Trust and blogging

I love to read knitting blogs, but in the last year I’ve had some trust issues. I feel like some of the more popular bloggers may not be giving “fair and balanced” reviews and promotion of products.

Sometimes it’s not disclosed whether they have paid for what they’re using or reviewing, and in some cases, the reviews of products that they’re given are biased towards the positive BECAUSE they were not paid for.

I have been given some things, and I have paid for some things. From here forward, I will be doing fair and balanced reviews and disclosing what was paid for and what was a gift. I’ve done reviews before, which are all fair and balanced, but the disclosures will be made crystal clear.

The land in which customer service is king

I'll be honest with you- if I'm treated poorly in a store, I won't go back. Having learned the valuable lesson about financial independence at the ripe old age of six, I have always believed in the power of the consumer. [This lesson was courtesy of Auntie Wolf, which I'll likely post soon.] Good customer service always warrants praise; bad customer service warrants the dreaded word-of-mouth anecdotal kiss-of-death.

I shop at stores where I am treated well, and I buy products that are of the quality that their pricing dictates. I won't post pictures of yarn from companies that do not stand behind their products. If I have noticed a problem with their yarn, and they have not dealt with it to my satisfaction (knots, deceptive labeling, etc), they won't get any promotion here. I'm not so petty as to rip down posts where I had previously mentioned them, but I also won't give information that will help support what I consider to be bad business practices. I hold myself to certain standards of integrity, and as a reader, you are entitled to the fruits of my experience.

So, here is how I go about dealing with a product problem:

Step 1: Notice the problem.

Step 2: Call the LYS that I bought it at. If I ordered it directly from the company, call them. Politely address the issue.

I'm going to emphasize the politeness. Nobody likes dealing with a raging knitter. Take deep breaths, and remember that these are generally nice people who like knitting, knitters, and what they're doing. The nasty people are the exceptions, not the rule.

Try to laugh about the mishap, while still gently impressing the importance of the problem.

Step 2a: Call the company directly, if possible. Repeat schpiel from the LYS discussion, let them know that you've talked to the LYS.

Step 3: Work out a solution.

Step 4: Knit happily ever after.

So, for your reading (and shopping) pleasure, here is my most recent customer service experience with Claudia's Handpaints.

Phase 1: The Issue

The yarn: Claudia's Fingering weight merino- Ink, dyelot 004.

The project: Andrew socks, men's size 12. [For those playing the home game, that's 7" of cuff and 12" of foot.] One pair of many in the "Black Sock Project".

Ink socks, Take 1:

I cast on, and plowed through the first 6" of cuff. Knot. Okay, knots aren't cool, but one, I can deal with. Knit another 1/2". Four knots in less than ten yards. Uncool.

Go to Purlescence, show the Purl Girls. I fork over the cuff (7" at this point), and they happily hand over a new ball, and apologize for the inconvenience. Awesome.

Ink socks, Take 2:

Cast on. Plow through cuff, heel, instep. Go see Dan in Real Life. In the theater, knit 8" of foot. Knot. Sigh, consider the [7 + 8] 15 inches of sock knitted, plus the lost 7 inches [Home Game: 22" of men’s sock knitted so far], and decide to continue. Hit 7 total knots before the end of the foot, most of them, in the toe. Sigh, and complain at Andrew.

Phase 2: The Solution

Call Purlescence, show them the frequency of the knots (marked with stitch markers), laugh at the horror. E-mail Claudia.

At this point, I'm a little miffed. I weigh how much yarn I have left on the ball (5g), and talk to Andrew about using something different for the toes, because I'm not comfortable with so many knots being in the toe box of his shoes. What's the one thing I like less than knitting black socks? Darning black socks that Andrew has grown attached to.

I got a lovely phone call from one of Claudia's elves (whose name slips my mind at this moment), where we talked about what had happened, and how to resolve it. At the end of the call, everyone was happy, and I had a preview of what Purlescence is getting in the mail next week. (Bwa ha!) I also have the distinct pleasure of knowing that Claudia (& Co) really do care about putting forward quality products

Now, so do you.

A Letter to Aveda

Dear Aveda;

I was recently introduced to your "be curly" line of hair care products, and I am a very satisfied customer. Your products have dramatically reduced the amount of frizz and I have much crisper curl definition. My hair is also softer and healthier.

Having said that, my one complaint is this:

It smells like butt. Seriously. Nobody comments on how nice I smell anymore, because my hair has a "distinctive" smell. Distinctive is a euphemism for "gross". I am a petite person who is 96.7% hair, and if my hair smells weird, all is lost.

