What makes a memorable shopping experience?
We’ve all done it — walked out of a retail establishment and said “not one person spoke to me.” It may or may not deter you from returning, but it always makes you feel, well, less than important.
Yet, obviously, in the retail business customers are the most important thing. Especially happy customers!
So, rather than “you won’t believe what happened to me when I went to (you fill in the blank)” stories, I thought it would be fun, interesting and informative to share good shopping experiences — you know the kind that make you say — “I love shopping there! I can’t wait to go back!”
One of my favorites — anytime — is Nordstrom. The sales people always make me feel welcome, special — even the ones very much younger than me. I never feel I have been “classified” in any way. They almost always compliment me on something — a scarf, purse or a piece of jewelry. I have left glowing may times because of this, and then it occurred to me they are taught to do so. Oh well, no matter. Compliments given with sincerity (something their sales associates do well) can go a long way towards making someone feel good. Nordstrom sales associates neatly, and importantly, place a purchase in one of their lovely shopping bags, and then walk around from behind the counter to hand you the bag with a smile, thank you and have a nice day, something else they are taught to do. Add in the cheerful, live piano music, and a trip to Nordstrom is always delightful!
My husband and I have a favorite art gallery we like to visit. We have made purchases in the past, and who knows, may get to again in the future. But we love to stop by whenever we can. The owner, usually there by herself, is always welcoming. She drops whatever she is doing and never seems to be rushed. She is a wealth of information not only on her art, but art history and the business behind owning a gallery which I — being who I am — am also interested in. I could ask her questions, visiting for hours if possible. Because we are interested in the art she curates for her gallery, it is delightful to be surrounded by it (sort of like being in a shop surrounded by bolts of beautiful fabrics!). She has suitable classical music playing in the background and decorative accessories which add to the setting.
I’ve asked her to share the color of wall paint, which she has done, and I asked her if I could buy one of her rugs, which she laughed and declined to do. However, she told me where I might buy a similar one. In this, our favorite local gallery, we have fellowship, a sense of community and respect, trust in her product as well as a place to learn.
How about sharing your favorite overall shopping experiences — online or brick and mortar? What was it that made this experience special? The setting? The customer service? The product? Something else in particular? Be as specific or general as you would like. We’ll, again, send off some fabric bundles or other goodies to the best stories.
Thank you! — Susan
Here’s a secret: Last time we requested comments everyone who left one received something. Our stash of samples is a little smaller this go round, but you never know!
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My favorite shopping experience was going to our local BMW dealer and checking out the used 3 series cars they had. The wear and tear seemed to vary greatly on the cars so we visited several times trying to find one that was the right fit. The customer service was impeccable. Always welcoming, friendly, and no pressure.
During the first visit we were shown a great test route that really let you feel how the car handled. We visited several times after that, trying countless cars and even checking out their cross-over 5 series at one point. I figured they’d start to take us less seriously after the first few visits but they never did. In the end, we didn’t buy a BMW because we never found the right one. I kind of felt sorry about that since they were so nice, but I can look forward to going back someday.
My favorite shopping experience was when my daughter and I went to The Pine Needle quilt shop. From the moment we walked in we were greeted by the staff. As we were shopping they found it great that my daughter was starting to get into quilting and sewing too, she is 15. They asked her lots of questions and helped her with picking out the fabric and thread for a bag she wanted to help me make for her. My daughter is so excited to be involved with it and can not wait to go back to the shop soon for some more stuff. She and I thought that it was a wonderful experience. It was our first time in that shop and we will definitely go back again.
I have a small quilt shop inside my husband’s coffee bar in rural Central Texas. I hope, as my shop grows, that my customers feel like I feel when I go to Quiltin’ Country in Killeen (about 25 miles away). I always feel welcome, everyone is friendly and will leave me to browse if that’s what I choose. The biggest plus for me is I can call them up, see if some gotta-have-it-right-now-fabric is available, and if so, they offer to wait for me to get there after I get off work at 5. The shop closes daily at 5:30, but Gail & Cathy & staff always have the same big smiles and warm greetings when I get there, as though it was mid-day and not 5:35. I just love that!
I’ve been a Starbucks addict for years. Their coffee is consistently good; I know when I order a Mocha Latte it’s gonna taste exactly the same no matter what city I’m in at the moment. And their customer service is usually right up there with Nordstrom’s. However, I must say my local Starbucks is exceptional when it comes to customer service. It only took TWO visits to the drive-thru for the regular morning guy to know what I was going to order. Turns out their order kiosk has a camera in it, but I find it phenomenal that – as busy as they are every single morning – he could remember me and my order after just a couple of visits. On the rare occasion I changed my order he’d remember that the next time and ask if I wanted “x” this morning, or “y”. The other morning drive-thru attendants were equally as observant, and they make me feel special every single morning! They start my day off on a very happy note.
