Tile Outlet Chicago

25 years ago I bought tile at Tile Outlet and swore I would never go there again. But a customer picked her tile from them even though I recomended against it. I wasn't wrong, what a bunch of bums! The fact is their prices are not any better than REAL tile stores. The tile they carry is not really overstock it ALL has some defect. If they were selling it at 1/2 price it might be an aceptable trade off but they aren't When you point out the problem they just shrug. I think their staff is mostly comprised of laid off used car salesmen. I see from other reviews that I am not the only one to have had a miserable experiance. more

Business first. The name of this place is Tile Outlet and it should not be confused with Tile Outlet, Always in Stock, which is some national franchise outfit. Similarly, the website address listed here on Citysearch is also wrong. Tile Outlet on Fullerton Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, has a web address of www.tileoutletchicago (put dotcomm at the end - Citysearch won't let me type the web address) I know these two things because I had a devil of a time finding them on the web yesterday, thanks to the misinformation listed here. At least, the phone number is right. So, I was there Nov 7. The variety and assortment seems to have dwindled. The choices are much more mainstream and common than the place has had in the past. The good news is, if you're looking for glass tile, they've tripled their inventory of styles and colors. The bad news, there's a lot less interesting marble mosaic and what they have is what you can get anywhere. Shop price, people! Some of the very common marble types are available at Home Depot and Lowes for less, just because they have huge buying power. In general, Tile Outlet is a bit cheaper on most stone and ceramic, but I'm not current on the prices everywhere for glass tile, because I don't use it in old-house restoration projects. Getting assistance can be spotty. The trade-off is price. If you know what you want, shop here. If you expect more than cursory design advice or you require stellar service, go to a tile RETAILER. Also, if you see something you love, buy it now, or at the very least, first thing tomorrow. Once something sells out, there is NO guarantee they will ever have it again in that color, or size, or shape, or whatever. Do NOT wait a few weeks to go back and buy that pattern you loved. It may be gone forever. And, walk your chosen tile to the window, to see what it looks like in natural light. The glare from the overhead florescent lights is cold and distorts color. In general, I like the place. I've been going there since my dad started dragging me along on his projects, at least twenty-five years now. It's not pretty, but it has a decent selection and good prices and a few nice people who will help you load your car/truck. more

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME. Especially for marble - its so variable and low quality, don't chance it. And they will NOT let you open the boxes to look at what you purchase. They patrol like the place like you are purchasing gold or something. The employees are irritated when you are ready to check out or if you ask a question. One of the employees (the big guy) in particular is very crabby and straight up mean. I would not recommend this place because they treat their customers bad. I made a mistake and made a large purchase there and wasted a lot of money because half of the tile was not able to be able to be used. One full box of tile that I purchased had broken tiles that were glued back together and very poor quality. They try and tell you that is how it comes and will NOT return it or exchange it. So, basically you are stuck with what you get. BEWARE OF TILE OUTLET IN CHICAGO - ripoff! It is cheaper, but you get what you pay for! more

Reading the negative reviews, I have to wonder. Where are these people buying their tile that's so much better? I've done business with Ann Sacks, Tile One, Home Depot, you name it. Every one of them is sticky about returns. Every one of them has a problem with breakage. Most of them have little or nothing in stock, so you have to pay for delivery and then wait.\r \r Out of all the options I've tried, Tile Outlet is the best. Contrary to many of the reviews here, I've always found their service to be courteous and professional. Most importantly, the prices are the best in town and the selection is good. So if you post a bad review, please tell me a better place to go. 'Cause I haven't found one yet. more

I went there probably 8 times in a two month period because a friend and I were both doing our bathrooms and he and I shopped together. \r \r The place is not pretty so if that is what you are looking for, stay home. The selection of tile us amazing and you never know what you are going to find walking in the door. It is definitely a hit or miss. The place is clean and there is a main desk in the center and if you need a question answered, help is always there. The employees I worked with were great and even helped me decide on tile and color choices. Know what you need because if they have it one week and you need more they may not ever get it again. Have your measurements going in - I bought just enough for my project and had only four pieces leftover - beautiful black granite floor tiles! There is even an awesome dog that roams around. For my next project - I will go no where but Factory Tile Outlet - good stuff! more

you no informed you cant return galss tiles...so make sure do not order more ....if they accept returns on other tile 30% is keept as stocking fee... so they get you there....also grout is 15$ when at home deepo is 12$.......Bad service....the emplyes are rude ....all might seem ok untill u have a problem...then u out of luck ....they put a lot of info in the recide but you dont koe that untill you pay ....never again more

