I went in looking for a Cannondale Road bike, was met by Mike who took me through other options which I was grateful for but had already decided on the Cannondale, Mike quickly arranged a test ride put a reserve ticket on the bike as I had to check with the wife 1st, that obstacle overcome I went back in to purchase the bike, Ken sorted out all the paperwork and took me through some potential add ons, I collected the bike a few days later and was served by Steve, he went through the bike and gave me some great tips on the bike and riding in general. Have to say that all 3 guys gave top service and advice and I will definitely recommend this store to anyone. The people who are complaining about the service, some advice.. people react to you. And the ones complaining about price.... you get what you pay for. read more

Horrible customer service, when there looking for some hiking shoes and there's was no one there to help me at all. Some lady name Michaela was very rude to me, I asked her for help and she just mean mugged me it seem like she didn't want to help me at all, when I asked her for help she just ignored me and mumbled something. Horrible experience never coming back at all!!! read more

Friendly customer service but I could tell employees were looking at me because I stood out from a majority of the other shoppers. I noticed I was the only minority in the store so it felt awkward walking around because I can see them walking near me. It wasn't until I pulled out my brand name wallet near the registers to pay for my items that they decided to stop staring...geez. Thank you for being nice to me but please keep your staring to a minimal it's very obvious who you are really welcoming. Other than that I found what I needed for my first camping trip! I'm glad they have so much gear there. It's ridiculously expensive for a majority of the stuff but that's to be expected of REI. read more

I took my first pair of AT skis w/ bindings to REI in Tukwilla to be mounted. I would have preferred a more reputable ski shop, but everything near me was booked. REI told me on the phone that they could have them done the same day for an expedite fee. I dropped my skis off and the guy at the counter said he would call me before the end of the day. I waited until it was almost closing time and nobody called. I called the store and was put on hold. Eventually someone got back to me and said they were still working on them. I decided to head down to the store and wait there. I arrived just minutes before closing time and I went to the back service desk. I asked if my skis were done and they seemed really confused about where they were and if they were done. Fortunately I could see them sitting on a rack in the back and I pointed them out. I was so excited about my new skis and the prospect of skiing on Rainier the next day that I didn't bother to look at the work they had done to them. The following morning I arrived at Mt. Rainier with the intention of skiing on the Muir Snowfield. I took out my skis and set them down on the ground. As I did, I noticed the toe piece on one of the bindings was jiggling around. I inspected the other binding and it was the same way. REI hadn't fully screwed in the toe pieces to the ski. UNBELIEVABLE. Needless to say the skis were unusable, the day had been a total waste, and I wasted my money on the expedited mounting job and the gas driving to Rainier for nothing. Mind you, these were BRAND NEW SKIS AND BINDINGS THAT I SPENT OVER $1,000 DOLLARS ON! REI did the laziest job possible, and if I had skied on these things I might have been seriously injured. I took my skis back in the next day and a different "tech," who seemed bothered by me, re-mounted the bindings. Yes, re-mounting bindings on brand new skis! REI never compensated me for the lost time, the messed up skis, or for potentially breaking my legs. Here's a video of the mount job: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KwOl3np-hs read more

My favorite place to go for quick outdoor needs... The staff is all very knowledgeable about there products- Which is great because I'm not from the NW. I haven't needed any outdoor seasonal- weather clothing or hiking boots before in my life. So I have no idea what to look for. They sure did help me get my outdoor apparel picked out. I really like there membership benefits as well- who doesn't like getting cash back on purchases Also I hadn't been snow boarding in like 8 years. I totally forgot how the boots are suppose to fit. They educated me and had me snowboard ready in 30 min. Great place with Awesome staff! Tukwila Wa read more

Next time I consider REI I'll take the bus & try the downtown store. South Center - been in about 6 times in 14 months & only once did I happen upon help, a mature man in the shoe dept. Another time I lucked out with a very helpful retired man knowing women's trekking pants, the product & fit, etc. I dread going to this location & always leave with a very bad feeling towards the lack of help, knowledge of products, often rude attitude from the young, young cashiers. Man, I dread going here & I find Columbia downtown much more helpful. Better yet, go online. read more

It's not the biggest REI, and they didn't have everything I was looking for, but it's one of the closest to our house. Their staff isn't as attentive as other REI's I've been too, so I wasn't overly impressed with this location. Yes, it's generally organized & the wait to get through check out wasn't too long either, but I think I prefer the Tacoma location over this one. Will I return, probably, but since I drive to the Tacoma area often, I would prefer to shop there. read more

