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November 2023 by Jeff H.
I am a 71 year old man, with way too many interests and hobbies, and the latest is sewing. In 1984, my mother bought me a basic sewing machine because the alternative was that I was going to use her Bernina. It's a fine little machine, really well made, all metal, and mechanical, with basic stitches and semi manual buttonholing. But the stitches are short and narrow, the buttonholing demanding. I realized rapidly that 1) the brand new machines I could afford felt like toys to me. I even bought one and it was defective and had to be returned. 2) Looking around town locally left me with a sad feeling, dealers are fighting online sales and making false statements, not knowledgeable about what they are selling. I didn't need that, I wasn't planning to buy online again. Nevertheless, being out in the Gresham area with my friend, I said, let's stop in here, take another chance. The incredibly kind woman asked if she could help me and I mentioned that I felt I needed to buy a used machine, "did they have any?" She took me in the direction of the used machines and then said, "you know what, I have someone I want to talk to you, an experienced service man." She went and got Nick. I want to pause to say that this store is beautifully laid out and warm, not cluttered like even other stores of the same company. And then, Nick. Nick is a perfect match for me, soft spoken, carefully measured words, extremely qualified after decades of sewing machine repairs, especially Pfaff and Bernina. I saw a Bernina that was on my look for list and I asked him it I could look at it. I have to say, from that moment on, Nick was committed to helping me, no matter how foolish my questions, no matter how long it took. He knew the machine inside and out and he told me how much time he spends every year learning new models. I loved the machine and I had the best person showing it to me. I had no intention of buying a machine when we went in there, just trying to get a step closer. If Nick had not been there, I would not have bought a machine yesterday. Nick was complimentary of the company and management he has worked for for decades and he changed my attitudes and feelings for the company. Sometimes, you just know when something is right. The care Nick took when he loaded the beautiful Bernina into its fabric carrying bag was just one more thing to tell me I was at the right place, buying the right machine, and had somebody with my best interests at heart and somebody that will be there for me if and when I need help in the future. My highest rating for Nick, the two women that helped me (sorry about names, not good at it), and the beautiful tastefully arranged showroom. Yesterday was a very good day for me. ... one more thing, as we left, my friend said, "if you didn't buy it, I was going to buy it for you!"
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November 2023 by cindy martin
I have not used my sewing machine in quite awhile . I took it to Montavilla in Gresham and was greeted by Cynthia . She was so helpful and kind. She got my machine in order so I can now sew with it .I highly recommend this place .Cindy
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October 2023 by Tenessa Campobasso
Very disappointed in the customer service that I got today. I was looking forward to using my daughters machine that’s brand new and I went in and it was referred by the store manager to watch YouTube and if I can’t figure it out to call and make an appointment I will never support this company in Gresham and that’s very sad because I was referring people to go there for classes and that’s how I get treated so one star review. I hope you guys can figure out your customer service. Take care. And yeah I’m driving 20 minutes to go to another location because at least they care they have good customer service.
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August 2023 by Charlotte Cherzan
The staff at Montavilla Sewing Centers (Stark Street and Gresham are the only ones I’ve visited.) have been amazing, kind and helpful every time I go in their stores. They help me with every thing I need for my quilting and sewing.
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July 2023 by christine berkheimer
Portland Sewing Center provided excellent service. My order was fulfilled and delivered on time with no delays. The Gresham Sewing Center needs to take notice and improve their customer service.
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July 2023 by Tuyen DanNgo
Sarah was wonderful, she helped me find the right attachments for my machine and accessories for my project.I started sewing during the pandemic and all my visits here have been wonderful experiences.Thank you for providing quality products and service to our community.
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June 2023 by Ann Zeman
I appreciate the professionalism, knowledge, and customer service at Montavilla Sewing Centers. And it’s especially great that when you bring in a sewing machine with a problem, they look at it on the spot to diagnose what’s wrong and can possibly fix it on the spot! They are my go-to place for all things sewing machine.
