Terrible Experience

caraellen23 · January 2010

I know TK is very peculiar about vendor bashing, so I'm going to try and be very diplomatic. However, I met with a potential vendor tonight and had a terrible experience!! The woman was very salesy from the start, which is fine, I know its a business. I didn't feel like she was answering my questions and was instead just pitching us on services, rather than being specific. After all was said and done, she showed us their packages and the prices were just out of our budget. We had an idea of where they would be, but didn't realize they would be as high. Now, I admit, this is bad on us for not asking or researching more before meeting with her. Lesson learned.

However, when we said that our budget was a bit lower, her recommendation was that we should get one of our friends or family members to provide this service for us. That we should "weigh a family member down" with this responsibility and just be happy with whatever we get from them, even though it would be bad quality. That going with a cheaper vendor was a waste of money. She said that lower cost vendors were poor quality and, because of the economy, would probably not even be in business by our wedding date and that we could only hope they show up that day. She said that she "didn't know what we do for a living" but that we should really think about what this service is worth to us.

After all was said and done, she told us that even though we couldn't afford them, she hoped that we had friends who could and that we would recommend them.

I was extremely upset and insulted. Even if we said she was slightly out of budget, perhaps she could have worked with us, or offered some suggestions. At the very least....keep pitching us WHY its so important to put money into this service. Don't tell me that I'm better off not hiring anyone at all, than wasting my money on a cheaper vendor.

I realize I'm walking a line here, but I'm really upset by this experience and just needed to share SOMEWHERE. Am I crazy? Has anyone had a similar experience? Is there anything I can do? Maybe a post on wedding wire or something? I appreciate any advice and whatever may come.

Thanks for reading!

happywithhim715 · January 2010

Hello,
I just read your post. I was getting mad as I read it and it didn't even happen to me. I cannot believe a vendor would be like that to a potential client. Any experiences I have had where the vendor was slightly out of our budget, suggested ways to reduce the cost and still get a great product. I have not had a problem like this at all. What a terrible experience and clearly you know this vendor is not a considerate one. Sometimes I think vendors forget brides talk to their friends and knotties... word of mouth is HUGE and this experience would definitely turn me away from this vendor as well as telling my friends about this experience.

Hope the rest of your wedding planning is a HAPPIER experience

ooodsie · January 2010

I had a travel agent talk down to me like that and I quickly cut our conversation short and told her nevermind I'd be going elsewhere and never recommending her.

Can you PM me and tell me who this vendor was? I'm curious. I am assuming it was either a florist or photographer based on the story.

Ms.BriarRose · January 2010

Unfortunately, I had the same thing happen to me with a DJ. This was a DJ who came recommended to me by several Knotties and family members. Since their pricing wasn't listed online, I had to call and find out. The owner, who I spoke to, was rude and salesy as well, telling me that they were the best out there and no one could compare to them. When I finally was able to get a word in edgewise, I told him the prices he quoted us were too high for our budget. At that point, he told me that everyone else was a horrible vendor, that they wouldn't deliver, that I would be lucky to have them do my wedding, that my reception hall was a horrible place to even have a wedding reception, on and on. The kicker was when he said to me 'don't call me up after the wedding and complain to me about the horrible service you got with a horrible company, because I won't want to hear it.' At that point, I informed him why we had a budget (I am disabled and can't work) and that shut him up...for all of 5 min. He started right in where he left off, and I eventually had to hang up on him. I know that others may think he's awesome at what he does, but after seeing how he deals with potential clients, I will never ever recommend him.

So I know it happens, because I have been there, and I know how much it hurts and how much it is frustrating. Luckily, though, you have two things going for you: 1, more than likely they have done this with someone else and their reputation for this is known around, especially on here, and 2, the girls on here are so awesome, they will help you find whatever you need in your price point as best they can. It will work out, and your wedding will be all you dreamed it would be.

nicole8586 · January 2010

I am sorry to hear this vendor treated you this way. And then had the nerve to ask you to refer them to your friends!

Can you PM me with who it was? I am also curious.

miguelhilary2010 · January 2010

I had both a photog and a florist give me attitude and I had to just cut them off. I'm sorry you had to have this experience at length, and in person. I was lucky enough to be dealing with mine via email so it was easy to just drop them.

If you're still looking for recommendations on another vendor that you can look into, just let us know and I'm sure we can make some suggestions!

[Deleted User] · January 2010

I'm sorry to hear this happened! It's amazing how unprofessional some "professionals" can be.

Your review was very tasteful & well put! Could you PM the vendor as well? Definitely someone to avoid!

ButtonsPepper · January 2010

Can you PM me the vendor as well?

That's so awful you had such a bad experience, PP was right I'm sure we can give other options for you as well. And it's not like you are geting married in 2 years, in 8 months chances are, most vendors will still be around.

LadyJ10 · January 2010

That is outrageous! How terribly unprofessional!!! I'm so sorry that both of you (Caraellen and MBR) have had experiences like that, how awful. Like wedding planning isn't stressful enough without snotty vendors!

Could you both please PM who those vendors were? I don't want to accidentally consider them or recommend them!

Thanks,
Jen

caraellen23 · January 2010

Thanks for all the support ladies! I was really upset last night and I appreciate the back up here. :-) Its a shame to hear that others have had similar experiences. Like PPs said, its just stupid on the vendors part. Brides talk!! I'm also sharing this with my DOC so she can avoid recommending them in the future.

They are the first company we met with, so I'm sure we'll be able to find someone great who is within our price range. I'll PM those of you who asked, and if anyone has a rec, please feel free to pass it along!

Thanks again! :-)

Cara

ButtonsPepper · January 2010

If you want to list your budget or PM... I'm sure we could all give you some other options to check out.

caraellen23 · January 2010

Thanks! I have a few more people to check out, including someone who a lot of people on here have used. If we run into trouble, I'll let you know. I think this woman was the exception. Looking back at my last post, just wanted to clarify that this was NOT someone my DOC recommended! It might not have been clear.

jess7185 · January 2010

ewww, that made me angry too! some people are such jerks . . .

[Deleted User] · January 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_pennsylvania-philadelphia_terrible-experience?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:105Discussion:e8689ab6-19d7-4be3-857c-7ee5b21ae639Post:d846fc5d-bed4-4706-ada3-8aaaca85db84">Re: Terrible Experience</a>:
[QUOTE]That is outrageous! How terribly unprofessional!!! I'm so sorry that both of you (Caraellen and MBR) have had experiences like that, how awful. Like wedding planning isn't stressful enough without snotty vendors! Could you both please PM who those vendors were? I don't want to accidentally consider them or recommend them! Thanks, Jen
Posted by LadyJ10[/QUOTE]

Could both of you PM me as well.
Thanks!

PhillyGal34 · January 2010

could you PM me as well? both of you? I am still in the process of hiring vendors and don't want to hire someone who treated someone like this!

Also, I may be able to offer some suggestions in your budget as well. I know photography was VERY important to me but the photogs I liked were out of my budget.... they were SOOOO nice about referring me to someone else and most were very happy to work in my budget and cut things and add things to make it perfect... keep looking, i am so sorry you had this experience but it has to be downhill from here right????