Beyond / Hello — Local services in Bloomington

This location used to be my favorite in the area but within the last month or so each visit has become more and more bleak and frustrating. The first thing I want to address about this location is the lack of any sort of organization. You can almost sense the chaos from down the street. They’ve got lines down the sidewalk of people waiting just to get inside. Even on days without major sales. The staff can never seem to find product with any sort of ease. Half the time it just seems like they’re just chatting with the back room staff through the drawers instead of looking for product. Second on my list of disappointments, online ordering. It’s my knowledge that online orders are typically placed to allow customers who have already decided on their purchases to be able to have a faster experience. At least that’s how it works at my place of employment. Two months prior to this review that’s exactly how it worked. I would place my online order, check in and wait in the online orders side of things and I was in and out, hassle free. The last three visits I’ve had, they’ve just fully done away with any sort of organization with customers. We’re all thrown into one big line and forced to wait behind other customers who don’t even know what they are there to purchase. I’m not trying to sound like a Karen here, but this seems rather inconvenient for all parties involved. Why even waste my time placing an online order when I’m still going to be thrown into a line with everyone else who doesn’t have an order in. I used to be able to spend 10 minutes max here and now it’s become more of a 45-60 minute affair. I could’ve driven somewhere else out of town and had a faster experience. Last thing and honestly the least of my concerns, but still feel is a valid concern. Why do some “budtenders” or whatever y’all describe the position of POS in the store talk down to customers like they are morons? Look I understand customers are irritating. I work retail myself, and yet with as much displeasure customers bring me, I never treat them poorly for asking a question. If I want to know how many points I have on my account, don’t tell me to look on the app. I’m fully aware I can check my balance on the app. It’s very clearly advertised through the store. But sometimes I forget to check. You have all my information on the screen. Just answer the question. But what do I know, I’m...

12/17/23 Update: This location changed their payment method again. The ATM they choose to install charges $6 service fee, if you use your card at the register, there's an upcharge, and then they have a tip jar! Lol, the prices are high enough here in IL, with all the upcharges and changes, that they never let anyone know about ahead of time (not even Hello Mrmbers) will definitely send people across town to Cookies, which they probably own too, lol. I'm changing my rating from 4 stars to 2. Not only because of lack of notification on payments or any other changes they make, also because instead of addressing my concerns in the original review, they just thank me for the 4 stars. Which to me says they are only looking for the rating, not the actual customer review/concern.

Beautiful space, great staff.

Still a great place, but I was turned away because my online order wasn't ready. My options were I can shop in-store for the same product I reserved for an extra $30 because then it wouldn't be an online order, or leave and come back an hr later. My problem is if I can walk in and get, why do I have to leave go home and come back an hour later in order to receive the online order when obviously there's no preparation if I could just walk in and buy the same product for an extra $30. Not cool at all.

Now, more changes, you have a 2-hour window for pick up or they return your reservation to stock, and of course they don't tell you. They should really update the website with the new guidelines, policies or whatever, they are completely different from when they first opened and not...

Inhospitable environment. Security was fine, but even if you're shopping in-store, you have to do it in their tiny, crowded, freezing vestibule while literally rubbing shoulders with strangers up against a window. They had boxes on the floor where customers were trying to stand to do their shopping at the iPad stations, so it felt like we were all on top of each other. You cannot actually enter the store without selecting items to purchase beforehand. There did not appear to be any bud tender service for in-store customers, so we couldn't discuss products unless we wanted to interrupt the one and only employee checking all of the IDs. They are clearly understaffed. By the time we finished scrolling through the iPad products alone, it didn't feel worth wasting more of our time to ask questions and try to change our minds about products at the checkout point. The employee who took my payment did not seem interested in helping me or even being present. Not sure why I would tip for placing a digital order by myself. At least the in-store checkout was very fast compared to the online orders checkout. Disappointing, but its still one of the most interesting things in this town, so we might shop here again when we come to visit just out of...