Thursday 27 September 2012

It's called customer service

This is a tale of two fabric suppliers.  Let's start with the Good Supplier.


Hawthorne Threads is a business run by a lovely couple with a young family.  They started with a shop on Etsy and that's where we first met.  Right from the start Lindsay and Charlie offered superb service and before long they took the big step to open their own on-line business.  Charlie devised the web design and it is a joy to navigate.


From the fabric designers screen, it's a simple matter to click on the View Entire Collection button to take a closer look at the different colour palettes available.


For instance, this is a fabric I have used in the past.  Immediately the purchaser can see the price and, more importantly, how much fabric is available.  Some time back I uploaded an image of a dress I made using this fabric and it can be seen second from the right in the next row.


Anyone can click on the link and be immediately taken to my Etsy shop.  Excellent.

It's the personal service which I cherish.  I can put in an order and I immediately receive an email showing the items I have purchased, along with a payment acknowledgement.  Within 24 hours (usually sooner) I receive advice that my order has been mailed.  They make me feel as though I am the only person in the world and they are sitting by their computer just waiting for me to place an order.  So I have to admit when I hear others in my various quilting groups mention Hawthorne Threads in glowing terms, I have a slight pang of jealousy - it's like sibling rivalry.  I am not after all their only child.  But I forgive them, because they deserve all the success that is coming their way. They announced a sale the other day and their web site was so rushed that it collapsed for a few hours. Ah, the trials of running a good business.

Now for the Not So Good supplier, with apologies in advance for the rant.

I will not name this organisation, but it is possibly the best known fabric supplier in America.  I was in need of a particular fabric which was no longer available through Hawthorne Threads.  This other organisation was having a sale.  By a fluke I discovered the fabric I was after listed under a completely different designer and, against my better judgment, I placed an order.  Maybe it's just me, but I really have a storm cloud over my head whenever I have used this supplier in the past.  To fill out the order a little (to justify the cost of the shipment) I also ordered small amounts of three other fabrics.  I should have known better.

After completing my order, I waited in vain for two days for some sort of acknowledgement.  I knew the order had been received because they immediately booked the amount on my bank account.  I logged into my account on their web site to see what was going on.  It showed that one of the extra fabrics I ordered was on back order and my order had not yet been shipped.  It's a bit like Russian Roulette dealing with them, as invariably there are a couple of fabrics which they don't actually have and they are put on back order.  In the meantime, they book the full amount in your bank account, which I find a little shonky.  I sent a friendly email to Customer Service (ha!) requesting that if the back order was the reason for the hold-up, please cancel it so that I could receive the fabric I need urgently.  The response was rapid and rude - no salutation at the beginning and no name at the end.  I have to admit that it got under my nose and I committed the cardinal rule - I answered in haste, something I never do, but I was a tad put out by the response I received.

It took Customer Service Person two days to fire another rude email, telling me in no uncertain terms that they were busy with their sales and that my order would take 3-4 days to process from the time it was received    It is now six days later and the order has still not shipped, although I notice that the order is "in the warehouse", whatever that means.  My heart raced a little this morning when an email arrived from them, but it was to advise that the back ordered fabric was not available and they have cancelled it.  I know from experience that they will now take another bite at my bank account for the adjusted amount, while the original amount is still booked, effectively taking double the amount, albeit temporarily.  I know they will eventually drop the original amount, which ethically should not have been taken in the first place.

I would dearly love to introduce Supplier No 2 to Supplier No 1.

It all comes down to one thing.  It's called customer service.







Saturday 22 September 2012

Why I love Saturdays, apart from the supermarket shopping

After a week of filling in orders for dresses, Saturday couldn't come soon enough.  The Spring weather in Sydney is glorious, if a little chilly for my liking, after 21 years in sunny Queensland.    We hadn't been to the movies in such a long time, so after the supermarket shopping was stacked away, off we trotted to the local cinema.


If you haven't seen the French Canadian film Monsieur Lazhar, grab your tissues and find out where it is showing in your city.  It really is that good.

The last month has seen me virtually chained to the sewing machine, with orders coming in from my Etsy and MadeIt shops, as well as several local orders.  All it takes is a burst of sunshine for a week or so for people to realise that it's time to replenish their children's wardrobes, and I am more than happy to oblige!


This has been such a popular little dress and I have several on back order waiting for a new shipment of fabric to arrive in the next few days.  Here are some of the other dresses which have sold well over the past month:







Garlands also sold well.



With a market on the horizon, my poor Bernina will be in for some torrid sessions over the next few weeks.  Thank goodness for Saturdays.

Saturday 15 September 2012

Dropping in on the neighbours

Spring fairs are popping up all over the district and our neighbourhood came alive today when the high school next door held its Spring Garden Party. Everyone was invited and going by the crowds in attendance, everyone accepted.


The clouds that threatened to ruin the day quickly departed and we were rewarded with beautiful weather.  Sadly, I was on my own (apart from the couple of hundred thousand I battled my way through), as Mr Fudge is recovering from surgery (including plastic) which was necessary to remove a nasty skin cancer from his nose.  Thankfully all went well and, apart from the thick bandaging on his nose, he is quickly bouncing back to his old self.  It's the eternal curse of Celtic genes in a country known for its blazing sun.


Who can resist Fair rides?  Not too many, apparently. 




I preferred quieter activities, such as admiring the gardens, the plant stall, and buying some homemade marmalade and chili relish.


These three adorable little poppets wandered by, so beautifully dressed.  






The market stalls were spread out under the shade of the trees.  They were fortunate to have such beautiful weather - imagine how depressing it would have been to have rain dripping down through the leaves ...




The school jazz band, complete with singer, performed so well.  In fact, I can still hear them in the distance as I am typing this post.


It was lunchtime as I was leaving and there were many food stalls stocked up to feed the hungry crowds.

I will be participating in a school fair next month and I am keeping my fingers crossed that this brilliant weather will continue until then - and beyond!

Thursday 13 September 2012

First sighting

It's Spring and I am so excited.  I've just sighted my first Christmas Pudding of the season.


It happened last Saturday while we were in the city to view the David Jones Annual Flower Show.  We had wandered over to the David Jones Men's Store which houses the Foodhall and there they were, newly hatched and ready to fly.  Isn't it always the way? As soon as you spot one, they multiply before your eyes.


And what's a pudding without lashings of Christmas chocolates and biscuits?


We dragged ourselves away from temptation, past the specialist butcher, fish monger, salad bar, oyster bar and several coffee shop nooks, and into the biscuit section, which took the Spouse's attention.


But once we reached the mustard aisle, we knew true bliss.



His and Hers mustards - our day was complete.

Saturday 8 September 2012

Spring fever


We really knew that Spring had arrived in Sydney when we visited our favourite department store this morning, David Jones.


This year it's their 27th Annual Flower Show and we customers reaped the rewards.


The moment we walked through the doors we were mesmerised.


The floral arrangements managed to outshine the handsome model (mmm ... maybe not).


Even the lift doors entered the spirit of Spring.


The iconic David Jones Piano Man added another dimension with some romantic music.



And the fish took on a soft Spring colour.


Sit back and enjoy the view.









Sadly, it all ends tomorrow, but there's always next year!