Do NOT shop at Tile Outlet. The employees are rude, dishonest, and have no clue as to how to run a business. Unfortunately, there is no 0 rating, so I had to give them a 1.\r \r I was referred to the Tile Outlet by our contractor to purchase travertine for our kitchen floor. After selecting our stone, the saleswoman took out her calculator and determined that we would need 29 boxes to complete our job. She said that since we would be laying the stone at an angle, we would need to order some extra stone. Given that I am not a flooring expert, I took the saleswoman's word and placed the order. \r \r After our floor was installed, we had 9 boxes of leftover stone ($50 per box). This is where it gets good. When I went to Tile Outlet to try to return 7 of the leftover boxes, here is the exchange that took place:\r \r Salesman: Can I help you?\r \r Me: Yes, I'd like to return 7 boxes of Travertine. I placed my order based on your recommendation and I have 9 boxes left over (that's almost 50% too much). I'd like to return 7 of them.\r \r Salesman: We don't take returns on natural stone.\r \r The salesman then turns his back on me and walks away from the counter. That was the entire exchange. \r \r Several arguments later, Tile Outlet agreed to give me store credit. Since I don't have any tile jobs in the foreseeable future, store credit is completely useless. At the end of it all, they refused to give me my money back and I am stuck with 9 extra boxes of travertine.\r \r What is truly amazing about this is that Tile Outlet had a simple business decision to make. They could give me a $350 refund and I would be a very happy customer that would recommend their store to everyone or they could refuse to refund my money at keep $350. Unfortunately, Tile Outlet made the wrong decision and I am now a very angry non-customer who will tell everyone NEVER to shop at Tile Outlet. At the end of the day, what Tile Outlet thought was $350 in their pocket will turn out to be thousands of dollars in lost sales. I know a lot of people doing big remodel jobs and I know a few contractors. \r more

I do a lot of tiling, and I have spent a lot of money at this establishment over the last 3 years because they are conveniently located and they have a fairly wide selection. My experience is that their customer service is passable in terms of them helping you find what you want efficiently once you have picked it out on your own. However, their effectiveness at establishing customer relations is abysmal due to the passive and dismissive attitude toward clients, inflexible return policy stated on the invoice accompanying every sale, and unwillingness to volunteer their help. I am a 230 lb ex-football player who has no problem moving a ton of tile into the back of my truck. But rendering no assistance to the ladies who I see shopping here? Shame on you guys. \r \r I happily spend my money with competitors (and often do when I have the chance to get outside the city, but at least on the North side these guys do dominate a particular niche). If only someone opened a store across the street from them with the same selection and prices (actually pricing would be easy to beat, and taking a service-oriented approach would be even easier). I'll bet TileOutlet would reanalyze their approach to customers then.\r \r Also, I should add that you will find much better priced grout, thinset, etc... at equivalent quality if you go to somewhere like Menard's. Also, sometimes stores like Home Depot undercuts TileOutlet by a huge margin on particular types of stone and tile. TileOutlet has a wider selection though.\r \r Summary: Great place to look over the range of selection that is typically out there on the market. Buy it here for convenience and typically you will get a competitive retail price (""outlet"" is not to be confused with ""wholesale""). Shopping around can find you a better deal on some tile and stone, and most grout, thinset and accessories. They show little interest in customer service. Review based on 3 years of experience, most recently in Dec. 2008. Pros: selection Cons: service, volume business but retail pricing (great business plan but bad for customers) more

I had a bathroom project that required a large amount of tile. I had an idea of what I wanted to do and how I wanted it done. I bought my tile between two shops, Tile Outlet and a boutique store with excellent service, a liberal return policy and decent prices. For the selection, they were both on par. However, Tile Outlet's pricing was better on most and their service, while it didn't have the personal touch of the other store (the salesmen remember my name and face), offered very good service, answered all of my questions, and were generally very helpful each time I came into the store. For the type of store it is, I think this is above reproach. Pros: Selection, pricing, closeout lots... Cons: Sometimes hard to tell who's on the floor to answer questions and service you... more

I purchased two boxes of glass tile and realized I only needed one. It was well over the 20 day mark on returns. I hadn't looked at my receipt. I called Chicago TIle Outlet and spoke with Derrick. He was awesome! I was able to return to boxes that day! \r Thank you so much! Pros: Large variety of tiles to choose from! more

