Everybody’s Talking Sewing

Well I consider it a toy though I’m sure others wouldn’t - I bought myself a new serger! Whooo hooo!!!

The old one was… old…about 15 years old actually. While it would be perfectly fine for the casual home sewer, the demands I placed on it were just too strenuous after all this time.

It’s a good thing sewing machines don’t have a ‘machine union’, because I’m pretty sure I’d make the ‘do not go home with this woman’ list. I’m a bit hard on them.

Anyway, this is my third serger since 1987; the first was a New Home, the second a Bernina Fun-Lock that I won at a design competition, and now I’m back to the Janome (formerly known as New Home) machine.

I called up a small independent shop I’ve been going to since 1987. In fact they had only been open two-months the first time I walked through their doors. Diane and Jim Stutsman are part of that amazing group of business owners that truly care about their customers.

The Sewing Room has moved three times and expanded each time; I told them if they move any farther away from me, I was going to have to pack an overnight case! The oh-so-important factor is that they know me: they know how I sew, what I insist of my machines, what I need and don’t need, what bothers me, what I don’t care about.

I trust them completely in providing me with the perfect machine for what I’m doing.

After the ‘transaction’ is complete, we sit and catch up on families, business, trends - and Jim and I talk technology, Apple computers and wonderful Geek-speak! Try doing that that at your local chain store.

Support your Independent Fabric, Sewing, Quilting and Sewing Machine Stores - both the brick-and-mortar and online only shops!

So you’re wondering, what did I get? Well….. I got an 1110DX - and boy is it nice. Middle of the group, not the most expensive nor the cheapest, but a workhorse.

I’ve already sewed a couple of personal garments to test it out and a heavy-duty light-blocking liner for the bedroom drapes. She just fly’s!

The particulars:

• 2 and 3 / 4 thread overlock
• Regular type needle HA or 15×1SP
• 1 - 5mm seam length
• 3.5mm (regular); 5.7mm (wide); 2.0mm (narrow) seam width
• 0.5 - 2.25 differential feed ration
• Front and back needle guard
• Color coded thread guides
• Snap-on presser feet
• Electronic speed control
• Easy to follow upper thread guide
• Dual feed dogs and differential feed
• Adjustable cutting width
• Easily retractable upper knife
• Easy to reach lower looper guides
• Quick change rolled hem
• Solid metal base plate

Love it, love it, love it!

If you’re in the Dallas area, stop by The Sewing Room - 8500 Gaylord Parkway, Suite 4, Frisco, Texas 75067. 972-315-1489. sale@sewingroom.com. Tell them Annie sent you!

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A few days ago I read the results of a consumer survey on retail stores; it wasn’t pretty. From dirty, unorganized shops, empty shelves, rude and uncaring employees, to bad return policies, out-dated merchandise, poor quality and major over pricing - people aren’t happy.

I now get to add to that list with a personal experience from May 5th, 2008.

I have been a loyal Kohl’s customer for over 9 years; a Kohl’s credit card user for 8 years. I’ve sung their praises all this time! Most of my family and friends are also Kohl’s customers.

–On a side note, they too have slid this past year or so in the public ranking. No longer are they the innovative, successful favorite. The Kohl’s closest to me I try to avoid because it always looks like a bunch of hyperactive 3rd-graders just tossed the place! –

Anyway I had an extremely frustrating phone call with them - it was the perfect example of telling your customer they don’t matter. Period.

I had downloaded my current statement and saw that they charged me $25 bounced check fee for my last payment.

1. I have automatic overdraft coverage on all my bank accounts
2. It was an online payment - so the “check” couldn’t have bounced
3. The payment was covered according to my online banking information

The representative I talked with couldn’t help me and had to keep putting me on hold. — Another side note here, she was very good at her job. Polite, respectful and the patience of saint in dealing with me, as I was plainly getting more upset as time progressed. I asked to have the call escalated and she immediately attempted to do that. Her current shift supervisor refused to talk with me.

So I reiterated to the representative that the supervisor was refusing to talk to a customer - I wanted to be very clear that that was what I had heard. A Kohls credit card customer since 2000 with an excellent payment record was having a supervisor refuse to help sort out the problem.

Yes, that was correct.

To say I was pretty much beyond furious at this point would have been an understatement; if I had been an animation, steam would have been coming out of my ears.

Eventually the representative did get the supervisor a Sxxxx Sxxxxxx at extension XXXX, to take the call - as she obviously reminded her that: ALL CALLS ARE RECORDED. And I had in fact confirmed on this recorded call that this shift supervisor was refusing my request to escalate/take the phone call.

While on hold I got online and pulled all the necessary corporate names: CEO, President and three Senior Vice-Presidents. The representative provided the addresses for the credit building and corporate offices; I had already researched that, but she of course didn’t know.

When this supervisor finally took the call:

1. I thanked her for putting her employee in such an un-winnable position
2. For treating the customer that badly and
3. For now losing a long-time customer.

I also explained I would be filing a formal complaint with the corporate office about the entire situation.

I closed my credit card account effective immediately.

If I treated my customers like that, I wouldn’t have any. It doesn’t matter that I was a small customer - I was a loyal, long-time customer.

If this is how Kohl’s feels about their customers, I’d rather not be one.

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