Lighting by Erik Inc

The owners were all smiles when I plunked down $ 1,000 for merchandise and services. But, when I pointed out minor defects in the merchandise and major problems in rewiring an antique lamp, they couldn’t be bothered. I have never been treated with such disrespect. I don’t know how they manage to stay in business. Beware.

The stuff that this store has are definitely nice (the majority of them). However, when you buy a lamb that will cost at least a couple of hundreds you expect to get also an equally impressive service. This is by far not true in this store. The service is rather incompetent. Not only they try to oversell to you but they also do not respect their customers. Actually, while we walked into the store, I was surprised to hear one of the ladies working there asking another customer to pay upfront before doing the required changes to the lamb they had asked for (as if the customer would leave without getting the lamb he went there for). I thought this was weird but I ignored it; maybe I should have gotten the single and left the store. In my case, while we bought a lamp the lady asked us whether we wanted one of their «super-​duper» light bulbs that will last forever. We said no it is fine, since we literally have about 50 light bulbs at home. To our surprise when we went home we found that there was a light bulb in the box they gave us, which was also apparently charged ($ 20). On top of that, when we tried to use this super light bulb it was not a surprise that it was not functioning at all! Definitely I will not be going back to this place.

If I could give this place less than one star I would. I recently bought a lamp here which yes, is very pretty. But the customer service is by far the worst I have ever experienced. I should have known not to buy a lamp here as the one saleswoman was extremely pushy and followed me all around the store the entire time and kept trying to sell me a $ 400 lamp. As soon as I got home I was unwrapping the lamp shade and noticed that it was cracked. I called immediately and explained that I had received a flawed product. They assured me they would order a new shade and it would come in within 7 days and they would call to let me know when it came in. Needless to say it’s been two weeks now and no one has called me about it. I have now called 4 times and every person I’ve spoken to tries to shuttle me off the phone immediately without explanation. The last conversation I had was with a woman who worked there who told me «she was just a worker and couldn’t help me with what I wanted». I bought a lamp from there for a few hundred dollars, they sent me home with a broken lamp, they told me they would call and they still haven’t and now they act like they have no idea who I am, and the employee tells me she can’t help me? I would never give these people my money again. You can find equally nice things at a different store for a better price with people that actually respect you.

When my favorite lamp stopped working, I went to Lighting by Erik because they were close to my home. I was initially pleased by the private parking lot as parking can be an issue in that area. The service I received was outstanding. I was told that I could save about $ 30 by fixing the lamp myself, and was directed to the technicion who quickly showed me the parts and how to do the repair. I was very impressed by his expertise and customer service, and learned he has been doing this for 45 years. They really went out of their way to help me out on the spot, and it made my morning. I was also impressed by their chandelier selection and will definitely visit again to shop.

This store will not let you photograph their lighting fixtures. We browsed for a while and found a chandelier we liked, and my husband took a picture of it on his cell phone. The salesclerk told us that was not allowed. We were dumbfounded. We are renovating a house and need a number of light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, etc.– the only way we can keep track of them all (and check if they actually might look good together) is to photograph everything we’re seriously considering. We tried to explain this and the clerk said nope, not allowed. We asked why. She said, «I don’t know– they just don’t allow it.» Well I bet I know– they don’t want you going online in search of better pricing. But hey, NEWSFLASH– that’s how things work in 2012. I’m not going to drop $ 1,200 on a chandelier without looking it up online. (For the record, I understand that local businesses aren’t usually going to have the lowest price available. I don’t mind paying a bit of a premium to support a small business in Pittsburgh that gave me great in-​person service. But like hell am I going to spend that kind of money without making sure I’m not getting completely ripped off.)
We tried to press further, though– what about matching finishes or colors to other fixtures? The salesclerk said, «Oh, people just tell us what colors they have in their room and how big the room is and we tell them what works.» I’m sorry, but unless you’re omniscient, this is not acceptable.
The most insulting thing, though, is the clerk telling us «I don’t know» about a policy that’s so clearly the exception to the local norm. If you’re going to have a ridiculous, anachronistic rule, at least have the guts to explain why to customers when they ask.

My husband and I visited Lighting by Erik yesterday and were absolutely blown away with the amount of product in the store! This is the BEST place in Pittsburgh to find lighting. We were in the market for a nice crystal chandelier for our kitchen and had more than enough choices to pick from. We have had a hard time before yesterday finding a nice enough crystal chandelier in town (or getting good customer service from other stores). Also, had the problem of not being able to see merchandise at other places. NOT the case at Lighting by Erik! We worked with one of the owner’s and she was a complete joy to work with, and full of passion for her job (a rare find these days)! She took her time, was thorough and made sure we loved what we were buying. Also, very impressed with their selection of fan options. They also have many catalogs with high quality and unique ceiling fans, which was a huge perk for us, wanting something more unique. I highly recommend this store to anyone who has great taste! They also have a fantastic selection of lamps, mirrors, tables and other home décor items. Will absolutely be purchasing from them again. Check it out, you will be impressed.