I WILL TRY MY BEST TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THE WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE I HAD AT TILE OUTLET CHICAGO, ON FULLERTON. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING ALL AROUND THE NORTHSHORE FOR TILE FOR MY BATHROOM THAT WE ARE GUTTING AND REDOING EVERYTHING. THE NORTHSHORE AREAS WERE EXPENSIVE, THEY DID NOT HAVE THE SELECTION THAT TILE OUTLET HAS. THE HELP IN THE NORTHSHORE WASN'T ALWAYS PLEASANT! I WENT TO TILE OUTLET, MON. AUGUST 18, 2008. I JUST WALKED IN AND A LOVELY YOUNGLADY NAMED VALERIE ASKED IF I NEED ANY HELP. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW WONDERFUL VALERIE WAS. THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE FROM BEGINNING TO END WAS GREAT AND VERY, VERY POSITIVE.. I WOULD DEFINITLY GO AGAIN AND RECCOMMEND TILE OUTLET TO ALL MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS. WELL..... AFTER I FIRST WALKED IN VALERIE GREETED ME WITH A BIG SMILE. SHE ASKED IF I COULD USE ANY HELP. I MOST CERTAINLY DID. I FELT LIKE I HAD MY OWN PERSONAL INTERIOR DECORATOR . SHE HELPED ME AND SHOWED ME DIFFERENT TYPES OF TILES, SELECTIONS, COMBINATIONS OF PORCELAN TILE. I ALSO NEEDED EVERYTHING FOR MY BATHROOM. POLISHED PORCELAN TILE,, DIFFERENT SIZES, BULLNOSES FOR OUTSIDE OF SHOWER, DIFFERENT FLOOR TILE INSIDE OF SHOWER AND OUTSIDE OF SHOWER., COLORED GROUT TO MATCH THE TILE. VALERIE HELPED ME AND COORDINATE EVERYTHING. WE ALSO BOUGHT ACCENTS FOR THE SHOWER. I WAS SOOOO OVERWHELMED. NOT ONLY WAS THE PRICE GREAT, BUT TILE OUTLET HAS EVERYTHING IN STOCK AND YOU ARE ABLE TO TAKE IT HOME WITH YOU THAT DAY. THE WORKERS ALSO PUT ALL THE TILE, ETC. IN MY CAR. THE TILE OUTLET HAS GRANITE, MARBLE, GLASS, ANYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES. ALL DIFFERENT PRICE RANGES YOU CAN BUY FROM $2.00 OR UP TO $30.00 . THEY HAVE THE BEST PRICES, SELECTION, AND PERSONAL SERVICE, THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE I WILL GO TO. ALSO THEY HAVE A BIG PARKING LOT! \r \r PRO: THE LARGEST SELECTION, PRICES, SERVICE, BEST OF ALL, ITS IN STOCK!! YOU CAN TAKE IT HOME WITH YOU THAT DAY.\r \r CON : I HAVE TO TAKE THE MATERIALS OUT OF MY CAR!!!!! more

Tile Outlet is not a store with sales people, good lighting and pretty samples of stone and tile for you to browse at your leisure. It's an outlet, the place where end of run and overstock merchandise is closed out and sold, so of cource there's no returns on unused tile, there's no one there to design a computer model of how different tiles will look in your kitchen or bathroom. What it does have however, is a great revolving selection of high end materials at deeply discounted prices. If you are self-sufficient enough to make up your mind on something and have a back strong enough to haul stuff away you will be pleased with your experience and will come back the next time you need stone or tile. I've used Tile Outlet for my house and my family has shopped there for years and highly recommend it. Pros: rotating selection of high end materials Cons: not a showroom an outlet more

I visited Tile Outlet a few months ago and it was not a good experience. Friends have mentioned that they are under new management, but I was shocked when I asked a large man in the front for help. I believe his name was Earl, and I was ignored by him and not even acknowledged while he immediately demanded that a worker near by help me. He then disappeared into the back. At the least acknowledge me and maybe smile and offer a warm curtsy instead of rudely pawning me off to other employees. The guy was a totally unprofessional and ruined my experience at the Tile Outlet. Pros: Parking and Salesmen are very helpful! Cons: Earl more

