Pennsylvania General Store — Local services in Philadelphia

The cookies are delicious and deserve 4 stars. The workers I encountered were also nice and deserve 3 stars for friendliness and kindness. But, there were some things that gave me pause, which brought it down to negative 2 stars: -2

1-I have been visiting the store for more than a year and would usually get 6 cookies so that I could try out the variation of what they had. I would stop by Reading Terminal and stock up on a few things from different businesses, as a creature of habit. But, I would often make it in (to Reading Terminal) too late to get the cookies I wanted at The PA General Store. I would ask what I could do.

2-Each employee would say that it was best to come in far earlier, before the cookies I liked ran out. They would say, it's hard to know; but, I might try coming in before noon on certain days. Sometimes their advice worked. Sometimes it didn't. And that was okay. I was fine with it. I did what my schedule allowed. Sometimes they had what I came in for. Most of the times, they ran out.

One day, I decided to take a business card sitting near the checkout and told them I would call before coming into Center City and ask them to maybe set a few cookies aside. The employee said that is the best thing to do.

3-Just recently, I called and asked about two specific cookies (to learn if they had any left). Helen (on the phone) was kind and said they were out (of the specific cookies) but that they would be happy to bake the amount I wanted. Just give them 45 mins to an hour. I told her that out of all this time of patronizing the business, this was the first time I was hearing this. But, it was music to my ears.

4-I also mentioned to Helen that when I turned the PA General Store business card over, there was a Frequent Buyer's card that I just noticed was a Frequent Buyer's Card. She said, "Yeah, there is that, too". I told her that I have purchased a large amount of cookies there and never knew they had this. She apologized and said whatever I normally buy, they can give me credit on my Frequent Buyer's Card for it. I was satisfied with that. Initially disappointed but satisfied.

5-When I came to pick up the cookies, I asked for Helen and Tessa said Helen was tied up but she could help me. Tessa was great. I got my cookies Helen freshly-baked. I left and made my purchasing rounds at The Reading Terminal. The PA General Store is near the entrance/exit and I stopped and asked if the woman standing by herself was Helen. She said yes. We talked. I thanked her for making the cookies and told her that I really liked the cookies; but, that 1-The Frequent Buyer's Card and 2-that I could call (in advance) to have cookies made for pickup... these were things I wished I had been privy to, long ago, as it could have saved some effort and time.

6-Helen's response was, "Normally people would call and ask us to bake more cookies. That's obvious. Well, I mean, that's just with any store you would go to that you would expect those things".

7-I think she felt like it was just common sense that I would know this.

8-Meanwhile... Not. One. of the other employees had ever communicated this "common sense" to me. Helen was the first.

Thanks, Helen.

I will say Helen did apologize for the business not advising/offering me their frequent buyer card, which was a helpful acknowledgement...

9-until she added that "But, I mean, most businesses have frequent buyer/rewards cards". And that was not helpful.

But, the damage was done.

I will say, in a time where I can go anywhere, it reminds me that it isn't just the product that I will go out of my way for. It's moreso the customer service, the language, the response that dictates my path forward with any...

Ill start out by saying me and my wife love soft pretzels and I mean love...we have been getting them everywhere we have been since they starting being popular in restaurants more then 5 years ago so we have had alot of soft pretzels....so I was excited when I seen I could get them set to me from another state iv not tryed them in yet and we have tryed them in other states....so placed the order for 24 soft pretzels and a lb of milk chocolate covered potato chips cost for shipping was little high but I know they have to get here fast...so fast forward 2 days later they arrive the packing and the boxing was great just how it should be...we then tryed the candy first they were amazing they were so good hints the 3 stars for that and packaging...so then we could not wait to try the pretzels we put them in the over took them out they were not soft at all we did different times and everything to 4 pretzels all came out not soft except for the big middle part...so fast foward to tonight I decided to try them in the microwave I did two of them both came out not soft so we determined that's just how they are....and you might say maybe time was off doing them and I'd have to say no we have been baking are own store bought pretzels and homemade pretzels for awhile from lots of places and always turn out soft might not all tast good but soft...and they seem like they are not made that same day as advertised seems like there made a day or two before then frozen and shipped that's why there not very soft...so in all love the chips the shipping was fast and the price of iteams were good and packaging was great....but the main thing the pretzels I'd give them a 4 out of 10 not the best not the worst...but won't be buying from there again even for the candy just becues shipping is to much if I was getting both would be a better deal....maybe I'll try them if I'm every around maybe there better at the store until then very disappointed in the pretzels...also looking back at the pic online they look nothing like the ones...

I ordered 4 orders of their chocolate covered potato chips for holiday gifts. The actual product is tasty and as expected. However when I ordered them on the 10th of December ( yes I know it was cutting it close) the web site told me expect the delivery by the 20th . So I pulled the trigger and figured even if it was a few days after the 20th I would still be able to give them out as gifts for the holiday. Unfortunately pageneralstore didn't process the order for for 5 days after I placed it and the order arrived at my house 4 days after Christmas . Really put me a bad situation. Not happy with the company, they basically forgot to process their online orders in a timely fashion but were not shy taking my money and telling me everything would happen on time . I hate to leave a bad review when the actual product is great, but in this day and age of amazing online delivery logistics you cant charge extra for delivery and mess up royally. The Service department is obviously run...