The Consignment Gallery — Local services in Bedford

As a recent customer who has both purchased and sold furniture through the Consignment Gallery, I want to share my experiences to provide constructive feedback that could enhance operations and customer satisfaction.

Purchasing Experience

The purchasing process was generally straightforward, with competitive pricing and some flexibility in negotiations. However, I encountered a few issues that could be problematic for future customers. Specifically, the item I purchased was missing proprietary hinges, resulting in cabinet doors that were not secured properly.

Upon noticing this, I reached out to the staff for assistance in locating replacement parts. Unfortunately, I found the staff lacked specific knowledge about the furniture, which hindered their ability to help. I discovered a sticker on the back of the cabinet that pointed to the original retailer in California, but they could not assist me since the item was no longer supported. Ultimately, I resolved the issue through a reverse image search using Google Lens, which led me to the necessary parts.

Recommendations for Improvement:

Staff Training: Providing staff with training on proprietary parts and how to assist customers in locating them could enhance customer service.

Resource Recommendations: Suggesting online resources and the use of reverse image searches for customers dealing with missing or broken parts would empower them and improve their experience.

Selling Experience

Regarding the selling process, I found the customer communication to be inadequate. The current system directs all phone calls to a pre-recorded message, requiring customers to leave an email that will be addressed at the staff's convenience. While this system may seem efficient, it resulted in significant delays and a lack of communication.

I reached out to inquire about my item, as my 90-day contract was nearing expiration. I was informed that my item had sold nearly a month prior, but I had not received any communication regarding this. This gap in communication is a major concern and should be addressed promptly.

Recommendations for Improvement:

Enhanced Communication Protocols: Implementing a system that provides timely updates on the status of items could greatly improve the selling experience. Automated notifications regarding sales, nearing deadlines, and payment statuses would enhance transparency and trust.

Simplified Communication Channels: Revisiting the current communication structure to allow for more direct contact with staff would help alleviate confusion and improve customer satisfaction.

Payment Process

Regarding payment, I was informed that my check would be mailed by the first week of the following month. The timeline for processing payments seems excessively long, and I am still awaiting this check.

Recommendations for Improvement:

Streamlined Payment Processing: Reviewing and possibly accelerating the payment process would enhance customer trust and satisfaction. Clear Communication on Payment Timelines: Providing clear and detailed information about payment timelines during the contract process would help manage customer expectations.

Conclusion

Overall, while my experiences with the Consignment Gallery included some positive aspects, there are significant areas for improvement, particularly in staff knowledge, communication, and payment processing. Addressing these issues could greatly enhance customer satisfaction and the overall reputation of the gallery. Thank you for considering...

I recently visited the Consignment Gallery in Bedford, NH. I had a rather unpleasant experience. I have made a number of purchases over the past two years and although I have found interesting items I always left with the feeling they thought they just did me a favor. The staff at best convey an "elitest" unhelpful attitude. Today, I realized I should have trusted my gut. By accident, I knocked over a $14 item that probably should not have been on a glass countertop if it was in fact so delicate. The saleswoman was clearly putout and immediately said, you are paying for it. Never asking are you okay? Did you cut yourself? I had a number of items at the counter which I intended to purchase. When I went to pay for the items the manager automatically added the broken item to my tab. I said look it was an accident. If it was so fragile it should have been in a case. He flatly retorted the consigner needs to get paid. I paid for the broken item which they pocketed $7. I will never return to this establishment. It is clear the employees lack baseline customer service and are extremely short sighted. Enter at your own peril. Three thumbs down!

(Responding to Owner's Response) First off I am a responsible adult who handles items with care and as you said accidents do happen. That said there is no excuse for the lack of customer service demonstrated by your staff nor do you acknowledge there is room for improvement on that front. As for the staff "who did not know", he has worked there for sometime. I believe he is fully aware of your policy. And, his dogs roaming the store freely is very disconcerting. As for the consigned piece I would have been more receptive to paying the portion that the consigner would have received. The fact that your policy was not known by your staff further suggests your staff is lacking the very basic skills necessary to run a successful establishment over the long term. Nor does it appear to be of concern to you that you lost a long term customer. For me to take the time to write a post is because I have not been so offended in a very long time. I think the amount of money I have spent in your establishment would have more than covered the $7. You are only responding because your staff essentially took money not owed you. I would suggest you put up signs warning your future customers if this is in fact...

I have been going to Bedford consignments shop for many many years and this shop really sucks in the past few years, it use to be pretty reasonable but as of lately they really DON'T know anything about pricing things and they should be careful when taking in items that look good on the surface and they think an item is a popular brand so they price an item extremely high and it has seriously problems, oh and you can't return the item if that happens !! They don't care cause they got there money and paid the consignor there money. They are willing to let a big ticket item sale fall to the wayside, because they don't want to let a consignor know that a piece they consigned had issues that were not noticed in consigning process and a customer was willing to purchase it but wanted the price reduced due to the quality of item!! This place is so over priced it's ridiculous, and there not selling new items !! Their pricing structure is a little off wack for today's standards!! Greed will get the best of them someday !! They need a more was qualified person pricing items and come down to reality when...