We don't need ""hand holding"" or our design chosen. We need good service and people who take pride in their job. Our family has done everything ourselves from drywalling to electrical to plumbing to tiling. The service was horrific when I was there a year ago. We traveled all the way from DuPage County and Skokie to go to this place. No one greeted us at any point. Once we chose our tiles, we got this song and dance about why there are no returns on unopened boxes. My senior citizen mother and aunt were with me and we carried the many boxes of tile out to the car ourselves without so much as an offer to help. And,yes, they did turn the lights off on us without uttering a word. Later, my husband and father went in to get more of the same tile and their experience was worse than ours. Since then, my family and I have been shopping other places for our projects. Places that take returns on unopened product. Places that say thank you after the purchase is made. Places that help you take the tile out to your car without discrimination; e.g., if you are cutesy or rich-looking you might get help. Places that leave the lights on until every customer is gone. We have done tons of tile projects, most without Tile Outlet. Granted, the selection and the price cannot be beat. We purchased a marble tile that was triple the price at the fancy schmancy home store chain beginning with an ""E"". I like the idea of the store but the service left much to be desired. I hope Earl is right and the service has changed. If a cute puppy bit you, would you put your hand out again? We have more projects and we will be there this weekend to give it another chance. Stay tuned... more

I am a Susie-homemaker type who likes to pay less for high quality stuff. I am not a professional contractor. I relied on Tile Outlet for supplies for a rehab project (kitchen and 2 baths) in the summer of 2007 and now in summer 2008 I undertook a small bathroom facelift at my mother's house. \r RECENT EXPERIENCE \r While at the cashier, I was checking some decorative glass tile and set aside a few that were scuffed. The man who assisted me not only pointed out more scuffed pieces, but also noted that a few were actually a slightly different color. He helped me correct the order and I was extremely happy for the extra set of eyes. I would say this is above and beyond my expectations. A noticeable improvement from my 2007 project shopping service, which I also thought was great.\r OVERALL\r Overall I love shopping there -- I could spend hours browsing uninterrupted. There are palettes to push around to match up samples of tile with one another (flooring/wall/decorative accent). When I have a question about the material, I know right where to find the folks who can answer it. I would never ask them to help me make up my mind about decor. Perhaps reviewers who had less than pleasant service there were seeking a showroom experience with a lot of hand-holding rather than an outlet/warehouse experience. Don't knock the Tile Outlet! They rock! Pros: Selection, Long Hours, Parking, Knowledgable Staff, No Pushy Salespeople Cons: If you like it, buy it fast! more

Not sure why so many have had customer service problems. They were great to me, no problems when returning tile I decided not to use.\r \r Their selection is a bit limited, but the prices are great.\r \r I think the return policy on stone needs to be adjusted - if the boxes are not opened they should accept them. more

Fantastic range of affordable tiles...especially glass that can be expensive other places. The customer service was great...especially Derek, who saved me from making a mistake of over-buying! He went out of his way to make sure I got what I wanted....and the two dogs are adorable!\r \r more

We agree. \r \r Our customer service has not been what it should be and its embarassing! \r \r So we've made some changes! \r \r But don't take my word for it. Please continue to watch our ratings in this space. I know I will. And if you've had poor service in the past, I ask you give us another chance. If you're in our store, be sure to stop by and tell me about your experience.\r \r I'd like to thank the reviewers on this site for spending their own time to give us the straight feedback on our customer service. We've heard you! \r \r Earl \r General Manager \r Tile Outlet more

I almost didn't go to this tile store since it got such bad reviews here, but I did go last Saturday and my experience was pretty much the same as most folks here mentioned....the first salesperson I asked to help me out was very grumpy and made it obvious he didn't want to help me in any way. Thankfully, another salesperson, Rich, helped me out and was sooooo helpful (he really took the time to listen to my specific situation and made some really good suggestions/ideas). Rich was not only helpful but also very pleasant to work with (he wrote down the names/prices of the tiles I was deciding between and also gave me a sample). So, while at first my experience here was bad, by the time I left I was feeling really good about it. They reall do have a great selection of tiles (and good hours, for those who work late) and if you get the right salesperson, really good customer service, too! more

If you know what you're doing and just want to buy tile and get out of there, then this place is for you. If you want to ask for opinions or help on something, then definitely don't go there. This place is employed by grumpy underpaid people who just sigh or make rude faces if you ask them a question. The one older guy with grey hair is the worst, especially when he will just make up something so he can go back and sit on his stool and do nothing. \r \r Be prepared for bad customer service if you're looking for help. Pros: good cheap selection Cons: bad employees and customer service more