Sep 23, 2008

I AM THE QUEEN OF THE WORLD!

I love it when somebody does something to make me feel like all hope is not lost. I love it when I can hang up the telephone and think "Gee, that was great. I'm so glad I called to ask for help."

It all started on Saturday when I opened my mailbox to discover what looked like the Just Cross Stitch ornament issue. I say "what looked like" because I either a) really ticked off my mail carrier or b) a band of gypsies broke into the box during the night and used the magazine for some type of ceremonial dancing ritual that involved the tearing and ripping and the otherwise disrespecting of craft magazines. It was a mess and despite our best efforts, neither Chrissy nor my very self were able to read/enjoy it. At all.

So today I picked up the phone and called the folks at Just Cross Stitch and do you know what they said? "Gosh, Miss Rich, we're so sorry for in the inconvenience. We'll get a new copy out to you."

I don't know why I sat there in stunned silence. I mean, it's a cross stich magazine and not the secret of the lost tomb, so why wouldn't they be willing to send me another copy? I guess I just expected them to say "Sure we can send you another one. Just fork over a credit card and pay for it all over again and we'll get to it when we get to it." But that didn't happen. They were friendly and helpful and willing to help me. Sa-weeet.

So then I got cocky and called Shepherd's Bush. I bought a chart last year called "Autumn Blessings", but I didn't actually open it and look at it until a few days ago. Sadly, two of the silks were missing and I didn't have a little package of buttons. Since I had never opened it, I was pretty sure that I hadn't used either, so I called SB to ask if I could order replacements. Nope. Couldn't order them...they would be happy to replace them for me at no charge because "we might have missed them here on our end, Miss Rich, and we're sorry for your inconvenience." Oh, and did I mention that they are in the middle of their retreat, yet the person on the phone was lovely and helpful and friendly and not at all peeved that I was interrupting something?

Is it just me, or is this type of lovely customer service missing in the world? Here I am, happy dancing all over the place because people just "did their job", yet I feel like they went above and beyond. Sad, or just the new state of affairs?

This reminds me of a story...as most all thing do.

I had moved back to South Bend in 1999 and on my way to work each morning I stopped at my local McDonald's for breakfast. (I'd love to tell you that it was a friut and granola or something else totally healthy, but an Egg McMuffin might have been involved a time or two.) But I digress. So each day I place my order and then pay at the first window and as I drive to the second window, my food bag is thrust out of said window with nary a good morning, screw you, drop dead, or kiss my ass. I let it go for about a month, but then one day in some kind of fit, I grabbed the bag and the hand all at the same time and yelled at the poor kid holding said bag: "I am an angry white woman who just wants a little courtesy with her damn breakfast. Would it KILL you to say something to me once in a while? Would it? Huh huh? Would it? I will NOT be DISRESPECTED, do you understand?!!!" I thought the poor kid was going to have a heart attack and that the breakfast police would come haul me to jail, but I managed to get a "Good morning, Miss. Have a nice day." from that point onward!

So the moral of the story, kids, is to exect the worst and be thrilled to pieces when it doesn't happen.

14 comments:

  1. What can I say - you are just soooo FUNNY!!!
    Thank you :)

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  2. Go Coni Go!!!

    IMO, stitchers are the best. Stitchers "get it".

    Thx for sharing : )

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  3. I'm glad you got some great customer service but I think I know why you were surprised. Customer service like that is rare now a days even in the needlework market. See my post from last week called JJ's collectibles and read all of the comments about folks experiences with good and bad customer service.

    I love Shepherd's Bush but I think they charge way too much for their kits and don't have flexibility in the way their kits are sold.

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  4. Wow - you sure had a really good day! I've had better luck with needlework customer service than anywhere else - Dimensions sent me a pattern missing from a Gold Collection kit (no charge) and when I mentioned on my blog that I didn't get Dragon Dreams Fantasy Wedding Blessing with an order, Ms. Aikman-Smith (I think I spelled that right...) sent me an autographed copy of the pattern.
    For free.
    I nearly fainted.