I don't mind having to take out a second mortgage on my house to pay for your incredible, life-altering products. In fact, I am happy to pay for a product that delivers such noticeable results.

However, at the prices you charge you could work on the smell.

Your happy customer,

Jasmin

When They’re Good, They’re Good. When They’re Bad, they Suck.

I have two spinning wheels. The first is an Ashford Traveler (which I bought when I was 14), and the newest addition to our little family is the Schacht.

The drive wheel on the Traveler is really warped. It's been warped since Day 1, but it has gotten worse with time. That's fine, I'm willing to pay to replace it myself. It has been ten years, which I agree is an unreasonable amount of time to wait to call and complain, but hey, it sat unused for five to seven years. My fault.

Colleen's wheel (Ashford Joy) is only 3 years old and had SEVERE manufacturer's defects. It has from the start; she spun obsessively for a few months after its' purchase, and then it sat unused for a couple of years. Ashford says that it's out of warranty. When I pointed out that this was not wear and tear, but a manufacturer issue that the dealer overlooked, Ashford said that it didn't matter. One year is one year.

The woman on the line suggested either taking it to Morgaine (at Carolina Homespun in San Francisco)- who is an hour away, or to John (at Village Spinning & Weaving in Solvang)- who is FOUR hours away, without traffic (hahahaha!). Oh yeah, and Colleen is going to eat the cost of repairs and replacement parts, even though it is a case of negligence on behalf of the dealer.

Compare that to my call with Schacht:

Me: "Hi Schacht. My wheel has a problem."

Schacht Switchboard: "Let me put you through to our spinning people."

* connect *

Suzanne: "Hi, this is Suzanne."

Me: "Hi, my wheel has an issue."

Suzanne: "Which one do you have? The matchless or the Reeves?"

Me: "The Matchless."

Suzanne: "What's the problem?"

Me: "You know, the housing, where the flyer unit goes? The ball bearing is all flipped around and no amount of lubrication or force could get it turned the right way, and it just won't work." [I thought I heard a stifled giggle, but hey, say "lubrication" to me on the phone and I'll laugh really loudly.]

Suzanne: "That's odd. We'll send out a new ball-bearing/housing today. Also, if it's not inconvenient for you, could you please mail us the old housing so we can figure out what is wrong? We will be happy to reimburse you for shipping."

???!!! My cup runneth over!

Does it get any better than this?

Andrew made the analogy of Target vs. Nordstrom customer service, and I think he may be right. So what have we learned?

My next wheel (if I buy a third) will very likely not be an Ashford, which is a pity for them, since I was considering replacing my Traveler with a Joy- because the only downside (which is also an upside, oddly enough) of the Schacht is that it is H-E-A-V-Y. There's also no way that I can take it as carry-on to Rhinebeck (which I am seriously considering attending and working out the pesky financial details).

Any suggestions on a more flight-friendly wheel?

Oh yeah, this is a knitting blog…

After all of these opinions and media reviews, I am glad to announce that this post harkens back to some of my more normally scheduled blogging about knitting/spinning.

The fates have been against me- or more specifically, my tools. I have a GORGEOUS umbrella swift that has a crank at the top for winding skeins (purchase HERE). It is more comfortable than a niddy-noddy, and definitely more fun to use.

Anyway, there is a little plastic doohickey housed in the part behind the screw, and that came out. That is a critical little doohickey- without it, the screw scratches up my beautiful cherry swift something fierce. I called and the manufacturer (buy one, they're great), and he described how to fix it and told me that he would send me more plastic doohickeys right quick.


After spinning class, I noticed that my Schacht housing was … off. By off I mean that the ball bearing was flipped backwards and no amount of fiddling would get the "front" (the round part with the hole for the housing the flyer unit) to face out. It. Is. Stuck.

I tried to un-stick it. Andrew tried to un-stick it. No amount of fiddling or lubrication would get it to yield. I took it to Sandi to try and un-stick. No success. The wheel won't work if the ball bearing is backwards.

Now, this would stymie a normal person. Me? No way. Seeing as I prefer double-drive to Scotch tension on my Schacht, I convinced Andrew to help me (temporarily) cannibalize Sandi's wheel for its' housing and use it on my own wheel until either (a) I get a new housing for my wheel, or resolution for the current housing issue or (b) Saturday before spinning class.

Not spinning, obviously, was not an option with a 2 ½ hour movie ahead of me. I finished plying Gendarme! and began spinning Do You Believe In Magic. Oh, yes, after spinning it, I certainly do. You could even say that I'm a Believer. (Insert dorky chortle here.)

