Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft

I will never go back to this store. I was desperate and went back even though I don’t like the store. I made a purchase and needed to make a return. I went in and the customer service people are so snotty. I have NEVER had good customer service here OR have ever been treated like I’m a valued customer. The cashiers are never friendly, you can’t make small talk when it’s dead, they just stare at you like you’re odd. Gotta tell you, I’m not the only one that thinks this Joann’s needs to go out of business. I will only go to Michael’s in Maplewood now. They go out of their way to be nice and helpful.

This store is almost never busy, usually clean and tidy and they have one of the largest selections in the twin cities.

Chain store. .. only service makes or breaks this…
Product in stock — poor — came in to pick up one of those artsy things that, well — should be always in stock — nope, nottha
Service — 45+ minute wait for them to location someone to help with framing service. .. middle of the afternoon and this person isn’t available? .. . really? .. . how is that possible ?
IMO — Go elsewhere — this location just doesn’t care

First and last time coming here. Hard time trying to find someone to assist us. Once we located two employees they were to busy conversing with themselves rather than helping others. Asked if they could help us find supplies to recreate a piece and we get a snarky response saying «good luck».

Today was my first time in this particular Jo-​Ann location. I drove out here from the Apple Valley store to make an exchange on a Cameo, that was bought last night at the Maple Grove location. Since neither Apple Valley (the closest store to where I live), nor Maple Grove (who sold us the damaged/​used item) had any in stock, my only option was to drive out this way.
The return went smoothly… Though it took a while to get help. That said, the line for the regular checkout was rather long and they had been helping customers check out at the returns desk.
In general my rating of the «3» is primarily because of the hassle it took to have to go to so many locations just to get this product… This company really needs to find a way to make things easier for their customers.

I can’t remember the last time I had a good experience at Joann’s.
No matter what location I go to the staff is abhorrent.
Most recently I went looking for candle wicks. (Which I KNOW I have bought from Joann’s before). I had to wait in the checkout line because there were no available employees to help me. The cashier told me that the line didn’t start where I was. I told her I have a question, «What’s your question?» I asked my question. «Yeah-​we don’t have those.»
Snooty, Rude, Tactless. Not helpful.
I just cannot relay my unhappiness about these stores. Clearly they must not be a good company if at EVERY location their employees are rude snobs.
I’d rather shop elsewhere where my business is appreciated.

An whole damn hour to have fabric cut? Come on… then you have half the cutters go on break when there is a line with 20 people in it? If I wasn’t in a bind I would have left but needed to get something for a Halloween costume.

I am not a crafty girl, so you don’t need to take my review seriously when scoping out this store. What I encountered was an organized space with a lot of textiles I would like to use. I was recently gifted a 1960’s sewing machine and now I have an excuse to shop here for more than paints. I dig it.

I have a confession to make. I bought yarn here over the weekend. And… wait for it…
…wait for it…
I love it!
Now, you have to realize that for me, the previous statement is equal to a self-​proclaimed foodie admitting she just went to Chipotle and loved her burrito or a fashionista admitting she can’t live without that to-​die-​for sweater she just bought at Kohl’s. The reason is because I am a fiber snob of the most obnoxious variety.
I’ll spare you the gory details, but seriously, I find 99% of the yarn they sell here offensive. And bad yarn makes me sick.
Luckily for Joanne’s, they’ve smartened up and started carrying something other than those foul skeins of Red Heart Super Saver. And buried amongst all that painfully awkward acrylic, I found some natural fibers and suddenly I heard angels singing. Hallelujah!
At our last Unilocal Knit Night, Jennifer L. was working on a felted cat bed for her feline friend, Izzi. And after seeing the completed pictures on
, I got jealous and decided that *I* wanted a cat bed too. And even though my cats are the most awesome cats ever, I just couldn’t justify the cost of a more expensive variety of yarn so went seeking cheap wool at Joanne’s, with a 50% off one item coupon, nonetheless.
It was a success! Not only did I find something that is perfectly suited for her highness, Princess Molly the Spoiled-​One, I am also completely head-​over-​heels in love with the color. The wool reminds me of Neapolitan ice cream: strawberry pink, milk chocolate and vanilla. Yum! As soon as I finish Molly’s cat bed, I plan on arming myself with another coupon and looking for something more masculine for Prince Oliver the other Spoiled One.
I can’t wait!

This review applies to the custom framing shop only, although some of its problems may be related to the management of the whole store.
I went in one weekend evening to have a small canvas painting framed. I stood there for a good 20 minutes while the lady behind the desk helped someone pick out their frames and mats, agonizing over every detail with them. When she finally helped me she was very nice, but it turns out she had no idea what she was talking about and I ended up having to come in and completely re-​do the order (the frame she sold me wasn’t deep enough because the canvas would need to be stretched, the «fillet» she sold me to go between the mat and the painting wasn’t a fillet at all, but an accent for the frame, etc.).
Not only this, but it took over an hour because she didn’t know how to work the computer program and after spending ages figuring out how to enter all the information she accidentally deleted it and we had to start over. (At this point she tells me she’s only been working there a month… why would the manager have an untrained person working alone on items that cost several hundred dollars and require a lot of expertise?) Meanwhile another customer had come, and she had to wait a long time, too.
When I went back to re-​order everything I had to wait a good 15 – 20 minutes again – this time the saleswoman explained that someone had called in sick and they were short staffed. She actually had the expertise to get the frame order done correctly, but I will note that when she called the manager to double check the bill (b/​c the first saleswoman had left a note saying the credit card hadn’t gone through — which in fact it had), the manager was not at all friendly.
I am happy with the final product, but I won’t be going back to this poorly run store.

If you have to shop the Wal Mart of craft stores — this is the place to go.
I shop Joann’s fairly regularly and this is the store that I have had the best luck with customer service and hence the store I shop the most frequently. As with all Joann’s it’s a crap shoot with the service and I find I often have better luck if I hit them as they open in the morning or at other non-​peak times.
The line up method for the check out is confusing to non-​regular shoppers. There is a sign near where you would line up for check out that tells you to circle this big magazine rack and wait for the next cashier. So I am standing there waiting for the cashier to finish straightening her sign up slips, when a guy walks up and stands next to me (but not in line) waiting for a cashier. Now I knew when the cashier didn’t have a customer — saw people waiting — and chose to straighten her slips rather than call the next customer up — that she was not going to be stellar. I was not disappointed.
So the guy standing next to me jumps ahead when cashier decides her slips are straight enough — and the cashier says — «where is your cutting slip» and the guy is like «My what? This was just sitting on the shelf» and the cashier said «Well you still need a cutting slip. Go back there and have them measure it and give you a slip and then come back.» Poor guy was obviously new to the ways of Joann’s and the cashier was not real nice about it.
So I am next and the cashier was literally ringing up and item and then looking all around before putting it in the bag. She wrapped my ceramic Tiki candle holders in one very thin piece of tissue and then thunked them in the bag. She was slow, her attitude was horrible and she made the experience at the store unpleasant.
Now the gal I ran into in the yarn area was most helpful — and when i asked where there sock yarn was she took me right to it and told me they had a ton of new yarns coming out soon.
It’s just always such a crap shoot with Joann’s.