Always been a fan of this place. When I step inside, I feel like I should do some outdoorsy. Alas, nothing is cheap here but you get what your paid right? If there is one reason to come here, it would be the staff. The shop guys here know what they are doing and always helpful. They seem to love their job and because of that, it makes you want to buy the goodies they have here, just because! read more

I'm not a huge fan of REI. Pretty over priced things for what you could get for equal value at any other sporting goods place. You definitely pay for the name brand and they have a small selection of other brands. This particular location is a testament to that. read more

Have been the customer of REI for a while. This store has the REI quality customer service and for the size of location it has good selection. This is a neighborhood type store- do not expect the selection of a flagship store. I had only good experiences there- here is one of the examples: a month ago we bought a boating accessory on a garage sale. A neat thing to have. Today, we thought to use it and discovered a part of the assembly was missing. If you do not know- you really cannot return the garage sale item. I called the store and asked to talk to the manager. Explained the situation and asked if they could help. I was not fussing and clearly understood my chances were slim. However, the store was ok with the return because the item was clearly unusable. They were not able to give me a new item- the store does not care it anymore, so I will have to order from other carrier, but I am happy to get my money back! (I just read a one- star review on this location in Yelp because the store does not allow dogs. Made me want to be fair to them because we all need to be reasonable in our expectations) read more

I've been shopping for some good hiking boots for a while now, they are very knowledge and helpful, I got a comfortable pair of boots while on sale,sure the selection is a limited but the seattle flagship store can get to you that day.Not metion good quailty yeah you can save some money but i can tell you those pair of"cheap" boots will fall apart on you and good luck returning them ,too bad they can't do custom clothing. read more

I want to praise Tim Hipps in the Bike Repair department. I brought my bike in Wednesday Aug. 3 and asked if it could be tuned up by Sat. August 5. He said he would make time even though it was obvious he was very busy. Tim shines! Anne Ward-Ryan read more

I have recently become a Fan of REI. Did not purchase anything but everyone asked if i needed help (maybe they thought i was gonna steal something haha). read more

12 people In line, two cashiers. Thursday afternoon. I was in the front of the line, and I was there to simply pick up an item I already ordered and paid for online. The two cashiers there were handling complicated returns. What happened to the customer service desk for returns? It wasted 10 minutes of my time, and I feel for the people behind me. I value Companies who value my time. Worst experience in 30 years. Sorry REI, this location's service is sub par. read more

My mother-in-law bought a vest for me but I didn't need it at this time. I returned it. But when she found out it was returned, she wanted it for herself. So I went there again for that vest, all the staff whom at least I talked to were very helpful and tried to find it for me. And they did! Hope that they will continue to keep this beautiful atmosphere to help more customers. read more

I was shopping for a new snowboard and the salesman Jan was the best person to talk to!!! He was very friendly and extremely knowledgeable about boards and fits. I cannot wait to try out the new board he recommended read more

Kudos to Jeri sourcing a very specific need I was looking for! Great service. Went over and beyond the call. She showed genuine concern for the customer. read more

I love REI in general do the phenomenal service and great products. They are a bit more than other places but make up for it in the expert advice. This store is a smaller one and the selection isn't as great as others. But for your everyday normal items they will have it. Service and knowledge is top notch. read more

I was in this week to pick up some gear for a climbing course that I started recently. I've been a customer at different REI locations for many years, but this experience was one of the best in memory. Anthony was the associate that helped me and he was wonderful! He answered all my questions about gear (trust me, I had a ton!), gave useful information and shared some personal anecdotes about his past climbing adventures. I needed several lengths of rope cut & it was a time consuming process. I really appreciate his patience and friendliness. Anthony's professionalism and expertise, in my opinion, exemplifies the REI spirit. read more

As the wife of an avid, REI fan, I have purchased countless gifts online. At present, I am no longer able to use the "guest checkout" while crediting his membership number. When I called for help, the representative suggested that I obtain my husband's account information, sign into his account, and then make the purchase. When given the option of removing any surprise from a gift or relinquishing any member credit for the purchase, I'll shop elsewhere, every single time. Followup: REI's response via email, "Any time you have issues adding a membership number to your order, you are more than welcome to give us a call and place your order by phone at 800-426-4840, between the hours of 4 AM and 11 PM PST. If that's not convenient, you can contact us with your REI order number and the REI membership number that you would like your order applied to." The identical phone number that I used to reach the not-so-helpful representative. read more

