I have been beading for almost 10 years so I am not a novice by any stretch of the imagination. Usually I order my beads in bulk online, but needing only a few beads I decided to check out "Dawn's". After locating the address in Iowa City I discovered it is actually located in an older home near campus. The first thing that struck me was the lack of adequate parking. There seemed only to be space for a few to park at a time to visit Dawn's...does she only want a small clientele???
After entering I was immediately struck by the sheer beauty of the array of beads kept in whimsical glasses. The colors, varieties and and sizes were arranged in a pleasing display...causing the browser to enjoy the that special bead in a display of many. Everything about the store was great, except for the customer service. I was not approached with assistance even though I wandered about for quite awhile searching. I finally had to go to the young woman who worked there and ask her for help, which she rather begrudgingly gave. I completed my purchase and turned to leave. She turned back to her re-stocking and did not thank me for my purchase or invite me to return. I guess the bottom line is, this is a great store for quality of merchandise, it is easily navigated and the prices are fair. However the help there did not make me feel welcome, in fact I found myself wishing I had not come to this store. If you don't care about customer service,but want a good bead store then visit this one...it has what you need and lots of it but if you are looking for a warm, personable store I suggest you pass by this place and go to another instead.
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