quiltmonkey Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 I just pissed off my newbie first time customer... On Monday,I got a quilt from a newbie quilter (first one) through a referral (someone else I quilt for) It was dropped off to me by a 3rd party (her daughter), not even in a plastic bag; just wadded up in a big ball with the batting loosely laying inside it and quickly handed over to me through the car window :( That bummed me out a little. I took a quick glance and noticed some dog hair....... I didn't open it up to investigate. I just put it in my car....fearing what might be in store for me when I got home. I havent ever met this customer; just got a phone call out of the blue she wanted me to quilt her first quilt. Anyway, on the phone I told her I need the backer and batting to be 8 inches wider and longer than the quilt top. She's like saying "uhhh OK... I think it's big enough" so I tell her I really need 8 inches all around but the very minimum I can take is 6 inches wider and longer but nothing less....she's like "uhhh OK" ... I'm not getting a warm fuzzy on the phone about this one. Anyway, the next day arrangements were made. It was brought over to me by her daughter (through the car window ) on lunch break. When I got home that night I gave it a glancing over and it's about as bad as I expected --- covered in dog hair. OK, so I'm not a quilt snob. I have two dogs. I know what dog hair is. But this thing was so bad if I didn't remove the hair it would be quilted into the threads and there's no way in hell I'm letting it go on my frame in that condition. So, I call her last night and tell her about the dog hair and I can tolerate a few hairs here and there but... I have to draw the line some place. This thing is covered with it. I told her if she wants me to remove the dog hair for her (which I didn't really want to do) I can do it but I charge $20 per hour and it will take me two hours to do it. A couple of hairs here and there...I can tolerate but this is covered. So her response....She's like "uhhh OK I didn't know...." (she sounds like a broken record to me???) Anyway, she picked up the unquilted thing at lunch and she had a miffed look on her face and as she turned around she said in a disgruntled voice that she's going to be gone for a month so it will be 4 weeks before she gets it back to me. I'm trying to be friendly and smile. I'm saying to myself "uhhhh OK buh bye!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted January 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 I just have to add here that I am pretty gosh darned accommodating and understanding and nice and willing to go the extra mile to help and educate my customers, but with this lady I just had to stop the train and get off. When I deal with people that all they say is "uuuhhh I didn't know" or hand me a wadded ball of qult top, backing and batting all bunched together. I did not feel good about this one. The dog hair everywhere just tipped the scale for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cblevins Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 uhhhhhhhh I don't blame you one bit!! That was just lazy of her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbm Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Originally posted by quiltmonkey I just have to add here that I am pretty gosh darned accommodating and understanding and nice and willing to go the extra mile to help and educate my customers, but with this lady I just had to stop the train and get off. When I deal with people that all they say is "uuuhhh I didn't know" or hand me a wadded ball of qult top, backing and batting all bunched together. I did not feel good about this one. The dog hair everywhere just tipped the scale for me. We know all this about you, sweet Shana! Hopefully she really is taking in everything you're telling her and will be a good, conscientious customer for you (or some other longarmer!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSewSimple Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Perhaps in the future she should toss it around in the dryer for about 20 minutes. that usually takes off lint and stuff. Was there hair in the batting? If so, I don't see being able to get that out. I don't blame you one bit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted January 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 I don't know if there was hair in the batting. I didn't get that close to investigating because I got the heebie jeebies just touching that quilt. Eww! And I have two German Shedder Dogs and I am not askeered of dog hair... but really people! Maybe she needs to vacuum more often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 I say....go with your gut feeling, if you think this may be a problem then it is best to say buh bye now.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindasewsit Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing bear Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 with the dog hair being that dense, i'm betting this was a UFO that was "lying" around (or thrown down) and the dogs found it and used it for their napping spot. yikes ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chermitch4 Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 I think you did the right thing!!!!!! Good for you for standing up for yourself!!!!! You did good!