If Crown Mountain had a color called "I'm a Believer" it would have to be golds and oranges (for no other reason than that they're my favorite colors and I said so). I would also buy ten tons of it and just roll around in it until it was spun. [Photos of rolling around in roving pending.]

Let me segue way for a moment and talk about the Crown Mountain roving. It is HEAVENLY. If you spin, get some. It will change your life. If you don't spin, order some and learn to spin. It is really that good.

It practically spins itself and makes my spinning look entirely better than it actually is. I have four or five bumps left to spin before I go into Crown Mountain withdrawal and I have to go my local dealer and demand a fix. It's not pretty when I start a'twichin. Fiber, I argue, is more addictive than both heroin and cigarettes combined only because it is socially acceptable and makes one prettier and happier by it's sheer presence.

Let's see what the Schacht people have to say…

Darn You, Ashford!

So, last week was a lousy week for me. The straw that broke this particular camel-jockey's back was when my swift would no longer co-operate with me.

The initial issue that my swift had was that the screw was stripped, and so was the little female part of the screwing mechanism. (Ha ha, I said "screwing mechanism".) Andrew is very handy with things like, fixing the guest bathroom fan, or the pipe that burst behind the dishwasher during Stitches West. But he is not a woodworker.

[His temporary fix involved a rubber band providing the resistant that the screw mechanism should be doing. It sort of works, but is awful for set-up and ease of use.]

Despite his lack of woodworking skills, Andrew is still a more-than adequate spouse. He has other skills. You should see him with a bow staff.

The not- okay part about this whole thing is that the swift is only 5 or 6 years old. It's the Ashford swift- unfinished, the larger size- and although their spinning wheels come with replacement parts, since the female part of the mechanism is stripped as well, I am functionally HOSED as far as this swift is concerned. There is no way to remove the damaged part and replace it. So the swift * looks * okay, but doesn't really work.

So, a replacement was ordered on Friday, after I nearly broke down in tears over the whole mess. Photos and a story will be posted upon receipt.

Yarn Drama and FOs!

I have been on a crazy finishing spree. I've stuck to my resolution. In a word, I rule. As ruler of this little domain (http://cuteknitter.blogdrive.com) I need to share a quick story.

Two of my knitting friends used to work at the same LYS (Local Yarn Store). One left because she needed a job that paid a living wage and benefits, and the other was wrongfully terminated. The circumstances of her termination are quite similar to when middle school girls pick one girl to exile to show their social power. But I digress.

I have been going to this particular LYS since I was six years old. I'm a bit older than that now, but that's not the point. When I went in as a child, they were unkind (and had a terrifying cat). When I started working for Karen, they were flat-out rude to me (16 years old at that point). When my two friends started working there, it was a relief to be able to make my purchases without being snarled at.

When the first friend left, I figured "Well, at least Friend #2 is still there." Bear in mind that the other employees (with the exception of ONE of the women, who is very friendly, but alas, not a real friend of mine) are all rude and brusque to me, despite the amount of money that I have spent there over the years. You know my shopping habits. Do the math. Not an insignificant amount.

I called Friend #2 in November and asked if it would be kosher if she ordered the Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport for me (in the same colors that I had already bought), and if I could exchange the Shepherd Sock for the Sport. She asked the owner, it was totally kosher. Great! Sock yarn I've already bought turning into thicker yarn to be knit FASTER!

Last Wednesday (after Friend #2 was canned), I called to follow up on my order (ahem, 6 weeks had passed from when I placed it). I was told that my order had arrived that day. Great! Andrew and I went to pick it up and do the exchange promptly after work.

We get there and it turns out that I had some yarn on hold. Okay, I look at it, show it to Andrew, buy him two skeins (because when my friend was canned, I vowed not to spend money there, but my exchange and things I put on hold I felt obligated to buy/ exchange), swap out the rest (which was, ahem, marked up to $11 when everywhere else they're selling it for $10, same price as the sock yarn), pay the difference and go.

Guess what the snarky, bitch-ass owner does next? E-mails Friend #2 to say "Yeah, Jasmin came in and picked up her order. And returned an equal amount of yarn."

WTF?!

When Friend #2 recounts this e-mail to me, that was my response. "WTF?!!" This is why.

I never return yarn. NEVER. I just don't do it. I overbuy a bit, and the leftovers find a new home. This is the first exchange I've ever done of yarn, too. So, in theory, BitchAssOwner could look in his little computer and see "My, oh, my. She has never done this before." But I digress.

I told Friend #1 (who is temporarily helping out at the offending LYS) that I wouldn't be taking any of my business there anymore, since nobody there could be bothered to be polite to me. I also told her to pass on to the owners that their prices weren't competitive with online stores (same products... different prices), and the only thing that kept me going there was that my friends worked there.

