The Hunt for the Crib

Since we are getting a son on Monday, we need a crib to put him in. Our little Ladybug is too little to go to a big girl bed, so she still her crib. Erin immediately jumped on the internet and started shopping. It did not take her long to find the crib she wanted. Unfortuantely, we could not order one online becuase it would not be delivered before Asher comes home. So, we went to the manufacturers website to see if we could find a local store that had one in stock...and we did...BCF

The bad thing is that we don't shop at BCF. Erin had a very bad experience there last year. It was raining and Erin had the baby when she went inside. There were no carts available and Erin saw a manager standing by the door. She inquired about getting a cart and the manager said they were all outside and then told Erin she would have to go back out in the rain and get one herself if she wanted one. This made Erin very angry and she walked out and hasn't been back since and bad-mouthed BCF to all her friends. This was kind of a last straw thing there as we had encountered bad, but less severe, customer service problems there in the past.

Thus, we encounter a Dileamma: Do you go get the crib you have chosen at the only place in town that has it or do you choose something else just to refrain from going to a place that has mariginal to bad customer service? Well, we decided to at least go look. We went and looked at cribs then Thursday afternoon after our visit with the birthmother.

We looked around and found it. Also found some other that we liked. We decided, though, not to purchase right away. We were meeting some small group friends for dinner at the mall so we went there and checked out some cribs at the mall. We didn't like any of them. We met our friends and ate dinner and then we all drove back to BCF where we met another couple from our small group who have a truck (we need someone to haul the crib).

Well, all four ladies start ooh-ing and ahh-ing over all the cribs and talking home decorator stuff. They finally decide on a crib that is different than the one we picked out online. We find the lady in charge of the baby area and ask for assistance. We show her the crib and she goes looks it up on her computer. It says there is one in stock and one in shipping. Well, the one in stock is the floor model. The one in shipping will probably arrive June 3 she tells us.

This of course, is not acceptable, so we tell her we need the crib by Monday because we are picking up a baby that day. I ask her to call the stores in Birmingham and see if they have one. She calls the first store in Birmingham. They don't have one either. As she is getting ready to call the second store, we ask if we can buy the floor model. She says they have a policy against selling the floor models and calls the second store in Birmingham. They don't have one either.

Erin is devastated. This is the crib she wants. They lady then looks at M-bug that I am holding and asks, "Are you guys adopting another baby?" I said, yes ma'am. She asked the baby's gender and I said a boy. She asked, did you just find out? I replied yes, that is how it works in adoption. She then said she would make an exception and sell us the floor model. It was moments from closing time on Thursday and asked us to come back on Friday.

So, I went back yesterday afternoon with A & B, and their truck. We walk back to the cribs and find the stock boys. They say that the lady left instructions with them that we could have the floor model. We start to take the stuff out of the floor model ehn the stock boy informs us that the truck is being unloaded and asks if we want to wait and see if the crib is on the truck. We say sure. They go look and come back with an affirmative. God provides.

Anyway, I call Erin and tell her an elaborate story where the lady went to lunch but instructed her people that if we came, they were to give us the floor model. I explained that while she was gone some other customers came and the employees, not knowing they weren't us, gave them the floor model. Erin was hot. After letting her rant for a very brief time, I let her in on the fact that we were bringing a brand new one home...then her fury was instantly re-directed. My ears are still burning...

Anyway, she laughed about it a few minutes later...