Hancock Fabrics

I came here for their Thanksgiving sale on fleece. They definitely have great sales. The store is big and has a good selection. It’s difficult to locate somebody for help with finding anything. But I came at a busy time and expected that. It’s definitely worth checking out their sales.

I’m a fan of Hancock Fabrics in general, but this particular store is not a location I am inclined to frequent.
When I went to visit today, I was there to pick up a couple of ‘D’ rings and needles for a specific project. Because their $ 5/​yard upholstery/​nice fabric scrap area is so awesome, I also got some 100% silk (I kid you not), brocade, and a cotton/​wool blend scraps for gifts/​other projects on my docket.
Now, the main problem in this store appears to be staff — they had two associates and 1 manager total that I saw, meaning one staff at the cutting counter, one at the registers, and the manager to do her thing when needed.
The girl at the counter was perfectly nice, but wasn’t good about reading off lengths, verifying prices and didn’t seem very knowledgeable (I got the impression she was new) — she was, however, pleasant, accurate in her measuring, and quick.
Cue the register… this was one of the most disorganized and less pleasant experiences I have had. The girl working the register seemed woefully under trained and was having trouble with ringing up items, issuing coupons, and working the register in general (the way she addressed the customers was confused/​angry sounding). Now, she needed the manager to sign off on a return, and I have to say I was shocked to watch her not only let the cashier flounder, but seem oblivious to the long line that was forming when she began to chat up with one of the customers who was already checked out, having the conversation right at the register. I appreciate being friendly, but when you are adding to a very long slow down and not helping out a staff member in need, I am surprised you made it to manager.
Now, when I finally got to the register, the cashier managed to out do herself — She told me I HAD to give a phone number. I had JUST bought fabric at another Hancock a few weeks ago, and when I declined to give my personal info, they simply either entered a dummy number or skipped this stage. When I declined here, the cashier gave me a scowl and huffed «well, you can’t buy if you don’t give me a number.’ So, she lied to me, basically. I should have stood my ground and passed on making the purchase (or asked the still chatting manager to verify the policy) but I wanted the fabric and was tired of waiting, so I gave a fake number. Then, instead of asking for my reward card, the cashier scanned a new card and shoved it in my face. When I told her I already had one, she looked confused and just stared at me quietly until the receipt I had to sign printed, which she pushed in my direction without saying anything.
Needless to say, I will probably be driving a little bit further across town to the other store, since this is not the first time I’ve had slow/​bad service at this particular location. I have noticed that Hancock seems to chronically under staff their locations, but this was the worst I’ve seen in a while (since low staff was combined with shoddy customer service).

Not really into fabrics (wife dragged me in here) but I can tell you that the prices are cheap — even if the line to check out takes EONS.