Star Furniture — Local services in Lafayette

Sub-Standard, Sub-Par and wish I could rate this Sub-Zero!!! Our family has shopped Star Furniture for over 30 years starting when they first opened their doors downtown Lafayette and then in West Lafayette in the pole building near the Menards. We continued to shop when they were Ashley and tried to shop when they returned to Star again. Today was the worst experience we've ever had with a store. We read the reviews here with complaint after complaint but in all the years we've shopped there we figured we'd give them a chance. Should have stuck by the reviews. We entered the store... the salesman was polite and said to let him know if he could be of assistance. We located the item we wanted to purchase and caught his attention so we could buy it. He pulls up the details on the computer and notes that the one we want is the last one and on clearance as discontinued so we would need to take the floor model. Sure.. no problem... We start the transaction and mention that we brought the truck and plan to take it today.... as soon as we mentioned the word "truck" it was as if a huge red flag raised... the salesman says he'll have to check that they have someone to help.. He turns to check with another person that walks up and we're told that we have to come back... there is no same day pickup - the store is done with same day pickup. WHAT?!? We cancel the sales order and start walking towards the exit... then decide to ask for a manager. The ladies at the desk promptly locate the manager (Tony - who turns out to be the person that said "no same day"... and didn't bother to identify himself earlier)... He comes to the main desk and says We no longer have same day pickup - you have to come back tomorrow to pick it up. The dock closes in 25 minutes. He says that they don't have same day anymore and we have to come back. There is nobody around to help - but he just said that the dock help was only on duty another 25 minutes - what is the truth here? The lady beside us overheard that there was no same day and walked out too because they were expecting to actually get what they purchased. While not overly rude, Tony was not professional and has no concept of making the customer happy. He changed stories between not having help and having help but a policy of "no cash and carry". We weren't ordering anything special.... someone just had to lift it in the back of a truck from the sales floor. We even offered to do that. So ends the 30+ year relationship for purchasing anything from this store. Sorry Google folks for going against your recommendations... it's very obvious that this store and manager have no idea how to service anyone. I won't be shopping here again... I won't be recommending Star Furniture again and if asked... I sure won't be offering anything positive about the place.

UPDATED: In response to the "owner" of the store... yes we were upset about not being able to purchase and take furniture with us. Had we been told that it was because of the "close down" process it would have made sense and been a little more palatable; so communication is definitely key and hopefully all of your managers are on the same page. That being said your manager was very clear that day. He told his salesman and us emphatically that same day cash and carry would no longer be done that it was a new policy - period. We were told nobody was at the dock on Sundays. Sounds like several of his statements contradicted each other. When called out on his statements he simply chooses to push the blame elsewhere. Obviously he did not like hearing how the other people (not just me) are evaluating the lack of service and experience with this store. He may even not have been aware of these reviews since he certainly had a shocked expression on his face when we mentioned the other reviews on Google and was quick to write a response to me but not the others. Good to hear they are reviewing their policy and hope they are providing training in communication so that others have a...

Terry the "manager" is completely rude and incompetent. We showed up about 25 minutes before closing, the sales people were all busy, but we picked out a bed frame that we wanted to buy. The salesman asked if we needed help, was very friendly and was working with another couple. We told him we wanted to buy a bed, pointed it out and he said meet him up front. We proceed to the front at 7:45pm, 15 minutes before closing. The salesman was finalizing his deal, there were 2 other couples in the store and we were handed to Terry, the "manager". She states that the store is closing in 10 minutes and was very rude about it. She gets our info, tells us we can pick up within 10 days, which is fine. We tell her that we also want a box spring with the bed frame. She is obviously annoyed as this may put her 8pm deadline in jeapardy. She then informs us, from behind her counter, that the box spring is $79. I ask if they only sell one box spring and she is visibly annoyed at this point and abrupt. She said no, there are others. Pause, blank stare, contempt. So I ask if we can see them, we're ready to buy and can pick up within 10 days. She hurries from behind the counter and sprints back to the bedroom area, 8pm is looming! It is clearly the priority over the store sale or the customer purchase, 8PM OR BUST! We catch up to her and I ask what they have? She says there is wood and there is steel, and then, a blank stare mixed with a simmering contempt for my wife and I. I ask what the difference is and she said that the steel is stronger and then, silence and that same 1000 yard stare. I ask, how much stronger and she says "I don't know, they don't tell us that stuff" and again, the glare of contempt for possible violation of the 8pm close time. I ask if there are any other box springs available, she then informs us that "well there is one other, but it's for memory foam". We are actually buying a memory foam mattress and it would have been nice for her to take 5 minutes, show us the box springs and ask a couple of questions like, "Is this for a child or an adult, how much will it be used, what are you using now?" At this point, we informed Terry that we are leaving, we didn't want her to miss her 8pm deadline. I asked if she is the manager and asked for a card. We are not needy people, I just wanted to buy a boxspring with the bed frame we picked out and were ready to pay for. I can even go to McDonalds and they will attempt an upsell or complimentary sell "would you like fries with that sir?" If I can get a higher level of service at McDonalds than I can at Star Furniture, we feel that there is something wrong. In this case, Star furniture lost a sale, we don't have a bed but Terry made her 8pm Deadline. Star furniture loses, customer with money loses, Terry wins. At some point, someone has to make a business decision and say that store sales and the customer are more important than leaving work 5 minutes later than you want to, especially in a retail environment. Perhaps Star furniture is doing so well financially that they don't need our business and can afford the bad word of mouth advertising as we tell our friends about our negative experience. This could have easily been avoided with just a bit of courtesy and professionalism, both of which, Terry does not possess. Avoid this store if you can, google Lafayette Indiana furniture and see...

In response to Margaret Anderson:

This complaint – and subsequent poor rating – is primarily a result of poor communication on our part. For this particular customer, it was about the procedures we use to shut our dock down for the evening. Our dock workers start closing procedures a half-hour before the store actually closes. This is done so every worker – dock and sales - clocks out at approximately the same time. We do this so we can run an efficient business where there is a definite start and end to the day. As a result, there will always be a cutoff time in which a happy customer turns into an unhappy one simply because we have to have a point at which our dock workers start breaking things down, cleaning up, and getting everything reset for the next day.

As this customer demonstrates, if not explained properly, it can unnecessarily cause confusion. They were right. We did have dock workers still working despite being “closed” for same-day pickups, but it’s because they were going through their closing duties and resetting for the next day. This is something we should have made clearer to them when they first entered the store. Complaints like this are what drive us to "go back to the drawing board” - so to speak - and revise existing policies and training procedures. These reviews are how we improve.

Having said all that, however, there is a level of professionalism that both sides need to meet at. Sure, it’s certainly valid that this customer has a complaint about not being given a clear reason why they couldn't take the recliner with them that day. It’s another thing, though, when that same customer is at our front counter yelling and cursing for all to hear. It does not help anything. In fact, it makes it less likely that we break our own policies to help them. Even a customer raising his voice and speaking very firmly is one thing. Yelling, though, and using profanities in our store is another thing entirely which we do not tolerate.

It is disappointing to us that we have seemingly lost a long-time customer. That's our loss. We can certainly improve our methods of communication in the future. An unruly customer yelling and cursing, though, is someone we will not miss. And we’re sure anyone reading this can appreciate...