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Good grief. It amazes me that people are willing to let people know how slipshod their housekeeping is! I admit to being the world's worst housekeeper most of the time, but I'd never let anything out of my house covered in pet hair, with stains on it, whatever. My sister was so concerned when I first got my machine that my pets would get their hair all over the quilts. Well, my pets do go up into the quilt room sometimes, but they've never gotten on the machine. I swiffer before I put each quilt on, and I generally do it afterward to get any threads or pins off the floor. Lately, I've been noticing that batting is leaving lint all over everything -- even me! I'd be willing to let the screen door hit this one in the butt on the way out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oma Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Better her pissed off than you. What you did works for me. She may be a lovely person with a dull personality and a lot of dog hair, but that doesn't mean you have to "ick" your way through quilting her quilt. Good call now head for the next quilt in line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamu Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 I am thinking you might want to mention to the 'regular customer' that referred her what had happened. I am sure this woman will be wagging her tongue to her and I'm sure you wouldn't want your 'regular' to get the wrong impression. I certainly would not do this quilt for her. It just isn't worth the frustration. With that said.... I recently took in a friends quilt. She said she had her own batting. When she brought it over everything was fine until I looked inside the prepackaged batting...there were dead flies all over inside it!!! ewwwww.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted January 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Yeah, Eww on the dead flies! Better that than a live tarantula! Can you magazine opening up a bag of batting and a huge hairy spider jumps out! LOL!! I'm not too worried about getting badmouthed by the dog hair lady to my regular customer. My regular customer of 3 years is very nice, easy going, and I've done lots of quilts for her and I doubt she'd pass judgement on me by the dog hair lady. :cool: Anyway, I was nice and kind to the dog hair lady, I wasn't a quilt snob. I tried to be gentle to her. I think she was just embarrassed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nineva Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 I am rolling on the floor...your rock gf!!:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newellyn Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 So if she actually has the nerve to bring it back to you, just say uhhhh, sorry not OK!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beverlyquilts Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Shana, You are one of the nicest people I have never met! Your responses to others on this list have always been kind, supportive and wonderfully sweet. I also have a german"shedder" and have a hard time returning quilts, but I think you did the best thing for not only you, but also for the rest of your customers. Bev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoryJM Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 I think she sounds like a wacakadoodle!!! You were so right to give that quilt back...and to pretend you're the answering machine if she ever calls back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Dory...you crack me up! Shana...you did the right thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheri Butler Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Originally posted by DoryJM I think she sounds like a wacakadoodle!!! Wackadoodle! I'm saving and using this word from now on! LOL Wackadoodle...wackadoodle...LMAO! Repeat....Wackadoodle... HA HA HA HA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted January 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Wackadoodle! Wackadoodle...wackadoodle...Wackadoodle! Wackadoodle... HA HA HA HA! Repeat....Wackadoodle... HA HA HA HA! I'm using this word from now on! LOL This is now imbedded into my daily vocabulary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Hummm, fur all over the quilt, wonder if the batting came with fleas? Shana, glad you returned the quilt! Sorry, but she doesn't have the right to call herself a quilter, sounds like she had no pride in it. Probably left the dog sleep on the top. I have a "white" dog who is not allowed near my quilting room but every now and then the fur transfers from me to what I'm working on. I always, always go over a quilt with a magnifying glass to ensure I don't see any of those darn white wirey hairs. What do others do with pets in the house, I know several have kittys to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 I've quilted dog beds for my fur babies, but usually they were before I had actually given the fabric to them. I'm voting that these were already in use and with the colder weather she thought it would be better if they were actually quilted, but forgot to wash before giving them to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CindyT Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 I enjoyed reading everyone's responses to this thread first thing in the morning. Shana, you did the right thing. Don't sweat your decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra Darlington Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Wackadoodle!!! LOL I love that word...wish I knew it before retiring. I could have used it to describe one of my former co-workers. Shana, honey, you did the right thing. I met your "shedders" and have been in your home and your studio, and did not come out of there with a single dog hair (other than the ones I personally collected while playing with the pups ). If you can keep dog hairs cleaned up, so can she! Plus, you would never send home a quilt with dog hairs covering it, so how dare she send her dog hairs to your home/studio??? So inconsiderate!!! Let us know if she brings it back to you in 4 weeks. Just curious... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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