I went back to Garden Earthy Delight today because I wanted to give the store a second chance. My…read moreoriginal review was not written to hurt the business. I genuinely hoped that my concerns would bring attention to the customer experience and give management an opportunity to look deeper into how customers are being treated.
When I arrived today, I was actually greeted, which I appreciated. I went to the Pokémon section and saw several high-end cards that interested me. I asked for assistance and was only allowed to look at one card at a time. I am not making assumptions about why that decision was made, but as a paying customer, I felt like I was being treated as though I could not be trusted. There were also two Philadelphia police officers present during this interaction.
While looking at the cards, I asked the cashier if there was any flexibility in the prices. Anyone who follows the Pokémon market knows that card prices fluctuate, and I simply wanted to know whether there was room for negotiation. The employee did not even look at the cards or ask which cards I was interested in. Because this was one of the same concerns I mentioned in my original review, I asked if a manager could speak with me.
The employee called a manager. After some time, the manager arrived and immediately told me that I was banned from the store because of my previous review. I asked why, and that was the explanation I was given. I was not allowed to purchase the cards I was interested in, and I was told to leave.
What concerned me most was the way the situation was handled. The manager appeared extremely upset, pointed at me while speaking to me, and was carrying a firearm on his hip. I am not saying that carrying a firearm is itself wrong or illegal. What concerned me was the combination of his anger, the manner in which he approached me, and the fact that this was all happening publicly in front of customers and police officers over a negative review.
I felt embarrassed, humiliated, singled out, and publicly made into a spectacle. I believe customers should be able to leave an honest review about their experience without being targeted or confronted in this manner when they return to the business.
After I left the store, I spoke with one of the officers and asked if a report could be made regarding what had occurred. I am not going to speculate about what the officer was thinking or feeling, but the interaction was serious enough that I felt it needed to be documented.
I also spoke with the owner by phone. What disappointed me was that the conversation seemed to focus more on how damaging a negative review could be to the business than on understanding what had just happened to me as a customer. A negative review should be an opportunity for a business to ask, "What happened, and how can we do better?" It should not become a reason to publicly confront or humiliate a customer.
If management was unhappy with my original review, there were many professional ways to handle it. They could have called me, emailed me, or simply asked me what happened and why I felt the way I did. Instead, I was told I was banned when I came back to spend money at the store.
I also want to be very clear: I am not claiming to know anyone's intentions, and I am not going to make accusations that I cannot prove. However, I felt that I was treated differently and singled out, and I believe the circumstances deserve to be investigated. I intend to exercise my legal rights to address the situation appropriately and to make sure that any available surveillance or other documentation from today's incident is preserved.
Parents and customers deserve to feel comfortable and respected when they walk into a business. There are plenty of Pokémon stores in the Philadelphia area where customers can shop, ask questions, negotiate reasonably, and receive professional customer service.
This experience was extremely disappointing, especially because I came back today with the intention of giving Garden Earthy Delight another chance.
I hope ownership and management take a serious look at what happened--not just at my review, but at the behavior and customer-service culture that led to today's situation. A business should never be afraid of constructive criticism. The right response to criticism is to listen, investigate, and improve.