Colony Brands, originally called Swiss Colony, was founded in 1926 in Monroe, Wisconsin. Ray Kubly thought that the large Swiss population there would be interested in buying cheese imported from their country.The company’s first year saw only 50 orders, but soon grew quickly. Later it added other food items to the mail order catalog, including sausage, baked goods, and candy. In 1982, the company began offering non-food items such as bedding, home furnishings, electronics, games, and jewelry.
Today, Colony Brands operates catalog and retail stores under several names including Montgomery Wards, Ginny’s, One Step Ahead, Through the Country Door, Swiss Colony, Midnight Velvet, and the Wisconsin Cheeseman.
In December 2020, the company acquired Care Supply for an undisclosed sum.
The company employs more than 6,000 people, about 50 percent of these during the busy winter holiday season. The company officially changed its name to Colony Brands, Inc., in 2010.
Colony Brands, originally called Swiss Colony, was founded in 1926 in Monroe, Wisconsin. Ray Kubly thought that the large Swiss population there would be interested in buying cheese imported from their country.The company’s first year saw only 50 orders, but soon grew quickly. Later it added other food items to the mail order catalog, including sausage, baked goods, and candy. In 1982, the company began offering non-food items such as bedding, home furnishings, electronics, games, and jewelry.
History
Today, Colony Brands operates catalog and retail stores under several names including Montgomery Wards, Ginny’s, One Step Ahead, Through the Country Door, Swiss Colony, Midnight Velvet, and the Wisconsin Cheeseman.
In December 2020, the company acquired Care Supply for an undisclosed sum.
The company employs more than 6,000 people, about 50 percent of these during the busy winter holiday season. The company officially changed its name to Colony Brands, Inc., in 2010.
This company should go the way of Figi’s – Out of Business! They have the absolute worst Customer Service I have ever encountered! I called to inquire as to where my order was on 22, December 2020. The order was placed before 06, December 2020 to be guaranteed delivery before Christmas. When I finally got past their “automated voice”, or watchdog, I was informed by a Customer Service Rep that I had cancelled the order myself! Bull Sht! They (Swiss Colony) cancelled the order, but did not call, nor send a letter explaining why. They did nothing! I now consider these Knotheads to be “Brain-dead Test Lab Monkeys). And when I tried to get the names of Corporate Officers and Executives, I was told to “look it up on the website”, also the CSR didn’t know the address to the Corporate address. The blind leading the blind! These jacka**es will never get an order out of my family again!
Good report. Hope others see it and become careful.
Swiss colony also owns wards.com and that is where my complaint lies. I have been a loyal customer for several years, doing all my holiday and Birthday shopping here. a few years ago I got behind on bills and have to put a credit card and my seventh ave account (Also owned by swill colony) into a credit payment program. I made all my payments and was still in good standing with wards with available credit. So a on December 5th 2018, I got on wards.com and placed my order. I had more than enough credit to place the order. and it went through and said my items would shipped. 9 days later, I still had not gotten an email from wards to let me know my shipping details, which is not normal. I had made an order in June and at Christmas time the previous year and it went through fine. My payments were all on time. So I call Wards.com. I was passed to 2 different departments and ended up with someone in the credit department who (In not a polite way) told me, we are holding your order because you have seventh avenue in a payment program. I ask why did you not contact me and tell me this was an issue? You have my address, phone number and email. and now it is December 14th. I had also had orders go through since I was in that program but now all the sudden they decide I cannot have the credit that my account says I have? I was so upset I was crying and I could here this representative on the phone giggling. Wow, how mature is that? how rude and just mean. She refused to send my order even though I had more than the available credit. I told her Merry Christmas and ended the call. I really feel this is an awful way to treat a loyal customer who has always said what a wonderful place wards is. I am still so upset because I have no gifts for my family now. If they had notified me even a few days after they decided to yank my credit back then I may have had time to figure something else out, but I thought I had everything and every gift covered with my order. So, No Christmas for this family and all I got was a representative who laughed about it. I am really disappointed. My order number was #80554497 zip code 43615 But I pretty much can tell nothing will be done. Hope everyone else has a great Christmas. Blessings.
I am retired worked at a big insurance compay for 38 years. Over 15 years of customer service. I was hired at your company to start training Oct 1. I was so excited,and had plans to move up into your company.After the 3rd day 15 hours of writing notes and maybe asking stupid questions, and working very hard,i thought i was doing fine and catching on.CITRIX is your program, i worked on that program for over 5 years. So i even knew the system.So the 3rd night i got fired because because i was not a good fit.I was stunned i have more experience then some of the new people that we always had to waste are time on.Just wanted to say something about your training group and method of training. it sucks. I don’t know what i all did wrong but to me did not even get a chance after only 3 days.Always ordered from Swiss Colony but you know what they say words go along way. I will be spreading this on social media and family and friends that your are not a good company and you treat people unfair.I really thought i could benefit from your company,and you could benefit from me. Wow was i wrong. Thank You for listening to me . And how dissapointed. Oh i forgot when Mallery fired me she said you can try to come back next year. Why would i want to come back being treated like this. What a laugh. Thank You Delores Email address dolly53558@ charter.net
Hello, I just read your letter. I must tell you, I do not work for this company or even know them, but reading what you wrote, First of all, it is not very professional, Many words are spelled wrong etc …. perhaps that had something to do with why they said you were not a good fit? If you talked like you wrote then that could be why. Good luck.
Placed an online order November 4, 2017 and paid $73.42 for the items. Here it is November 19, 2017 and of all the phone calls I’ve placed to “customer service” and emails, I received the most unconcerned, uncaring, unprofessional “customer service” ever received. The order has been sitting in Orlando for 4 days since I last contacted “customer service.” I do not deserve the treatment I’ve received from your representatives (and, they do represent what your company is doing to the customer.)
Listen to the taped conversations, I’ve treated your representatives with civility but I’ve gotten nothing as vile as the treatment Swiss Colony’s representatives have given me. For the money, Swiss Colony is off my preferred shopping list and I will go to many others that have treated my order (especially spending the amount I spent with Swiss) with concern, if it wasn’t right or damaged. I expect that sitting in Orlando, in an unconditioned warehouse, I won’t be receiving the items in pristine conditions. But, what I find a disgrace is the way customers are treated by your “representatives.” I put these into quotation marks because it calls into question the real expertise of your employees.
As I stated earlier, I will be taking my business elsewhere since Swiss doesn’t seem to need, or want, money. Ok. Fine by me. If I could cancel the order, believe me, it would have been done, post haste. But, just wanted to say, “goodbye to Linda’s money and business”- I do own a business as well. They say that negative experiences pile up exponentially and reading Pissed Off Consumer.
No Apologies,
Linda Matincheck
your letter is very well put, I am just a customer but I am sorry that happened to you. Good luck to you.