05/07/09

I have never felt so humiliated and upset

by Tami88

Please don't go here. I had such an awful experience and can’t believe what happened. I’m a strong believer in respecting those around you and feel strongly that having a good rapport with your customers will make them a lifetime customer. I feel that the owners of Golden Needle may be qualified in their filed but unfortunately are very rude and hostile and need to take a course on Customer Service 101.

I’ve learnt at Golden Needle that inquiring about the price and how long it will take to get something done aren’t appropriate questions to ask a tailor. If you decide to ask any questions approach with caution because you might set the owner off.

I went to get a button repaired on my jeans and kindly asked the lady if she had a button that was similar to the existing ones on my jeans. She rudely replied that she didn't have the exact button. I figured she didn't understand my question because I didn’t ask for the exact button but for something that was similar. I requested to see what she had available to decide if I needed to look for a button and bring it back to her to fix onto my jeans. This made the owner very upset and I didn't understand why.

I inquired about how busy she was and time it would take for my jeans. Irritated, she asked me when I wanted it to be done. Thinking that I had a choice I gave her a date. I was wrong. Clearly upset she said she was fully booked until Wed. I didn't understand her behavior because I did initially ask her when she was able to get them done. I asked about the price and wished I didn’t because the lady answered discontentedly.

I filled out my info I politely asked the price range for shortening jeans so I could drop off a few pairs. She didn't give me the answer and rudely told me that I had to bring in the jeans for her to answer. She followed up with saying that I asked too many questions and that she didn't have time for this. I was taken aback because I thought my questions were appropriate to ask a tailor. I knew I wouldn’t be able to get an exact quote for the jeans hence the reason why I asked for a price range.

I was shocked at the way I was being treated and calmly told her that I didn’t appreciate how unprofessional she was and her lack of customer service and suggested that I perhaps should take my things elsewhere. In return yelled at me to take my stuff and to GET OUT! I was appalled and amazed that this just happened. I was upset and near to tears because I’ve never dealt with such cruel service before in my life. I explained to the lady that this isn’t the way to treat a customer and asking for a price range and how long it would take were appropriate questions for a customer to ask.

After her son came and told me to get out. I had tried to explain the situation assuming he would want to rectify the problem. Wrong. Soon enough I had the son in my face and husband shouting from the back to get out of the store. I was so embarrassed, humiliated, and upset. I was trying to explain the situation and trying to solve the problem, instead I was being yelled at.

You might say that there are two sides to every story and I agree. Perhaps the lady was having an off day and I was reading her wrong. In my defense I tried to solve the problem with the owner but she walked away and demanded that I leave. I tried to explain to the son but he was biased.

I’ve worked in PR for over 8 yrs, worked for major corporations to smaller boutique firms and I KNOW customer service because I live it and breathe it. I know my experience was not unusual because glancing over reviews on CITYSEARCH, YELP, GOOGLE MAP, YAHOO LOCAL, etc. my viewpoint is proven over and over and unfortunately over again.

• Pros: Not Sure
• Cons: Very disrespectful

06/27/08

Not so nice.

by FrankyDeez

I wanted a pair of jeans to be altered so i called this place to just get an idea of what to expect. I asked him if he could give me a range just so I don't become surprised just in case it was overpriced before I went to the actual place myself. He had a strong accent and i could barely understand him but he basically told me that I had to bring it in myself in a moody tone and talked to me like I was stupid. He could give me any kind of range from $5-100, as long as I had some kind of idea since i've never had anything tailored before. Guy doesn't seem like a very nice person.

• Pros: From reviews, sounds like they do a good job.
• Cons: Customer service and people skills are bad.

02/19/08

Extremely disappointing experience

by mjordan33

I have been taking my clothes to be tailored at Golden Needle for the last 2 years. As stated in other reviews, Golden Needle is quite expensive, but I have never hesitated because they do very good work. Today, I had a very negative experience. A week ago I dropped off two sets of curtains to be hemmed. The owner was out of town on vacation, so his son helped me. When I dropped off the job, his son quoted me a price of $30-40 for one set of curtains and $2.25/yd for the hem on the second set. This should have come out to a maximum of around $60. However, when I picked up the curtains, the owner told me the bill was $150. He went on and on about how long it took to do the job. I explained to him about the price that his son quoted me. He admitted that his son was wrong to quote this price, but refused to lower the price! He did not offer to drop the price at all. I understand that mistakes happen and I would have been satisfied to split the difference between the two prices, but he was completely obstinate. I paid the price and on my way out he told me that he felt bad and that he would make it up to me by giving me a discount next time I came in. I am sad to say that I will never return to Golden Needle. I don't say this vindictively; it truly does make me sad. I have enjoyed going there for the last two years and have been very happy with the work that they do. The owner has lost what would have been a customer for life over $150. The people at Golden Needle do know tailoring, but they have a lot to learn about customer service.

