Whistlestop Antiques — Local services in Santa Rosa

Before today’s incident I absolutely love this antique shop. I had been coming here for years an I would tell people to always check this place out if you’re visiting Santa Rosa Downtown. I understand that a lot of things have changed due to the pandemic, there’s absolutely no excuse to instantly just have attitude out of thin air. There was a woman upfront her badge was labeled manager. I had asked her “If i could use the restroom? Her responses was just extremely rude, and also left me very distasteful experience by enduring her negative attitude ! there’s a way to just say that your bathroom isn’t available. Long story short her excuse was that there was plumbing issues which I know is a damn lie, but she could’ve started off with that and I literally would’ve just backed off, but she was just already fired up. I really wanted to look around because I absolutely love this place. I really just want to say, I am extremely disappointed by her and I will not be recommending this place. I’ve seen the other reviews on here from recently and I’m honestly disgusted and devastated. The hospitality is not there and I do not recommend you visiting this place if you do come with somebody who will have your back and just be sure to keep your hands to yourself so you don’t have people hovering over you thinking you’re gonna be stealing things just ridiculous. I’m sorry that I had to leave this review I did not want to, but I felt it was necessary and I hope the people who work here and make this place fun and enjoyable for the community really do read this and understand that it’s a place of love. Please be nice to people. If I could give this place, no stars I would, but it...

Yesterday, I walked into Whistlestop in attempt to find something for displaying incoming products in my shop. I haven't been back for some time following an unpleasant experience, during which my partner and I were racially profiled. I left without making a purchase, but after wrestling with feelings of unease, decided to share my Feedback with the manager, Lu.

I told her that the last time we were in, my partner and I walked upstairs to shop the book selection, only to come down and overhear a conversation between two of the employees about how they really need to get cameras installed upstairs because they " have no way of watching people up there". When my partner and I approached them, the conversation abruptly ended, and one of the two women hosting the conversation scurried away.

I told Lu that I had been hanging onto the memory of the event and that I no longer wanted to bear the uncomfortable feelings it brings up.

This was her response:

"I'm sorry, but we've had a lot of terrible, terrible things happening in the shop lately.

... to which I reminded her that this is no excuse for profiling Black patrons.

She said:

"You really should just let it go because there are a lot of people here that are stuck in their ways and aren't going to change."

I politely told her that it wasn't her place to tell me to let it go, but to consider offering to educate her team. To this she said:

"I'm sorry. Clearly anything that I am going to say, won't be good enough for you."

I said, "clearly", and offered the solution of posting this review.

Btw, Lu was one of the two women engaged in the cited conversation.

Please...

This was a fun place, but there were 2 clerks that were beyond rude. Add to this was the fact that the building has no central air and with the heat it was very humid and uncomfortable. I became a bit ill and asked to use the bathroom. I was told they did not have one and directed (rudly) to the train station up the block. The persons in my party were still shopping so I waited to leave. Our items had been brought to the front by a very nice gentleman and when the ast of oyr party arrived at the front with the remainder of the items we wanted to purchase, I stood in line to pay. When it reached the counter the very rude clerk said " I told you the bathroom is up the street", and pointed me to the door. When I explinex that we wanted to pay for our purchaces,and see nothing in my hands, once again addressed me rudly " what purchaces". I then pointed to both the items on the counter which the clerk had placed there and tjose which the person in my party held. Seeing the items and the fact that they were costly the clerk suddenly changed her tone and began to smile, asking if we found what we were looking for. Im sorry I could not help myself at tjis point and replied not the bathroom! I learned after that some of the proceeds go to charity and yhis made me feel a bit better, because at one point, I considered returning everything...