Excellent Customer Service at Williams-Sonoma!

[LazySumo]

We have a local Williams-Sonoma here in northwest Arkansas and I always go in to poke around and see all the neat gadgets. But I have to admit that I've never really purchased there and always have thought of the place as overpriced and rather foo-foo-ish if you get my meaning.

Well, as part of my study of cooking I've recently read An Edge in the Kitchen by Chad Ward (there'll be a book review up Friday!) and decided to take the plunge on a top-end chef's knife. Of course I wanted to hold this sucker in my hands first, so I went into WS thinking I would window-shop but actually make the purchase online and save a few bucks. I was honestly thinking about picking up a Global 10" once I decided to buy.

When I went in yesterday the staff was completely knowledgeable about all of their knives, even went so far as to pull over a dozen out of the glass display case and let me handle them. I fell in love with the Shun 10" chef's knife and before I purchased they even let me chop up a potato with it! I can just see myself asking for that kind of treatment at Wally World!!

The only downside is that they only had the floor model of the knife. The store GM, Melissa Hotchkiss did give me a 10% discount on it though. Well, last night I used the new toy to make ratatouille and it was a dream. But I started thinking about it being a floor model. Not sure why it bothered my, but it just did.

At any rate today at lunch I took it back and asked for a brand new one. Melissa gladly spent more than 15 minutes on the phone getting a new one shipped in from another store out of state.

I am a believer. The store GM and all of the staff have me convinced that the higher prices at a knowledgeable and friendly place like WS are completely justified and money well-spent. To Melissa and all the other foodies there, thank you. I assure you folks that I will be back.