Jackie R

Maybe sell fat quarters at cost or a bit above cost for a day or weekend - just to entice quilters into the shop. Maybe a percentage off of the cost of a single cut of fabric - might be appealing to buyers too. Or a good sale on certain bolts of fabric.

K9dancer above has some very good ideas to welcome customers.

distar2

how about having a session once or twice a month on a regular basis to try out new items or a specific item and help us quilters learn to use them? once we find something new and neat we all tell others about it and just "have" to have it. lol. it helps me to try something hands on before i take the leap to spend $20 for a new ruler or a new quilt book or whatever. for instance i've seen several different ways to make flying geese and have always wanted to try the eleanor burns flying geese rulers but don't want to spend that extra money if i'm not going to like doing them that way.

donnalynett

Our only LQS offers a one-hour lesson on their long-arm and then you can rent time on it. She also has "grab bags" that contain 12 beautiful fat quarters in an assortment of fabrics and only charges $13 per bag.

galvestonangel

All good suggestions. For me it is great customer service.
Even when I first started many years ago and I knew I could get fabrics cheaper, I went to my LQS because of the service and help I got there. Fabric at the LQS was only $3.99 then.

cindygale

how about offering a free class (make it a farely easy class) if the fabric is bought at the quilt store. i think that might get people interested in taking classes and buying at the fabric shop..i would sure do it. just a thought anyway..i have thought about taking a class but after i buy the fabric i really can't afford the class... :mrgreen:

gizzy1158

What a horrible attitude in that shop! I just started a fabric shop alittle over a year ago. Thank you all very much for all of the suggestions! I will be taking them into consideration in my shop.

M.I.Late

I used to go to a quilt shop that did quilting their on the premises. I would love to see what quilts were being done. When you purchased your fabric there, you were given a card that she could punch. When your card was full, you could put it towards (cash off) quilting of your tops. Sometimes it covered the entire cost. Some of the larger quilts would take two cards. But, I shopped there so I could get some of my quilting free or reduced. That really helped me. They also brought in a machine maintenance guy for two or three days a month. He would take your machine upstairs and it could be done in an hour, or worst case 3 days. We also exchanged scrap baggies for scrap baggies - no charge - just swap them. Always a free pattern once a month - just xeroxed and there for the taking. It didn't hurt that the best deli in town was next door... I think it also helped the younger quilters that they had a place for kids to watch videos and play while mom shopped. It was just a very small space under the stairs - it was small, but the kids b-lined for it. It didn't hold more than 3 or 4 kids, but I never saw more than 1 or 2 in there at a time anyway.

lnikkers52

The LqS nearest to me has only four steps to get in but no hand rail. im disabled so it's really hard for me to get in and out . I asked owner if there were a back door to make it easier on me . She said "well none of my other cutomers have a problem ". Well I said Goodbye have a nice day and I will find another quilt store. Now I don't expect every store to cater to me but at least have better attitude towards would be customers.

Farm Quilter

The free quilting class is how my LQS hooked me 3 years ago...I bought fabric, rulers, fabric, rotary cutters, fabric, pins, fabric, books, fabric, cutting mats, fabric...didn't get my longarm from my LQS, but from the next closest shop. Heck, I now "work for fabric" in my LQS on shop hop days and when she goes on vacation. All because of a free quilting class!

chuckbere15

Great customer service! When I went to a local quilt shop, I had to take a napkin and keep wiping the drool from my mouth. The sad thing is, not one of the two ladies working asked me once if I needed any help, until I dropped the six bolts on the counter. Once they saw what I was purchasing, I was like their best friend, I spent $180. it would have been nice if they would have chatted me up before and offered more information about their store. I will go back because the fabric choices are so much better than Joanns. Smiling Faces and great customer service is the best advertising!