It's nice to read all of the comments in response to your/our commitment to be positive. I just finished reading a thread where people were bashing the employees at Hancock's, JoAnn's, Wal-Mart, etc. Some of the comments were extremely rude and obnoxious, especially the two who wrote that the retail clerks are all paid minimum wage and know nothing about sewing.
So...my reaction is not to respond to such comments, although I have an inclination to remind those two how difficult it is to (1) find a job these days, minimum wage or not; and (2) having knowledge of sewing is not a prerequisite for being able to cut fabric.
Let's all be courteous and friendly, and if we need an extra 2 inches, don't expect that it will be given to you--ask for it. Besides, you never know--if you are pleasant to the person behind the cutting counter or register, you might just get a few extra inches. How you treat service personnel is a reflection of you.