Gabe's — Local services in Johnson City

I have been going to Gabes for YEARS! I like their prices especially on thr name brand items, however lately they have been getting a little higher (which let's be real everything is higher these days), but today I went in and it was about an hour before closing and just like 5+ people have said there is an older-ish lady I am pretty sure is management that does go around and tell you evey 5 mins that they are about to close and tells you how much time you have, now although I though it was strange (this has happened probably 10+ times to me at this store so I'm used to it by now) but today was just a little different... I was getting some clothing for my kids and I had several things in my buggy that I planned on putting back after my kids decided (I was sending them pictures as they were at home) anyway... the lady made me feel like I had no choice but to get in line at 9:50 so I did... While I was in line I was trying to separate the things I wanted vs what I didn't want. About that time that same older-ish lady said were now closed so if you don't scoot up into the line we will not be able to buy... (this was at 9:55) I turned around and said I'm sorry I was just trying to ask my kids what they wanted and separate the things they didn't want (there was like 5 things they didn't want) She turned back around and said again well were closed so if you want to buy get in line. There was a cart infront of me and I passed it to get in line and that same lady turned around and said so is this the stuff you didn't want in a aggravated tone, I said no that's soneones buggy (the lady that had that buggy had walked off to talk to another Gabes employee for a moment) that other shopper hears me say that and she said yes sorry that's my buggy (she was like 5 feet away) and thatsame older-ish management employee said the exact same thing to her as she did me, and the shopper said I'm sorry I was talking to one of your employees and the management lady got so aggravated and again said something along the lines of "get in line" Well about this time it was my turn to go to the counter to pay. I get up there and I told the girl "I'm sorry I have some stuff I don't want I planned on putting it back myself, but I felt rushed getting into line" and I set the 5-6 items on the counter. She said this is the stuff you DONT want, I said correct, so I turn around to gwt my stuff I AM buying and place it on the counter and the girl says "You've got to be kidding me" "I can't believe this is happening" in such a aggravated tone. She was not nice in the least little bit, I was the one who said I hoped she had a good night (she did say it back) I donno... I'm just in shock right now. Don't get me wrong I have worked nights and I know that when the end of your shift gets there you want to go home, you get a little aggravated about people still there... but whatever happened to customer service, biting your tongue, I mean if it wasn't for th3 customers they wouldn't be getting a paycheck. I absolutely do think that the management lady needs some classes on gow to kindly speak to customers, I think if they are going to announce they are closing they should do it LIKE EVERY OTHER STORE and announce it over an intercom. The employees shouldn't harrass the customers every 5-10 mins starting at 9pm to tell them when they are closing, AND IF THEY DO IT they can have some common sense to do so nicely! I'm not sure about the younger girl at the register, maybe she was having a bad day, but it still doesn't give her the right to talk to soneone like that. My father died and I went to work that day and I wasn't mean or rude to anyone. Actually in my 20 year career I have NEVER been rude to a client. I may have been short or gotten aggravated but never once took it out on the client. Maybe there are some classes these employees can take? I donno but some thing is going to have to give because if it continues to happen you won't have...