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June 2023 by Rae Almanza
Everyone was very helpful, and the owner came out and gave me his full attention, answering all of my questions. I love my new machine.
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June 2023 by Sheila treasure finder
They were friendly, helpful and on time when they said they would have my machine ready. Thank you for such great service.
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May 2023 by Brittany Shephard
Super nice staff. Very good at explaining differences in sewing machines and helping me make a decision based on what I would be doing.
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May 2023 by Angela pietrok
Anytime I have problems with one of my machines I can count on the staff to take great care of me. I appreciate the customer service level.
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March 2023 by Cindy Chambers
Came in and purchased a new sewing machine. I scheduled 2 sessions with Lynda to learn how to use the machine since it had been over 20 years since I’ve used a sewing machine. Lynda was the perfect teacher for me. Thank you Montavilla
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February 2023 by Virginia Pong
I received an email announcing a like-new cover stitch machine at a great discount. Because I live 3 hours away, they were kind enough to take a deposit over the phone until I could pick up the machine 2 weeks later. Their technician went over the machine with me and explained that for whatever reason, it was never used after it was originally purchased. Great opportunity for me to get a good machine I've wanted for years. I do recommend Montavilla Sewing. I have been shopping there for years.
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July 2022 by tiffany voreis
I took my machine in to be serviced here and it was a very long wait as there was so many other people bringing their machines for service. The wait time I wasn't concerned with. Once I received my machine back there was damage to the outside panels and I was very upset I figured there was nothing to be done and was pretty sure I wouldn't return to this shop again. My husband decided to call the store to let them know and we were asked to bring in the machine so that they could look at the damage. Once I brought my machine in I was greeted and helped by Colleen. She is an amazing person I actually couldn't tell who was more upset of the damage done to my machine me or her. All the damage that was done was cosmetic and wouldn't have effected the way the machine worked, however with paying over $200 for the service and dropping off my machine with no damage i had expected it to be returned to me in better condition then how I left it. I was very grateful for Colleen's reaction it made me feel validated in my own reaction. She took some pictures of my machine and and told me she would see what she could do. I got a call a week or so later and Colleen let me know that they would be replacing all the damaged panels. I was very excited that I was being taken care of. A few weeks past and I got another call saying that the panels were in and I could bring in my machine and they will replace them. My husband and I walked into the door and was greeted by the manager Cynthia whom we have never met, with a slightly snide tone comment of "You have a Pfaff, and you are here for new panels." And granted with the right tone of voice and if we would have met before would have been nice as I would have been remember but being as we had never met and the tone of her voice it was more tense way to walk in the store. There was another customer that walked I in right behind me with the exact same Pfaff machine as me, if I wasn't who Cynthia thought I was that would be a very unwelcoming way to enter the store. I was directed to Nick the tech that would be doing the work on my machine. He asked me to show him what panels were damaged and as I did he tried to argue about what was and wasn't damaged and just complained about what a big job it was and that he would need my machine for a while. This only added to the tension and both my husband and me felt very unwelcomed. We saw Colleen off working in the corner of the store it looked like she was in time out for helping me. I was looking for some thread for my next project and after a very polite and welcoming greeting from Colleen I asked her option on my thread color and she showed me a better way to compare the thread to my fabric and we found the perfect color and she help me check out. I received a call the next day that the machine was ready for pickup. My husband and I arrived with a very warm welcome from Colleen. The feeling in the store was like a full 180. I looked over the machine and chatted with Colleen for a few minutes. Colleen is the only reason I will return to this shop she cares so much about her customers and wants to help them with their next project so much. She definitely goes that extra mile that makes for amazing customer service. I truly hope that corporate level people read this review, because I want them to know what an amazing employee they have with Colleen. She definitely deserves a raise, and as long as she works there I will be a loyal customer.
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April 2022 by Mark Kruckman
Stopped by to see why my machine was not working correctly....nicest lady ive ever. Got it working and a quick lesson. Top notch company
