REI — Local services in Bellevue

I’ve had it with the attitude and lack of assistance provided by the sales people in these stores. First Issaquah, then Bellevue, then Seattle. It’s a corporate culture! These people put customers LAST. Customers walk through their doors every day with the potential to purchase but they don’t know or want to meet their customers’ needs. They’ve each shown me that they couldn’t care less! Pure indifference. Each employee at each one of these stores left me standing MID SALE, merchandise in my hand, announced they were going on break, turned their back and left! Just walked off. They will tell their colleagues right in front of Customers how they’re on break now. This one today was the most aggregious. Acted as though I was invisible when I asked him if he intended to finish assisting me. He said “No, I’m on break”, I sat down at the big picnic table where he stood talking to his mechanics behind the desk, just shooting the breeze, so I told him “I understand. I’ll wait until you’re not on break so we can pick up where we left off” and I did!!!!!! One of the mechanics eventually came out to help me at the original sales guy stood 6 ft away from me! After I figured the problem out myself, I went to the check out and said something to the fellow checking me out. I was again appalled when he said “We have to take out breaks on the minute they start or lose them”. I asked him if he’d like to my opinion of that and he replied “I really don’t CARE to know”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All these guys act as though this is as common as breathing air. I was polite, they didn’t seem mad, just acted like abandoning a customer on the floor to go on break was their routine m.o. Sad, sad, sad. I shouldn’t have purchased the item and I still don’t know if it’s work or not. The “Good luck with that. Bring it back if it doesn’t work” didn’t cut it.

Who hires these people? They have a Now Hiring sign on their entry door and no doubt they’ll hiring more of the same types. There are more jobs than there are employees to fill them right now but REI needs to get woke. Their reputation may have once been good, but it’s dropping like a rock and it’s difficult recreating corporate culture once it’s down the gutter. If I EVER treated my past Customers in the manner that REI employees treat theirs, I’d lose the business, my sales would suffer, and I’d be fired.

My conclusion is REI Corporate Execs, Trainers, & Managers need to wake up. Their corporate culture and management is clearly awful and needs to change big time. Their employees need to start working on hourly base-plus commission (or similar recognition) so they’ll realize it’s US, the Customers, that keep REI’s doors open and pay their wages. Sad state of affairs. I hate to see a Seattle-based company...

Recently I was having a rough couple of weeks and decided to use my membership rewards as a little treat to myself by visiting the Bellevue REI store.

I ran into this lovely lady who was overseeing the fitting rooms and who asked about my neck tattoo, and she had the best reaction I've encountered thus far, especially from a less open generation on the idea. She said, "it's like permanent jewelry, I love it". That made my while day, because even though it's a geometric tattoo I usually encounter other types of reactions on it.

While heading out of the store after treating myself to some used gear and new vuori items, I set off the security checkpoint. After pausing for a second I decided to just continue to leave because I just paid for everything. I got outside about half way to my car and was startled by an employee asking if they could see my items. So I doubled back to the entrance to show them the items and thought it might have been a magnetic tool from bag that I use for work. The employee said I was all good and we went on our ways.

However, this for some reason really triggered my PTSD and I was having a hard time with the whole thing. So I decided to go back in to figure out why I set it off and to prove I wasn't stealing anything. I found the employee who stopped me to talk to him about it (Jay). He was very understanding about the whole situation and reassured me they didn't think I was stealing, they just wanted to make sure they got all of the tags off as it's cumbersome to deal with once you get home. He also apologized because the shouting in the dark parking lot may have been less than ideal but he was just trying to help.

We tested the tool from my bag and it set off the security checkpoint again. It was relieving to be able to have this reassurance and understanding. Of course I learned my lesson to carry that in my bag.

To be able to have people who were not only understanding about the situation, but also aware of mental health and who would take the time to help me feel comfortable again to be in one of my favorite stores is something, I'll never forget. Not everyone would take the time, especially at the end of their day to work day. I'll be honest the whole thing was kind of embarrassing for me and not something I normally have happen, but as many things in life, it's a learning experience.

Not only did I get to treat myself, but got to have a great...

Hi, just sharing my own experiences with this company. It has been extremely perfect when it comes with its products and care from the employees, to the point where I have entrusted it with my bike repairs for some time. Since this is the cheapest and most affordable I’ve tolerated some weird behaviors that weren’t deal breakers untill something happened not too long ago. I’m going to be blunt my one star review is not for the ambiance and the product/ shoe selection. It is only for my experiences with the bike section. When someone enters in with a problem they reasonable give a time estimate and a repair cost, but be warned if so happened one of the repair guys deems something needs replacing or fixing they will not warn you ahead of time, they will just do it. This happens to me on multiple occasions blowing past what I thought would be the price I would pay for simple repairs and my budget leaving me stranded say for example if I needed my something else replaced on my bike. Now let’s get set on other key issues…. The employees, I have never in my life experienced being talked down to like I’m a child even though I’ve been coming repeatedly to this location. Granted some of them are really nice there’s this bald guy (I’m so sorry didn’t get your name your cool) that treated me extremely well…. Then there are others. Others who raise there voice at me, dismiss my concerns and flat out talk over me. Weirder interaction occurred recently of how I was pressured extremely for a repair I wasn’t interested in getting but an immediate back pedaling as he said it could still be done later. I got my keys shoved at me and was sent on my way in the most rudest tone imaginable. My mother actually came with me once and she received the same treatment and it broke my heart which is why I came alone for a bit until now, you lost a customer I will never be returning back and to those who need bike repairs I’d wager taking it...