REI

RUDE MANAGER ASHLEY — Horrible customer service
I purchased a Camelback Mule and many other items from REI over the last month totaling $ 500. I love REI and love the quality of their products but the experience I encountered with the staff, especially Ashley, left me with a feeling of never returning.
The bladder inside the mule had a defect near the bottom seal. There was a puncture so small it was almost impossible to see, but when filled with water it caused a slow leak. I called REI in Yonkers where I made the purchase and they told me to come in with my receipt. I was not happy that I had to drive there for a second time, but I had no choice. When I arrived I spoke with an associate who asked me to go retrieve a bladder from a rack and bring it to her for the exchange. This is problem 1 — You don’t ask a customer to walk around the store looking for a product for an exchange. Anyway, I bring the bladder to her, and she exchanges it for me. I also made some additional purchases. She made no compensatory offers, and when I asked if she could take care of my parking fee since I had to return for the exchange, she replied that there was nothing she could do.
Go home, get up the next day, go to use my camelback. The associate forgot to include the magnetic clip from the camelback when she did the exchange. At this point I was very frustrated. I had been to this store to purchase the product, exchange the product due to a defect, and now I was going to have to return a third time. I called and asked to speak to a manager and I got a guy named Alex. This guy was great, and he understood and told me he’d take care of my parking and would get me the clip. He also said he’d give me a 20% coupon for a future purchase.
A week later I return for the third time. Alex was not there, and unfortunately, I got ASHLEY. I explained the situation to her very patiently and nicely and told her I’d like to keep the bag and just need the clip that the associate previously forgot to give me on my past trip to the store. She offered to exchange the full bag. I told her that I had stuff in it and that Alex said he could just give me a clip. She immediately became AGGRESSIVE AND RUDE. She forcefully said she would not destroy another product and the other two associates became quiet and I myself was a little embarrassed. There were other customers in the store who noticed also. She said she would offer me an exchange and that was all. No apology, no sensitivity, no understanding, just a stern indifferent response to a customer who had been to the store three times at no fault of their own. I decided not to debate with her, because she seemed so aggressive and I didn’t want to ruin an evening out with my wife.
She made no compensatory offers, and I asked could she at least cover my parking which she did.
Look, maybe Ashley was right. Maybe it’s store policy to not destroy one product to make up for another, but that’s not really the point. I spent $ 500 in a month there, and had to return three times at no fault of my own. I had to empty my personal belongings on the customer service desk while other customers watched. I was spoken to like an enemy, not a customer who had to deal with this problem over three separate trips to the store.
My advice is to educate your managers. Alex had the right idea. Make me happy and offer me incentive to come back, and most importantly apologize for the negative experience.
Ashley sealed the deal on my never returning. The way you deliver a message is more important than the message itself. This manager does not know how to speak with customers, and if you looked at her coworkers faces when she spoke to me, you knew immediately that this type of poisonous aggression bleeds into an otherwise happy work environment. They were just as uncomfortable as I was.
Next time… I’ll walk past your store and got to LL Bean.

It’s REI. A new store with lots of inventory. Parking is pricey but that’s a function of the mall it’s in… Enjoy going to this store, friendly workers.

The customer service here is simply the best. My husband bought his bike at REI and when I went in for mine, But I couldn’t find a decent one in the frame size that I needed. I went to Dicks which is right next door and bought my bike there since it was less expensive and I’m an occasional rider, so I didn’t want to spend much. The bike I got from Dicks was not serviced correctly at all. I had issues within the hour of purchasing it. I decided to go to REI because I felt they’re more experienced. Michael from REI really went above and beyond to make sure my bike was safe for me to ride, even though I didn’t even buy it there. It is safe to say that you should buy from REI because you get great customer service, quality inspection and knowledgable staff.

This place is a wonderland! The staff is knowledgable, and they have a huge selection of products. I will say with this store in particular that price tags seem to be missing from a number of products, and some of the store is just oddly laid out compared to other REIs. Also, they seem to be short staffed here on the weekend. During the week you don’t have any trouble finding someone to answer a question, but this past Sunday I had to wait until checkout to ask someone a question.
Super knowledgable staff, you know that everyone there knows and uses their products. Oh and if you think you’ll be spending more than $ 50 there, get the membership. It’s only $ 20 and you get a year to return anything, and 10% refund on all of your purchases. How cool is that?

