UPDATE: First unhappy customer

[Sandra Darlington]

One of my customers referred a gal to me who she knew from work. I met with the woman who had a string pieced batik quilt top - queen sized, that she needed quilted asap for her son and DIL to be's shower. The top had very thck seams and was difficult to work with. The back was also batik and pieced. So, she picked out the thread olors and the pantograph.

I jumped her ahead of my other customers, didn't charge her a rush fee, and got it done the following week for her. (I work full time in an office, so can only work evenings and weekends).

I met her at my LQS. She loved the quilt. It was beautiful. She was thrilled with it.

Well, 2 weeks later, tonight, she sent me message from her I-Phone saying the pieced backing was off by a few inches, and she did say to center it. I told her initially I would try to center it. That was my mistake. I did not get this "will try to center it" in writing that she was OK with this. She was very upset because if they decide to fold the quilt in half with the backing side up, someone might notice that it is not perfectly centered.

I wrote a reply that I was so sorry, but I did the best I could. I did say I like about 4 inches on each side of the quilt as extra fabric, and her quilt had 14.25" on the side to side and 19.50 on the top-bottom end. This additional fabric just made it harder for me to center the backing on her queen size quilt. I explained it was also hard to guage how much batting and backing would be sucked up as the quilt advances on the rollers.

I told her this was a learning experience for me, and I was now going to change my intake sheets to include a statement that I would not guarantee a pieced backing would be perfectly centered and the customer would need to sign this before I would do their quilt. Therefore they would be well aware of the difficulty and would not be disappointed or surprised by it being off by a few inches.

I also told her I just cut a refund check to return her full payment of $121.53 and I would drop it in the mail Monday morning, so to expect it during the week.

I am soooo angry!!!!! I had to blow off some steam! Thanks for listening.

[LibbyG]

You don't owe her a full refund. It's nearly impossible to center those quilts, especially with a pieced backing. I feel so bad for you.

[Quilting Grammy]

Wow I am not sure that I would refund the full amount!!!!

[Sandra Darlington]

Thanks, Libby. I just felt I wanted to undo my whole relationship with her, and by returning her money I felt severed. Kinda of weird, I guess, but it didn't feel right to me to keep it, although I still put in about 10 hours work on this, plus drove about 50 miles to pick it up and deliver it to her.

I will not do anouther quilt for her, although I doubt she will ask me to., This was her first quilt, too, so you can imagine what those seams were like to navigate around on a string quilt, especially while doing a panto from the back of the machine. Of course, that doesn't explain the centering of the backing. It was just totally a PITA quilt from the get-go. I measured and measured that darn backing and thought I had it perfectly centered, but I didn't. When I held it up after I took it off of the frame, I thought it was good, but I didn't use a measuring tape to check.

She is high up in a hospital adminuistration and is used to getting her own way with her subordinates, which is what she made me feel like when we met the 2 times. I did not have a good feeling about her to begin with, but ignored my instincts.

Thanks for the sympathy, Libby. Another learning experience. That is the only positive spin on this.

[cblevins]

There is no way I would refund all of it. If you told her you would "try" to center it and you did the best you could I don't think you owe her anything.

[dmilner]

You are toooo kind, however, I do see that you have taken "the high road" and your customer has taken "the low road". Sometimes we just have to do what we believe is the right thing and I am sure your decision to refund her the full amount was right in her case. She will not be able to bad mouth you in any way......We all know your quilting is beautiful:)

When someone asks her "how much did you pay for your quilt to be quilted and her reply is "nothing" it makes HER look bad. I think it pretty much guarantees she can't bad mouth you.

We're here for ya girl,

[GrandmaLKB]

That's awful ! She did not deserve a full refund or ANY refund, but I think I would have done the same thing. Also I would never, ever, quilt for her again. I would let it be known to the woman who referred her to you what happened as well. Chances are that woman is well known for her "temperment" and no one will feel sorry for her.

[Sandra Darlington]

Thanks, Cheri. I already shot off the e-mail that said I would return the entire amount and I have the check written and in the stamped enveolp already.

