Williams-Sonoma — Local services in Short Pump

My husband and I received a Cuckoo rice cooker from a dear friend as a wedding gift from our registry, which was unfortunately too large, so I went to the Short Pump store in Richmond to exchange it for a set of two GreenPan nonstick skillets. Within two to three uses of the smaller pan, it was sticking horribly and I was quite disappointed. Being a medical resident in a place like Charlottesville, I did not necessarily think to take back the pans immediately and assumed when I had some time, I would return them and my request would be honored. However, just two weeks after my wedding, I took some time to go to Richmond to try to return these pans as an exchange so that this gift would not go to waste. What transpired at the Short Pump store between myself and the store manager, was an encounter that ended in extreme disappointment and frustration. I was told immediately, that any used product cannot be returned under any circumstances. Secondly, I had no “record” of purchasing these pans, despite the fact that I insisted the manager check that I was registered with Williams Sonoma and the pans say “Williams Sonoma” on the bottom. This policy, I am afraid, makes no sense for a company that prides itself on state of the art and high end cookware, which is intended to be used for a lifetime. How would I have known that I was unhappy with the pans had I not used them? Secondly, the store manager stated that they were not in returnable condition because they were used and “could not be resold.” This is absolutely nonsensical, since the rationale behind my return was a defective product, which of course should NOT be resold. I then tried to explain to the manager, that this was a gift, and it would go to waste and to understand that other companies such as Costco or Nordstrom, accept returns much more readily which makes for happy customers who are unsatisfied with a product sold from their store. He said, “well we do not just hand out money.” I was very offended by this encounter, and in the end he gave me the GreenPan cleaning guide and offered a used magic eraser for these pans.

DO NOT EVER SHOP AT WILLIAMS SONOMA. WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE IN...

We drove 75 miles to purchase a fry pan set and had a good experience from a young man. However, after coming home and making pancakes the ceramic coating was already peeling. We cleaned them after this one use and brought them back two weeks after we purchased them. The woman who was "authorized" to approve our return was beyond reluctant to let us return them. She was insisting that it was was a warranty issue and did not fall into returnable. But they were able to be exchanged. Ultimately, after my husband pressed the issue relentlessly, we were allowed to have a one time return exception. We have both worked retail for decades and have never run into this type of issue. WS return policy is clear and it fell within the 30 day period and was in good condition, other than the ceramic coating peeling....

Excellent service at one of my favorite culinary specialty stores. My wife, son, and I came into William Sonoma within a half hour of closing, but Pam and Diane were still friendly and inviting. I wandered around for a while and both ladies were ready to assist. They even helped occupy my two-year-old son by playing with him and bringing him a cup of water with a snack. We finally decided to look at food processors, and Pam walked us through all of the various features of each model. We ultimately decided on a Cuisinart, a purchase which I directly attribute to excellent customer service. Diane was very helpful wIth the transaction, even though the store had closed fifteen minutes prior. I would travel to this specific location again just to see Pam and Diane. What...