Unmanned showrooms

[wowfudge]

Has anyone else had this experience: independent local firms with showrooms have opening hours advertised, but when you go there they are shut?

I've had this happen recently with a flooring company. They dropped off some sample books with me and I went round last week to look at larger samples and place an order. Door locked. No sign of life. Left an answer machine message. Have heard nothing. I presume they are on holiday, but their answer machine message didn't say this and there was no sign up at the showroom.

Same thing happened with a kitchen place a year or so ago.

So frustrating. It also seems so short sighted to me - business owner is out doing a measure/quote, but no one else is available. The flooring company has lost my order - I've gone to someone else. They too are only a small, independent, but there is always a staff member there who knows the products and can provide assistance.

If you want the cheaper prices of a small independent th e n they are going to keep their running costs as low as possible maybe make an appointment next time?

When the sample cards were dropped off it was suggested I 'pop in to the showroom when I was ready to discuss things further'. No suggestion of an appointment being needed.

I fully understand the need to keep overheads down, etc, but why not only open the showroom at specific limited times instead of not having it manned when a customer would rightly expect it to be because the times are on the window?

I don't expect a local, independent to necessarily be cheaper either - they do tend to offer better customer service ime. Providing you can get hold of someone.

As it happens shortly after I posted I had a phone call from someone who was 'popping in to pick up the post and get the messages off the answer machine' while the owners were on holiday. Not sure how often he was popping in, but it was a full week after I left my message and the fitters from another firm did the job later that afternoon.

That's such a shame - great of you to try to support a local firm - might be worth sending the shop owner a card letting them know - as they might think there was someone going in everyday !!

Well I still need to take the sample cards back as there was nowhere safe to leave them!