The store itself was fine. However, I waited in line for awhile and then was paying for snack with my toddler when another customer started screaming because she thought she had been there first. I apologized for the confusion, she continued screaming and got aggressive and scary. We were in front of the customer service desk, but the employee froze in fear and did nothing. I’d think twice before going back to this REI location.

Taku was extremely helpful in helping me find a bag for backpacking in Europe. I had lots of requirements and was probably a bit of a pain, but he was patient and provided me with some serious insight as to what would be best for me on my trip! Personalized, pleasant, stress-​lightening experience. The only place I would go for all of my outdoor needs (of which there are many).

I just love REI! My membership doesn’t expire at all. They have the best return policy. This place is huge with a lot of
Outdoor activity selections and personal needs that are good qualities and other good brand names.
Prices varies somewhat reasonable to being pricey depending on the item you have to purchase.
I find this place Clean, tidy and organized.
Never had any issue since they opened.
The staff here are impeccable and efficient.
A lot of parking lot but they stop validating the parking ticket.
Still a place I would go for any outdoor activity stuff and sports that I would need.
Will recommend to others.

What a weird experience I had here. Went primarily to look at shoes and found the selection decent, but not outstanding. We each found a pair of shoes we wanted to try, so I was not sure what the protocol is to actually find my size. They had an aisle that had some boxes… am I supposed to go there?
There was a guy working in the shoe area so I asked him how do I find my size. He told me that he had to go get them, then he tells us in a not so friendly voice to put the shoes back where we got them from.
OK…
So while I am sitting there waiting, not particularly looking at anything, I heard a small BAM nearby. Then I see the guy walking away. The noise I heard was him essentially dropping the shoe boxes onto the floor near me then walking away. He must have dropped them from waist high because it was actually pretty loud.
WTF is his problem? Talk about a rude jerk. He didn’t say a thing to us or look at us or ask us how everything was. I don’t have high expectations of people, and this guy is one reason why. I did NOTHING to warrant that attitude.
The woman at the sales register was super nice and friendly, though. She is what kept this from being a 3 star review.
Otherwise the store seems nicely stocked and I did hear other sales staff being helpful to people.
hey REI managers, you reading these reviews?

awesome store. its like walking into toys r us.
their service is impeccable. what i just posted on my fb. figured id also share it here.
REI has got to have some of the best customer service in retail. just got a $ 40 price adjustment on a purchase with no hassle no questions. just a quick look up of my order history and bamm. 5 minutes. didnt even have to go to the store.
not to mention my pair of OR gloves i bought last winter that were not as warm as expected. last month they credited me the full purchase price towards a pair from Burton that i am amazed with.
the membership really is amazing. i am waiting for one of their yard sales to see what i can pick up.

Love this place they have the greatest sales. Become a member and you’ll be glad when you get your dividends. You’ll have first grab on sales. $ 20 for a life time. That’s a great deal. Ask for the trips, if your a member you’ll really have a great time + save.

I’ve been to this REI several times since it opened for climbing gear, backpacking, and other odds and ends. However, this last time was a victory. I found a bunch of great items on sale ($ 7 bathing suit!) but couldn’t find the pants and shorts in my size that I wanted. Patty, the woman running the register, spent over half an hour on the phone with other stores trying to find what I wanted to have it shipped for me. She was pleasant and fun the whole time, too! Much appreciated.

In the market for a Thule bikerack? Look no further — this is the place! Not only do they have everything (virtually) in stock, but they were super helpful and pleasant about installing everything. Andy and David helped me and they were so patient, and real perfectionists about getting it right.
I had purchased the rack elsewhere (where they were total grumps about helping me install it, even though I was willing to pay for this) and I needed some new parts to install on my new car. These guys did everything they could to help save me money! And installed it perfectly.
I’m a customer that is tough to please… and I’m now a complete fan of REI! Some of the best customer service I’ve had in years. Highly recommend this store!