My most favorite store this Spring/Summer has to be Creations quilt shop in Kerville TX. Julie and Cathy will remember you even if it hase been a long time since the last visit. (I made two trips in about a month and a half, this is about 4 hrs one way). They have so much energy there at the shop and make you feel so welcomed and all the sales clerks will spend as much time as you want giving tips and such. They even welcome you to take a tour of their retreat center. If there are stores in need of “customer service etiquette”, this is the place to send them. My husband said after the first visit he would take me back there any time I want. Now that is saying something!
I went on the Patchwork Express this past June. Two stores stood out for the fun and help. Common threads in Waxahachie and Quilt Country in Lewisville, TX. We had helpful people, demos, and smiles constantly. I find this at both of these stores even when it’s not a special event. They both have huge selections and a great deal of knowledge.
Well, my shopping experiences are less than stellar when visiting the area quilt shops; my gut tells me these very traditional shops see my relative young age as an indicator that I’m not a serious quilter. But I have hopes for a new shop not too far away, whose owner is quite friendly, internet savvy, and has admired my work.
But my best shopping experience was at a Nordstroms also. The sales lady was so complimentary, helpful, and sweet that I ended up buying a sweater and slacks for $500! Something I’ll never do again, but never regretted for a moment. She loaded me up with freebies and samples too. Now that’s some customer service!
Hi Susan! I am just celebrating my own shop first year anniversary! So many people have asked me what made me decide to open a fabric shop of my own. And sometimes I tell them about another shop, about 20 minutes from my own called The Tin Thimble. It is run by a mother and daughter and they employ their sisters and daughters. From the first time I set foot in their shop, I felt like I belonged there! They were warm, generous, and loved vintage, just like me! I always think that it was because of seeing these women run a business in such a wonderful way, that it encouraged me to go out on my own. They are still a wonderful model for me, and always remind me that I can do it! I started out at their little shop as a customer, and now they are truly inspiring friends!
I don’t have one overall favorite shopping experience because my favorite thing is discovering some place new. I make it a point to visit at least one quilt shop on every trip I take. I love seeing the different fabric designs that aren’t available in any of my local shops, hearing the stories from the owners and locals, seeing the beautiful quilts on display, and looking through all the neat patterns. It’s all so exciting. And the best thing of all is no matter what store I’m in, my favorite moment is when I connect with someone over an inspiring piece of fabric. So much potential. So many ideas. No one can resist joining the conversation. And that’s how the most interesting conversations get started.
Customer Service is everything sometimes! My husband wanted to surprise me with fabric for a quilt that I had mentioned I would love to make. He went to a local quilt shop and they did not have time to help him, so he went to another local quilt shop, Creekside Quilts in Clive, IA. He had no idea how to pick out fabrics for this quilt and the women ther spent 3 hours with him picking out the fabric, marking the pattern with where all the fabric would belong and making sure he had everything I would need to finish the quilt. Needless to say I was very surprised and I shop at that quilt store all the time! He is a celebrity there.
My best shopping experience- well, I think a lot of shops are really doing their best nowadays to give good customer service! But I was impressed by the customers service at Victorias Secret shop,- beeing from northern Europe, this was my first visit to VicSec. I wasn’t familiar with the US sizing charts, and had to ask a employee- and they were sweet, helpful, lovely and professional- and they had a system for giving me the information I needed for further shopping/internet shopping. This is something that I try to give my customers in my quilt shop- if somebody in the shop asks for information about the web shop, we have a small card with all the information needed. So even if the business “theme” isn’t the same, it is possible to be inspired by other shops and find services that may be implemented in your own business!
Little late on this one, but thanks for sharing the French General Chateau pictures, my sister Margaret (Maggie) was their and enjoy it. I visited her two weeks ago and we saw her pictuers and had a picnic with all French and Italain food. Happy Stitching! Sally from Oregon
Little late on this one, but thanks for sharing the French General Chateau pictures, my sister Margaret (Maggie) was their and enjoy it. I visited her two weeks ago and we saw her pictuers and had a picnic with all French and Italain food. Happy Stitching! Sally from Oregon
I had a great experience shopping at the Sew Sweet Quilt Shop. The owner is very sweet and friendly and her daughter adds a wonderful youthful touch to the store. Even though they are a fairly new store, their inventory is wonderful with a wide variety of luscious fabrics and tons of patterns and books. And how many quilt stores do you know of that have a fireplace and an elevator as well as a neat litle nook for kids to play in while mother shops? I felt more like a friend stopping by rather than a customer.
