What's happening to Michael's

[Autumn]

I was at the craft store yesterday and saw that there was a sign outside of Michael's that said that they will honor competitors coupons plus give an additional 10 percent off the sale. I really don't like how you can't use Michael's coupons to use when you buy craft books.

 

So I asked management that since they 'honor' competitors coupons, do they honor the fact that you can use competitors coupons to get percents off of craft books and patterns at those stores.

 

She laughed and said no. We don't go that far. They will only take percents off and not honor the entire coupon.

 

WTH???? If you honor a coupon then you honor the coupon plain and simple. I just shook my head and said then the competitor gets to honor the coupon I have and walked out!

 

I actually think that 'my' michael's is going down hill fast. Seeming to go the way of the yarn department in Walmart! They cut the yarn department again since I was there last! And this last 'little' gimmick is a joke!

[Sapphire]

I went into my local Hobby Lobby several weeks ago, looking for crochet thread and it was practically non-existent. There was only a small display at the end of one of the aisles with a few balls. Needless to say, I had to go to a competitor to find the color I needed to finish my project. I now understand why so many order over the internet.

[RoseRed]

I would contact customer service and clarify that. I would use the 800 # instead of email. If the woman had it wrong - corporate can correct her.

[Heather414]

Our Michael's here won't allow you to use their coupons on books either (even kids sticker books).

 

I usually get my books from Amazon. You can find a lot of older pattern books used for between $1 - $5 plus shipping; or, if it is a new book, get a couple to add up to $25 and you'll get free shipping. You have to wait a few days, but in the long run, it can save you a lot of $$.

 

Good luck!

[leaette]

my complaint with michaels is that no matter what time i go or what store i go to, their employees are completely clueless about the merchandise they sell. if you ask a question, you get a blank stare.

 

perfect example: christmas time (it was not busy) i wanted to find ornament kits with beads, wire, etc. i couldnt' find them. ask a girl who works there and she looks at me like i'm making this up! "i don't know" is the answer i get and i turn around to leave the aisle and there before me is a HUGE section of DIY ornament kits (maybe 3 feet away from the girl). i'm not talking just a few kits, it was a whole section. how can this employee not know that is there?

 

that is just one example. this is not an isolated incident. i never go to michaels anymore unless i HAVE to.

[HelloLittleBirds]

There are clueless and disinterested people working in retail everywhere. I went to Michael's to buy yarn and asked a manager if they had any more of this particular color, maybe in the stock room (there weren't enough for the project I had in mind on the facing)? I couldn't understand why she couldn't answer my question. Then I worked at Michaels for a (luckily) short time. It was impossible to locate anything in the stock room. No discernable organization whatsoever.

 

Maybe you happened on a particularly clueless and disinterested employee. Or maybe she's checked out because it's such a miserable place to work. (Imagine: "Yes, Ms. Irate Customer, I would like to help you find what you need, but it's _literally_ impossible and there's nothing I can do about that fact, so I have to go stand over here now.") I could go on about this, but I'll refrain.

[PBLKNP]

We have one Michaels in the area that has a nice yarn selection. The other one doesn't, particularly.

 

As far as the big stores go, I have found the best customer service at AC Moore. Years ago, I was making a sweater for a friend, but ran out of yarn. It was a fairly new color for Patons Wool, so AC Moore was the only store in the area to carry it. As the store is 45 minutes away, I called and not only did they check to see if they had it, they HELD it for me until I could get there on my lunch hour. Wonderful people.

[gumby28]

I happen to work at a Michaels in Kansas City and we give GREAT customer service. If you ask for help if the salesperson you ask doesn't know we will find someone that does. We do not keep overstock in our warehouse it is all kept on top shelves on the salesfloor in a neat organized fashion.

[Amyjk]

While they don't always have what I want/need, I love my local Michaels. At christmas time, my husband was going to be in the area of the store running errands and I needed some yarn to finish a gift, I sent him in there with the yarn wrappers and told him "ask for help finding this, and TRY to get the same dye lot" mind you my husband knows NOTHING about yarn... So I was hoping he'd get it right. Well, he asked one of the girls there and she showed him to the yarn section, helped him find the yarn and dug through it with him to find a skein with the right dye lot. He said she was very nice and helpful, so for that, I am greatful.

