Northern Tool + Equipment — Attraction in Arnold Township

This store has very poor and extremely unknowledgeable customer service. I called the store to see if they had an item and gave the employee the part number and she was very flustered and didn't know what to do to find what I needed.

I was put on hold three times and the lady came back on the phone and said I had to visit the store to see if they had the item myself because she couldn't look it up. She told me that is what her boss said to do. Seriously?! What terrible customer service to not be able to look up a part number or go to the part section to see yourself!

I called because I've been there previously since they're one of the few stores that carry Stihl product and most of the time they are out. I'm not going to bother with this poorly run and stocked store again.

UPDATE: In regard to the owners response about being "offended because I was asked to come to the store." The customer service person didn't communicate anything about needing to speak to a specialist. She didn't communicate anything but she didn't know what to do and that I had to "come in to check myself if the item (just a spool head for a trimmer, so these Are carried in-store) was available." That's sounds more like throwing her hands up and letting the customer look for inventory themselves and that is why it was upsetting, not offensive.

I was in store previously by the way and the same employee said there was nothing to be done while I was there but order the spool and it could take weeks. She said nothing while I was there that time either about speaking to a specialist in-store.

Maybe more training is needed so employees will relay what is needed in context instead of flippantly telling the customer to look for an item themselves without any context so it doesn't feel like they're...

My air compressor went down, and I was at first relieved to discover that nearby Northern Tool serviced compressors. I took my compressor to them and ante'd up the $35 diagnostic fee. Eight days later, I got a call from Tim, the technician. Tim informed me that he had spoken with the Makita parts warehouse, and that the only part available for my tool was the compressor/electric motor assembly, which cost $400. (My compressor retails for $359 brand new.) I was skeptical, so I looked on the internet and found a bunch of companies which sold the individual parts necessary for rebuilding my compressor. I called Tim back and informed him of my discovery. His reaction was that He would have to charge me 60% more for the parts if he bought them on the internet. I asked him if I could buy the parts on the web so he could repair my compressor, and he told me that he could not guarantee the work if I did that. He also said, "Plus, it comes as a unit, and I would have to take it apart to fix it"! Really, Tim? Gee, I never expected that you would have to actually take it apart to repair it! I will let the reader draw their own conclusions from these facts. As for my part, it cost me $35 to learn my lesson, and I still have a broken down compressor. I'm never going back to Northern Tool. You...

While traveling to Kansas I stopped at KC store it was super neat and very clean, I bought a Clutch Drill Press and Strongway 20 ton hydraulic press along with some other items, great personnel at this store checked out rapidly and proceeded to back of store to load my stuff which was put on with a hyster I failed to notice they inadvertently put a Ironton 20 ton hydraulic press on instead of the Strongway which the Strongway is a higher priced press but was on sale, on my way home when I stopped to gas up I noticed the mistake. As I was going through Arnold, Mo on the way home I stopped there and they were covered up and one of the floor people was getting ready to to go on break, but he said I will help you before I go(which was much appreciated) I told him this may take a while to which he replied it doesn't matter so went out to my truck and he looked at my ticket and verified what I told him, he came in and told the Manager, Stanley who was as busy as he could be he listened then told another employee to take care of it and he would sign off on it, which was a process but was completed efficiently and promptly...I cant say enough good about these folks Five star...