Some of the prices seem great until you do your homework with some cross comparisons. Much of the clothing pieces are irregulars so you definitely have to try them on prior to buying. This is the only place I shopped where a large, extra large, and 2XL fit. At times, an XL looks like a small, or a wide-bodied shirt has thin, narrow sleeves or small arm holes. Ladies pants have shorted inseams and crotch allowances that are more suited for a prepubescent male. The dresses are certainly outdated. Some discounts are minimal and others are deceptions with no discount at all. Underclothing is minimal. The shoes are a mess with poor selections and stuff that seems better suited for the 60s. Bedding and linens, ditto- know your prices for comparison and learn something about thread counts to be better informed. Kitchen and cookware can have some good buys but you need to look. There's some stuff for your Fido and Garfield friends along with a small school/ craft section for kids. Much of the clearance items are broken pieces or items missing their tops or lids. I really like the fleece blanket section that has some very attractive seasonal blankets. You can find some cushions for your lawn chairs but I wouldn't swear that you'd be able to find 4 in a matching print, There's some luggage pieces and duffle bags along with purses and wallets. I wasn't too impressed with snack or food item prices. You can get 6 pack bottles of coke for $5 which beats Walmart's price. Some food items are further reduced if the expiration date is near, but nine times out of 10, the reduced price is not honored at the register and the cashier's don't check or correct the difference. I have had to do several returns for refunds since the discrepancy was great enough. Now I steer clear of any food discounts- those strange green stickers that only allude you. The selections are mostly candy, chips, cereals, and whatever miscellaneous stuff they get in. The store is relatively clean except when store staff block isles with merchandise they are stocking and they will not assist you if there's something behind the boxes they're messing with- you just have to wait until they finish. Some of the cashiers make a big deal if you check out with a lot of merchandise. Although some understand that the purchases we make gives them jobs and keeps the store open, there are others who think you're abusing them with a full cart. Your checked out stuff is all tossed together so fragile items often break in the bag, very little folding is done, sometimes clothes are somewhat rolled and tossed in with everything else. Clothes and cleaning items can be thrown together so exercise some caution in advance by checking the caps on liquids to make sure they're secure. You can sign up to get coupons for discounts once you receive a certain dollar amount of purchases, however, the expiration dates on those coupons Force you to come in at short intervals to be able to take advantage of the discount because the "use date" period is short. I gave them 2 stars because of cashiers not checking to make sure reduced prices come up right. A lot of the clothing is odorous like it's been sitting in a stale, closed warehouse for a lengthy period of time, and then multiple aisles being blocked by stock that's being priced or shelved. Around lunchtime, customers pile up at the register and they only have 1 cashier trying to handle the load. Gabe has Amazon lockers so you can avoid porch pirates by having your Amazon orders sent here. The lockers are inside at the back of the store, so you have the advantage of using a shopping cart to roll out your stuff to the car. The store hours allow you enough time to get to the lockers so you don't have to rush through traffic worrying about the place closing before...

I'm giving this place three stars for the very reason that one it's like t.j Maxx and Ross is just a little bit on the messier side they do their very best to keep this place picked up but with the onslaught of customers that come in relentlessly they don't have a lot of time to get everything straightened but I digress. Every time I walk in the store now I feel like I'm having a whole burnt through the back of my head or somewhere on my body from someone staring at me! It's the employees! Yes they stalk you like white on rice and a paper plate in a hail storm!! Now I understand stores are trying to become a little bit more inventive in invent new ways to keep loss of their merchandise at a minimum or something like that. I mean it's really impossible to catch everyone doing something nefarious, let's just say it thievery, shoplifting, five finger discount. There's been an awful lot of that in retail stores over the past several years. Walmart as a matter of fact I think was down 2.3 billion dollars in merchandise and that just took 3 years to do. I kind of blame it on doing away with the people and putting in robots to scan your own merchandise to pay for it or self checkout as they call it. I've heard some pretty ingenious ways that people take stuff out of that store and barely pay hardly anything for it or anything at all but that's none of my business. Walmart's attempts to save money was an epic fail they lost more than they saved I think retail stores are struggling to keep merchandise in their stores well it's become harder to live when you got a guy that used to pay $2 for a cheeseburger. And he paid $2 for a cheeseburger for 30 years and all of a sudden in two and a half years that $2 cheeseburger went up to $12! People are going to find a way to survive regardless of what it's going and no matter how they do it always lays the burden of cost cost to someone else. And if that means robbing you blind in your store then that's what's going to happen folks. But what that doesn't mean it's for the employees to make it uncomfortable for everyone else that's not in there to take their stuff without paying. I suffer from PTSD I'm a veteran, I don't like people standing on top of me usually it ends up badly for the other person especially if something happens or something startles me. But what I really don't like is someone looking at me like I'm going to take something. If I'm going to take something out of your store I'm going to pick it up right in front of you and I'm going to walk right out the door with it regardless of what you're going to do or not but that's not me I believe in karma and I don't like getting kicked in the ass by it Just because I carry a backpack or I like to call it a dedicated resourceful man purse which is ridiculous anyway, doesn't mean that I'm going to walk in your store and take something so don't stare at me and follow me around like I am cuz now it's agitated me so much I want to turn around and say something. So lay off Gabe's you've already got theft deterrent mechanisms on every piece of merchandise in the store including soap and toilet paper that's a little far-fetched I don't think that's happening but they might think about that later since I mentioned it. Let us shop let us spend money and if someone's going to take it hell just let him take it but stop agitating good honest patrons that spend money regardless of the way the look, or what they are wearing. That's just bad business. A millionaire is more likely to steel than a poor person...