squeakers1

I think you did the right thing too.... Does anyone ever wonder were the old saying went... "The customer is always right "

Squeakers1

bearisgray

I would have been upset - and I think you were reasonable in pointing it out. People make mistakes. If they are unintended and it's corrected, no big deal.

Sounds like you did it in a pleasant way. After the clerk was condescending, I would have progressed from upset to angry.

Then I would try talking to the owner - maybe you could pretend you didn't know the person was the owner's son?

And if they were still jerks about it, I would take my business else where.

They could either put up signs saying they have minimum cuts - which I think would be counter-productive for them to do -

Or they could put up charts with the decimal equivalents and teach the clerks how to use a calculator.

I think the store (person) was wrong wrong and wrong in this case.

JoAnns and WalMart have these charts and sell fabric by the inch. In fact, one of the LQS here sells fabric by the inch.

Let us know what happens if you choose to pursue it.

Stitching4Fun

What would make the difference if you got 1/6th yard or 1 yard? You are purchasing fabric from the business. I don't agree that if they were crowded that you would be limited to just 6 bolts. Would someone that is getting a yard of each be limited to the amount? To me, regardless of what amount you had him cut, he would have cut it if you got the full yard, right? You are a customer and if they don't please you, and you don't return, then it is their loss.

Did he correct your order?

Barb

Chele

Of course you feel like you do. What I wonder is why he didn't alert you of any extra charges before he cut. You most likely would have bought nothing or scaled back your choices. No vendor should assume the customer will pay for things they are not expecting and the vendor should always communicate with the customer. That's just polite and common sense. No surprises makes a happy shopper. Quilting is an expensive hobby and I really think they should have made it right once you expressed your concern. It's their loss. They probably lost a valuable customer.

Oklahoma Suzie

I would point it out for sure. Like others said, maybe he is keeping this extra money. Did you ever get the six dollars back?

AtHomeSewing

I'm confused about what you did in the end?
Did he correct his mistake or did you simply leave? :(

Obviously the mistake was his. He didn't seem to distill what you were conveying when you brought it to his attention. It seems as if he was more concerned with the price differences in the bolts than the fact that he couldn't complete the math successfully.

Are you co-mingling issues here a bit though? It sounds as if you felt guilty for requesting the small increments, and those feelings may have influenced your permitting the clerk to continue on with HIS mistake. People order small increments all the time, honestly there is no reason to feel like you are putting anyone out for doing their job. This problem isn't about what you purchased, it was what he did, which was likely a math error -- fractions are hard! :lol:

When I don't stand up for myself at moments like this, it is always harder on me. I get really upset and it lingers. What I usually discover at the bottom of it is that I am disappointed for not digging deep and getting assertive right at the moment. So, I guess I'm mad at myself more than anything else.

I would definitely contact the owner (related or not) and express your concern with the mistake, the uncordial response, and let her know whether the situation was or was not resolved to your satisfaction. Can you drop her an email? Keep in mind that everyone makes mistakes including not being polite at times. Lord knows what he could be going through in life. However, the shop owner needs to know what is happening with her business while she's not there. Perhaps she has been wondering why some of her customers have not been in so often lately! :shock:

Ethel A

I pointed it out to him. I stood up for myself and pointed it out to him.

My feelings of sadness / disappointment / anger stem from the clerk's immediate knee-jerk reaction that I was wrong and he was right; embarassment that I was pointing out someone else's error (I never like to point out someone else's error); and then being told (in a condescending manner) that I was buying discounted (translation to him = "cheap") fabric.

He did make me feel guilty for asking him to cut six inch increments from ten bolts of fabric. After I took the bolts to the cutting table, he told me that he had no problem doing it 'this time' since the store was empty and normally, they have a limitation on the number of bolts (had the store been busy).

If cutting six inch increments from ten bolts was NOT AN ISSUE, then why did he bring that up? I always wonder why people say they don't want to make an issue of something yet passive agressively act the opposite of what they say.

Favorite Fabrics

You were right to point out the mistake; you were right to stand your ground and calmly insist that the mistake be corrected.

Some people have a hard time not becoming defensive when someone points out a mistake. That is a shortcoming on their part, not yours, so please don't feel responsible for someone else's emotional state.

Though it may be uncomfortable dealing with this clerk again, if you like the store's merchandise and if the other people working there are nice, then try to continue doing business with them. As long as the prevailing attitude at the shop is of courtesy to customers, don't penalize the owner for the demeanor of the son. If it would make you feel better to speak to the owner about it, then do so... but I'd say, just see what happens if he waits on you again. If there's a continued problem, then by all means speak up to the owner. Otherwise, presuming that you got your money, let it go. Life's too short to spend much time stewing.

I manage a quilt shop, and our policy is that if we make an error, we cheerfully and promptly correct it. But... the customer isn't necessarily [/u]always[u] right, sometimes they make mistakes too! For us, that's when it gets really awkward.

As to problem staff... personally, I watch to see if a problem is a one-time occurrence or if it keeps happening. If I think it is a one-time thing I don't say anything (micromanaging does not help the staff's mood). But if there is a pattern, then I speak to the person, privately.

kluedesigns

i'm with you 100%. it has nothing to do with the dollar value, if its $6 or $600, i would feel the same way.

i can not believe he didn't refund the money to you. thats very short sighted and if it were me i would never shop there again.

i had a problem with an online fabric store regarding shipping, they sent me an email stating that they charge only the exact shipping amount and when i got my package they overcharged me on shipping.

they wouldn't correct the mistake since it was such a small amount ($2) and i stated that the amount shouldn't matter - its your written policy and should be honored to all customers.

needless to say, i contact the credit card company and provided them with the email and my receipt, the credit card company reversed the entire charge from the online store.

theboss

I think you did the right thing pointing it out. I would also probably contact the owner.