Build a Bear Workshop, Customer Service Review.

On Christmas morning Joe was lucky enough to receive a Build a Bear Workshop voucher as a gift from my Mum and Dad.  It was lovely, Santa had delivered it a mini Build a Bear, house box, It came with a gift card but and a mini booklet to join the on-line club.  You know what its like on Christmas morning; wrapping paper and gift bags everywhere, not to mention toys and gifts.

Chris and I are quite obsessive about the house being tidy, if I am totally honest, Chris more so than me.  Now the benefit here is that we have a lovely wood-burning stove in our lounge to burn rubbish on.

As our boys are such heavy sleepers they never wake up early on Christmas morning. Usually the fire is lit, sausages in the oven, coffee made, Christmas dinner started and camera ready before they even surface. And even then we still have to wake them up.  This year it was 9am; I know I sometimes wonder if they are normal!  As children my brothers and I were always up by 5.30am, our poor Mum and Dad trying their hardest to keep their eyes open for the rest of the day.  Lots of our friends say. "You are so lucky, having children that sleep in" but it does have its drawbacks, even the dog could not take the excitement this year as he waited for them! Any way I am waffling, back to the point.

Camo Bear from Build a Bear Workshop

Once the boys had been dragged from bed the 30-minute frenzy started, opening presents and trying to frantically, keep up, recording who had sent what to Santa.  We were left with the ever-familiar mound of waste paper and ribbon.  Before we ate breakfast, we gathered all the rubbish and put it on the log burner. At last organisation we could now enjoy the rest of day.

Eight weeks later at half term, the boys and I decided to go to the Trafford Centre Manchester shopping for new trainers, have a spot of lunch and Joe could spend his Build a Bear voucher.  He had safely stored his gift voucher box so two days before he dug it out. It was empty that’s when I realised it had been tidied away onto the fire!

I could not believe we had done it, burned his gift voucher, poor Joe, of course we would have to replace it. I was so annoyed at myself for being so tidy. That afternoon my friend Lianne came for coffee and suggested I phone Build a Bear see if they could help. Thanks for the great advice Lianne.

I spoke to a very helpful lady called Tasha, who advised my to get a scanned copy of the receipt from my Mum. Fortunately she still had the receipt so we emailed it to Tasha at Build a Bear. Who then verified at head office that the voucher number had not been claimed, and re issued it via email. This process took 24 hours to sort out. I cannot believe how helpful Tasha was, and how quickly she dealt with my enquiry.  Thanks Tasha and Build a Bear for offering such great and speedy service.  You made a little boy very happy.

Joe with Stephen the Bear

Much to Jacks disgust, Joe spent a blissful hour and a half in Build a Bear the next day, buying and kitting out his new Camo Bear.  
Not the coolest of places for a 13 year old, but heaven for the 100 or so 2-8 years old,s that visited at the same time as us that day.
Joe named his Bear Stephen after his hero, his uncle Stephen, but thats another story.