Natty Garden — Attraction in New York

One would think that going to a place called Natty Garden on a sunny spring morning is going to be an uplifting experience...or at least a pleasant one. Nope! My gripe is ONLY with customer service! The selection of plants and all things garden related is great, and prices are very reasonable. Yesterday morning I went to this store purchased two items and left only to notice that I had purchased 'charcoal' when I needed 'activated charcoal'...so I went back to return it. I approached the register with the item I had just purchased 10 min earlier. There were two employees there: the woman was on speaker phone being chewed out by her boss who had rung me up earlier. "Jay" was on the other register. I asked to return an item for refund. The woman asked Jay to take care of me. "Hold on a second, man" he says. So I wait, hearing the uncomfortable phone conversation, waiting for Jay to finsish sorting through label stickers. Another phone line starts ringing. "One second man" Jay says again to me as he goes to answer the phone. He finished the call, came back to the register, and starts sorting labels again. I say " C'mon dude can I get this item refunded to my debit card please?" He answers in an agitated loud voice "She's gonna do it for you, and don't call me dude. Do I look like a dude to you man?" She was outside now but still on the phone. I apologized and asked him not to call me "man" since he took offense to my calling him dude. He threw down what was in his hands and said he wasn't gonna help me as he stormed out of the store leaving me in the store alone. I went out and asked the woman to please refund my card. Jay comes around the corner with another employee YELLING at me to "go back inside and this guy will help you!" 3rd employee is very competent and friendly and finally after ten minutes of this nonsense I am able to get refunded and leave. Going to the Natty garden center yesterday left me wishing I never did! I've been a customer for several years and have had other similar experiences there but this is the final straw for me!! I meant no disrespect by calling Jay 'dude' just like I'm sure he means no disrespect when he calls people "man". But if he is so sensitive about this, he should NOT refer to customers by anything but their first name and/or he should not work with cusromers at all in my opinion. update I went and read other one star reviews and the owners replies...all I can say to the owner is you are in the wrong...

Over the years, I've purchased at least twenty plants but will most likely not be returning! This is a "black owned" shop, but maybe not so much black operated or cultured. I've noticed a decrease in black staff over the years.

I walked into the Washington Ave location today with a friend to purchase a few houseplants. Due to lack of line management, there was some confusion amongst customers on who had the right to approach the counter to pay. It was agreed that I would go first, as I was on the correct side of the store (near the pots). I requested that my plant be repotted in a planter I also purchased there. The cashier (brunette in overalls) said she could do it after assisting the next two customers. I let her know I would wait outside, so to not take up space. I watched as she paraded two WHITE customers around the entire store (inside and outside), walking past me several times with no acknowledgement or status check of my plant. Instead, I asked the friendly black staff member (short guy with locs) to let me know the hold-up. He said "she will be just a second", to which I replied "she has ONE MINUTE". He chuckled and then let her know I was still awaiting the repotted plant I'd just purchased. She appeared to have remember but walked back inside the store, placed both hands in her pockets and started to assist another customer (unprompted). When the black staff realized how frazzled I had gotten, one of them decided to pot the plant for me.

As a CUSTOMER, I expect a certain level of service and professionalism. As a black man shopping in a black owned business, i expect a level of care, service and comfort that is usually not always afforded to black people in non-black owned spaces. You're not going to receive that a Natty Garden, simply because the staff does not embody the culture or have any understanding of it. There are other black owned plant nurseries I will continue to support so i'm putting Natty on the shelf for a while, if not...

I've been coming here for two years and have had very little problems until recently. I get inventory issues from Covid but on top of low inventory that doesn't seem to ever replenish the staff has been unhelpful answering basic questions. I've also seen either the owner or other staff members yelling at workers on the floor during store hours multiple times and it's made made me uncomfortable and unwelcomed. Even the staff were visibly upset.

I'm sure because I've left a one star review I'll be seen as a hater by the owner who is only replying to one star reviews but I really gave this place multiple chances and want to keep being a patron, especially to a black owned business, but I can't if there's no inventory and customers don't feel welcomed. If you're looking for basic pots/fertilizers you're better off hitting up a hardware store in the area.

P.S. to the Owner who is responding (and I can't reply to directly)

If you're responding to me then you're not being the bigger person you think you are. All your responses to complaints here are rude to paying...