Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Is Your Quilt Store Nice?

As I was trying to enter some of the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway links (mine is HERE) one of the required comment entries asked over at Sew Adorable Fabrics was:

"What is most important for you when shopping for fabric? What makes you come back?"


I have been to quilt stores where some of the salespeople weren't nice. Shocking isn't it! I always think of quilt stores as kind of comfort zones for me. I love to stroll along and touch the fabric just to feel their textures. I enjoy the small chatter that goes on between salespeople and customers as they talk about projects in the works or ideas they're trying to put together with fabric. 

I keep going back to quilt stores because of their fabric, but they MUST be nice, too. Not like these stores that shall be nameless and I avoid unless I'm really desperate:
  • I said I had filled a pincushion with fiberfill stuffing and the saleslady rolled her eyes (yes she did!) and said, "Why would you use that!" I could have done without the rolling of the eyes!
  • I got the rolling eyes again at another shop when I mentioned I don't hand sew my bindings. Sorry, but some of us don't do hand sewing very well due to varies reasons like poor eyesight or arthritis.
  • A little snarky comment came from another sales clerk when I asked about a certain maker of fabric...she rolled her eyes (what's with this roll-your-eye thing?) and said, "We don't carry ***** fabric because we can't sell it." Seriously? It was a well known fabric company that MOST stores carry and it always sells very well!
Was this a soapbox kind of post? Yeah, probably a little. I'll step off the soapbox now. Thank goodness there are more NICE quilt stores than roll-your-eyes stores!

13 comments:

  1. Shame on those eyerollers....I do most of my shopping online because I get it much cheaper. But the closest quilt shop to me is very friendly. It's like the Cheers Bar, where everybody knows your name.

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  2. Most important to me in any store is customer service. A smile and hello goes a long way with me. Sadly, my LQS is quite unfriendly. Unless you are an active member of the guild (which they sponsor), you won't even get a hello. Its a shame, its a lovely store with a wonderful selection of fabrics. After many tries, i've given up on them. I buy from Joannes, Hancock Fabrics or online. Theres a great LQS about 90 minutes away, small but so helpful. Its just too far for me to visit much. I want one of those stores like Vickie's....Cheers!

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  3. I would ask if they have something in their eyes to cause all that rolling around. Seriously...I can be snarky if proved by a snark or a snake!

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  4. Ohhhh I can SO relate to these stores, here they are like that too, unfortunately a big one near me won't give me the time of day about my long arm quilting or leaving cards there, actually 2 stores! terrible..... I shop online instead, a nice group on FB and Connecting threads and maybe fabric.com too.... and amazon for all my non fabric items for sewing/embroidery, oh there is ONE quilt store I buy long arm thread from, can't remember WHERE they are, but I have a card/catalog from them. great customer service.
    There IS one store about 1hr from me that's SUPER nice and used to refer a lot of customers to me, but it kind of died down...

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  5. You would think that with the prices the LQS's charge for fabric that they would go that extra mile to be friendly and courteous. There is one LQS here that I refuse to go to anymore (only went there twice) because they are not friendly at all, they watch you like a hawk, their fabric prices are higher than other LQS's, and they NEVER have a sale of any kind. They charge 10.95 for Kona cotton! If that was the only quilt shop in my area, I would be buying all of my fabric online.

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  6. Carol people say that quilters are the friendliest people, but I have run into some that weren't that friendly too. I found that the owners of some quilt shops can be difficult to deal with too. Geesh, don't they get it that my dollar spends the same locally as well as online or at a different store too? One local quilt shop here went out of business a few years ago. They were the unfriendly sort. I wasn't surprised they closed only that it took as long as it did for them to close. If I deal with friendly people and get great customer service I will pay a bit more at their store, but if not I won't be back and I take my $$ with me too. Good reminder for all to be kinder to one another.

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  7. I've had both experiences. I have no local quilt shop as y'all know. Since I moved to this country dump of a town. The Walmart just started getting fabric like within the last month or so. A Joann's finally opened up an hour away. I had heard of this quote super quilt shop in this little ritzy area about an hour away. We went their. I felt like they were trying to rush me out of the door. The staff was rude. My money spends very well wherever I choose to spend it. Their prices were way over the top. I won't go back . Just because of the snootiness. And they were told by me that it was my first time into their store. I sure do miss my old quilt shop in West Columbia, SC. Creative Sewing Center.. All the ladies knew me by name and were very helpful to me or my husband. All I have to do is pick up the phone and call to inquire about something and while on hold the owner will pick up just to speak to me to make sure the girls are helping me and to ask how I am doing. And how my family is. I sure do miss my old store too bad it is 2 hours away now. I have felt like sometimes quilt shops look down and don't take younger sexist seriously. And some of them are just fabric snobs. I always refuse to go back to places llike that.

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  8. I find when they are like that; they just aren't up on the newest things Carol. Their loss|!!

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  9. Customer service can make or break any business. I agree I want to feel at home and comfortable at any fabric store. AND I want to touch the fabrics!!! Being nice and helpful takes so little effort. I don't shop stores that have no time or niceties for me...the paying customer! Thanks for lending me your soapbox. December Delights Dear...

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  10. I'm lucky to have many quilt shops nearby.One has a rather unfriendly staff so I don't go there often, My favorite quilt shop is fun, friendly and very helpful. I get a free pattern every month at strip club, which is always a fun time, whether I like the pattern or not. I have several shops I visit often so I have lots of variety too.

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  11. I like the other Kathy's comment . . . ask them if they have something in their eye! Wonder what their response would be?

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  12. Over the years, I've been in a ton of quilt shops, and if they're not nice, I'm not likely to go back.

    My absolute gold standard for "nice" is Shepherd's Bush in Ogdan Utah (they're actually a needlework shop) I'd been wanting to go for YEARS and the one vacation when we were in the right city at the right time, we'd been camping, without showers, for four days. I went in with two little kids tagging along (with Hubby to keep their hands from getting too near the pretty threads) and they were probably the most enthusiastic and helpful shop I've ever been in.

    I've been in other shops that ranged from ignoring me to a vibe of *Get Out, You Don't Belong Here* -- even when I was showered and without kids in tow.

    Can't stand the eye rolling, either!

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  13. Oh, the eye rolling annoys me to no end also! Or the ignoring until you feel you have no business in the store whatsoever.
    Anyway, thank you for answering my questions - I would love to learn what makes you love or hate when shopping for fabrics. And I promise not to roll my eyes at you when you stop by :)
    Thanks, Hannah @ Sew Adorable Fabrics

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