...Amazing!
Pottery barn. I bought a ton of stuff there after I got married. One of the mugs that came in my set had a wiggly handle where the glaze didn't quite seal it off. I brought it into the store (even though I bought it online) and they replaced it. On the spot. My glass pitcher broke in shipping - one phone call to customer service and they shipped me a new one. I didn't even have to prove that the old one broke (unlike some companies - rubbermaid, I'm looking at you!). Best of all, I had an organic cotton blanket that got oddly splotchy in the wash (like someone poured bleach on it, even though I don't use bleach) the first time through. I called customer service, explained the situation, sent back the old blanket and got a new one. While the rep did replace the blanket, I still got treated to a lecture about using bleach in a colored load (so she obviously didn't believe me when I told her I don't use bleach). Whatever, one bad apple doesn't spoil the bunch. So I posted a review of the blanket online to give people a heads up. I was totally fair, said that it was probably just a fluke, and praised the customer service department for replacing the blanket even though I don't think they believed me. Within 24 hours, I got an e-mail from customer service saying that they read my review, were sorry about the attitude of the rep I had spoken to, and sent me a $20 gift card to make up for it. I was very impressed!
Another mention for the Sur La Table, the one on Spring St in Manhattan. I called ahead to see if they had an item in stock. They did and offered to set it aside for me. I walked in and had my purchase in hand less than 5 minutes later. Easiest and friendliest purchasing experience I've had in any store.
A Southern Season in Chapel Hill, NC, has fabulous customer service. I bought a tin of tea bags there, and after I got home I found that the tin had already been opened and some tea taken out. I emailed them and they apologized and replaced it; they were so nice about it. And they're just always so helpful about everything.
Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, MI. I called one morning to try to order for something for delivery that day, and the woman on the phone ran after the FedEx truck.
K. Dvorin, you are my customer service role model.
I lost one of the "feet" to my KitchenAid stand mixer in a move, making it wobble. I called KitchenAid to find out how I could order (ie, buy) a replacement, and the operator helped me figure out exactly which model I had, and sent me extra feet free.
The best kitchen items I own are Le Creuset cookware and a couple of Wüsthof knives. The best cookware store I have ever used is Williams-Sonoma; I am very happy with their customer service. I've also done well with Sur la Table, Crate and Barrel, and a now-gone (and much missed) Northern California store called William-Glenn.
E. Dihillerin in Paris!!! Like I died and went to...Paris!! Gobs and gobs of incredible cookware, tart pans, you name it. Sigh!
Sur la Table in Tyons Corner. They always have what I want, and will put it aside for me if I call. The staff is very friendly.
Viking and Wolf - the times I've had to call them, on my behalf (have one installed in a rental property) or a friend (who lives in a different state from me but was having trouble communicating due to a mild stroke), they were INCREDIBLE - honestly, combined they've really spurred me on to seek out American-made goods, the house I'm in now I'm determined to save up to buy all new kitchen appliances from one of these two.
Crate & Barrell replaced water glasses that my husband loooved but I knew were going to be delicate - very thin walls. Sure enough, two cracked and chipped in the dishwasher, and the cashier didn't even ask for a receipt, and said because they are individually blown they're all different and helped me pick out sturdier ones. She said she always picks through them when she's sending out an order.
Anchor Hocking - those pyrex storage dishes with the rubber lids that you get at Target/Walmart. One of my lids warped in the microwave and I emailed and got an immediate response apologizing and asking for the serial number or whatever so they could replace it.
William Sonoma- i received the Kitchenaid pasta attachment from their store when i got married. It had the wrong pieces, and when i went to return it, sans registry or receipt, they looked in the box and handed me the right box. They could have made it so complicated and it was so easy.
Penzeys spices- my parents gave me a giftbox of assorted spices from them. I thought the selection was strange, so I took some back to the store, only to find out that they could tell by the packaging that some of the spices were a few years old (and no longer good). My parents put some of the spices they've had on hand in the box instead of buying new spices. Penzeys still exchanged them for fresh spices even though it was completely my parents' fault.
@LittleMissy, glad you had good experiences with PB, because that has not been my experience at all.
Cuisinart was a joy to deal with when I broke my food processor's bowl. They replaced it for free ASAP, no questions asked, and were charming as they did so!
Chef'n. They immediately replaced a broken item and were very kind about it.
I second Cuisinart. I not only broke my food processor bowl but also the ice cream maker cover. The gentleman I spoke to was kind and sent me both replacements for free and did not even charge me shipping!
This is kind of random, but I have a kitchen trash can from Simple Human. Not super expensive, purchased at Target almost five years ago. The pedal that opens the lid just broke, and I checked their website to see if it could be remedied. To my delight, they have an easy to use tool to identify what trash can you have and sent me the replacement part free of charge and within days, along with easy to follow instructions to change it. I couldn't believe it!
Also Savory Spice Shop in the Denver metro area (and expanding to some more locations) is just great. The personnel are soooo helpful and the products are wonderful.
I'm surprised about the kind works for Kitchenaid, they did NOT replace our ice cream maker attachment or even offer any sort of discount on a problem that was pretty clearly a defect.
While I love browsing high end kitchen stores for inspiration and ideas.... I can't bring myself to spend money there (usually). I buy from Amazon.com or Bed, Bath & Beyond where they take EVERYTHING back ( even things you didn't buy there! ) and with a 20% off coupon. I'm all about saving money!
I also have a chef husband who tells me time and time again... a good knife and your hands really are all you need! :) This philosophy has helped me to de-clutter and streamline my cooking process. But, trust me, I do my fair share of drooling in those kitchen stores!
My only real experience has been at William Sonoma where a patient employee helped me pick my first few pieces of kitchen-ware when I moved out on my own. It was at least a half hour process and she was patient and explained honestly which ones people complained about, praised, were returned a lot etc. I still have everything I bought (about 4 years ago) so I have to say that was a good experience.
It also hardly counts as kitchen related (but we used ours in the kitchen!) but iRobot is a great company. My parents had a roomba for cleaning their kitchen floors and they replaced parts on that thing for free for several years before it was just beyond repair- then offered a 25% off for a new one.
More praise for Fishs Eddy. At the NY Union Square location, staff members always go above and beyond to help. Plus, they're open until 10pm. What's not to love about that?