• Pros: Quality of workmanship is high
• Cons: Dismal customer service

11/07/07

ABOUT SJIMBEE's Review >>> FOR THE RECORD <<<<<

by berger007

SJIMBEE seems to present lies and or a story strictly from his side! YES HIS, side! He was very happy with the Alterations and it got recommended to him before spending more money on alterations to leave the length of the jacket as is to see how it would wear during the day, however, if still not happy it could be altered / cut down after the wedding he attended! Coming back and wanting the Jacket shorter, he thought it was free of charge! FREE? Now when was the last time any body did work for you for free? He got charged the additional $60.00, YES because work was done on the item! He left very happy ! Now he showes that he can not afford a Tailor who makes him look like a million dollars, he should go to the cleaners, which will give him the additional down the border look, he should have deserved!

There is always TWO SIDES and this case a lying personality!

10/16/07

I WAS ROBBED

by sjimbee

THIS GUY IS THE WORST!!!!

I also set up an account on citysearch because i was so UNHAPPY with his service.

I had a suit tailored for a wedding. It cost me over $250 to get it done, and i wasn't happy with the lenght of the jacket. He told me if I was still unhappy after I wore it I could come back he would make it right. So, I wore the coat for the wedding, was not so thrilled, and went back for the alteration.

When I went to pick it up, what was expressed as being complementary set me back ANOTHER $60!!!! "A deal, is usually more!" he grunted at me. Then went on to explain how nothing is free. Evendently not even getting lied to and robbed by a horrible little troll in Los Feliz.

DO NOT USE THEM * DO NOT USE THEM * DO NOT USE THEM

In his own words "I'm sorry, my friend."

• Pros: a chance to throw away money and get talked down to
• Cons: everything else

10/06/07

A true professional and gentlemen: My father Harun

by jayjaguar

I'ld like to take this opportunity today, October 6th, 2007, twenty years and one day after my father Harun opened his doors for business in the now ever so popular Los Feliz Village, to acknowledge his work and service to the Los Feliz community. May it be given that nobody is perfect, but some try harder then others. There are people in this world that love what they do and don't necessarily see there job as work, but as a their passion and as an opportunity to help others and to put a smile on there face. That's the real payoff. A smile. A thank you. We'll see you next time, have a nice day. That's what's been driving my father for the past fifty years. His work ethic is that of an immensly dedicated and hard-working individual that is consistently on time and one who has a very charming and welcoming personality to those who are open-minded enough to listen to him for a moment. It's about being a Mensch in a society and a city that at times seems to have lost it's human touch. In an age where now is too late and good isn't good enough because everybody is better then everybody else, you are not going to be able to please everybody. It's impossible. I grew up with my father always owning and running his own business and I'm sure that most truly don't know how much hard work and dedication it takes to be self-employed. The pressure and stress of serving the open public and having to smile all day and every day is something that only a selected few could hadle in my opinion. My father along with his wife of over fortyfour years have been working side-by-side and hand-in-hand in raising three boys and serving the community wherever they have opend up shop. May it be the over twenty years they operated their tailor store in Stuttgart, Germany or The Golden Needle Tailoring here in Los Feliz today, they have always given 110% of themselves to everybody else. They are true professionals at their art and living proof that the American Dream is alive and well.

• Pros: Workmanship, Experience, Creativity, Reliability
• Cons: Due to the high demand and time consuming nature of the business, turnaround can be more then a couple days to a few weeks sometimes.

05/08/07

WORST MERCHANT IN LOS ANGELES; A NIGHTMARE EXPERIENCE

by angeleno12

CONS: Rude, verbally abusive, expensive, tries to scam the customers, and the turn around time is at least 2 weeks. The tailor tried to charge me an EXTRA $30 FOR ONE ALTERATION and would not give me a receipt! (I was so disgusted by the tailor trying to rip me off that I set up a City Search account to warn potential customers.)

