Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts

Yesterday was the last straw for me at Jo-​Ann Fabrics. The cashier was beyond rude to me and my husband who were checking out separately because we were paying separately and wanted to use separate coupons. It’s like she was worried that because we saved a cumulative $ 3, she wouldn’t be getting her big bonus this year. I thought employees were hired to help the customers. Not at Jo-​Ann Fabrics in State College. I won’t be going back there anymore for poor quality fabric and even worse customer service.

I have no idea what any of the other reviews are talking about but then I never need cutting counter help. I do cross stitch, and do model airplanes and other «hobby» stuff. I also have the App on my phone (which has fine print that tells you what you can and cannot use the coupon on just like any other coupon with stipulations does). Everyone there has been helpful to what I’ve come to expect from other stores (and MUCH more helpful than their major competitors in the area (walmart or Michaels) where you’re lucky to find someone who knows anything about the department you’re in and by the time you do you’re roughly an hour into your experience). Sure you might get quick directions if they’re busy doing something…“oh you know where the floss is… turn around and it’s about 3 feet to your right near the top i think… if you can’t find it come back and i’ll come help you look”.
If I’m going to give a down side to this place (and kept me from going 5 stars) it’s that they don’t have models (which i really can’t blame them for since there’s a model store in the very next plaza over) and the parking situation is TERRIBLE now that perkins is in there. Sometimes they get busy with only two checkouts as well. If you’ve ever worked retail you know that this happens though and invariably if they added another checkout it’d sit empty a good 80% of the time.
If i’m going to guess I’m going to say that these other people have never worked a day of retail in their lives (something EVERYONE should experience), and just can’t relate to someone trying to do their best given a situation.

Do I have to give any stars? Can I give a zero or a negative? Today I went to Jo-​Ann Fabrics to use the coupons sent to me via email and on my iPhone app. This was the first time that I have used the coupons, so I was unfamiliar with how they could be used with my purchases, and in combination with one another. The cashier helping me, a woman who appeared to be in her 60’s, with short grey hair, was curt answering my questions and left me in a lurch when only 3 of the 7 coupons that I had available to use would work. I tried to get some help from her to figure out what was going on, but she would not offer any helpful information. I asked her which items the coupons were ringing up for and she only curtly said, «I don’t know. I won’t know until I see the receipt.» I said that I guess I would have to just pay for it all, then return items that didn’t have the coupons work on them. She was either refusing or was not educated enough to help me, but she had her lips pursed in an annoyed expression and kept looking at her watch and acted like all she wanted to do was get rid of me and leave the counter. Either way, I was in turmoil, not knowing what to do. I stood there, literally shaking my head, with my mouth agape, wondering what to do, so I cancelled the order in frustration. Then, she told me that she was leaving and that the cashier next to her was going to take over. However, before leaving, she curled up her lips and said sideways to the other cashier, in a low, warning voice, but loud enough for me to hear, «good luck!» The younger cashier, a woman who appeared in her 20s, with long, straight, brown hair, asked her, «what?» The older woman looked at me, saw that I was looking her in the eyeballs, and would not repeat louder what she had said, but said instead, «I have to go.» I said out loud, «Excuse me, that was rude,» but she just kept on going. I explained this all to the younger cashier who was sincerely nice, apologizing for the other woman, even though it wasn’t her fault. But didn’t want to give her a hard time so I asked for the manager on duty. When I finished explaining the situation to her, as well, she proceeded to tell me, «Oh, she just meant good luck with the auditor. We have an auditor in house today.» I told her, no, that the older cashier’s body language and the way she spoke and would not repeat her comment to the younger woman all told me that the older woman meant exactly what it seemed like. The manager just apologized curtly, but didn’t say that she would rectify the situation or anything, so I told her, «You need to speak to that cashier, not just apologize to me.» Then the manager pursed her lips, with the corners curled up, looked away from me, and said, «I will,» although the way she said that left me with the feeling that she was only interested in defending the actions of the older cashier. Now I’m left not wanting to go back to Jo-​Ann fabrics, or at least to refuse being checked out by that rude cashier if I do ever go back there again. I’m going to see if I can call the district manager and find out if they practice the same rude customer relations and defense of their rude employee actions, or if they’ll actually do something to rectify the situation. Given the other negative reviews for Jo-​Ann Fabrics on this site, I’m doubting I’ll come away with any good results.

I applaud Jo-​Ann Fabrics for trying to modernize their store and expand certain departments but that’s where the positive comments end.
The staff is largely rude and unhelpful — and even combative.
My visit on 7÷19÷2000 pushed me over the edge.
Checking out took over ½ hour because sale prices were not coming up properly on the computer — for all but one item I purchased. When I inquired about the sale price of a few items — which were located at a display that said 70% off — I was told that the sign didn’t apply to those items and the price was as marked. There was no apology, no attempt to move the sign so another customer wasn’t confused, nothing. I was simply told — rather sternly, I might add — that the sign was in the wrong place.
To top it all off, the store manager left a customer she was helping at the register because she had a conference call — and screamed about it at the top of her lungs to the 5 customers who were waiting in line to check out — then pulled another employee off the fabric cutting desk to take her place (leaving, I assume, customers waiting to be helped there).
Had this been an isolated incident I would have chalked it up to a bad, busy day for everyone there. But this happens EVERY time I go to Jo-​Ann Fabrics. And, as I mention this to others, it seems like it happens to other people on a regular basis, too.
Sadly, our area doesn’t have a lot of options for buying craft supplies so I will take my business to Michael’s or, better yet, buy from the independent sellers on Etsy, from now on.