Shepherd Hills Factory Outlets — Local services in Lebanon

Short Story: They have the biggest selection of Case pocket knives I have ever seen... but good customer service was hard to find.

Long Story: Based on the many billboards advertising this outlet along the interstate for the 20+ miles leading up to it, I expected a tourist trap... not so. This was a much nicer facility than I expected. They had maybe a thousand models of Case knives... give or take 200 (plus many other brands but I only cared about Case).

The only reason I did not give 5 stars is because I had to wade through terrible customer service (which would have resulted in two stars) before finding a shining star that was willing to help me. You see, I was looking for a particular type of Case knife... one with a belt clip (which is somewhat rare in the Case world). In the end I found a beautiful, perfect, pocket knife with a red wood handle.

But finding that knife was a challenge.. There were three women working the pocket knife section which likely consisted of probably 2000 different knives on display... Truth be told, I was one of only three customers in the section... so they weren't too busy. The first two younger women brushed off my request (for a knife with a belt clip) saying "there aren't too many of those" and "Case doesn't make many of those" before walking away mid dialog (not to help another customer).

When I asked the third woman, she mentioned that there were only a few options with a belt clip and suggested I should look at "Trapper" models. She then gladly walked me through several options while asking me questions to narrow down my search... she was pointing to and explaining pros and cons of each option (e.g. spring assisted, stainless steel vs. Carbon Steel, etc.)... she was my Case knife spirit animal. She was perfect and helped me find the PERFECT kife. It made me wonder how the other two younger clerks could exist in her presence without even caring about their customers or the products they...

I love the stores which seem to invite you to come in and spend your money. And the inventory is very well placed and asks you to give it a try. I loved trying the clothes on. Some of the stores seem to only have clothes for tiny; skinny and young people. They have shoes for all ages but the clothing does not compliment the shoes. It is hard for me as a handicapped person to try on very many things in very many of the different stores because it brings up my pain level and my legs are not able to keep up with all of my friends who are running excitidly from store to store and from each of the beautiful corners of clothing to the next. I loved watching all of the excited teenagers and the college students flit from each newly arranged beautiful clothing. And their parents sitting exhausted at the first place they can drop into. They finally get rested enough to start talking with each other and checking out their child as they model each set of clothes that impresses them until they finally find some clothes that really seems to say their names and that really seems to really seems to speak their names and they all look like models. It is all very exciting. I am not the right person to give their impressions of each store because I'm hurting to much to give each one their due. But I am sure there is someone in the stores who can give a really good impressions of each of the stores and each of the groups of clothing. I wish that I could but I cannot. My short opinoin of these stores are all very good. I think that others who are able to do it should give their own opinoins of each of the stores and their selling staff and etc. To me it all looks and feels very exciting and just the sort of places that college students love to go to try...

The facility is great, but I am only giving one star because of the man behind the knife counter. I stopped here with the explicit purpose to replace my lost pocket knife. I told the man behind the counter exactly what I wanted which is a small single blade knife made with quality steel that would hold a very sharp edge. He in turn said the blades are all the same and to go back to the counter as there were all kinds of knives and he went back to doing what ever he wanted as long as he got me to go away. I decided this store didn't deserve my business but as I was passing the cashiers counter I thought NO. I got off the Interstate to come here to buy a knife. So I ask for the manager and expressed the lack of interest in helping me find the knife to meet my criteria. The manager said she would get the very same man to help me which I sad no thanks, I was done with him. So she called over a young lady to help me. She first ask what I was looking for. Was cost a issue and if I was fixed on a Case knife. Once we established the goal, she took me to another counter and pointed out the exact knife I was looking for. The man that I assumed was hired to assist the customer nearly cost this company a $155.00 sale. As I was walking out another gentleman stopped me saying he heard my dust up over the lack of customer from the guy behind the counter. He said he has been coming to this store for 20 years and this store employee has always been like this. I can only assume he runs off far more customers than he helps. If this guy was on commission he would...