One Reason Local Quilt Shops do not have Booming Business
07-14-2010, 04:43 PM
#121
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North East Wyoming
Posts: 180
I owned a retail fabric shop for several years and felt each customer was a good friend. My employees were taught to
treat everyone with respect and friendliness. 30 years have passed since I was in the shop and many of my customers are
still friends.
Judy
treat everyone with respect and friendliness. 30 years have passed since I was in the shop and many of my customers are
still friends.
Judy
07-14-2010, 04:43 PM
#122
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: was Upstate NY, now NC & TN
Posts: 2,328
Originally Posted by LaurieE
I guess I'm different than ya'll. I don't particularly care if I'm greeted upon entering a store. I don't want them to ask if they can help me, either. 99% of the time when I walk into a quilt store, I have a thousand design thoughts racing through my mind and I don't want an employee interrupting my thoughts.
Many times I'm there to look at what's new. Many times I'm looking for something for a specific quilt and I know what I'm looking for.
With all that said, I do expect the employee to be friendly when they're cutting my fabric or when I do ask for assistance.
Many times I'm there to look at what's new. Many times I'm looking for something for a specific quilt and I know what I'm looking for.
With all that said, I do expect the employee to be friendly when they're cutting my fabric or when I do ask for assistance.
:?
07-14-2010, 04:56 PM
#123
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Midland, Michigan
Posts: 1,951
I haven't had a bad experience with any LQS near me for which i am thankful. i did have an experience in a store in our mall years back. we had ordered a poster frame and they were to call us when it came in. we went to the mall for something else and just stopped in to see if they got some in. the employees were in the front talking among themselves and didn't pay us any mind. we walked out w/o getting the frame.. a couple days later we got a call saying our frame was in. i told her of our experienceand how the staff had ignored us and were talking bad about another staff member. it turns out she was the manager-someone got in trouble over that. i'm also one who if i have excellent service from a person i try to let the manager know that too. sales people, especially in small stores should be bending over backwards for our business in todays economy.
07-14-2010, 05:08 PM
#124
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Dallas, OREGON
Posts: 348
Personally, I think the prices are up higher than a lot of us can afford to pay. If you want just a little selection of fabric and some thread, its almost $100. Not easy for those on a low budget. But, I do it anyway because I love the hometown quilt shops and I have had good experiences in them. Their fabric is better to, and I just have to watch what I buy and go in often and get a little at a time. Its worth it.
07-14-2010, 05:40 PM
#125
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1
Hi My name is Pam. I am not a shop owner but have the priviledge of working in one. This shop opened two years ago and has had to expand once and is full to the brim now. We are located in Louisville, Oh and are very friendly. We greet every customer and help them. If they say they do not need our help we will leave them be but periodically check to see if they want our help at that time. We not only say Hi. How you doing. We say it in a very friendly and happy voice. We make sure the customers (future friends) know that they are welcome and wanted. There are two other local shops within 10 miles of us and one is friendly, though not as friendly as ours, and the other one kind of ingnores you unless they know you. I do know them from belonging to our local quilt guild and when I took a friend into the shop they totally ignored her. I will go 50 miles to go to a friendly shop before I shop at an unfriendly one.
07-14-2010, 05:58 PM
#126
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Mesa, Arizona
Posts: 692
Originally Posted by JudyG
The local stores around me(all at least 45 minutes away) are great. But --- I was in Redmond, Oregon last week with my quilting group and we all went to a quilt store there and I was less than happy with them. I have a hard time picking out fabrics to go together and want to make a bargello that takes 20 different fabrics, 10 lights and 10 darks, and I want them all to be shades of blue. I have a good portion of them, but still needed a couple more. I asked the gal at the counter (there were, I believe, 4 employees working) if anyone there was good with color and could help me with selecting a couple more fabrics to go with what I already had. Her answer was, "No." Period. No offer to at least try to help me or anything. I was absolutely floored. One of my friends and I were selecting fabrics, and one of the gals did come over and give an opinion on the ones we were looking at, but I left that place less than enthusiastic about returning again.
07-14-2010, 06:01 PM
#127
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: currently in Sioux Falls, SD
Posts: 697
Originally Posted by pquilts2000
Hi My name is Pam. I am not a shop owner but have the priviledge of working in one. This shop opened two years ago and has had to expand once and is full to the brim now. We are located in Louisville, Oh and are very friendly. We greet every customer and help them. If they say they do not need our help we will leave them be but periodically check to see if they want our help at that time. We not only say Hi. How you doing. We say it in a very friendly and happy voice. We make sure the customers (future friends) know that they are welcome and wanted. There are two other local shops within 10 miles of us and one is friendly, though not as friendly as ours, and the other one kind of ingnores you unless they know you. I do know them from belonging to our local quilt guild and when I took a friend into the shop they totally ignored her. I will go 50 miles to go to a friendly shop before I shop at an unfriendly one.
07-14-2010, 06:02 PM
#128
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Pa.
Posts: 3,612
All LQS have closed here and I actually enjoy buying on line. Never have to go through the frustation. When I'm about 45 miles away I'll stop a Joann's and actuall there are a bunch of helpful-cheerful ladies.
07-14-2010, 06:17 PM
#130
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: East Texas
Posts: 3,021
Originally Posted by TexasGurl
Originally Posted by Debra Mc
Texasgurl, I love your avatar quilt. Is that the whole quilt or 1 block. I think I have seen it before.
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