Pottery Barn — Local services in Austin

Last Sunday, I looked up hours for the PB at the Arboretum and it listed them as opening at 10 am. I arrived shortly after 10 and the door was locked. I knocked on the window and Dena answered the door and said they didn’t open until 11. When I told her the hours were listed as opening at 10 and that I had gotten up early and driven from Round Rock, her response was “I’m sorry” to which I replied “okay” and she locked the door. I proceeded to look up the hours thinking I may have been mistaken and it said 10 am. I knocked on the door again and Dena came back and I showed her the hours on my phone and she again told me they did not open until 11. I asked her if there was a number I could call or anyone else that could help me and her reply was “I don’t know.” At that point, another associate walked to a cash register close by and I asked “would she know?” The associate approached and said that they had just found out about the hours online and to give them a few minutes and they would open the cash registers and honor the hours. Dena then locked the door and I stood in 48 degree weather when I could have been in the store browsing while they opened the registers. A few minutes later, another woman came up and I let her in on what was going on. She knocked on the door and nobody answered. About 10 minutes later Dena unlocked the door and let us in. Dena had an attitude to her and the woman asked her if everything was okay to which she replied she was caught unaware by me and made an aggressive motion of shoving the phone in her face, even though this was a far cry from what really occurred. I went on to browse and get my items and went to the cash register to pay. My heart sank when I saw it was Dena, yet again. I decided to smooth things over by stating, “I apologize if you felt my demeanor was aggressive this morning” (again, it was not) and she responded that she appreciated it but never once acknowledged that she had been unhelpful or uncooperative given that I had driven 25 minutes based on their listed store hours. I let it go as it seemed she was already having the worst day ever at 10:30 am and went on my merry way. My point: this PB has consistently employed the rudest, most disinterested, unhelpful employees than any PB I have ever been in. I have been to several PB stores in several states including California, Utah, Washington and Texas and the Arboretum location is by far the worst. Their items are lovely and always have been but there are too many “dupes” out there for a paying customer to have to withstand this behavior. Spend your money...

This review is specifically about Pottery Barn in Austin TX at the Arboretum. I’ve lived here for 17 years and no matter when I stop in that store the staff is condescending, and very hard to nail down if you have questions but may not be purchasing. They put on that over-the-top fake demeanor, smile and high pitched voice until they find out you’re just looking. After that they will ignore you if you have questions.

I stopped going there years ago. A few months ago I saw they had a beautiful ottoman/coffee table that I thought would go perfect in my new house. My friend and I went in and there it was in the middle of the store. I could not get the attention of anyone for the life of me. I tried to speak to two different sales clerks. One just kept walking and never acknowledged me; the other seemed irritated but said she’d be back. No, she didn’t come back. I practically climbed all over that very large table making it obvious I was interested. Finally we walked back towards the register. Unfortunately there were a few others buying items and only two ringing things up. So I decided to leave, maybe come back later. As I moved toward the front of the store I stopped to look at something. A sales clerk who was helping a young couple whirled around and hit me hard almost knocking me over. I cried out, my friend had to catch me, and even the young couple were startled and moved toward me. Without missing a beat the sales clerk kept talking, never even looked at me or to see who she hit. She just yammered on. We were all astonished. Since I was not hurt we just continued in to the front and out the door. I turned once to see if she was even aware of me but she was still selling her heart out to the young couple.

I’m not a rude customer with an attitude. I don’t carry a sense of entitlement that I deserve to be helped before others. I’m older and dress in a presentable manner (although that shouldn’t matter). I have been consistently nice there and everywhere else I go. That day they lost a $900 sale. With their minimum shipping fees, that sale would’ve been well over a thousand. So yes, I’ve learned my lesson and will not go back. I found an even better table at Ashley Furniture a few weeks later. They don’t sell anything unique enough that I can’t find it at a dozen...

I placed an order in August. They have lied from the start. The sales person lied and said she couldn't apply the purchase to my rewards card. Oh well. She said the item would arrive by Thanksgiving. Long wait, but, oh well. Seven months later, I still don't have the item. They told me last week we would not be charged and the order would be cancelled. Got a notice from Credit card company today, 20 March 2022, saying that pottery barn charged me for a delivery made 1 April 2022. How'd they do that? DeLorean delivery??? I was told last week that the credit card token had expired and the sale with it. They lied. I was told when they couldn't deliver by Thanksgiving, it would definitely be here by the first week in December. They lied. They changed the story to delivery would be between mid January and the end of the month. They lied. Then they said by mid February. They lied. And now? Now they claim to have made a future delivery on a cancelled order?!?!!?? They lied. The sale was fraudulent. They lied to me and now they are...