My favorite shopping expeience happened earlier this year. A quilt store tracked me down asking me about my patterns and doing a trunk show. I am a very small business and only had things in two stores. One a few miles from home and one Ann Hazelwood owned. I was terrified, a trunk show….. Yikes all of my quilts are tops only. I was afraid they wanted to see finished product. So I stopped at local store and got them from her and took them to the cutest quilt shop I have ever been to ( and I have been too many). I said to my friend the first time we walked in the door of Sew Sweet Quilt Shop in Brunswick, MO., oohing and ahhing, “I’ll never make any money selling patterns here because every bit of my income( plus some of my husband’s) is going to be spent here” They are the friendliest people with lots of quilting/sewing knowledge. They have a HUGE selection of fabrics (2 floors worth), and the most patterns I have ever seen,
all contained in a cute shop. Best shopping day ever! We both bought a lot of great things and had such a great time!! I have been back a couple of times and ordered and received things quickly! Am very impressed with them!!
I think the internet gremlins ate my first comment, but my favorite shopping experience was at a Nordstroms also. The customer service was so wonderful I found myself joyfully paying $500 for a sweater and slacks! A feat I never regretted, but hope never to do again.
I had just gotten back into quilting and sorely needed “stash enhancement”. My girlfriend and I set out from Seattle to Portland, OR for a visit to Fabric Depot which was having a 40% off everything sale which they do about twice a year. With 40% off and no sales tax (WA tax was about 9% then) it was not to be missed. I had injured an arm and it was in a sling so I was just a bit handicapped when it came to pulling and carrying heavy bolts of fabric. One of the sales clerks noticed me struggling and dropped everything to help me. She then went with me all over the store, pulling bolts, carrying and assisting me any way she could. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. Needless to say, by girlfriend and I made major purchases and returned many times for their sales. I am still, 20 years later, working off some of that stash!
One of my favorite quilt shopping memories comes from a vacation trip to Minnesota. There were two quilt shops in the little town of Bemidji and I talked my husband into stopping by one of them. While there, I found myself in conversation with another customer, also vacationing, and we were soon planning my Northwoods quilt together. I left that shop with such a good feeling about the sisterhood of quilting and have never lost it.
I have to say my most memorable experience was with Land’s End online. I purchased some shirts for my husband and they went on sale the next day. I phoned the customer service number and asked if they would give me the same discount on my order. The young man didn’t hesitate, but put me on hold to calculate my refund. I didn’t have to argue or cajole and he truly seemed to be happy to be at work. They have a customer for life. It’s easy to give ‘less than’ customer service when the person isn’t standing in front of you, so kudos to Land’s End. I have a feeling they treat their employees well and it certainly comes across in their assistance.
I just got back from a machine training session in an unfamiliar city. One of the other attendees overheard our group talking about how we’d love to visit a nearby shop but didn’t know how to get there. The person in front of us turned around and said “I’d be happy to take you there. Turns out she is an employee and was on her way to work after training. She led us through rush hour traffic, escorted us into the shop, introduced us to the owners and told us a bit about the shop and the area. What a nice welcome – thanks to Debbie from Evelyn’s in Newmarket.
My absolute best customer service came from an employee of a Holiday Express in Everette, WA. I had scheduled a trip out to spend a week to help my son and his wife after the birth of their first child. Only the baby wasn’t cooperating, and was over a week overdue. She went into labor the morning I flew out. I took a shuttle from the airport and was dropped off at the Holiday Express. I went in and asked the desk clerk for infomation regarding the location of the hospital and for the number of a taxi service. As I was heading to the pay phones, a young girl came up to me and said she was just getting off work and that she would be happy to take me. After a tiny bit of hesitation, I agreed. She drove me straight to the hospital and refused any payment. When I got to the hospital, my son asked how I got there, and I joking said that I had “hitch hiked”. I think my son thought that it was a bit risky, but I explained that the young girl was just so honest and sincere, that I felt I had nothing to be worried about. I did get her name and sent her a nice thank you gift as well as writing the hotel a letter commending her kindness. I returned a few months Hlater, again dropped off at the hotel (but picked up by my son). The young girl was there, remembered me and told me that she had received a promotion since “my ride”. I think that those who go above and beyond will always go far.