REI Hates Dogs
I really think this is bogus, if the Home Depot can make it work surely REI can as well. Add this to the list of reasons NOT to pay the 30% premium REI charges.
I wanted to let you know how very disappointed we were this weekend to find out that our dog was no longer welcome at your stores, despite several pleasant visits in the past. We had come to to shop for ourselves and for her, but ended up sitting outside while the other shopped and were unable to get anything for her at all due to the difficulty in choosing sizes for a dog that isn’t allowed in the store. Apparently you want us to take our money, our goodwill, and our recommendations to our many active friends elsewhere? I certainly hope you review your decision to no longer allow dogs in the store and realize it was a mistake.
Thank you for your time,
Drew Loika
Long-time purchaser of overpriced REI items due to the superior service and warranty
The boilerplate response I got back…
Hi Drew,
Thank you for taking the time to contact us and inquiring about the co-op’s dog policy.
REI is a special place that we want to celebrate with everyone. Our goal is to make REI an inclusive environment, where everyone will feel at ease shopping and working.
We have looked at our non-service animal policy and its impact on the customer experience of all of our patrons. Some of our locations were prohibited via local and state health codes from allowing animals into our stores. In addition to differing health codes in each state, we understand that some customers are allergic to animals and/or are not comfortable around them.
As a result, a new policy went into effect in 2007. Service animals are allowed in our stores, but we ask that pets not enter the store. If a member or customer would like their dog to try-on a hiking pack, one of our store staff is happy to help fit the animal with the outside of the store entrance. We chose to communicate this change prior to our new policy going into effect so that our members and customers had time to become aware of this change in advance of their next visit.
Thank you again for your feedback regarding this new policy. We value your patronage and continue to work toward ways that we can better service all of our members and customers. We hope to serve your outdoor needs in the future.
Wishing you wonderful outdoor adventures.
Ron Keenan
Online Sales Operational SpecialistRecreational Equipment, Inc. (REI)
PO Box 1700, Sumner, WA 98352
Phone: 800 426-4840 ext. 3907
rkeenan@rei.com
www.rei.com
This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 24th, 2008 at 12:03 pm and is filed under Commentary, Rants. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
