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Furniture shopping and today's customer service experiment...

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 GREC# 169695

About a year ago I went out on my own and searched and searched for a new kitchen table.  It's not really for my kitchen or my dining room.  But we have an over-sized great room so we have a small table in one area of it for eating where we can see the television. I narrowed down to my favorite two and then let Donald pick.  Of course he choose my second pick and that's the table we have.  It's pretty and I like it, but it wasn't my first choice.  In part because it's round and it replaced a rectangle and I had to buy all new tablecloths.  Do you know a man that would think about that?

Since that time I have been in search of a new sofa and love seat.  Today was the first day I could get away from my office when Donald was off to go looking with me in quite some time.  So off we went.  We had looked locally and had to venture off to Macon to see if we could find something we both liked.  We had found a sectional that wouldn't fit our room locally and I Googled to find others who carried that brand and off we went. 

I have to laugh now at the experience we had in the first store we stopped to browse.  I had the checkbook in my purse.  We were prepared to buy if we found the one that fit our space and offered comfort.  But my list of requirements just seemed to really offend the salesperson.  I didn't think the list was too long

  • comfort
  • love seat and sofa (as opposed to sectional or sofa and two chairs or chair and a half
  • earth tones
  • fabric not leather
  • solid

Is red an earth tone?  Do flowers or plaid look solid?  Am I sure I can't use two chairs?  Then she just walked away.  No, "feel free to browse, let me know if I can help"  She literally just wrote us off and went back to the front desk to look for the next customer sucker. Perhaps a sofa that would have worked was in that showroom.  I guess we'll NEVER know.

The next store we stopped at had a really nice sales person and we actually left with measurements on two possibilities.  One was actually a sectional, but a smaller one that we thought might work.  See when you work with me I can sometimes be convenienced I don't know exactly what I want after all.  But nothing really jumped out at us, but I have to admit the service level out shined the first place 100%.

Then we stopped at Rooms to Go and met Kassim Hadeel.  He greeted us and then said we could browse and he's "check in" with us.  Well in less than two minutes I was chasing him down to point me to the ladies room.  When I got back he and my Donald had formed a bond and I knew we'd found our sofa salesperson.  We narrowed down to three.  Then two, no three, maybe one.  Kas gave us our space and left us sitting on a set to talk it over.  Then we went from set to set and came back to the first one we both liked.  And while I know Donald really liked the second one we looked at best... he got to pick the table.  So we told Kas to ring us up and schedule delivery.  We will be sitting in comfort this time next week. 

He very professionally went over all the details, verified all our personal information including the delivery address and our phone numbers.  We have 5 pets in our home and of course we opted for the fabric treatment.  The price was incredible and the warranty sounds fabulous.  But I was sold by the service in the showroom.  He had a lot of personality and you know that suited me. 

It was my very first visit or experience with a Rooms To Go and I'd certainly go back if I were looking for any additional furniture.  And on our way out the door Kas let us know he'd be giving us a call in a couple of days and that later we could also expect a call from corporate.  Who does that?  I bought a big screen LED television and a Dyson from Sears last year (more money than the sofa) and they didn't call. 

And did I mention they will be delivering and placing my new furniture.  I suppose that means I should vacuum and dust.  They will  be calling to confirm my delivery date.  I'm excited to have the choosing behind me and now am just anxious for the next week to pass quickly.  But that happens any way right?

If you are looking for furniture in Central Georgia shop with Rooms to Go at 3172 Macon Tech Drive in Macon Georgia 31206.  But call first to see if Kassim Hadeel is working, because you want HIM to be your sales associate.  478-781-2919 

And if you aren't in the central Georgia area.... after reading their company service policy and Satisfaction Guarantee you might want to check out your local Rooms To Go before you make your next furniture purchase.

And I have to mention that when a client called when I was on my way home... and I told him I was furniture shopping he said "shouldn't we find me a house before you buy me a housewarming gift?"  You gotta love your clients with a sense of humor.