I may think twice about refunds if I run into another situation, but this is the first actual customer I had a problem with and it just upset me completely.

I have a "friend" that used to give me grief over silly things, like saying I did the wrong panto on a quilt, but then I would show her the e-mail where she said she decided to go with XXX panto and not the other one. Then she would laugh and say she forgot. Another time this gal told me I used cheap batting on her quilt, but I reminded her that she provided the batting to use on her quilt. All silly things that were not issues.

[Sandra Darlington]

Donna, Thanks for the comparison of high road/low road. I felt I had to rise above this as best as I could. I will be changing my intake forms this weekend, so it will be in writing and no misunderstandings in the future. I am wondering if she will repond to my message, or totally ignore it.

Hi Linda, I don't think she deserves any refund, but I can't prove I told her I could not promise to center it; it was verbal and I did not get it in writing. When I held it up at the LQS for her to see, she didn't notice the off center backing. She must have measured it to find that it was off a bit. At that point she was thrilled with it.

I will mention to her co-worker, who is in my guild, what happened, although I know she will feel bad about it. I've done 3 quilts for this lady and she was very happy with all three.

Connie-thanks for the support.

[Quilting Heidi]

Sandra I'm sorry this happened. THanks for sharing because it really makes me think about being specific about this. It is very hard to center a pieced backer and it doesn't sound like her quilt was the perfectly pieced quilt. Having the backer too big also causes a problem. I'm sorry you refunded her 100% but I can understand how you feel and why you did. Sorry you had this experience. Chalk it up to a learning experience and be done with it. ((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))))))

[Sandra Darlington]

Thanks, Heidi. The money isn't as important to me as a happy customer. Also, the wide stripe of the backing that was to be centered runs from side to side, not top to bottom, so to me it is not going to be as noticible as if it were going top to bottom.

It really has opened my eyes wider about "get everything in writing" and having the customer sign approval. I've gotten very lax about this, as I feel some of my customers are almost offended by this process. They are mostly guild members and we are friends. But, I am running a business and I need to step back and see it as just that, and run this as a business.

Thanks for the (((hugs))). I really needed them.

[RoseCity Quilter]

I would not have given a refund. But that is me...So sorry this happened to you....

[Sandra Darlington]

She just wrote back and said I totally ruined her quilt. She also said to keep my moeny as that would not fix her quilt. I "promised" I would have it perfectly lined up and she spent months and months making this quilt, and now it is ruined. I wrote back saying again that I am sorry, but I promised to do the best I could, and I did. I said that I understand that my best was not good enough for her expectations. I also said my son already dropped the check in the mail so I could return her money asap. I asked if there was anything I could do to make peace. Now I'm waiting for a reply. I really have a bad feeling about this lady. I think I will be getting sued. I am really scared to death over this.

[Guest LA]

Originally posted by Ardelle Kerr

I would not have given a refund. But that is me...So sorry this happened to you....

Double DITTO!!!!! That is over the top,, if she was happy with the quality of your quilting, then done deal,, to go home & nik pik about something like that is an *A* type personality, her problem, who is perfect? I feel bad for you & I would talk to your girlfrend about what happened if she is a close friend,,,,

[sewhappy]

Sanda-

I would not have given her ANY refund!! You said she called you two weeks LATER to say she wasn't happy with the centering???? Did she just stare at it for two weeks???? What the heck?!?!?! She loved it for two weeks then what? did she notice her efforts were less than perfect?

Let her sue-keep your documentation. Write down your hours, your mileage, your thread etc!!! print her correspondence ! She will be laughed out of court!!!

She is a manipulative BULLY!! You did everything you could to please her! A judge & jury will see that! Keep your head up! we are here for you!!

Post #999 one to go :cool:

[Barbara Conquest]

You certainly have not "ruined" her quilt. As a well-known instructor told us in a class, "The back is the back."