I only bought a little hat here and I'm not outdoorsy but it was fun to roam around. the service was good, they never neither to approach me on anything and I don't need help when I'm just checking the clearance section anyways. the cashier was nice and friendly and very clear on the membership so I yeah I got it. that one cashier was exceptional in his customer service so like this place. read more

Love the employees they know exactly what I want even when I can't explain it. The one employee that I remember was Scott T, he had great suggestions and knew what other stores might have carried the product. I even signed up with the rewards card because he made it worth it for me! I'll definitely be back to shop soon. read more

Took a Ski Waxing class with Dan. Class was very informative and fun. Dan was able to answer all questions. Had a great time learning about skis and how to maintain them. Thanks Dan read more

They had exactly what I was looking for The sales staff was friendly and helpful I would be happy to spend money with them again.

I recently received a bicycle. After riding it last it needed more air in the back tire. I attempted to fill it and inadvertently deflated. I brought it into REI and asked the gentleman at the bike repair to help me. Not only did he fill my tire he fixed the pump so it was the right for my valve. He did not make me feel stupid (even though I was) and he really wanted to make sure I made it on my ride. Outstanding service! read more

I love REI. I've been a long time customer and every time I've shop there or took my Cannondale Scalpel (bike) in for service, that's what I got-GREAT service! The REI team is very professional, knowledgeable and is always very friendly and helpful to me. Their prices for servicing my bike are also GREAT and always fair. The last time I took my bike in for service, my rear sprocket had come loose. They technician at REI was able to reassemble it in the shop while I waited and charged me a small fee. I love these guys and will never take my bike elsewhere for servicing. read more

Great location for REI! Right next to the mall, but away from all the hustle and bustle. I love coming here whenever I need anything specific for camping or hiking, and even like to come just to look around and see what they have from season to season. Sign up with them and become a member (you get dividends!) and you'll also get emails that'll let you know when REI is doing free classes. If you're into the outdoors in any way, shape, or form, REI is the place to go for quality products. read more

Beautiful little store, we went to the Tukwila store to purchase a $200-$400 bike rack, was surprised we had to ask twice for assistance even at 10:15 AM and there are lots of employees on the floor, the focus of employees seems to be organizing displays not helping customers, everyone had their backs turned and I almost felt like I was interrupting them, we paid $20 more for our bike rack than if we bought our purchase on line but like to support a local store and local employees. read more

What a horrible pit of corporate despair. You could tell that the employees were paid bottom of the range and their attitude reflected it. I went there in early September 2007 and I will never go back. You'd expect that kind of attitude in a wal-mart, not REI. It wasn't just one person or a couple people, it was nearly everyone. The one exception was their bicycle tech. He knew his business and seemed to enjoy his work. He couldn't help me though. He offered to order the item (a bicycle helmet cover) for me, but if I have to wait for it, I might as well order it online and have it delivered to my home. I left empty handed. read more

Great place to pick up those last minute pieces of gear before heading out of town. Pretty good service and the bike mechanic is better than most. If you are looking for something a bit more essoteric, go to the downtown store as this one is rather small. Good and easy parking. read more

Steve in the ski repair/tune up department is great, He is very knowledgeable, informative and you can tell he takes great pride in his work. He has waxed my skis a few times now and always does an outstanding job! Thanks Steve!!!! read more

Thank you to the young man who checked me out after I was so rudely pawned off of him by Mary, who greeted me with "I guess I can help you".... Maybe Mary should find a new position or better yet, retire. Not very good customer service, sad read more

Good quality American made outdoor products. The downtown location has more selection and a climbing wall.

