I had a very disappointing experience at my favorite HomeGoods located in McDonough Georgia, 1990…read moreJonesboro Road, McDonough, GA 30253.
I visited this location around 11:00 a.m. My daughter and I have been frequent customers over the past few weeks as she redecorates her home. We have been delighted with the selection and quality of merchandise at HomeGoods, making it our first choice for home shopping.
Over the last two weeks, we have purchased several items for her home, and during this visit, I was looking for a recliner for myself. Since I am on a fixed budget, this was a significant purchase for me, and I wanted to ensure I made the right choice. As I was browsing, I spent time sitting in several chairs, discussing my options over the phone with my daughter.
While I was testing one chair in particular, I noticed an associate, later identified as "Joy," repeatedly looking in my direction. She would stop what she was doing and stare at me, making me feel uncomfortable. I mentioned this to my daughter over the phone, suspecting that the associate might have thought I was sitting too long in the chair or staying in her section for an extended period.
As I tried to arrange transportation for the chair I was considering, I remained seated to prevent another customer from purchasing it before I finalized my decision. At this point, Joy approached the chair next to me and bumped the one I was sitting in while "adjusting" the adjacent chair. I ignored this. She then proceeded to reach behind and around me to a console table, invading my personal space, which I also chose to ignore. She eventually walked away but continued looking in my direction.
Shortly after, she returned and said, "I am sorry, but I am going to have to disturb you; I need to put this chair over there," pointing to an area about ten feet away. At this point, I responded, telling her not to speak to me and questioning why she was asking a customer to vacate a chair they were considering purchasing. I pointed out that there were numerous other chairs in the store. She then asked if I was buying the chair, and I again asked her to stop speaking to me. She proceeded to call me "rude," which caused me to lose my temper.
This interaction made me feel targeted and bullied for no apparent reason. Whether it was prejudice or another motive, I cannot say, but I know how it made me feel--uncomfortable, disrespected, and humiliated in front of other customers. Joy's behavior seemed to be an intentional attempt to pressure me into leaving the chair, making me uncomfortable by bumping me and reaching around me. When those actions failed, she outright told me to move.
Another customer who witnessed this incident came to my aid, questioning why I couldn't sit in the chair and immediately sitting in the one next to me to make a point. The situation was so ridiculous that neither of us understood why it was happening.
I was so shaken by this incident that I initially left the store without making a purchase. However, after recounting the exchange to my daughter, she convinced me to return and buy the chair because I genuinely liked it, however, I finally settled on another chair and made the purchase.
I am unsure what actions were taken by the store management, because when I returned the next day, Joy was there. I wanted to share my experience with this particular associate and encourage anyone who has had a similar experience to report it to the store, as this is unacceptable. I feel that no customer should endure such treatment. Additionally, I noticed the following day when I returned to pick up my chair that the chair Joy had asked me to vacate had been moved back to its original location, further emphasizing that there was no valid reason for her to demand that I move in the first place.
This experience has left me extremely disappointed in a store I have supported consistently.
