By Jen Ruppert

Have you ever spent more money than you intended on a product from a brand you admired only to be disappointed the moment it arrived? Did the warehouse team send you the right chair with the wrong color cushion? Was the delivery process inconvenient and stressful? Did it sour you on the brand?

I’ve been there. And I’ll bet you have too.

In this 2015 Forbes article, Ernan Roman says: “Trust in brand promise is universally a top priority for consumers in determining whether to do business with a company. But trust cannot be assumed or bought. It needs to [be] earned through actions.”

In more recent years, this maxim has proven even truer. Millennials, especially, won’t do business with companies they consider inauthentic.

I don’t enjoy casting aspersions. But I do have a specific company in mind that did not deliver on its brand promises. I love their products and their branding is compelling. But their service is abysmal, especially given the high price point.

I’m talking about Design Within Reach, although Design (Not) Within Reach might be a better moniker.

DWR sells authentic home furnishings by some of the world’s most iconic modern designers. Its branding and messaging convey this promise through clean look-and-feel and stunning photography. But the moment you spend a staggering sum on an Eero Saarinen dining set and toil to get it delivered is where the happy feelings abruptly end.

I made such a purchase a few years ago and suffered a ridiculous series of phone calls and wasted time on hold and waited for months to receive my what I bought. The people who “assisted” me were rude and unhelpful.

It’s almost like they don’t want you to buy their furniture. Maybe it’s DWR’s way of establishing exclusivity, an attitude that I suspect will eventually lead to the company’s demise.