[Graceylue]

I worked at Michaels for a short time as a seasonal cashier, given my interest in yarn and needle crafts whenever a customer had a question about yarn I was sent back to help, everyone had their "specialties" according to their interests and would be called on to help various customers. I was even called out of the break room to help a customer, which some might object to but being that yarn was one of the less popular parts of the store I was more than happy to share my passion. There were multiple times where I would forgo my break to help a customer, even taught one how to bind off her knitting while on break. And like in Gumby's store all our overstock was in boxes on top of the shelves. Not all Michaels have terrible service, despite what corporate is doing.

[yarn_geek]

I was at the craft store yesterday and saw that there was a sign outside of Michael's that said that they will honor competitors coupons plus give an additional 10 percent off the sale. I really don't like how you can't use Michael's coupons to use when you buy craft books.

 

So I asked management that since they 'honor' competitors coupons, do they honor the fact that you can use competitors coupons to get percents off of craft books and patterns at those stores.

 

She laughed and said no. We don't go that far. They will only take percents off and not honor the entire coupon.

 

WTH???? If you honor a coupon then you honor the coupon plain and simple. I just shook my head and said then the competitor gets to honor the coupon I have and walked out!

 

I actually think that 'my' michael's is going down hill fast. Seeming to go the way of the yarn department in Walmart! They cut the yarn department again since I was there last! And this last 'little' gimmick is a joke!

 

Sounds like the manager didn't handle the situation very well. She should have explained that, while Michael's accepts competitors coupons, their coupon policy supercedes the other stores' policies and could have offered you a copy of the policy. It's kind of frustrating, but it does make sense. JoAnn's, for example, doesn't allow coupons to be used on their sewing machines. This is most likely because they've made agreements with their vendors, or because they would take a loss on the sale. They're not going to allow a customer to use a competitor's coupon on a sewing machine just because the competitor's coupon does not exlude them.

 

Michael's hasn't allowed coupons to be used on books or magazines for well over a year. I heard it was because they were losing money. An outside vendor stocks the books and mags, and they are sold at the publishers' listed prices- not at Michael's (inflated) prices. Maybe, if enough people complained, they would change it back. However, as with most large retail establishments, you have to do it at the corporate level and not at store level- the store managers don't have any say in the policies and aren't allowed to deviate from them.

 

A good way to let stores, like Michael's, know how you feel about your shopping experience is to fill out those annoying surveys printed on the receipts. They love the feedback, and you might win something.

[klouised]

I used to work at a Michaels about 12 years ago. That was back when they were "IT". Back then, our store, didn't honor coupons for books or magazines, either. I started out as a sales clerk overseeing the Fine Arts Dept and Framing Dept. My first boss was lazy and didn't care. It showed in the workers. They had no inspiration. We got a new boss, and I became the Classroom Coordinater, Store Decorator and still kept my other jobs. I worked like a dog, but I loved it. I had a job that let me get paid to play, so to speak, and I had a great boss that kept me inspired. Another girl and I were the ONLY ones who really knew about all the products, and that girl was the one who did the ordering. When a customer had a question they would call one of us. If we weren't there then there was no one really who knew anything, so they would leave their name and number for me to call back. I grew up with my mother being VERY crafty, so I was lucky in having that experience learning about all the different crafts and products. That is very unusual anymore. You get paid minimum wage, but still expected to buy and take home all those products to learn about. It's not going to happen for most of those people. It's a shame, but that's the way it is.

 

It's been making me very sad seeing the yarn departments shrinking in all the craft stores. It's showing the sign of the times. They've got to make the cut somewhere to save. I guess fabric depts do better than yarn. I don't know.

[FrLopLady]

It is quite plainly printed on the blurb for competitors coupons that it cannot be used on certain items including books. Having worked in a book store (college granted) the mark up on those kinds of books isn't all that much and a 40% discount would drop them below the cost of their price..and if someone else is bringing in the books...

 

As far as help..I would be surprised if everyone working in the store around Christmas knew anything about crafts. They hire who they can get at that time of year. Younger kids who don't care..just want a job over Christmas. I would want to know where everything in the store was if I was working there :

 

The Michaels here is the only one for miles. It has the best yarn selection of any other store in the area.

