Kiln & Custard Vienna — Local services in Vienna

We've done the Kiln Summer Camps for a few years and the first thing I'll say is it's a great value, particularly if you get the reduced rate. My kids always enjoy the pottery camps, however, this year we had MAJOR issues with actually getting our pottery back. We participated in a July camp and Aug camp and literally just got our July pottery last weekend (Dec. 11). None of our August pottery was able to be found. I have called multiple times, left a note for the owner and stopped by the store each month since the beginning of September. The responses we got have varied, but none were adequate. Each time I was told there were back ups in the processing/firing of the pottery because of the volume of kids who participated or due to weather-related issues and to check back in a week or two. I've gone in and had people "look" and be unable to find it and was told to check back in a week or two. I was told that the pieces still had to be put through the kiln and to check back in a week or so. Finally, I was told that the pottery got mixed up and I should bring my kids in to sort through them. So that's what we did last week. A very kind girl took us back and suggested we look though all the pottery. We spent 30 mins going through the shelves and only found our July pieces (and not all of them). We found none of their August pieces, and those we did see from their August camp (done by other kids) still hadn't been put through the kiln yet.

I can appreciate that there are delays of a couple weeks because of weather or the number of kids who participated, but a 4-5 month delay is unreasonable. I can understand that it can be difficult to keep track of each week's pottery, but it can be done. Have the people running the camps put the kids name's on the pottery, don't leave it to the kids. Have bins, shelves or another location labeled for each week's camps - don't lump them together. Or limit the number of participants each week if it's too much. But no parent wants to explain to their children that all their pottery pieces that they spent 1 week creating and working on has just vanished and they've got nothing to show for it.

I would have given Kiln & Co a 4-star rating if it weren't for the issues we experienced this summer. I might have even given them a 4-star rating if I felt as though anyone was actually trying to resolve the issue of the missing pottery. But each time I called or stopped by I was left with the "oh well, sorry, but we can't find it" indifferent or apathetic response. I understand it's "just" pottery, but my kids really enjoy the process of creating something and actually like to display their artwork at home and were truly disappointed not to have something to bring home.

I hope these issues will be resolved in time for next summer's camps. Although at this point, I'm undecided as to whether we...

Wow, they have incredible attitude and are very unfriendly. I called to find out if my daughter's piece had been fired and was ready for pick up. A young indifferent sounding person was completely unhelpful. She start off by saying , "Well, this is a business and we put everything in together. So it will probably be done over the next couple of days" When I asked her if she knew which day so that we could come by and paint it, she said "Well, as I said, we are a business, and we put everything in the morning, it takes about a day." This is a business?? What on earth does that have to do with anything?? And when I asked, then should I call you at the end of the day to see if its done? She said, "You can do that but the answer is going to be the same, since it won't be ready until the morning as it take a full day." So... the answer to all of my questions SHOULD have been: Happy to help. Its int he kiln. Call back tomorrow to check on your piece, thank you for calling. But instead I got complete unnecessary attitude. Maybe that's why she kept saying "this a business," -- she needed to...

Purchased a groupon for a friend and I to attend a class. Groupon expires beginning of August. I inquired about the schedule for July when I purchased in May. Was told first week of June. 6/5 I was told mid-june. On 6/15 I was told by 6/19. On 6/26 I was told hopefully this weekend. The calendar is still not online. They will not take a reservation over the phone until the calendar is posted. I was told a manager would call me back yesterday and that did not occur. I am not sure how you run a business when you don't post your classes or calendar in advance. What is the point of offering a groupon to drum up additional business and then not allowing people to schedule and redeem them?

Based on this I have lodged a complaint with Groupon and...