Went for boots was completely ignored by the staff who due the color of our skin did not provide us any type of help. Avoid this store unless you want to be discriminated against. I will not be returning read more

I went in to return some dog boots I had picked up for my Aussie. Which let me interject here, that store is a sad sad pathetic store. It's snowboarding season and their sock selection for winter was oh maybe 8-10 pairs and no men's socks. Not to mention the nice police constantly patrolling and the hovering CS people who don't quite get why you don't like them following you around. Excuse me, pretty sure if you want me to shop here try not to follow me around like I'm going to steal a pair of gloves, I brought my own thank you very much. Prior to driving out to the store I checked online for the return policy in case I needed to have certain paperwork. 'Every item you purchase at REI is 100% satisfaction guaranteed. Whether you made your purchase online, by mail or in an REI store, you may return or exchange it by mail or at any of our retail locations. Returns information and instructions are listed below and can also be found on the back of your invoice." which the "invoice" states: "The Rei Guarantee- our 100% ensures that every item you purchase at Rei meets your high standards-or you can return it for a replacement or refund." IF ONLY THIS WERE TRUE. Instead I got to interact with a very unhappy minimum wage employee who was really excited to be working at all given the current state of the economy. She had much better things to do than to provide good customer service. Her name is Melissa, she's a peach. After trying to get whatever REI membership info they request like used vehicle salespeople they are suddenly unable to provide the 100 percent satisfaction guarantee UNLESS you are an REI member. Well this is one person who will not drink that kool aid! Every other chain store posts their true refund policy, in the store it says as above, no receipt required or any thing like that. I guess that only applies to the people who pay them to refund their money. Thank you REI, I refuse to shop someplace that has such nasty employees and a deceitful return policy. And I would love to say that calling Rei would help anyone else in that same situation, what with Christmas coming up, if you call it's of no use. They won't help you on the phone either. Even though common sense would say "why would you keep Rei cardmember's information on file and not your other customers?" to which you will get some stupid reasoning and I would suggest "well Macy's and Nordstrom's manage" and they shrug stupidly. As the economy gets worse, perhaps big businesses may want to consider how they treat their customers. Oh and I found the boots 15 dollars cheaper. Save your money shop someplace that appreciates your business! read more

Gahhhhh I HATE leaving negative reviews. But I think my experience there warrants it. My parents and I went in to purchase some items. I was busy browsing and my mother went to ask an employee to open up a fitting room for her. I am not certain why the employee felt my mother didn't deserve the privacy of a fitting room. Maybe because she is a woman?? Or maybe because English isn't her first language?? Whatever the case, he guided her in front of the public mirror outside and told her she could just change out there. We left and my mother insisted we not alert the manager because she's a decent human being and didn't want to ruin the poor employee's life in case he got fired. But honestly, I feel like he should at least face some disciplinary consequences. Because he was such a miserable little stain. In short, I'll be avoiding the REI in Southcenter STRICTLY because I don't want to see his unfortunate face ever again. read more

My fiance and I went in to purchase a blanket for his upcoming business trip. He was going to be riding in a submarine for a few days and wanted something that would pack well and keep him warm. The first employee who came up to us was very helpful and extremely friendly. I would give just her 5 stars if I could. The reason I am giving only one star is because of what happened when we checked out. It started out normally enough by the cashier asking if we wanted to join their loyalty program by informing us that we would get 16 dollars of our purchase back but that there was an initial start up fee of 20 dollars. My fiance declined. The cashier then asked the woman who was being rung up at the register next to us if she could use her loyalty number, telling her that she would get 16 dollars back. EXCUSE ME? Did you really just give another customer the credit from the money that we just spent? I don't know it this is regular practice or why this happened. Just because we didn't want to spend 20 dollars to get 16 back doesn't mean that you should give that money away to someone who didn't earn it. We didn't sign up in the first place because this was our first ever purchase from REI and we aren't the type that would shop there on a regular basis. I can tell you now that we most likely will never shop there again. read more

Good store, great customer service. Thanks Hailey for all your help.

Excellent customer service. When I walked in the door, I had a chance to talk to 3 employees, all were very helpful and knowledgeable.

We are pretty much regulars at REI. Every visit to REI equals hundreds of dollar spent, so we were really disappointed when we had to return an item and was treated like crap. We had forgotten the receipt but since we are REI members the receipts are usually saved under our account. The cashier was able to pull pretty much every receipt for 6 months straight but couldn't find this one receipt with this item on it and then got frustrated with us and told me that he couldn't see this item on our account any where and I asked him what does he mean by that? And in front of his coworkers and other customers, he loudly proclaimed that "IT LOOKED LIKE YOU DIDN'T PAY FOR THEM". Really?!?! Why would you make that assumption when you half assed helped us. What kind of customer service is this? we simply wanted to exchange an used, unopened item for the correct size. The item itself was worth $11.99. Why would we steal a $11.99 item after spending hundreds of dollars?!?!?! Any way, we found the receipt. We won't be going back to this place, with this type of customer service! read more