What shopping at Olum's is like Part 2 - 6.18.2007.2

Continued from What shopping at Olum's is like

I was told that I would have an answer on my corporate account in 2 days after Olum’s received my corporate ID number. They received the number on Tuesday of last week, the next day after I had come into the presence of Linda. Mr. Dave Titus, as I recall, gruffly reminded me that it would take 2 days, so I am sure I was expecting to get an answer by Thursday.

I say gruffly because if you noticed, Linda in all her efficiency had scheduled my delivery for Wednesday and when I mentioned this and that it needed to be corrected Mr. Titus directly told me that couldn’t happen. When I mentioned that their automated system had already tried to confirm the delivery and that he should take care of it, he emphatical stated he would. Don’t you feel the love.

On Friday I called Mr. Titus to find out the status of my account. I only got his answering machine, and he never called me back. Hey it was a nice Friday, I figured he was out golfing or something, which I would have done if I wasn’t working. So Monday comes by, and I call him again.

I am on hold for him to pick up for 5 minutes. The receptionist picks back up and mentions he seems to again not be at his desk. It’s 2:30 in the afternoon. She asks me to leave a message in his voicemail, and in 10 minutes she would go in and remind him to call me. Odd that she knows where to find him if he is not at his desk, but I say ok.

At about 5:40 I walk into the same Olum’s store I was at 1 week ago. I ask if Mr. Titus is around, a woman takes my name and goes to check. Nope, not there. (Oh if it matters I’m in a pair of Dockers and a polo shirt – no time off this day). So I ask if I can get the status of the corporate account, I am hoping to schedule delivery as I may be out of town later in the week. 10 minutes to get someone that “might” be able to access the information, and another 10-15 later I find out that there is no one able to get the information and I will have to wait to reach the elusive Mr. Titus the next day.

Now I get a bit snippy, having been serviced poorly since the moment I walked in the door a week ago, and state that I will just purchase the furniture outright. 4 of the women working the sales desk all stopped and were startled. I was not rude in my words, nor loud, but I was direct. They seemed quite flustered that I wished to purchase the office furniture outright. I pulled out my corporate card, quoted the remainder of the balance due, stated that I was told delivery could be done next day as well as assembly of the items that needed it by Linda, and reminded them that this was an imposition as I had preferred to do this via a corporate account but no answers were disrespectful. # of the ladies then started to apply themselves for the first time since I was in the store and found my account, the balance (exactly what I stated it was) and made the purchase and set the delivery. It took 5 minutes of actual work.

Though I was annoyed I apologized to the lady helping me, as she was not whom I was angered by, and stated clearly but a bit more softly that this was the least professional service I had had in a while.

I think that 6 days are more than enough to make a 2 minute call. I think someone should be able to access the status of a corporate account at all times. I don’t think a man in a t-shirt is going to pick up a desk and sprint out of a store. I don’t like being followed as I look over a purchase. I don’t like being questioned if I have enough money for a purchase I state I want, or ignored when I mention I want to make a corporate purchase. I hate when my ability to own a company is questioned.

If you wondered, yes I was the only African American (besides my friend) in Olum’s each time I was there.

What do I think of Olums’s? I don’t use such profanity on this blog. Suffice to say that if I looked different in both instances I was there, and my name was less Hispanic, I would have been treated far differently.

Pass the word on this experience, as I also plan to provide a copy of this to the owners of Olum’s and I want them to know what kind of word of mouth they engendered from me.

This is what I think, what do you think?