A Word of Praise

A good turn deserves praise.

When looking for a new bed, I came across a small store called "Connie's Mattress Stop."  It got rave reviews on Yelp (and a 5-star rating), and they turned out to have three other branches around Los Angeles. I believe the others are just called "The Mattress Stop," though I won't swear to it.  But one branch was very close to me. 

It was a nice store, very polite and helpful staff -- I went in two times and got two different salesmen, both excellent.  I hadn't heard of one of the brands they carried, but it was comfortable and a good price.  Later, I checked it out online, and it turns out that this company doesn't make their own beds but they're made by a larger company for independent stores -- the company is Serta.  Anyway, I ended up getting the bed from the Mattress Shop.

The delivery guys were just as polite.  It turns out that they didn't have one particular piece I'd ordered, but rather than come back another day, they went and got it right then.

Fine.  Then came my goof up.

I'd ordered the bed with an 8-inch box, rather than a 4-inch that I currently have.  I figured it would be nice to have a change of pace.  But when it got delivered, I realized my mistake.  The bed was fine in the story, but what I forgot is that I sometimes like to lay on my stomach with a book on the floor and read that way -- and sometimes I like to write that way, I find it relaxing.  And the 8" box was too high.

I called today, knowing that it was my gaff, so if I had to buy a new box, so be it.  But the fellow I spoke to -- Lewis, the manager -- said, no, they'd just swap it out, and I'd pay only a slight delivery charge.  Except because I asked about a bug covering sheet, he asked if I had bed bugs.  When I acknowledged that I did, that was a problem.  The mattress company wouldn't take it back.  I'd have to pay for the mattress full price.  But he made a good and thoughtful deal, saying he'd only charge me half and the delivery.

But it gets better.  When I was berating myself to him for not having called the day before (because I sort of had had a change of heart then) -- but I was so swamped that I waited to call until that morning, he interrupted me.  "Wait, you called in the morning before the delivery?"  Yes, though I'd spoken with the main office, not this store.  They said that the truck had already left.  "Oh, no, then," he said, "that would be our fault then.  We should have set up a different delivery time.  As long as you called ahead of time, I won't charge you.  Only pay something to the delivery guys."

I could have paid a couple hundred dollars.  I expected to pay a couple hundred dollars.  Instead, I'm paying nothing except for delivery.

If you live in Los Angeles, and need a mattress, as you look around town, at least check out Connie's Mattress Stop or The Mattress Stop.  This is the Yelp page here.  And click for their very small, one-page website.