Do not trust the review by "GINO_B." (This person's only other reviews are a positive review for a copy and delivery store that shares the same store as the Golden Needle and a negative review for a competing delivery center.) LA Magazine's list is simply "special advertising." Trust me all of the prior reviews are about this same tailor.

I dropped off 4 pairs of pants. One pair required more than just hemming. Prior to pinning the trousers, the tailor quoted a price of $120! I thought this is ridiculously expensive, but agreed.

When the tailor gave me my receipt (a triplicate type form), he wrote on the receipt that there were 4 pairs of pants. He did not write down how much he would charge for the other pants. I asked him to write down how much he would charge. (IF I DID NOT ASK, THE CHARGE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SURPRISE.)

I returned to pick up my pants. He tried to charge $30 EXTRA -- $150 for alterations to the trousers. I thought that he likely forgot that he told me that he would charge $120. I showed him the back of my receipt. To my SHOCK he insisted that he never quoted a firm price and said WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL IT'S ONLY $30! I am an honest person and I would have ponied up the extra cash, but since he was SCAMMING me I stood my ground. Finally, he agreed to charge me $120, but YELLED at me.

He charged my credit card. Anyone who has ever used a credit card knows that as the customer you get a copy of the receipt. THE TAILOR WOULD NOT GIVE ME A COPY OF MY RECEIPT UNTIL I INSISTED THAT I WOULD NOT LEAVE UNTIL I GOT ONE. He finally gave me a receipt and said "Is that enough guarantee for you?"

• Pros: good tailoring
• Cons: verbally abusive; rude; the tailor will not honor his own prices; extremely expensive

03/06/07

Best familiy biz in town!

by gino_b

WOW! what a surprise to read all that! My wife and i have been customers at Golden Needle Tailoring for the past 6 years and we have nothing BUT the BEST to talk about them! Great Familiy business and awsome craftsmanship, I have not seen even in Milano (I am italian ;) ! IWe brought so many great items back from Milan and Paris from our last trip and they made them look like a Million $$$ on us! There is no way that we can belief all that negative write up! IT TAKES 2 TO TANGO, don't forget! We are happy and can ONLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND GOLDEN NEEDLE TAILORING in Los Feliz, they maybe went to another Golden Needle, as we found out there were several in town, but this one is the Best in Town as LA Mag. stated!

• Pros: Great craftsmanship, many years of expirience, one of the last great tailor shops!
• Cons: Very busy, gotta wait at least 1 week to 2 weeks, but its worth the wait!

02/17/07

Golden Needle tailoring -- hostile to customers

by brez312

My wife had three vintage dresses that she wanted tailored in time for two weekend parties. Fitted in January, the owner said he could meet the date, which was more than a month off. A week before the parties, she called him to make sure the dresses would be finished. He said they would.

My job was to pick up the dresses on Saturday morning because she was at work. Well, the man hadn't even started on the work, after all that time, despite all those promises. Nothing. He made a lot of excuses about not having enough help, etc ... Then he said he'd rush one of the dresses through and have it ready by closing time -- not only too late for us to get to the party on time, but leaving her with no other options for the next night. He got very defensive and hostile and demanded to know why she needed more than one dress. I explained it to him, but he had a horrible attitude and a surprising temper. He ranted about how his other customers are willing to wait for HIM to get around to their clothes because he was such a great tailor with 50 years experience, blah blah.

Since he was so strangely aggressive, my wife decided she'd rather just take them back (wear some other dresses to the parties) and get them done at another shop another. Golden Needle is VERY EXPENSIVE, and she didn't want to spend hundreds on some rush job.

As I waited, he took the time to rip every needle out of the dresses from her original sizing so they would have to be redone. That's his right, I guess, but it shows how very bitter and vindictive he was, though I never raised my voice to him. In short, if you need tailoring work, especially by a specific date , go elsewhere. This place is too expensive to treat people this badly. If he had been half-way nice we probably would have cut him some slack.

12/09/06

Terrible Service Before You Even Get There!

by on81

I called to ask for a price range on tailoring services (all other businesses happily gave me one), and the guy who picked up the phone was extremely rude. He told me I couldn't ask that over the phone, that he would not answer that, and after totally going off on me without giving me a chance to speak, he hung up on me! I couldn't believe it!