Buying in New York is much better because we can make the decision right then and there. So we have been shopping the last couple of weeks and shipping either to the Brooklyn Factory or to California. Yesterday we went in to this shop we have been purchasing from and put in a big order. Or at least what is a big order for us. Most of it was right there but we bough a couple of fabrics off of headers. A header is a big swatch that lets you see the texture and the "hand" or feel of the fabric, the stretch whether it is two way or four way and the "repeat" which is how the print repeats on the fabric as it would be in a dress or top. We find this great fabric that we really liked off of the header and order five hundred yards. The owner told us she just got it in this week. So I pay and they were going to wrap it up and mail it to California today. Then I got a phone call.
It seems she doesn't have the fabric I already paid for. She had sold it to someone else already. Now I am not worried about getting a refund. I can always get that from the credit card company. It is the fact that she wasted our time in the store and later making cutting tickets for clothing based on this fabric. A huge fucking waste of time. We are getting our refund and never working with her again.
What is even more amusing is the conversation I had with Omar our car service guy. He was waiting around all day for us while we were shopping and stuff. He is from Bangladesh and so are the people that run the store. In the summer when I was picking up fabric he was jabbering away with some of the workers in the store in Hindi or whatever the fuck they talk. He told me I should let him go in there and negotiate for him. I told him I had a problem. I didn't know the proper insult to call the guy. I mean he is not an Indian so I can't call him a dot head. He isn't black so I can't call him a moolie. We decided that the best way to go is wog but that is just not satisfying enough. I feel like Alec Guinness or Michael Caine or some such shit.
I need to figure it out for the next time I go back there.
7 comments:
I frequently think, "What if I ran my business like this?" when I have a bad experience. I think the difference is that I wouldn't run it like that, even if I thought I could get away with it. Piss-poor service, shoddy products, and disorganized operations can put a little extra jingle in the owner's pocket this week, but it's neither a long term strategy nor a respectable one.
Well she fucked it up big time. She could have made a nice piece of change. You can accept some shit if you are paying rock bottom prices. You almost expect it. But when you are paying more you expect them to do it right. A deal is a deal. Don't sell me something you don't have. That's fucked. Don't waste my time.
Where in Ca.? I could do a pop in and talk w/ her. Collect the check in person. I've done shit like that.
Collections are tricky, as you need to generate enough intimidation yet keep them rational enough to write the check. Ted Beneke is an example of too much intimidation. I've found that showing up at their busiest moment in a loin cloth and spear provides maximum intimidation, while leading them to believe that if they just pay up, you'll take your batshit crazy self out the door and not hurt anyone. If your loin cloth is at the dry cleaners, I can loan you mine.
We resolved it today. But we are going into the City on Wednesday and the bride wants to talk to the owner of the store.
She is not going to enjoy that let me tell you. Lisa is going to rip her a new one. I bet that bitch is going to be crying when we walk out of that store.
When you get there, pull out a half-used tube of K-Y and set it on the counter...pause...then put it away and say, "Never mind. I don't think we'll bother with that."
(Hope it swings in your favor.)
There's always time for lubricant!
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