Was really impressed with REI after my first visit there. Bought a $ 40 pair of gloves there. It’s not cheap, but the prices are reasonable and the quality very good.
What I was really impressed with was the friendly sales staff, especially the helpful saleswoman behind the register.
Definitely be back anytime I need some winter or fishing clothes, a backpack or just to window shop! :D

LOVE REI! I’ve only encountered one slightly crabby worker since the store opened. Everyone else has been extremely friendly and helpful. Most people are very knowledgeable about the products. If a particular worker doesn’t have the expertise, they’ll find someone who does.
The best part is that you can truly buy anything with confidence because they have an amazing return policy. It doesn’t matter if the item is used and you bought it 10 years ago. If you have a REI membership, you don’t even need to keep the receipt!
Their sales and markdowns are usually not as deep as other stores, but I think this is on account of being able to offer their great return policy. So I think it’s worth it!
You can also buy things on the REI web site with free ship-​to-​store, which is nice.
To address some of the concerns in previous reviews:
— Parking: It’s certainly annoying that you have to pay $ 3.25 for 6 hours of parking. The metered parking is limited and almost always full. Unfortunately REI doesn’t validate, but the workers were never rude when I asked. Most of the stores and restaurants in Ridge Hill do not validate (only Cheesecake factory, Whole Foods, and the gym do a full validation. Lord and Taylor and the movie theater do a partial validation).
— I think that their selection is good for most things. It’s okay for bikes and ski/​snowboards, but for those things you’re better off going to a bike or ski shop.
— The membership is definitely not a scam. They are upfront about the cost and the many benefits. It’s $ 20 for life and entitles you to special sales, a percentage back on full price items, and best of all – lifetime returns without a receipt.

Great store! They have everything here and the best a part is the staff is ever so helpful, polite and friendly. They don’t bother you while you’re browsing, but they do ask if they can help. The minute I needed help the sales person was right there and he assisted me through my entire purchase selection and I’m not an easy person to help while shopping. But he was patient and knowledgeable. Good experience all around.

This particular REI deserves one star because not only do they not validate your parking, they are rude when you ask about it.
They also deserve one star because while they have a little bit of everything outdoor-​wise, the key part is the «little bit» part. They don’t actually have a good selection of any one thing, whether it be biking, kayaking, camping, hiking, etc. You would be better off going to an actual bike store or a kayak store to get better selection. This is true for all REI stores though.
And they are out of a lot of items.
And the whole «co-​op» rewards card you have to pay for is a total scam. By calling it a co-​op they make you think it is some hippy nonsense when they are just charging you for something most stores give you for free. I have lots of other stores rewards cards that offer the exact same things, but for free!

I went to this store for the first time this weekend in Pittsburgh. I loved it. More choices than I could wrap my head around. I wish I had more time to explore and climb that rock they had at the front of the store. I will definitely be back.

An outdoorsy person’s dream come true.
Winter hats, gloves, jackets — check
Bikes, helmets, etc. — check
Camping or skiing stuff — check
Shoes — check
Great store, but as other reviewers have mentioned, the only bad part is having to pay for parking… booo!

My favorite outdoors store, now so close to me YONKERS; guys you cannot go wrong with these stores, no matter which one you’ll go, outstanding costumer service and the best of all their products are 100% satisfaction guarantee plus the have great classes for those outdorrs lovers like me :-)
Cons: You have to pay for parking and there is no way you can avoid that :-(

I love REI:
Not only do they carry my favorite brands (Merrell, The North Face, ExOfficio, Built, CamelBak, Keen, Smartwool, etc)…but REI also backs up their products with their 100% guarantee. Because of this guarantee, I know that I can trust that whatever I buy is high quality and is backed by REI’s expert selection.
Staff/​Customer Service:
David and Andrew, two of the managers present today were exceptionally helpful in assisting me with a complicated order. They are the reason why I will always visit REI first for any of my outdoorsy needs. The associates are extremely knowledgeable about their products, not pushy on sales, and always make me feel refreshed by their outstanding customer service.
Location:
This is a new location is in a walk-​able outdoor shopping center with garage parking. This is also the biggest REI I have visited so far across the USA. The shoe selection is pretty extensive, and they even have a special workshop (felt like Santa’s workshop) that you can bring in your winter sports gear for servicing.