Amanda from South Texas

I went to a shop in Austin when I was first looking for a machine. Having never sewn, I thought I had better start out with a used and work myself up. I'm looking at the less expensive models and a saleswoman comes up and asks what I am looking for. I told her and she takes me over to this exhorbitantly priced machine. I told her that was out of my budget and she replied, "Well don't you have family or someone that could help pay???" I turned around and left.

AnnaK

Why must quilt shops have this attitude with customers they know nothing about? I have been to a quilt shop (out of state) several times and have never particularly felt welcomed even though I had bought from them in store and online several times. The last time, I went to the owner's home where she has set up a shop since she closed her store. The owner and her assistant made me feel like I should have bought more fabric than I was buying. Apparently spending less than $100 was not appropriate. I felt diminished as I walked away and swore never to buy from that store again. I came home and deleted my acct from the online store as well. I won't be surprised if they've gone out of business.

sueisallaboutquilts

Wow, these stories are simply amazing!!
As the saying goes, " It takes all kinds".
I would think in this awful economy people would
be tripping over each other to make a sale but
there appears to be a lot of apathy around :(

burnsk

I used to own a flower shop in a little 'two store' strip. Since the shop next to me was a mini-mart/liquor store there were always guys going in and out all day long. I always put signs in my window for the daily challenge (which happened be right next to their door so their customers couldn't miss it):

If your wife's name is ______, pick up her free rose.
Serenade the owner with your favorite song and get a free ______
Recite your favorite nursery rhyme and get a free _____
Give your best Elvis impression and get a free ______
If your name is _____ pick up a free spring bouquet
If you can make the owner laugh and you get a free _____
Come tell us a knock-knock joke and get a free _____
Come in wearing a cowboy hat and get a free ____
If you can name all of the 7 dwarfs you get a free ____
If you are wearing (color) you get a free _____
Bring your mom in on Sunday and she will get a ____
Show me your church bulletin and get a free ____

I can't remember them all. They were all goofy things. Every day it was something different and some people would come buy just to see what we had going on that day. I can't remember all of our 'challenges' but we had about 50 of them. Our customers became our friends. Some of them even suggested some of the 'challenges'. It was fun and selling a perishable product, giving away free flowers kept our inventory rotating and fresh.

I remember the proms and weddings and funerals. People couldn't always afford what they wanted but we'd work with them and many times, surprise, we could produce 'coupons' for them. Gotta keep them coming back or you're out of business. It was a sad day for me when I sold my shop. The new owner was out of business a year and a half later.

Boy do I miss it.

burnsk

You know, QS owners could do similar challenges and give FQ's for prizes, or spools of thread, or whatever they have in their back rooms to get rid of, or coupons for percentages off purchase. If your purchase is over (dollar amount) pop a balloon and inside is a discount coupon. So many things to do to generate sales. But #1 - always greet your customer and offer assistance.

plainpat

For sure! What a nice LQS......wish they were near by!

Zephyr

Any business is only as good as the help they employ and the only thing a smaller business has to compete with other retailers is their SERVICE.

pieces

Its a shame businesses are not more friendly to their customers. We are their bread and butter. I prefer to shop locally at a LQS, to promote the small businesses in my area.
I can't see how shops like the one you entered will be in bussiness very long. Quilt shops should have a friendly and
helpful atmosphere. I would not go back to this shop either.

bob1414

I would never go back either. And me, being me, would offer them the reason WHY I wouldn't go back (but I'd try and be nice about it). What an awful experience you had.

Central Ohio Quilter

Two years ago I was in a "nice" quilt shop in Ohio, and I paused my fabric browsing to watch an employee demonstrate to someone else a beautiful new machine with all of the bells and whistles on it. As she finished talking to the one person she asked me if I was interested in trying out the machine. I told her – no thanks. I was happy with my machine that I have. She asked me what kind of machine I used and I (rather proudly) told her that I still use the Singer that my parents bought me for high school graduation 38 years ago. She got a SHOCKED look on her face and yelled (yes – YELLED!) across the store at another employee – “She is still using a sewing machine she got in high school!!!!! She then turned to me and in an extremely condescending tone said – “You really MUST get a NEW machine!!! I just can’t imagine that you are still using a machine THAT old!”

I suppose she was trying to embarrass me into getting a new sewing machine, but I thought at the time that, even if I was in the market for buying a new sewing machine, that woman would have been the LAST person I would have bought one from. She was rude, rude, rude!!!!!