I have two - First when I go to my usual quilt shops, I am always treated very nicely, but, when my 24 year old daughter (who looks about 16) goes in without me she is snubbed. There was one shop in particular that was the worst offender. So during a Quilters Run (while the shop was very full), I told them why I never shop there anymore. Three other ladies came up and told me they were glad I had spoken up.
Second story - I bought $53.20 worth of merchandise. I gave the lady $60.20. She started to give me change of $6.80. When I told her I had given her 20 cents, she stood there and practically called me a liar! I did go in again the next week for something and she apologized, but still left a bad taste for that store.
Your stories?

I have been very fortunate and have never had a bad experience in any quilt shop.

The complaint I have for the few quilt stores in my area is the blank stare I get when I ask for a tool or product that is new on the market. I get this "I've never heard of that" reply. And get the same response six months later when I ask if they have it yet. Quilt shops that don't keep up with the latest are not worth my time, I rather buy online.

So far I have been fortunate and have not had a bad experience in a LQS. And I do some travelling and have been happy in all my experiences. It pains me when "clerks" don't take pains with customers, but give them. Don't they realize why they are in business?

I bought a bunch of fabric and the owner (who knew me) said: Please tell me that you don't plan to use those in the same quilt. (which I planned to do) She then asked what I planned to name the quilt "Nightmare on Elm Street?" Not the most encouraging comment for a newbee quilter. She is a quiltzilla and thankfully no longer in business - rude, cnatancerous, useless, mean B****.

I took my quilt back when it was done and I made her eat her words. HA!

WOW! Can't believe she actually said that out loud to you!

I'm sure she thought she was being funny. Here is a pic of "Nightmare" (The only quilt I ever named - lol)

I love it! That is a lovely quilt. Glad you made her eat her words and that she is no longer in business. I do not understand the need that some people have to diss someone else's work.

I really like that! The colors all work together great! That lady on top of everything else has no vision!

I don't like the hancocks we have here, not very friendly.

Never around here! I went into one shop about an half hour away and was chatting with the clerk. Found out she is from the same tiny town, on the other side of the state, where my DH grew up. They went to high school together. LOL Small World! Wish you had shops like the ones here! Sorry for your experience!

Love your quilt. some people just can't be nice.

those colors are perfect together. Nice choice and I love the pattern too.

My LQS and the Hancock Fabrics here are both wonderful. I guess I'm just lucky.

Thanks - contrary to its name, it has provided me with countless hours of uninterrupted sleep. lol

This is slightly off topic but related to the purchase of a sewing machine. The sales person was surprised that I wanted to "test drive" the machine which btw was without bobbin. I found a bobbin and was getting ready to thread the machine when he sort of pushed me away (excuse me Mam but that's my job). I still see him yanking out about 2 feet of bobbin thread. He licked the end and then he tried to PUSH the thread up the feed dogs. Externally I was watching with great interest. Internally I was howling. Even DH remembers that one.

Haven't really had a bad experience, per se...just sometimes in some places they act as though I'm dumber than dirt (and I'm not quite that dumb...) But there's not a lot of choices around here and I just go out of my way to be super nice and it seems to be paying off.....

I think here in Florida, we have one of the rudest quilt shops known to needlework. I go back once a year or so, expecting them to improve, but they never have. I have been ignored, belittled, and given dirty looks while I waited to have fabric cut. How dare I interrupt the sales associate's personal call!!??!!

My meager purchase was certainly not as important as her pearls of wisdom, bragging to someone how she ejoys being selfish, does not have to share anything, never has, never will, and how only low-class people share bathrooms at home. On top of it, the prices there are always a couple yards higher than the other area shops. It is lovely fabric, but not worth it.

I guess my worst experience was actually with another customer in the store. When I walked into the shop, the woman saw me and clutched her purse to her chest as though she thought I was there to rob the place. I guess being a man made me out of place and a curiosity of sorts.

I have had ladies in quilt shops act like I don't know what it is I am looking for when I say I am buying for myself. Or they give me dirty looks as if how dare I encroach on their quilting territory. I just pay them no mind.

My LQS made a point of learning my name (as well as my daughter's name who doesn't sew but often comes with me to "look" at the quilts). She went there at Christmas (without mom) and purchased a gift card for me -- they knew exactly who it was for!! And no, I don't camp out there but maybe go once a month. :D :D

Here's one for you. I went with my sister-in-law to a quilt shop down the road from her house, about 3 hours from us. It's a shop that advertises in most quilt magazine and if I told you the name of it..alot of you would probably recognize it. Anyway, we did get to the shop late in the afternoon. About 4:30 and the shop closed at 5. They went behind us, shutting the lights out in the rooms as we left them, rushing us out. Needless to say, they didn't get any of my money.

My sister and I went to shop that we have been to before, this one day, it was like they were too blessed busy to notice us. It isn't as though the shop was busy. In fact I think there was just one other customer aside from us. We did not buy anything that day. After we walked out the door, my sister said something to the effect that she was not too happy with them. We have not been back. I buy mostly online now.

ROFL That is just too funny. I told dh and his comment was "and he was the salesman?"
My question...did you purchase the machine? I think I would've walk out to "think about it" and the buy the machine somewhere else. What kind of support did they offer?

