Build-A-Bear Workshop

The woman that helped my 3 year old stuff his unstuffed puppy was adorable with her whimsy and scripted «heart» speech. It made our little impromptu trip into Build-​a-​Bear a magical first experience for my kiddo. We’re just out here on Vacation from California, I figured «why not?»
We went on a Tuesday afternoon, so of course it was rather empty but therefore all the better in terms of time spent in the store. Got our empty shell of an animal stuffed, fluffed, dressed, and purchased in about 20 minutes. (Didnt opt for making «Joey» the puppy a birth certificate, was afraid that would rack up my bill even more)
Not the biggest fan of the way items are priced (can you say «gauged»?) and the staff is trained to upsale up the wazoo. I can, however, see how this is a fun place for the young ones. Heck, can’t say I don’t like the prospect of building and dressing my own stuffed buddy :)

I am hoping this was a one and only one time event. I will cut and paste the e mail I sent to their corporate offices Nov 24, 2008 my son’s 6 year birthday regarding our experience for his birthday 11÷23÷08. I hope to up this location back to 5 stars ASAP.
Hello,
I just completed your online survey about my recent visit to your store.
I understand the need to limit comments by character amount but I was so
unpleasantly stunned by my experience at the store in The Woodlands Mall
{1201 Lake Woodlands Drive Space 1016 The Woodlands, Tx 77 380 store 091
2 Cashier: Joselline invoice: 8 253} that I needed to send to you my
whole unedited comment that exceeded the character count by over triple
the allowed.
There were adequate employees yes but they were engaged in personal
conversations which were clearly more important than the customers. The only one who wasn’t was the one assisting people during the pre-​stuffing
process. When my child reached his turn at the stuffing machine there
were at least 5 others behind us waiting, eight or nine employees in the
store and only one of the three stuffing machines open! The store was
very busy and instead of helping customers with their purchases and
aiding parents in getting antsy children through the process as quickly
as possible employees spent their time bringing outfits out to re stock
ONE AT A TIME and wandering the store in groups of 3 – 5 talking to one
another without EVER acknowledging a customer. When I did need to ask
for assistance for a hat in the dressing area the employee who «helped
»
and I use the term lightly found the item handed it over, not once
acknowledging my child whose critter this was {and it was/​is a birthday
present for him}, and returned to her interrupted conversation which she
was clearly annoyed about having happened. I was truly appalled as I
have never encountered such an attitude at this store since I started
going in May 2006. If it isn’t any different the next time I *will*
drive out of my way to the Willowbrook store… and depending how things
go there may abandon your business altogether {and my family has spent
quite a bit of $ in almost 3 years}. This is a fantastic idea — but not
when you hire people that do not care about why they are there — helping
people, specifically children, literally make new friends. If you have
any sort of in store/​in company training every single employee at this
store including the manager should go back through all of it in exacting
detail because what occurred in this location Sunday Nov. 23, 2008 was
completely unacceptable! This is not the kind of store where employees
can have the «what do you want from me I just work here» attitude —
it
is too hands on and too customer involved from the moment one walks
through the door. These are not the kind of individuals to have working
for the company especially through a busy, stressful holiday season.