MELTDOWN TODAY
Have you ever had a day where you just wanted to vent? Well, today is day 4 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge and I usually write my blog in the evening for the following day but the hours and minutes got away from me last night. I had a topic in mind however after my day at work, I decided I just needed to vent instead. After having a problem on Monday and other one today from the same vendor, I had a major meltdown today and anyone in ear shot could have heard me.
My hubby and I own an interior decorating business with a workroom where we fabricate the window treatments we design. For 50 years we have decorated homes and businesses for many clients and are proud of our work. We don’t advertise, just word of mouth and referrals from satisfied customers. Now here’s my venting.
We are decorating a very large estate plus working on 10 – 12 condos so we recently ordered 4 bolts of lining, a total of about 250 yards. When hubby pulled out the first bolt it had 5 red tags on the end of the bolt, meaning flaws or the lining wasn’t in one piece. As we started measuring out our cuts, we had to waste the lining that was flawed. I mentioned this to our rep and she told us to keep track of the waste so they could make good on it. So far, so good.
We used up that bolt and on to the second. This bolt didn’t have any red tags so we figured we could whip out our cuts in no time. NO SO!! About 8″ in on one edge of the lining was a gray mark, about every 3 yards. I assumed it was possibly from the roller on the machine that manufactured the lining. Because of this mark, we had to cut each lining width down by 8″ which meant we had to use an extra cut for on the draperies. So 2 bolts down, hubby pulls out the third one and no tags!! BUT, as he pulled the wrapping off, he noticed the tags on the other end, hidden from the top edge. He pulled out the 4th bolt and that was the same way. One had 5 tags, the other had 6 tags. This was on Monday and the delivery truck comes on Wednesday and since we needed this lining to complete a project, we needed it ASAP. I couldn’t get in touch with our rep so I called the company and told them we needed a replacement immediately. The rep called back, saying this was the first she heard about it and had talked with the lining supervisor. Now are you ready for the good part? Seems like he saw the red tags on an entire shipment from their vendor and since he didn’t know what they were for, HE SHIPPED THEM OUT ANYWAY!!! I was livid, why would a company do such a thing? Before you wonder, this is not a fly by night company, it’s a large drapery supply company that we have done business with for over 30 years. So back to our rep, I reminded her that she was in our shop when we opened the first bolt so she did know about the problem. She talked with the lining supervisor and they would ship two new bolts from a higher priced lining but the same fabric content. Here’s what made me scratch my head, since the fabric costs more per yard, she said they wouldn’t charge us any extra! Of course not, your company messed up by sending out flawed lining!! So fast forward to this morning when the delivery truck arrived. He brought in the two new bolts but each only had 55 yards while the ones we returned had 66 yards each. So we were shorted 22 yards and that doesn’t even cover the lining we wasted from the other two bolts.
I was upset about the lining issue but once I saw the hardware come in, I saw the 245″ decorative rod wasn’t there. Hubby and I had the driver wait while we opened the box that had two rods at 122 1/2″ that we did not order. As soon as the box was opened, I realized what they did. Instead of following the directions which said to butt 2 sections of 122 1/2″ together then add the fascia of 192″ with a 53″ piece spliced to the left side, making it 245″ with cords on the left to draw that way. That did it, I went ballistic, had a meltdown and called our rep. She was pleasant, saying don’t worry about it, we’ll make it right. That didn’t make me feel any better because it should have been built right the first time. The driver took the 2 rods back, I made sure he wrote on the delivery sheet that they were made incorrectly, not that we were just refusing them as he has stated. Later in the afternoon, the rep texted me apologizing and saying the manager would go in Saturday and build the rod himself so it would be delivered next week. She hasn’t called, probably afraid I will go through the phone and choke her. LOL She has been our rep for many years and she’s always pleasant, it was me who wasn’t.
So I’m hoping next Wednesday when the delivery truck arrives the rod will be the correct size, if not I will not be responsible for my actions. We still have to figure out what they are going to do about making up for the 22 yards of lining they shorted us from the 2 bolts we returned plus the extra that was flawed.
As I mentioned we are a small business, no let me take that back, we are a micro small business. It’s just my hubby and me and we design, measure, help the client with fabric selections, fabricate and install the treatments. We have an excellent installer that has been with us for years plus an upholstery team and painter. But even though we are micro small business, we give this hardware company between $10,000 to $12,000 worth of business a year. I’m hoping that everything will get resolved since I like the rep but I did tell accounting when I called and told them not to charge the balance of this order until everything is resolved, that there are other companies that carry the same products and it won’t be hard to switch to them.
Even with all the setbacks we had today, we still managed to complete four windows of draperies for one of our projects plus go on two appointments to measure for new clients. So all is good.
Okay, my meltdown today is over, it’s a quiet night as I sit here finishing up my blog and eating Butterfingers. I got 4 bags at CVS for $5.00 after coupons and the $5.00 I paid came from a gift card I got from my earning sites. So free candy isn’t bad! Hoping tomorrow will be uneventful and I won’t need to vent! Hope you all enjoy your day!
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Those Butterfingers look good, but I think I’d need a box of my favorite See’s if I’d gone through what you did. I hope tomorrow is a much better day for you and you get all of this resolved. I’d hate for your to tear all your hair out.
Oh, I could go from some See’s also Barbara! But any candy would work after the meltdown I had! The next day we finished up some drapery panels and meltdown and venting was in the past. Thanks for stopping by!
I can understand the need to vent after all that! I’d definitely need to vent if I’d had that many mix-ups within days of each other from the same supplier. It’s enough to damage a working relationship carefully built over years.
Yes it definitely can damage a relationship with this company Patricia. The reason I go so angry about the rod was our rep had spoken to the supervisor and everything was written down with specific instructions. It’s like they didn’t even care. While our $10,000 – $12,000 worth of products we purchase from them in a year may not be much to them but for a micro small business, it’s not chicken feed. There are other companies that carry the same products so it’s won’t be hard to move along. Thanks for stopping by!
Martha, you had every reason to be angry!!! It almost sounds like they knew about the fabric flaws and were taking advantage of you, hoping you would work around the flaws and cuts, so that they would be rid of the faulty bolts, and then they would not have to make it right. Bah. My fantasy, as you say, was that I might jump through the phone and choke them. Integrity is a bit lacking with many people these days. Bless you!
Your last line says it all Kebba, “integrity is lacking with many people these days”. It’s like they don’t care and know nothing will happen to their job if they mess up. The thing is with the lining, the entire shipment came in with red tags and for the supervisor to “not know what they were for” and send them out any way is totally unacceptable. Thankfully I don’t stay angry too long! LOL
Number 1 who sent fabric out must be gone fired! Who di not read institution on how to build rod GONE. Now maybe rest of workers Might say wow better do it right.
That’s true Rich, people need to be responsible for their actions.
The person who sent out the fabric with all the red tags is a manager Gee I had no idea what those tags ment. He must be gone.
That was the most dumb reply from a manager Rich!
People need to understand that “property offenses” are crimes against PERSONS too. I’m glad to read that you were able to finish the job despite this company’s shortfall!
Thanks Priscilla, I was so upset, I think I even used a few naughty words! LOL Holding my breath, the new 245″ rod will be delivered tomorrow.