Pandora Store

This is a review of the Pandora-​Ridgedale Center in Minnetonka, MN store, so be patient while I explain my experience.
Why we were going: My daughter received a Pandora gift card from her Aunt for her birthday to get rings that she has wanted for a long time. We live in S. FL, so we went to the local store located in the Coral Springs Mall on Monday, Dec. 21^st… she was so excited!
Coral Springs store experience: The CSM store is not too big, so we waited in line for about 10 minutes and then we’re greeted by a friendly and professional sales associate (I don’t remember her name). She was very patient and I never felt rushed, it was a A+ experience! When we went to the register, I presented the gift card to the clerk and she said, «I’m sorry Sir, but Pandora are franchise stores and this gift card can only be used at the 3-​MN stores that are displayed on the back of the card». I couldn’t believe it and my daughter was so disappointed!
Note: my sister-​in-​law lives in NY and I live in FL, so why would we get a gift card for a MN store? I guess what happened was, when purchasing the card online, she purchased it from one of the MN franchises, without realizing it… so before buying a gift card online, make sure that you are getting it in the correct area.
The Ridgedale Center store experience: Since I couldn’t use the card in store, I had the associate write down the information for each ring and proceeded to call one of the stores on the back of the card. I first tried the Mall Of The America store, but there was no answer. Then I tried the Ridgedale store, where after 2 rings, I was greeted by a sales associate named Ann. I explained the situation to her and she said, «I’m sorry about your daughter’s disappointment, let me see what I can do to make the situation better».
I gave Ann the numbers on the back of the card, which she verified and the information for each ring. She said that all of the rings were in stock and I had a few shipping options to get them to my house before Christmas. Well, it is Wed, Dec. 23^rd and the package arrived at my door this morning, gift wrapped for my daughter.
Ann was really amazing! She was professional, courteous, understanding and very helpful. I know she was «just doing her job», but so often in today’s retail environment, customer service is lacking, but not in this experience. This Pandora store is very lucky to have such a great employee! I wanted to make sure that she is recognized for her great customer service and gives her a smile for the holiday, the same one that she gave to my daughter and me!
I highly recommend the Ridgedale Center store, so next time you’re in the area, make sure to stop in and say hello to Ann… you won’t be disappointed!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!