On a snowy December morning I rushed to The Emporium in Sag Harbor to get a part for a failed toilet. The store had not opened on time and I had to wait outside with other customers.
I was looking in the plumbing department for the needed part and noticed that the help was carefully avoiding offering to help me. I continued my search and heard from behind me one of the young gentlemen employed there saying loudly, "I'm going for coffee" then refering to me in the other aisle he said, "watch him," like I was some kind of potential thief.
After he left I found the part I was looking for and went to pay. A teenage boy was at the counter with an embarrassed look on his face and I said to him, "I was offended by the comment 'watch him' when he should have said 'can I help you?'"
This group of youthful employees are rude and have an "attitude" when it comes to being helped. This is not the first time I have observed this in this store. In all fairness, I must say that another employee did go out of his way to help me at another time but the general feeling I get in this store is disdain for the customers.
I am an East End retailer and would never treat my customers this way. I grew up in Sag Harbor and I think the young employees of this store need an attitude adjustment. They are not even a shadow of the old Emporium or Barry's Hardware.
-J