So there, I'm a misanthrope (shocker). But at least I managed to swap out my yarn and they'll lose all my future business. And the business of my friends. Oh yeah... and the business of my CUSTOMERS. Muah ah ah.

I love WEBS.

It's really awesome when you order something and it shows up promptly. This may seem obvious to you, but when you are ordering something like yarn from Mom & Pop yarn stores, the time when you order and the time when you actually receive the item can be two entirely different things.

For example, a year and a half ago, I ordered some Regia from an online store- a specific color pattern for a specific task. After two weeks of waiting (and they, ahem, had charged my credit card already), I sent an e-mail saying "Hey, where's my stuff?"

I got an e-mail back saying that they did NOT have ANY Regia in stock, but would be happy to pick something "close" out for me. You're joking, right? I work in a yarn store. Although all of Regia's colors are not unique, THIS color was. Believe me, I looked far and wide.

I responded curtly that if they had ZERO Regia in stock, they shouldn't have charged my credit card, and should have alerted me as soon as they saw the order, not, like whenever I called. Jeez.

So, back to WEBS. Cynthia ordered some GORGEOUS green Malbrigo, and I ordered some more Noro so that I can finish my Einstein. Not being Einstein-y myself, I didn't think about the fact that if I lengthened the coat from the length that I normally knit for myself, I would need more yarn.

So picture me, zipping along, knitting my Einstein, getting to ball #6 of 10, and realizing "Oh. I'm going to need more yarn. A LOT more yarn." So we placed the order, and yesterday, BAM! it's here. It's been a few days between, but it was before my "Where the hell is my yarn?" length of time. (For those of you who need specifics, this is about two weeks.) I've ordered from them before, and I've had good service before. They were a little rude in person at Stitches last year, but there was a long line and I was slow in forking over the plastic.

Speaking of Stitches, I've decided that I need to win the Secret Sound on KRTY. Or Andrew can win it. That way, I can spend with little restraint and have a wicked good time. Or, you know, not buy any yarn that I don't absolutely HAVE to have.

Speaking of yarn... I like the newest issue of Knitter's Magazine. True, it's not chock-full of stuff I love, but there are 3 or 4 things I would (and am planning to knit). Granted, some of it makes me want to yack, but overall, it's not like there isn't ONE thing I would knit, which is sad, because that's how I've felt about Interweave Knits, which used to be my favorite. I've always liked Knitter's, but it's not always a good fit for me, which Interweave WAS a few years ago. Maybe I've grown and changed, or not. Overall, Vogue Knitting seems to be the most consistent (up until the last few issues) about having a balance of too-trendy and classic stuff. Just my two cents. Like you care.

Gil Grissom is hot. And this rat-baby is named Grissom, but he's just adorable.

Excellent Customer Service

People have been discussing the Summer 2005 issue of Interweave Knits, when I realized that it's practically Fall, and I still haven't gotten my summer issue.

Hmmmm.... I think to myself, and hit their website to get the "subscriptions" line.

A young woman named Jen answered the phone and had the issue dealt with in under a minute. She was completely charming about it, and I could hear her actually smiling (not fake smiling) on the phone. Yes, I really can hear the difference.

Until I called, I was more than a little upset that two issues had been skipped, and I had problems getting the FIRST issue after I subscribed. I thought, "Why on earth am I giving these people my money?"

Good customer service goes a long way with me. Why can't everyone be so pleasant?

Review- Astrid's Dutch Obsessions Order

I placed an order on Ebay to "Astrid's Dutch Obsessions" for 8 balls of Opal Sock Yarn, six in the "Rainforest" collection, and two of the Rodeo collection. I placed the order on September 3rd (a Saturday).

It was shipped on the less expensive speed, and arrived on September 13th (six business days). I found this to be particularly speedy, considering that it was the slower speed as well as being sent from New Zealand. The yarn is GORGEOUS and had no odor or issue.

Including shipping, I paid about $10.50 US for each ball, making it 1/3 less expensive than buying it in a store in the US. It's not the shopowners' fault that it's way more expensive here; the US distributor is gouging them, riding the profit wave that is Opal. I think this is a bad idea on the part of the distributor, especially with the internet to offer us international sellers.

I also really like that she sent me an e-mail shortly after my payment went through saying "The package is ready to go out first thing Monday." I like to know that the seller has received payment and isn't sitting on my order.

I give Astrid's Dutch Obsessions my highest recommendations, and will order from her again, once I've destashed enough to justify another sock yarn order. *grin*

Happy International Speak Like A Pirate Day!