Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Sometimes you just have to ask....

It's that time of year where the credit card gets a good workout and I come in from work every day and ask "Did I get any packages today?" Usually they're gifts for others so it's not super exciting, just nice to know the Post Office hasn't lost them... This week, however, I was eagerly awaiting a package that finally came.


Here's the story. Back in March I ordered a full bolt each of my favorite interfacings--a woven fusible, and a fusible needled fleece. I use both obsessively in my bag-making and highly recommend them. However, for the past months I've noticed something. The fleece wasn't adhering properly, and often left my bags with a slightly rumply look, no matter how I ironed and ironed. Since I sell to a fairly small circle of people, none of who are as ridiculously detail-oriented and anal-retentive as I am, they haven't noticed. It's especially nice that most of the bags have pleats and outside pockets and all that jazz that help conceal the rumple. But I can't begin to tell you how it irked me.


I tried everything. I followed the directions, I didn't follow them, I did a hot iron with and without steam, a medium iron with and without steam, a press cloth, no press cloth, and a bunch of other "brilliant" ideas, none of which led me to success. And then, just before Thanksgiving, I was giving a good clean-out to my sewing corner. I keep an interfacing scrap bag so I can use little bits to reinforce snaps or use in small projects so I can keep my yardage intact. When I was tidying that up I noticed that the fleece I had from previous batches was very rough with adhesive, whereas my bolt was pretty smooth. After months of head-scratching it finally hit me that there wasn't enough glue! Lest you think I'm slow on the uptake...well, I am. I have no excuse for why I wouldn't think of that sooner.


I wrote to the company and told them, explaining I was going to keep using their products and I didn't want anything but for them to know about this issue. They not only offered to replace what I had used from my original bolt, but they sent me a label to return my remaining yards to them for analysis. I am more than pleased with this--I wasn't expecting or seeking anything, it was essentially a humble request to put more glue on the fleece so my future purchases would be nice and sticky. I even tried to explain to the girl that it didn't sound like a fair trade since I had bought it so long ago, and how stupid am I for not noticing, and I used such and such an amount, and blah blah blah. But she persisted and my big package arrived. Of course I had to tear into it to see what it felt like, and THIS batch feels nice and rough with adhesive. I can't wait to use it.


Sometimes you just have to speak up. You never know what the world will toss your way :)

I'm going to toss a post on my favorite interfacings your way, just in case you have a New Year's res to start sewing bags and want the nitty gritty.

And if you're wondering about the very random autumn pics--I took them on Thanksgiving when the light was just perfect, and then promptly forgot about them. I thought they were too pretty to keep to myself, so I stuck them in a nice, boring customer service/not enough glue post. You're welcome :)

8 comments:

  1. That falls under customer delight, I suppose.
    Excellent & Lovely photographs.

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  2. I've had serious interfacing issues as well - the not enough glue problem. Unfortunately, our interfacings are imported and it's no use telling the shop owners who sell them. Right now I use a made in Japan interfacing and it's expensive but good.

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  3. Love the Autumn photos! Bummer about the interfacing, but so neat that the company is standing behind their product and making it right for you!!!!
    Hope your sewing is smooth sailing from here on out!
    xo Kris

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  4. Good costumer you are!! And great costumer service from them. I hate interfacing with a passion, I think I have ruined over 2 ironing machines with them. Ack!!
    Esther.

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  5. I had that happen when I knit a baby blanket and the colours ran. My LYS told me that they would talk to the rep. The rep asked for the blanket so they could run tests. They told me I could have two packs (20 skeins) of yarn from the company and it didn't have to be the same yarn I used. I was really really sad about the baby blanket, but the cat uses it now, as they gave it back after testing. And now I have enough lovely yarn to make a nice big sweater for myself. The baby got a jacket instead of the blanket so everyone is happy.

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  6. Lol, random but pretty! And good customer service means retained customers, companies know how many other places you can go as well as how many places you can bad-mouth them if you're not happy!

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  7. Sometimes there is a product that we do not like and we decide to put it aside. Surely we will not buy it again. The best way to remedy this problem is to do what you've done, tell the company, not only you will do a favor to them, in revenge sometimes things go better as in your case, to receive the new interface . A happy customer is always important!!!!
    Have a nice day! Marisa-

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  8. Love the shoes! I got caught up in looking at the pictures.

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