Crate & Barrel — Local services in Palo Alto

Crate & Barrel offers a fantastic selection of stylish items, and I really appreciate the ability to customize pieces to fit my space. Their design service is also a nice touch, and I’ll share more details on that below.

However, my experience was a bit frustrating when it came to the sourcing process, the lengthy wait times, and some aspects of customer service.

I worked with Tula on a custom design, and she was a pleasure to collaborate with. She’s very knowledgeable and has been doing this for about 20 years. I had scheduled a free design consultation, and four days later, Tula came to our home on January 10, 2025.

She offered valuable insights and suggestions, which I truly appreciated. Notably I told her we were planning to move in February, so I wasn’t in a rush to make decisions that week.

On January 21, 2025, Tula presented a wonderful mood board for our living room design, and I was excited about the direction she had chosen, but also was told I would receive a 3D rendering along with the additional rooms.

On January 30, 2025, I visited the store to see some of the items she had recommended, and I ended up purchasing a custom couch ($2,942.05), two swivel chairs ($1499 each), a uniquely styled coffee table ($1,099), and a dining table ($1,899).

I was informed that custom orders could take 6-10 weeks, which was expected. However, I was later told that the items would arrive around April 9, 2025 - course the max time. While I understand that custom orders can take time, nearly three months without a couch felt like quite a long delay, and I wasn’t clear about when the other items would arrive either.

By February 9, 2025, I still hadn’t received an update on my design. I wasn’t too concerned, as I knew things could get busy. I reached out to see if we could adjust the order to receive an in-stock version of the couch instead, which would still be delivered in April. Tula was very communicative and kept me updated, and also went as far as to escalate it to management, which I appreciated.

Now, on February 12, 2025, I called the Palo Alto store to check on the escalation of my order. Courtney, who answered the phone, seemed to dismiss my question about the escalation of a custom order change, with a curt response, stating that nothing could be done with custom orders after 24 hours.

Of course, I read this in my receipt, spoke with Tula about this, and am well aware of the 48 hour policy (there was that discrepancy in 24 versus 48 hours already) but her tone was unnecessary, and I didn’t appreciate the attitude.

I’ll continue to work with Tula for the duration of my furnishing.

In the end, while I love the items and design service, the slow delivery and lack of empathy from some customer service staff have made me hesitant to shop at Crate & Barrel again.

Edit: 2/26/25 Updated Review:

After my initial experience with Crate & Barrel's design services, I continued to encounter further challenges. Despite assurances, I never received the promised design ideas/ look books/3D rendering for the additional rooms. This lack of follow-through was disappointing moreover, the furniture didn't even fit the space.

Approximately 1.5 months after the initial consultation, I took matters into my own hands. I re-measured my space and consulted with a trusted designer virtually. Her 3D rendering revealed that the furniture recommended and purchased from Crate & Barrel was disproportionately large for my space. This oversight led to unnecessary expenses and frustration. And I will plan to RETURN most pieces.

While I appreciate the quality of Crate & Barrel's furniture and found their customer service generally satisfactory (TBD once I figure out if I can return items ordered), my experience with their design services was beyond subpar. I recommend people to seek external design advice before making...

I want to give a SHOUTOUT to Crate & Barrel employee at Palo Alto, CA Stanford Shopping Center: CHRISTINE

My mother, after a good handful of years not renewing her personal dining collection, decided to bring me along on a trip over to Crate & Barrel at Stanford Shopping Center. Immediately, my mother found six "1-item-selections" from a collection thinking that the store could take care of handling the rest of the pickings from her six 1-item choosings. I did not quite realize what her plan was, but helped to carry these six items to the register.

Upon meeting with Christine, we were met with genuine respect, understanding, and pure patience. My mother explained that she actually wanted an assortment of 6-8 pieces of EACH of the 6 items she chose. Sure enough, wonderful Christine, readily came over and helped us carry the rest of the pieces to the register. Not just that, but she carefully placed each one in respective paper wrapping(s) and into their boxes for ease of transportation back home. I want to thank Christine so much for being as kind and respectful, let alone genuinely patient, for helping my mother navigate the buying of these items. Christine is the one true example why I believe department stores nowadays still exist and will be able to if they employ people like her. People do not want to deal with unnecessary barriers like impatience and inability to empathize in fleeting situations, which makes it difficult for older adults or large families to go out. It just makes it that much more difficult.

CHRISTINE, WE LOVE YOU VERY MUCH AND WILL RETURN TO CRATE & BARREL STANFORD SHOPPING CENTER AGAIN BECAUSE OF YOU. I will make sure that next time we pre-plan our visit so that we know what we want. :D

If you have not visited this store's location, do not hesitate to. Everyone there seemed to work so nice together, but I thank Christine so much for everything she contributes to...

NO SUPPORT. Probably the worst customer service I have ever received from a retailer. In my scenario, I made a big ticket purchase and decided not to receive fulfillment on certain items. Since some items were not received, a refund should have been provided. However, I did not receive a refund and am still responsible for a $3k charge on my C&B credit card. This issue has been evolving since March 2024, it is now August 2024)

I have requested assistance in resolving this issue from their accounting department. They cannot do anything from the retail store side. I have spoken with numerous stakeholders from this branch to try to audit their records and to receive details about what was received and what required credits for. They suggested I work through the C&B credit card provider (synchrony) to open a dispute. The dispute was DENIED and I am liable for the charges. I have provided Synchrony detailed reports on what was not received, what was "refunded" by C&B Palo Alto, and what items I received. I have requested help in escalating this to corporate for advanced care with no support from anyone within C&B. When I contacted customer care, they suggested I reach out to the C&B Palo Alto branch and work with the bank.

I've come full circle. Not only am I left having to deal with two companies to clarify an issue on the C&B side, I am still holding the charge for items we chose not to receive while paying interest...