Tandy Elgin Illinois

[SmokinP]

On Friday after Christmas I had the bright idea of heading over to Tandy to take advantage of their sale, look some things over and pick up a few things that catch my eye. So wife and I get in the car and head to the closest Tandy which is about 50 miles for us.

Seems that Friday everybody else had traveling ideas. 2 hours of traffic later we arrive. Step out of the car and what do I see? CLOSED. Try the door....yep they weren't kidding. CLOSED.

Best thing to do is take a deep breath and laugh it off. Yeah right. Use language not found in the unabridged Webster. Bend hat brim upon impact with windshield. Speak in tongues. Head spins around 360. Patience isn't one of my strong points.

Try to call the store number...no answer, no answering machine. Look through catalog to find headquarters number...none found. So I call the Tandy in Elgin Illinois to get their national phone.

I ask Bill for national number and he asks how he can help...brave guy. I explain my ordeal. He apologizes for the other store and will make things right. He says he'll ship items free shipping. I ask if I can call back next morning since I hate cell phones.

I talk to Bill Saturday and he takes my order no problem, makes sure sale prices are all right. Says he'll have to wait until Monday to ship. I get the order Tuesday morning, everything right, well packaged, note enclosed again apologizing for my mishaps.

Tandy doesn't know how close they came to losing all my business. But thanks to Bill Johnson, manager of the Tandy Elgin,Illinois store, they'll now probably get a few extra bucks out of me besides what I usually buy from them. I'll definitely be making a trip to the Elgin store next store even though it'll add about 25 miles to the trip. Hope Bill is there then...I owe him a handshake.

If you happen by there and see Bill tell him the half crazed fella from Custer Park says thanks. He'll know who you mean.

[smudley]

On Friday after Christmas I had the bright idea of heading over to Tandy to take advantage of their sale, look some things over and pick up a few things that catch my eye. So wife and I get in the car and head to the closest Tandy which is about 50 miles for us.

Seems that Friday everybody else had traveling ideas. 2 hours of traffic later we arrive. Step out of the car and what do I see? CLOSED. Try the door....yep they weren't kidding. CLOSED.

Best thing to do is take a deep breath and laugh it off. Yeah right. Use language not found in the unabridged Webster. Bend hat brim upon impact with windshield. Speak in tongues. Head spins around 360. Patience isn't one of my strong points.

Try to call the store number...no answer, no answering machine. Look through catalog to find headquarters number...none found. So I call the Tandy in Elgin Illinois to get their national phone.

I ask Bill for national number and he asks how he can help...brave guy. I explain my ordeal. He apologizes for the other store and will make things right. He says he'll ship items free shipping. I ask if I can call back next morning since I hate cell phones.

I talk to Bill Saturday and he takes my order no problem, makes sure sale prices are all right. Says he'll have to wait until Monday to ship. I get the order Tuesday morning, everything right, well packaged, note enclosed again apologizing for my mishaps.

Tandy doesn't know how close they came to losing all my business. But thanks to Bill Johnson, manager of the Tandy Elgin,Illinois store, they'll now probably get a few extra bucks out of me besides what I usually buy from them. I'll definitely be making a trip to the Elgin store next store even though it'll add about 25 miles to the trip. Hope Bill is there then...I owe him a handshake.

If you happen by there and see Bill tell him the half crazed fella from Custer Park says thanks. He'll know who you mean.

Did you go to the store in Merrillville? I ask because this is the store I deal with. I was planning to go over from Michigan City, Friday, but the roads were so icy I couldn't even get out of town till after noon sometime. So, I just stayed home and was lazy. I drive truck and may be crazy (just ask Brent aka howardb), but I ain't that crazy!! Heck, even the Indiana and Illinois State Troopers were both telling everybody to stay at home because they "had never seen it this bad". I know it was the worst I've seen in my twenty odd years up here.

I just called the store tonight (Tuesday) and talked to one of the associates, and he told me that the Manager and other associate that was supposed to work that day told him they couldn't make it in because of the ice. He said if they had called him, he wouldn't have been able to make it either. I don't know why there was no answering machine, as I seem to recall there being one before, but it just left an automated hours message and hung up anyway. I'd give Ed, the Mgr, a call at the store at 877-856-0009, and tell him about your complaint. Or call corporate at 1-800-433-3201 and talk to them down there. They might just give you a extra good deal on your next order!!!

[SmokinP]

Yes was Merrillville. We went towards afternoon after we got all horses tended to. Roads weren't any problem other than the traffic. I hate city traffic...sat at one light through 3 green lights. Fog was really bad on the way home though.

I didn't call first...didn't see no need to. We made it 50 miles there.

Elgin ain't that much farther and from what I understand it's a lot bigger store so I'll take a ride up there next time. Sure wish they wouldn't put their stores in the city though.

[Bree]

I know Bill and the staff very well. Just tell them that you know Bree and maybe you will score a discount!

Anyway... they are top drawer. I remember after I moved to Buffalo from Chicago, Tandy had a sale on some Buffalo hides. I called Bill and asked him if he would lay them out on the table and select a couple of the best hides for me and ship them up to Buffalo. He readily agreed. I got two absolutely delicious hides... one black and one cordovan. I was also very pleased with some freebies he tossed in out of the goodness of his heart. And he is a darn fine leatherworker!! Check out some of his projects on the walls.

I love to show the buffalo hides to customers who come in for sewing work. They are always astounded by how buttery soft those buffalo hides are and how flawless.

You can't go wrong making a trip out to Elgin. And remember the Elgin store is not a "store" at all. It is one of the original Leather Factory warehouses. If Tandy sells it, they have it and lots of it.

I highly recommend them from first hand experience.

[Randyc]

SmokinP

Every few months, I go to the Elgin Il. store and stock up on my supplies. Bill is a real nice guy as are his employees. The Elgin store is not a typical store hidden in a strip mall. The stores in an industrial area, you enter through a door next to the loading dock. The place is a warehouse with stacks upon stacks of hides. Every kit, every dye, and all of the hardware you would require are on display.

The store is just off Interstate 90 route 31 exit. It's on the outskirts of Elgin.

Randy

[broncobuster]

Ive been ordering from them for years. if they mess up they fix it. Bill always tells me if theres something I need he will find it for me. Bills been in it for years. never met him but we give each other crap on the phone along with Barry. they all great there. Im closer to the MN stores if i need something quick but I do all my ordering from Elgin. they are a warehouse n one thing that erks me is when I order something from someplace n they dont have it. very very seldom does Elgin not have it. someday when I get out of my shop(If my boss will ever let me) Ill get there in person n give em crap lol. its a good thing leather places are a long ways from me lol its like being in a candy store for me. SALE is my favorite word in a leather store.