Bed, Bath and Beyond in Lynchburg, Virginia: Customer Service Review

Experience #1 - I called many stores before finding the air purifier that I wanted. I was surprised that Bed Bath and Beyond carried them. The manager who was helping me was really nice. He told me that they were right there as you went into the store. He even offered to hold one for me, but I declined since they had four in stock. I really appreciated how nice he was.

Arriving in the store, I found the humidifiers that he said the air purifiers were near, but I didn't immediately see the air purifiers. Looking around, there was no one in sight who I could ask either. But then I saw them. Since there weren't any price stickers on the shelf, I was thankful that he had told me the price was $119.

At the register, I was told that it was actually $119.99. I told her that when I called I had been told it was $119. Her only response was a dumbfounded expression. I don't know about Bed, Bath, and Beyond, but when I've had this problem once before at another store, I was given the quoted price without question. Since she continued to stare at me, I simply commented that well I'd have to be crazy to argue over 99 cents. But really, it was the principle of the matter. Items should be the price that you were told over the phone.

I paid with a credit card, and she waited until my credit card was returned to my wallet and the wallet back in my pocketbook before she decided she wanted to see the card. Not really caring for the way my first visit turned out, I didn't foresee a second visit.

Experience #2 - I've always wanted a bed canopy and I finally decided to get one. Looking online, I couldn't believe the only place that seemed to sell them locally was Bed, Bath, and Beyond. It'd only been about a week since my first visit to the store. The problem was that their website didn't show the store's inventory. So, I called them.

The girl who answered the phone asked something like where I wanted to be transferred. I told her that I wanted to talk to the department with the bed canopies. Her response: Yes, we have those.

If English wasn't her first language, I could have understood why that was her response. But it was clear from her American accent that wasn't the case. I told her that I wanted to talk to someone in department since I wanted to see if they had the exact one in stock that I saw online. Her response: I can help you with that.

Past experience has taught me that the person who answers the phone can never provide assistance. But giving her the benefit of the doubt, I gave it a try. I told her how there are two different kinds of canopies, the circle ones and the ones that are put up with hooks or go on a four poster bed.

She asked another employee who was standing there with her about canopies. The other employee proceeded to go on and on about circle canopies. I didn't know if the girl that I was talking to even had the phone to her ear, but I commented that maybe I should be talking to the other person.

Instead of putting the other person on the phone, she decided to tell me about circle canopies herself even though I'd heard the whole conversation between them. I reminded her that I'd already told her that I wasn't interested in those and that I wanted to speak to a manager.

Instead of giving me to a manager, the employee that she had been talking to decided to take the phone. She then decided to tell me all about circle canopies once again.

It was becoming crazy how much of my time was being wasted listening to all of this talk about a product that I've never buy. Did they really need to sell those circle canopies that badly that it wasn't allowed to give out information about the product I did want? I interrupted her to point out that I wasn't interested in those.

She replied that the other girl was trying to tell me about what they had, and that she was as well. And then she continued to babble on about circle canopies. Needless to say, I hung up.

I don't know what the problem is with Bed, Bath, and Beyond that the employees are allowed to behave this badly toward the customers. But I'll never give them any more business. I'll find somewhere else that has what I want even if I have to order it online.