Chalet Home + Garden — Attraction in New Trier Township

Came to Chalet the past 2 days looking for various plants to put in gigantic trough planters (80+ gallons)...on two separate occasions, two different ladies at the info booth were rude, loud, and condescending like nothing else I've ever seen.

My main questions to them (asked very politely) were whether there were shade tolerant plants (which one lady did provide a list for, the other didn't even know it existed) that could survive over winter freezes, and what I could do to heat the containers (corten steel).. when I asked what happens with zone 2-3 plants, one said "it doesnt matter, they all die with at most a 50/50 survival chance or less." The other lady said "welcome to chicago winters, Art" (in a condescending tone, and using my name as if she were my mother or something). They both insisted that other than styrofaom or plastic wrap for insulation, there was nothing that could heat up containers (and even if you did use insulation, EVERYTHING would probably die anyways...yes even arctic plants).

They didn't even mention insulation until I brought it up myself (they just kept repeating that plants can't be stored in containers over winter and that's it). Neither did they advise on mulch, until I brought it up. One of them said that I should just get plastic plants, and that if anything I buy dies--it's not covered by the store (I never even cared or inquired about refunds). It came off as if she was inferring I was some cheap idiot. When I asked if there was a substance or chemical you could put in the soil to keep it from freezing, one lady said that "well, if you invent one, you'd be a millionaire."

Now, upon research, I'm finding a TON of info that there are outdoor electronic heating mats/liners, rods, with thermometers of all sorts. THEY SHOULD KNOW STUFF LIKE THIS!!! Not only that, but plenty of gardeners and landscapers are saying that zone 2-3 plants (or anything generally one zone lower than the one you're in) go dormant, even in a clay pot and survive (the only negative being that the pots rupture). I myself asked one of the ladies, how to reconcile the fact of how is it that zone 2-3 plants spend up to 5 months in permafrost 3 feet deep, in -20 to -30 temps, yet a couple of weeks of 5 degree winter here would kill that potted sub-ARCTIC plant (and I already mentioned that the containers I have are practically as large as as a small golf cart). Her response was yelling "you're telling me? I lived in a place where it got that cold, i know what the north is like...and it all dies anyway"...again, talking to me like I'm a complete idiot or something.

They practically berated me for even asking these questions. On top of that, one of them was glaring and yelling as she kept repeating the same talking points over and over, while I asked new questions and sought alternatives (keeping in mind that I was continuously polite). What's the point of having an info booth, if all you're gonna do is belittle customers for inquiring??? It's like they get insulted that someone who doesnt work at a gardening store, would know something about plants and dared "challenge" their "expertise" by asking some questions, and not just nodding to their sole advice (which as it turns out, is based on some really limited knowledge).

I was ready to spend up to $1000 at this place...I took my business to Menards and Home Depot (and I don't even like Home Depot) and just saved more than 95% of that money. I would never buy anything from this place on principle (and I'm always willing to spend more on higher quality products). How do you talk to educated, Northshore customers (many others with very high standards) like this?? They're the ones who keep your business afloat...

I would love to talk to a manager, cause I just spent almost an hour writing this review on a phone when I could have been doing something else...and I almost never write reviews unless it was something totally...

In the past year, I bought bunch of plants and other things from Chalet. In May -June this year alone I bought several trees, rose bushes and shrubs. One of the trees I bought in May died and I contacted Chalet and provided several pictures. They responded stating that they could only give me 50% of the tree as credit which I could only use for buying another tree, shrub or bush because I chose to plant it myself. Last weekend, I went to get my replacement plant. I was given a Chalet consultant to help me choose among the eligible plants. There was 20% off sale going on and with that the shrub I chose was coming down to my credit amount. That consultant told me as a result I would be paying for tax only. I grabbed the plant and went to cashier line where I waited about 10 minutes. When my turn came, I was told they could only apply one discount. They were treating the credit for the bad tree as a discount. When I told the cashier that that could not be considered a discount, I was told to go to the customer service which I did. Two customer service representatives there did not know how to process this transaction, therefore they called their manager, Anne, who I spoke earlier and who assigned a consultant to help me pick a replacement plant. They still kept considering the credit I was supposed to have a discount and therefore they didn’t want to give me the 20% off price. At some point, Anne told me she couldn’t give me the plant for free which was not true! I was going to pay for the tax. She told me their software was not designed to give multiple discounts. I demanded to speak someone higher ranking manager than her. She told me it was not possible! I told her we would see about that and I left without getting my credit back.

Among all the stuff I bought, only this tree died. They could easily see that in my transaction history. Yet, they were giving me only 50% of what I paid for the tree because I chose to plant it myself which I don’t remember of being informed about at all at the time of purchase. They were also giving me suggestions about watering and other stuff not knowing that gardening is my passion and my work has a lot to do with growing and caring for plants too.

They have great plant selection. No doubt about that. However, their customer service is absolutely appalling and I would have liked to give a zero, preferably a minus...

What I can say with confidence is every white person got the news of the sale and services.

My review now is a pattern of Chalet’s staff service approach to brown people. Two days ago, I stopped in and immediately I was looked at by staff but not acknowledged. I thought okay, who cares, but then a white woman walks in, “hello! Have you heard about our members sale!” This staff member announced it to everyone white, but the brown guy. Another staff member never approached me ounce when looking at the home section, but as soon as the a white woman came over, “how can I help you!!!” I carried on walking through the store, and felt like I was being followed. Sadly Chalet staff have a habit of following brown people around the store but never acknowledging them with a word. As I turn the corner to the rug section, sure enough the woman I thought was following me showed up to make sure I was not stuffing any Dash and Albert rugs in my pocket. She did not say anything to me, just observed as she paced around the section. However, when a white woman came around to that side of the store, she instantly jumped into action, “hello! Can I help you, have you heard about our sale!!!!” It got to the point where an entire cluster of staff was making jokes about whatever, and as I walked by one even looks directly at me up and down but says nothing!! At one point I said excuse me to a staff member because they where going to bump into me, where I was standing looking at product, and she tells me it’s okay. NO, I meant I am right here!!! Sorry to interrupt your service to the white woman that you needed to move me out of the way. You don’t even see me, unless you think I am going to steal.

Look at the reviews, if most are positive, it’s because it’s white people being served by a white serving business. If you are not going to acknowledge me as a paying customer, don’t follow me around with suspicion.

Go to Pasquesi Garden and Home Center. Super spacious and clean, and the staff works hard to keep a clean place and welcoming...