Beadniks — Local services in West Chicago Township

I have been to Beadnik 4 times in the past 2yrs- 2 prior to them gaining popularity online for charm bracelets and necklaces and 2 after. The only difference between those visits was 1) how crowded the store was and 2) the fact they now require reservations for charm jewelry. My review is in 4 categories:

Atmosphere: Beadnik, even when crowded, is fairly quiet and peaceful, which theoretically makes it an enjoyable place to create jewelry. The website now requires reservations for charm and linked jewelry. That said, even if you are not interested in making a charm or linked bracelet, if you do not pay the $9 for a reservation ahead of time (which does not go towards the cost of the bracelet) and you walk in and the store is crowded, they will not seat you/will not queue you to be seated at a later time. I understand this decision, but wish they simply required reservations for everything.

Selection: Beadnik has a great charm and bead selection. For reviews which state otherwise, 2 of my visits were within a month of each other, and between that time they had nearly fully rotated the charm selection. There is a huge variety of stones, beads, and charms, and they are doing a good job of prioritizing what is currently popular. My only comment on the charms, similar to other reviews, is that I wish they were transparent about the material on the premium charms vs. the standard ones. I am realistic about the fact they will tarnish regardless, but I'd still like to know what makes the premium charms 3-4x more expensive (aside from more intricate designs). They have never given me an answer.

Tip: if you coat and set your charms in clear gel nail polish and reapply every few months, they will last longer.

Cost: I think the cost is fair.

Customer Service: As other reviews allude to, Beadnik's customer service is subpar. In fact, it's the sole reason I will no longer support this business. I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt the first time I went in, chalking up my bad experience to possibly an off day for the employees I dealt with. That said, my bad experiences have now been 4/4. I love the concept of the store, but time and time again leave with negative interactions. My friends feel the same.

Generally speaking, when going into an establishment that requires a degree of customer assistance, I am not expecting employees to be my best friend, but am expecting them to 1) explain the process and 2) make me feel comfortable interacting with them. Below lists all of the ways they have failed to meet those two basic needs:

3 of the 4 times I've been at Beadnik, the employees have not measured my wrist for me to know how many beads I needed to string. I was met with frustration by employees when I went up to have my beaded bracelets sealed because I did not gauge my wrist size appropriately and I had to start over. The 1 time they measured me beforehand, I realized that was supposed to be the standard process every time.

The first time I went, they were less-than-helpful in explaining the process. In the remaining 3 visits I explained the process to friends I brought as they still were unhelpful (note: the store was only busy 1 of the 4 times I went).

One friend wanted to mimic a specific bracelet design and we showed it to an employee to ask for help- it was like pulling teeth getting them to assist. Her questions were met with one word answers and no further suggestions if they simply said "no" (she was not making a complicated design).

I hate leaving negative reviews, but after my friends' and my last experience, coupled with the other reviews, I feel affirmed in my decision to not support this business. The staff makes you feel like every question is a chore for them to answer- if they answer at all (and I'm not incessantly asking questions), they're very judgmental, and they act like they don't want you in their store/want your business. I want to be clear that it's not just my experience, but everyone I've brought with me as well. I've never felt this unwelcome in a store in my 9 years...

My sister made a reservation for us to make necklaces for my birthday months in advance and paid $18 for the appointment. We showed up a few minutes early for the appointment and the staff was busy with other guests so we browsed while waiting to check in. My sister went to the counter to check us in after a few minutes and the staff member rudely told her to have me come over as well.

She the handed us two bags and two pens and said pick out whatever charms we’d like from the two tables and write down the prices on the bag. Once we selected our charms, we would then choose a chain for our necklaces. The charm selection was incredibly unimpressive overall, with charms of various colors and sizes from $2 to $24. There were some additional charms on the wall in frames that were more expensive, some up to $90. The one benefit to the framed options were some of them actually listed the material of the charms.

None of the charms on the tables list the material. When we asked the staff if the charms would tarnish, we were told they all would but it would take longer for the more expensive ones to tarnish. The styles charms were so low quality especially considering the price. Most of the charms looked like they could be found at craft store in bulk for the same price as a single charm. The chains are start at $20 per foot and are not made of any quality materials either.

After spending 45 minutes in the store trying to put together charms and figure out how much the necklace would potentially cost, my sister and I decided to just leave. The appointment cost didn’t go toward the purchase of a necklace, the store was incredibly crowded which made making an appointment seem unnecessary, and the staff made no effort to assist us in anyway.

I understand that this might be more of a novelty experience but I’ve bought quality jewelry from Etsy for less that has held up to daily wear for years. If you’re planning a visit, I’d...

My gf and I recently had the pleasure of organizing a staff outing for our team to make necklaces and bracelets. Overall, the experience was fantastic! From picking out the charms to creating our unique pieces, it was a lot of fun. The atmosphere was perfect for a group outing, and the opportunity to sit together and work on our creations made it feel very friendly.

However, there were a few downsides to our experience. One staff member was quite rude and condescending, which put a bit of a damper on the otherwise enjoyable event. As a consumer, it’s incredibly frustrating to organize an event and spend money, only to feel unappreciated or unwelcome. This particular staff member's behavior was disappointing, especially since the rest of the staff were friendly and helpful.

Additionally, two of our team members' bracelets and necklaces broke because they were given different clasps due to a shortage of the "better ones." They didn’t even have the items for a day before they broke. Our group spent over $600, so this was particularly disappointing.

I hope they address these problems to ensure a better experience for everyone in the future.

UPDATE - One of our team members called and was helped by Ashley on the phone who was very understanding/helpful regarding the situation. When she arrived both Ashley and Emily made sure she was taken care of and switched her to a different clasp that they felt was a better option for her piece and ensuring this wouldn't happen again! They also provided a new clasp for our other team member. Second experience SIGNIFICANTLY better than the first...