Albo African Gift Shop

I want to give this place 1 star, but I’m having a hard time lowering their rating because I don’t want to be that mean. I recently moved to the area and I receive a note in the mail from UPS saying my package is at an access point and the location was that of Albo African Gift Shop. I had never heard of ups access points at that point, but I made the phone calls and figured out what I had to do. According to UPS my package was going to be available for pick-​up from this shop on a Monday. On Monday I headed over and even though the schedule says they are open until 7pm they were closed and there was a note on the door saying that they were closed. That was frustrating, but I decided I would come again on Tuesday. The problem is that I never requested an access point, and I think the whole situation is weird. I get home around 6:10 from work, so both on Monday and on Tuesday I really had to rush over to make sure I make it before they close at 7. The whole situation was inconvenient. On Tuesday I decided to call before I headed over to make sure they were open… I called about 4 times before someone actually picked up. It was the lady, the owner. I told her I would be there before 7 to pick up my package, giving her a heads up, because I didn’t want her to close early. I get to Albo… and of course the door was locked. I called at the very least 6 times and no one answered. The light was on but no one in sight, no one picking up the phone, and as you can imagine I was very annoyed, especially since I even called them to tell them I would be coming by around that time… I decided to knock on the door… bang on the door, hoping that if she can’t hear the phone maybe the banging would get her to open the door. Nothing… this couple walks by, they had dinner at the Ethiopian restaurant next door, and asked me about my situation. I expressed to them my frustration, how on Monday it was closed, and they should have been opened, and on that day I called just a half hr earlier to let her know I was coming by to pick up my package. and the door is locked, no one is answering my calls, and no one is coming to the door when I was knocking and banging. All of a sudden I see a face through the racks of clothes… and the lady gives me this look like she is confused and annoyed at the same time… as if she wasn’t expecting me, even though I had called to let her know I was coming, and she advertises her schedule as open until 7… the level of surprise, surprised me. The owner after staring at me through the racks with that look on her face… leaves. then maybe 2 min later finally walks towards the door. At this point the couple that approached me and asked questions and offered suggestions had left. The owner of the store finally opens the door, and with an ATTITUDE and ANNOYANCE yells at me for banging on her door. She took ZERO responsibility for her unreliability and irresponsible business, and gets upset with me because I was trying to pick up MY PACKAGE which I had no say in when it was dropped off by UPS. She tries to intimidate me by telling me she can refuse service, which I did not understand because I didn’t go to her store by choice to make any purchases, I went because that’s where UPS sent me. I tell her the story as it had unfolded (everything mentioned here), and she is stuck on the fact that I spoke to those ppl outside and talked bad about her business. Everything I told those ppl, who approached me, I didn’t approach them, is everything I told her to her face and I am sharing here now. which is the truth! She was upset that my frustration with her business will ruin her business. She didn’t apologize for anything. she blamed me for everything and just made excuses. She said she had to close and lock the door because ppl will come inside and steal from her… but my question is… why couldn’t you pick up the phone? I called soo many times, and you were expecting me because earlier when I called, I told you I was coming by. If you had to walk away, why not take the phone with you, like a responsible business owner would do??? She then tried to guilt trip me when I mentioned that she was also spontaneously closed on Monday and in a condescending tone says that one of her family members had died and asked me «am i not allowed to mourn?».which is understandable, but to not acknowledge that closing spontaneously on a day you were supposed to be open (for whatever reason, and obviously I agree that it’s her choice to close or keep her business open under those circumstances of experiencing death in the family) is inconvenient to your customers and forced customers, those who had to come to this store to pick up UPS packages because they are an access point. She did not apologize for making it inconvenient for me, and probably others. I think she has a terrible way with customers, and she should contact UPS and immediately decline being an access point. She is not fit for it, she’s unreliable & rude.

I love going to Albo African Gift Shop! There are so many interesting things to see and contemplate — everything from clothing to music to jewelry (much of it made by the very talented owner). The owner is a delightful person and always very attentive (I don’t understand the comment about poor customer service — that hasn’t been my experience at all) I enjoy just chatting with her in a leisurely manner. It’s not a place I’d come when I’m in a hurry — partly because it would be so hard to make a decision quickly in such product-​rich environment — but it’s a wonderful place to learn about a fascinating place and equally fascinating people.

This place it look very nice out side but the customer service is ridiculous. I will never go back in this place since they Judge me with out knowing me.

I’ve been on an Ethiopian music tip for a couple of weeks now and its been pretty difficult find good & original recordings through the usual channels. That was until some friends recommended I check out Ethiopian-​run Albo. The store carries everything from jewelry to fabrics to wooden carvings, masks and other decoratives, not to mention a broad selection of Ethiopian music and film.
They hooked me up with great recommendations and were very sweet, tolerating my incoherent musical ramblings and nerdifications as I listened to and bought up large sections of the traditional music they carry. 5 stars!