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Tammy@Lake-Sinclair.com

(Click on Lane Realty Logo for web site)

Tammy Lankford, Broker/Owner

 

Broker License # 169695  Lane Realty License # H-11420

Real Estate Instructor License # 355089

Call me today for all your Lake Sinclair real estate needs.

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Stanley Stepak
Howard Hanna - Avon Lake, OH - Avon Lake, OH
Realtor - Avon Lake, Avon, Bay Village, Westlake,

Well it does sound like an interesting store you went to. Nothing I know of here in Ohio

Jun 01, 2011 04:35 PM
Vickie Slade
Colorado Landmark, Realtors - Boulder, CO
Service You Can Trust ~ Someone You Can Depend On

Tammy, it sounds like you had a good customer service experience finally in the last store. 

Jun 01, 2011 04:39 PM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

I just checked their site and they do have a location in Columbus.

Jun 01, 2011 04:39 PM
Cindy Westfall
Premiere Property Group,LLC Portland Metro & Suburbs Oregon - Tualatin, OR
ABR,GRI Your Tualatin & Portland Metro Real Estate

Hi Tammy, Great customer service does go such a long way and makes a shopping chore much more pleasurable. I also think your list was VERY reasonable. You can always go back there and do a Julia Roberts on her..ya know...she just lost a sale BIG time! LOL. Nice shout out to Kas!

Jun 01, 2011 04:52 PM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Vickie- it was spectacular.

Cindy- I read your comment to my Donald and he held up his imaginary shopping bags and said "Big mistake, huge" LOL 

Jun 01, 2011 05:21 PM
Roger D. Mucci
Shaken...with a Twist 216.633.2092 - Euclid, OH
Lets shake things up at your home today!

Kudos to Kassim..........a salesperson that actually LISTENS!  What a concept.  Glad you found what you were looking for Tammy, not only the furniture, but Kassim.

Jun 01, 2011 10:56 PM
Andrea Swiedler
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties - New Milford, CT
Realtor, Southern Litchfield County CT

Tammy, don't you just love it when you find a great salesperson? We need to be the same way, don't we... :D

Jun 01, 2011 11:55 PM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Roger- Oh me too Roger.

Andrea- I try to be that great salesperson to my clients.  :) 

Jun 02, 2011 01:50 AM
Ann Allen Hoover
RE/MAX Advantage South - Hoover, AL
CDPE SRES ASP e-PRO Realtor - Homes for Sale - AL

Hi Tammy, I've never been to Rooms To Go but I haven't bought furniture in a long time.  I'm afraid if I go in I'll buy something!

Jun 02, 2011 02:38 AM
Karen Hawkins, MBA - Langley & Surrey, BC
Royal Pro Real Estate Network - Langley, BC

Hi Tammy - I love your stories - they draw me in completely and I feel as though I'm going through the experience with you!  Sounds like that sales person at the first store REALLY doesn't seem to care if they make any sales...(and your list of criteria - not at all long!) Although I truly have to wonder if the person even made the effort to listen to what you were saying, given some of those follow-up questions! How wonderful that the story had a happy ending - and great work by Kas!

Jun 02, 2011 04:03 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Ann- I'm that way with kitchen stores... if I go in I come out with stuff I don't need and won't use, but it's such neat stuff. LOL

Karen- I'm sure I caught her rolling her eyes at me too.  And I love Cindy's idea of "julia roberts'ing" her.  Going in with a photo of my new furniture in my great room and saying... big mistake. 

Jun 02, 2011 04:16 AM
Carla Muss-Jacobs, RETIRED
RETIRED / State License is Inactive - Portland, OR

Is red an earth tone??  HA HA HA  If you're from Mars (the red planet) perhaps.  LOL.  You're the story of Golidlocks and the Three bears . . . three furniture stores later . . . the fit (all around) was just right!!  And because you offer such great customer/client surface, you can see AND appreciate this in others!! 

Jun 02, 2011 01:40 PM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Carla- yeah, it's hard to find me when I'm the shopper. LOL

Jun 02, 2011 01:55 PM