I wouldn't be so conciliatory; nor would I have refunded her money, but that's just my policy. One of my long-arming acquaintances has a phrase on her take-in sheet to the effect that once a quilt is accepted by its owner that the transaction is over, i.e. no returns or second thoughts. I understand how you're feeling, and I sympathize. She sounds like a bully, and bullies often bluff. Hope that's the case here. Since you have refunded her money, I don't see that she has a case, anyway. Hope she comes to her senses.

Barbara

[Sandra Darlington]

Linda, Sew Happy and Barbara,

Thanks for your support. I just love this forum! I am so upset, but myfriends here are really helping.

I am printing the e-mails. She wrote back and said she will not cash my check. That won't compensate her for her months of hard work. She is too upset with me.

I think it is time for a large glass of red wine to go with my whine tonight.

I am learning the hard way to have EVERYTHING in writing and have the customer sign it.

[LadyLake]

Sandra,

I'm very sorry that you had to experience this unfortunate person. I don't think I've ever gotten a backing perfectly centered, when they have asked, but no one has been rude enough to complain. I think I would have done the same thing -- completely refunded her money. If she doesn't respond to your offer for peace, there is nothing more to be done. I would not worry about being sued -- she has no grounds. She sounds like a very unhappy person and staying clear of her in the future seems like the best option.

I know what you mean about not wanting to seem 'too professional' around your friends. I am relatively loose with my friends and regular customers, but with someone new, I am more careful with communication (and deposits!), which it sounds like you are too.

Rest easy tonight -- you've done everything you can.

Joan

[Sandra Darlington]

Thanks, Joan. The support here is amazing. I really appreciate you and everyone who has responded to my dilemma tonight.

[Lin]

Pour a large glass of red wine and enjoy!!

[Sandra Darlington]

Great suggestion. Some wine with my whine.

[Tamarack]

Sandra I am sorry for what you are going through. This person is not a quilter....what quilter would refer to making a quilt as "hard work"?? We quilt because we love to quilt, it is not hard work...but a labour of love. She is the type that makes things hard in her life because she chooses too and that is sad. Maybe you should call your customer who referred her to you and find out what you are really dealing with. She might have some insight into this lady's personality that might help you relax a bit. I think she is all talk and just enjoys giving others a guilt trip.

Enjoy your wine, take a deep breath because she can only work the 'I'm so upset' routine for so long.

[Sandra Darlington]

Thanks, Kathy. I'm heading to the kitchen for a glass right now.

[ecmoore]

You cannot please all of the people all of the time. The best thing to do is just let it go - you've done what you can. Unfortunately, some quilters don't understand even the basics of how longarming works, and you end up with confusions and misunderstandings. You've attempted everything you can, short of actually making the quilt over again (I would not in a million years do this, btw, but it may be what she's aiming for.)

It also may be that the quilt wasn't exactly to the couple's taste, and she's feeling hurt and lashing out. It may be that someone decided to get "quilt police-y" on her - you'll likely never know. Open a letter from her, but answer any communication from her when you are calm and your thoughts are organized, not when you're stressed or upset - it will do much for your peace of mind. You did the very best you could, and I bet it was gorgeous, regardless of what she says.

It'll all be okay.

[CindyT]

Sandra, I'm so sorry this has happened to you. Now you can say you've got your first unhappy customer out of the way, and hopefully there will be no more. If she chooses not to cash your check, that will show that she wasn't as upset about it as she's leading you to believe. Some people aren't happy unless they're making someone else unhappy, too. It's probably not even about the quilt, she probably has something else going on in her life that she just decided to knitpick this instead. Make sense? Anyway, I had a customer that brought me a pieced backing that looked to me like it needed to be centered. When I told her I would try to center the backing, her response was "NO, I don't want the backing centered as I feel it looks more interesting not to be centered." Works for me!!

I, too, am guilty about not getting my intake sheets signed and filled in with every little detail, especially when I consider my customers my friends. Your posting has opened my eyes and made me realize I need to be doing this every time.

You've done everything you could possibly do to make it right with her. Don't beat yourself up about this as you know in your heart you did the best you could and she was initially happy. Hope the wine has helped by now.