Best Lighting Consultant Lansing Near Me

Carmen Crist: I recently went to Bohnet to buy ceiling fans, thinking I could get better advice and expertise from a local lighting store and to keep the business local. There aren't many lighting stores left in Lansing. They don't have ceiling fans but had a table by a large TV screen where a person assisted us with navigating ceiling fan options on their website (which I had already done at home). While she did assist with navigation, she didn't seem to have much knowledge or expertise related to ceiling fans.I decided to proceed with a purchase. The Bohnet website listed the fans with sale prices, giving the appearance of a sale and a deal. The two fans totaled $1,020. I was told they would ship to the store, they would check them over and let me know when I could pick them up. No estimated times given.As I left the store, I started feeling some regret, mainly because I didn't research the fans myself and didn't get expert advice to give me confidence I made a good decision. When I got home, I looked the fans up on the manufacturer's website and found what I thought were the same fans at around 55% LESS than the price I paid at Bohnet. I called and asked the same person if I was looking at the wrong fan and, if not, if there was an explanation for the difference. She said she needed to talk to the owner.She called back after talking to the owner and said they could refund the charge, but I had to drive back to the store for the transaction. When I questioned why the prices were so high, she said the owner said he can't keep track of all of the prices other places charge. I didn't get a price from a random online lighting store, I got them from the manufacturer's website. How can you not know what the manufacturer is charging for the fans you are selling?Bottom line: buyer beware. My final savings buying from the manufacturer was 62% (after a holiday discount), and I received the fans the day Bohnet was next open for us to return to the store for the credit. Charging 62% more, not seeming to care the prices were that much higher, not providing expert advice, and making people drive 25 miles for a refund is not the way to remain the last lighting store in Lansing.3/7/23 edit based on owner's response:The owner's attempt to explain and provide understanding doesn't change anything about my review. While I sympathize with the owner's situation, the review is to help people make informed buying decisions, not justify why a business is more expensive, less convenient and can't offer expertise.The bottom line is that you won't get much expertise on the products they sell, the prices will be much higher than you'll find online, and if you purchase on a credit card and want a refund, you'll have to drive to the store. He didn't refute any of those things in his response.For the owner: Hunter fans are indeed sold at Home Depot, not just Hampton Bay. If you search the HD website for Hunter fans, it returns 374 results. I was not confused about that. I asked your employee why your Hunter fans (in general, not a specific fan) were priced so much higher than Hunter fans at big box stores. With apparent reluctance/doubt, she said the parts were higher in quality. After finding the same fans on the manufacture's website to be 55% less than your prices, I think it's safe to assume the fans are not different at all. The only difference is your price. Not only did I not get expert advice, I was misled.Finally, if you had come to the counter to discuss my concerns, which you were aware of, when I came back to the store for the refund and had a conversation with me, this review may not have happened, or it may have been better. Your decision to stay in the back of the store while an employee tried to relay your explanation about not being able to keep track of every manufacturer's prices led me to conclude you were indifferent. You had a chance to build a relationship with someone who chose Bohnet over online or big box. You chose stay in the back. My one-star rating is an accurate reflection of my retail experience. I stand by it.

Edward Dunlap: Been my consultant n friends for decades. And yes, Charlie Brown does work here!!