 

Now.. Ben Franklin in Monroe, WA.... WOW! gal who works the department will sit and work on a project herself and answer any questions. I had a yarn there I was looking at but was clueless what to use it for...she suggested a light shawl or scarf. I bought 2 skeins of 500+ yards each..stay tuned

[Autumn]

It is quite plainly printed on the blurb for competitors coupons that it cannot be used on certain items including books. Having worked in a book store (college granted) the mark up on those kinds of books isn't all that much and a 40% discount would drop them below the cost of their price..and if someone else is bringing in the books...

 

On the hand written sign outside of the Michael's I go to, it had that they honor competitors coupons. Nothing at all was written about not honoring 'all' of the coupon.

 

While it is true that you can't use a Michael's coupon on their books or patterns, the competitors coupon I had in hand, I can. When Michael's wouldn't honor the 'coupon' as it stated on the sign outside, I went to the competitor (in this case AC Moore's) and used it get get percent off of the pattern book I bought! I can also use the Joann's coupon on patterns and books also, at Joann's! The only craft store in my area that won't accept or allow you to use a coupon on pattern books is Michael's.

 

The major point is: If they are going to state that they will honor the competitors coupon, then they should honor the coupon in full as it can be used at the competitors store.

[flyinghigh]

I don't have any particular problem with our Michaels. They don't have a very nice yarn selection, but JoAnns is just across the street so I can just go there. The workers there are your typical people who just want a job, and don't seem to really have an interest in what they're selling. I don't go there very often.

[Gardener]

I guess just the fact that you can use a competitors coupon at Michaels would be enough for me, even if I couldn't use it on books.

 

The Michaels I frequent has great staff and good customer service. Of course they are less than a block from Hobby Lobby and Joanns which may make a difference.

[Sylviaf]

My nearest Michael's is worthless for yarn, but there are two others nearby that are much better.

[LovesGrannySquares]

I went to Hancock Fabrics this past weekend to check out their yarn and, Holy Smokes, it's expensive! $9 for a skein of yarn that is less that $4 at Wal-Mart and Michaels. Where online is a good place to buy yarn. I looked on Amazon a few minutes ago and they were asking $11 for a 185 yd skein!

[Autumn]

I went to Hancock Fabrics this past weekend to check out their yarn and, Holy Smokes, it's expensive! $9 for a skein of yarn that is less that $4 at Wal-Mart and Michaels. Where online is a good place to buy yarn. I looked on Amazon a few minutes ago and they were asking $11 for a 185 yd skein!

 

 

When shopping online, I usually check out and compare prices at these sites: (I usually buy acrylic yarns)

 

Annie's Attic

Joann's Fabric

Mary Maxium

Herrschners

Yarn and Thread by Lisa

Shop Caron

[sdeepthinker]

I am from a very small town that has only a local Wal Mart with a very limited craft section. I have to travel at least 30 min. to get to the nearest Michaels but I almost always find what I'm looking for when I get there. I've asked for help and been given service that was "top of the line." If it wasn't for Michaels I wouldn't be able to do any shopping where you can actually see, touch for softness, or read whether the yarn is machine wash and dry, or hand wash only, so I have to say I love this store!

[smokeyp81]

I agree with most of you here that Michael's coupon policy "stinks". I hate stores that put out coupons, then in teeny tiny print list all the things that you can't use it for.....JC Penney's is notorious for that. It's just a ploy to get you in the store....I never buy a pattern book in Michael's. I take my business to other craft stores or to the internet.

 

Last time I had a coupon at Micheal's that they wouldn't let me use on what I was buying....I turned to the person behind me and gave it to them...cashier didn't like that too much, but hey....at least someone got a 40% off!

[Katrala]

Our local Michael's is horrible.

 

While they do have more variety Wal-Mart and are cheaper than Hancock's, I'd gladly pay more for better customer service.

 

I have better luck going to Wal-Mart and finding top of the line yarn than I do at finding someone in Michael's who can help me.

[Trinket]

I work retail, and I know about the products I'm on the floor to sell (I work in electronics/photo, but frequently have to help in fabrics and crafts). And also, I care.

 

I only took a passing interest in the sign outside the Michaels near here because I don't shop there much. I went in this last time because I was feeling blue and wanted some yarn to cheer me up. I found some on clearance.

 

However, if it were an issue that I didn't think an associate or manager of that store was handling properly, I would look into contacting their corporate office. I've had very good results when having done this, as in the case with a pizza chain, in which I had received an undercooked, under topped pizza. The district manager called me and had a free pizza sent to me the next day after I contacted them via email.