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  5. The customer is always right....go with it! Sadly that doesn't always happen, I had an "experience" (we'll call it) at Wendy's. First off, a family of 6 orders A LOT of food. They always act like we're ordering for 50 though...they roll their eyes and act all disgusted. About a month ago, this kid taking our order said, "Sorry GUYS back to the grill/assembly area and pointed to our family". I just stood there in stunned silence. Thinking what the h-ll? Then when we got to the table, of course one of our $4.00 sandwiches was missing and we had one of the 0.99 cent sandwiches instead. I took it up and asked for the manager. Who came to me and listened to me then said, nope that was what you ordered, and I said, NO- HO that is not what I ordered and the price that we just paid proves that is not what we ordered. She told me that she "filled the order" and it wasn't wrong - but she'll get me the sandwich anyway - but I was mistaken. I looked at her and said, I'll be calling the owner of this franchise TONIGHT and what happened to the "customer is always right?" She said, "I didn't tell you you were wrong - just mistaken". I told her "you won't ever be seeing my face or my family's faces here AGAIN". We haven't and we won't. And I DID call the owner of the franchise. He apologized and offered to send me a coupon (good at his store) for a free sandwich combo. I told him to keep his coupon and work on his employees we won't be gracing their restaurant ever again.

    So I'm dancing with you that JCS and SB treat the customer FAIRLY and I think I'm going to purchase something with pride from both of them soon! Thanks for sharing!!!!

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  6. It's a rare treat these days to get good service, thats why it comes as such a surprise, although i think most stitchy shops are eager to please

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  7. Coni, those are truly wonderful customer service stories! Great customer service is out there, but you have to look for it.

    Here is one of mine...
    My DH was out of town, had just landed and was missing his cell phone. He called me to get in touch with the cell phone co and ask them to stop his service. They would not do it for me since I was not on his account...he had to call. He didn't have time as he was going into a meeting. So, I called the airline, which happened to be Southwest, and told them what happened. I got a call in a few hours letting me know they looked on the plane at it's next stop in and around the seat he had, found the phone, and would have it sent on the next flight home. I went to the airport to get it. It had traveled home all by itself in a little box and was waiting in the luggage area in an office. WOW!

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  8. In general I find stitching companies to be much better than most other companies. Hillside Samplings quickly and cheerfully sent me lots more thread when I ran out of the thread provided in the kit. Silver Needle always packages their kits so uniquely and well. Wyndham Stitching always sends along a LOT of free patterns.

    But then there is the BLACK sheep. In this case, Michael Powell (the very expensive Welsh kit company). When I asked why the chart I had was not the same as the model pictured on their cover picture, they sent me a new chart - THE SAME AS THE OLD CHART. When I found more mistakes and started running out of thread I asked again on their Yahoo Group, they BANNED me and now are claiming that it is my fault that I can't read a chart. If you EVER buy a bad chart from Michael Powell, you only have yourself to blame (according to them).

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  9. My goodness woman, you're funny. I'm glad everyone was so nice to you :o)

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  10. you know its always a pleasure to find you have posted
    makes me happy
    i am addicted to your blog whether
    stitching info or everyday happenings
    give stewey a good scruffing hug
    smiles
    corinna

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  11. Hi Coni,

    I've been catching up on your
    (and Stewey's) adventures of the
    past week or so and having a nice
    chuckle along the way.

    I enjoyed your "good customer
    service" stories and the one about
    McD's as well.

    I had to contact the folks at Victoria Magazine in the summer because I didn't receive one of their issues. They shipped out a replacement right away and didn't give me any hassles. I was quite pleased.

    It seems that when it comes to
    the bricks 'n mortar stores and
    their flesh 'n blood staff,
    customer service is a four letter
    word. That's assuming you can
    find someone to help you in the
    first place.

    I love your canvas work stitching
    and I think you may be initiating
    a lot of cross stitchers into that
    facet of needlework. I'm really
    intrigued by the pieces you've done
    and posted about on your blog.
    Many of those designs are just
    gorgeous (!!!) and you stitch
    them beautifully.

    Cheers!!

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  12. In the world of "customer no service", it's always nice to come across good customer service. And it's also sad...sad that we go into these situations expecting to get the short end of the stick - if there even is a stick.

    Had to laugh at the near heart attack you gave the McD's breakfast tosser...LOL!

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  13. Oh, the horror! Imagine them disrespecting a XS Mag that way! Someone ought to be shot! I'm SO glad the company was nice to deal with and did their jobs accordingly. Both JCS and SB! Good for you!

    I think you're right, though. It's a sign of the times when we automatically expect the worst...

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  14. I'm glad your items were replaced. You are right, we are so happy when people actually do their job. Customer service is lacking these days.

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