Mad, that is an unbelievable story. What a bi...!!! I think your quilt is fantastic! I love the "quiltzilla" title...will have to remember that one!

I hope you asked to use her bathroom

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Our city has only one ( that I have found). I went in to ask for a light bulb for my sewing machine. It is a snap in, and as I was telling her that, she asked what brand...and stated she only sold for one particular brand ( I don't remember the brand) and since I was looking for singer, she said I'd have to go to a singer shop. They are the only ones who can sell me a light bulb for a singer sewing machine. I was stunned, since I knew I had bought them at Joannes before, but we don't have one here. That was the last time I was there.

The only shop here in town is great. However, last year on a road trip I stopped in a shop that I will NEVER set foot in again. Beautiful fabric, three big roomfulls in fact...but the owner and the clerk were the rudest people ever. And my dh and I were the only ones in the place! The owner kept giving me dirty looks, and the clerk pretty much acted like she had better things to do.

My only complaint with a quilt shop is the same complaint I've had with several other kinds of shops (grocery store, clothing store, etc.) I get very uncomfortable when the salespersons are talking to each other and complaining about their manager or another worker who's not there or how long they've been working without a break, or correcting someone's mistake (do that it private, not in front of a customer).....I really don't care. I just want my stuff!

The tellers at a small bank I used to deal with did something like that, but they talked about the customers as they walked up to the bank. One day they made derogatory remarks about three customers who were coming to the door as I stood there taking care of my banking business. Finally, I asked them, "Do you talk about me that way when you see me pull up?" Dead silence. They just stared at me. We switched banks soon after. I was pretty sure if they didn't talk about me before I said that, they probably did afterwards. :twisted:

None at all. So sorry yours was not a good one. They are not the norm I think. Big stores, Jo Anns yeah but little good mom and pop shops.. I have been fortunate.

Here it's been pretty good, so far.

Sorry to hear your bad quilt shop story.
I have my own. I've been dreaming for a new sewing machine for a couple of years. Last summer I decided I was going to get one. I got my checkbook and found a quilt shop that sold the brand of machines. It's an hour away. My daughter rode with me through a few detours and downpours. Once inside, we waited 20 minutes to be acknowledged. Then, when I told her what machine I wanted she said it wasn't top of the line. I knew that! I asked to test it out and that was a problem, but she would try to get it set up for me. She acted very cold towards me. It wasn't just me being overly sensitive, my daughter was very uncomfortable with this, too. I did get to test the machine and it was all I had hoped it would be. But, I thanked her and left with my money and the satisfaction of knowing I never had to deal with this store again.
I went into another quilt store last year an hour away and left within minutes. How dare I interrupt there little quilting bee to purchase fabric. They didn't get any of my money either.

I suppose with the shops around here if you are in the crowd you have no problems. As an outsider, don't try to cross their lines.

Sorry to rant, but it makes me upset.

I'm with those that said they don't like to hear the rantings of employees. In the old days, I was taught that the customer was to get my full attention. I always go back to another lesson I was taught. That I might be the only person that the customer might have contact with that day and I want to let it be a good one.

Have you been to a quilt shop that the clerk follows you around because they just know you are out to rip them off?
Granted, this particular shop had been stolen from - whole bolts of fabric slipped off the boards - but it wasn't me, and I really resent turning around and the clerk is right in my face watching me like a hawk...
Yes, I spent money there, no, I will not go back....

My experience wasn't so bad, but it made me mad at the time. I was auditioning black and white fabrics for a quilt, went to one of the LQS, saw some i kinda liked, so i bought a 1/4 yard cut to see how it went with what i had. When i took to the register, the woman there said, OHHHHHHHHH last of the big spenders huh? It just rubbed me the wrong way LOL, i have since gotten over it. but i did go to another store and bought their fabric for the quilt.

When I took my Pfaff into where I bought it for it's 10,000 mile check up I was given a long lecture about the thread I was using and the care I was taking of the machine. They then said that I was not worthy of such a machine. I let them do the check up since it was free that time, but have since found a new shop to work on it.
2 feet of bobbin thread!!! Don't they realize that thread is a valuable thing?

You sure found a keeper of a shop! Wish you weren't in hiding so I could go there.

There are 2 shops that are in a small town about 30 miles away from us. The one that has been there the longest, I hardly ever go into because they aren't very helpful. But the new one is great! My husband works in that town and to save myself a trip when I need something specific, I can send him into the shop with a swatch and they will help him get the fabric..Then tell me all about how funny he is the next time I go in. That's service. lol

:lol:
That is hillarious. I'm not sure that I could have kept from laughing out loud.

To MadQuilter:
Good for you ...! and happy to hear the Quiltzilla is no longer in business, NO surprise there!! What an unbelievably RUDE & UNhelpful thing to say to a customer.

I've encountered some QS owners (& employees) like that over the years. Fortunately they are the minority. I've been to a lot of shops on our vacation trips and 95% have been good experiences.
One LQS we had years ago was NOT a warm, welcoming place - they weren't interested in helping you unless you spent hundreds of $$$ at a time. They went out of business pretty quickly!
I taught classes & worked PT at another LQS. Helping NEW quilters & our students in a positive, ENCOURAGING way was the BEST part of my job! I like to think that I helped quite a few newbie quilters on their way to making lots of great quilts. :)

And yet she is there working for a paycheck.

:roll: :roll: