bamboozled: sour shopping experience has sweet ending

When some companies make mistakes, they try to avoid solving problems or admit that they are wrong.
So it\'s a fresh air when a company insists on its name and reputation, goes beyond itself and does the right thing.
That\'s what Raymour & Flangan did for Marlene Riether, a customer who said she bought a dresser without a promise.
Riether wants a piece of \"forever furniture\" for her granddaughter Isabella as a gift.
She said that the woman from Robbinsville went to Raymour & Flangan at the Merther Mall in Lawrence ville because she trusted the store, a place where her family used to shop.
\"I asked the representative to show me a piece of furniture that my granddaughter could pass on to her child one day,\" Reither said . \".
\"I especially asked for solid wood and no-
Particle board
Riether said that the salesperson showed her the dresser of the shop Charlie series and assured her that it was made of solid wood.
Riether was purchased on August.
The record shows 2013.
With mirrors, delivery fees and taxes, the total bill is $716. 90.
Two years and weeks, Isabella\'s family moved from home to home.
The movers damaged the upper right corner of the dresser during the move.
This damage shows a far cry from solid wood.
\"When I touched it, I was shocked to see that it was a broken solid particle board,\" Riether said . \".
Riether said she returned to the store on August. 31 --
Two days after the explosion-
Explain to the manager that the product she sells is not the one she thinks she bought. \"[She]
I was very disinterested in my predicament and kept saying
\"The one-year warranty is over and they are not responsible,\" Riether said . \".
\"I explained that it was about deception and there should be no guarantee of that.
Riether said that if it weren\'t for moving, she might have walked for a long time without knowing what the dresser was really made of, if not forever.
She said she asked the manager to take this back and change it to solid wood.
The manager said she would return to Riether by Tuesday.
But there was no call from Riether.
It\'s so late today.
Riether said she called the store and talked to a man this time.
The conversation did not yield much.
\"He was rather rude and said he would send someone out to fix it instead of anything else,\" Riether said . \".
At the end of the conversation, he said
The one year warranty is over and I\'m lucky he will even send someone to fix it.
She said she felt her complaint had been rejected and she reached out to cheat.
When \"Solid Wood\" was not available, we looked at Riether\'s paperwork at the time of purchase, and then we looked at the online description of the dresser.
Because of the photo and the matching SKU number, we know this is the same one.
The description of the dresser is: \"kiln-
Dry Poplar solid: Poplar solid carefully made in the bedroom dresser, with beautiful appearance, strong and durable, and durable;
The kiln dries to remove moisture to protect the frame from humidity changes that may cause cracking, warping, and cracking.
\"The description supports Riether\'s claim that the salesperson told her that the dresser was solid wood.
We contacted Raymour & Flanigan to ask it to review the case and we shared the photos of the damage for review.
While we were waiting for a reply, we found a wood furniture expert.
We found one at the California Association of woodworking and furniture suppliers-
Based on the industrial group.
We shared a photo of the dresser and asked if the damaged Dresser showed an opinion of solid wood or something.
\"Along the way, the particle board,\" said Angelo Gangone, executive vice president of the group . \".
We also showed Gangone the online description of the product but did not share who the seller was.
\"Their wording is a bit misleading,\" he said . \".
\"However, when they mentioned the Poplar solid, I was wondering if it included the front of the drawer and could actually be built with solid wood. According to the photo, the frame is obviously not solid wood.
\"We have received positive satisfaction from Raymour & Flangan\'s senior vice president in charge of operations and customer service.
Brian Schwarz said he was disappointed with the response Riether received from the company.
\"Our goal is to enhance their shopping experience by providing each customer with the best experience in the furniture industry,\" Schwartz said . \".
\"Obviously we missed that mark with her.
\"Schwartz asked us to get him in touch with Riether and he said he would be interested in\" personal interests and make sure she resolved the issue satisfactorily . \".
\"That\'s exactly what he did, and there are a few Riether options.
First of all, he says one of his suppliers has agreed
Make a dressing table with solid wood.
The second option is to replace the dresser she purchased.
\"Although we no longer carry the item, I am still able to get her replacement from the supplier,\" he said . \".
\"I will also refund her purchase price, just an acknowledgment and apology of the way we handled her issue.
\"The third option is to refund her money and let her choose a different dresser for free from the store --of-charge.
It was indeed a generous offer.
Riether decided to choose another dresser from the store and he noticed that Schwarz said he would also give her a full refund from the original purchase.
We clarified this offer to Schwartz, who said that Riether was free to choose whatever vanity and mirror she liked without budget constraints. For free.
So Riether came back to the store on Sunday and she chose a new vanity and mirror for the same price as originally but offered by a different manufacturer.
She walked away happily.
We thank Raymour & Flangan for their efforts for this client-with gusto --
But we have one more question.
The online description of the original dresser said: \"The bedroom dresser is a carefully crafted Poplar solid. . .
\"But the dresser is not strong.
\"We refuse to answer this question,\" said Neil Rube, executive vice president of the company . \".
Although there are unanswered questions, the company should pay attention to them.
Raymour & Flangan\'s response to customer complaints is a good example of how you retain your customers and how you can turn an otherwise ugly customer service experience into a very positive one.
We hope to see more of this.
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