An unbelievable day!

I got into the workshop this morning and knew even before I had put the key in the door that it wouldn’t be a good day! You know those days where you wake up with an unshakeable feeling of doom for no real reason?? You don’t get those days? Lucky you!

Grrrr ROAR

I can’t actually blog about what has got me down over the last few days because it’s private, but it has resulted in me not being fully in the workshop recently. As a result I am probably running a few days behind, but hadn’t overly worried knowing that other things needed to be put first (just for a couple of days) and that I would be going in over the weekend to catch up on everything then.

I switched the wax on, turned on the computer and had a look at the emails from the last couple of days, and there was one particular customer who has sent … I believe it was 24 emails I counted from this one person over the last couple of days since I’ve been into the workshop! The FIRST email wasn’t even a “can you confirm when my order was dispatched” type email – it launched straight into a personal attack on me! The emails that followed described how he hadn't had any faith in me even when he placed the order because of the long lead time (yes it sometimes takes 7-10 days to pour and dispatch larger orders, and occasionally we run a bit behind) . His emails were large bold type face and got progressively ruder. Some were literally the same email he was sending and forwarding to me every 10 minutes or so.

Thing was, this customer’s order was actually sent out the very next working day after it was received and what I SHOULD have done is sent a short and to the point reply stating that it has been dispatched and as it went out via Royal Mail he should contact his local post office to see if it had been left there. It was actually about 3 weeks ago that this box went out anyway so chances are it HAS been lost, but still.

His emails then got very spiteful and it totally became about a personal attack on me! He had obviously found my blog because he was quoting me from it on the Friday where I chose to take the day off and go out with my camera (that happened to be the day his order came in!) He had a go at me for taking the day off on that Friday and snapping photos when I should have been making his candles! He said I obviously had too many fingers in too many pies! How dare he?! I work HARD! I put a LOT into my business and trying to keep my customers happy, and simply because I choose to have HOBBIES outside of my “job” and because I happen to keep an online journal I am failing my customers now?

I work seven days a week most of the time and am in the workshop over the weekends. Am I WRONG for taking a day off every now and again? A little indulgence in some “me time” or one of my hobbies? Hell no!

So I was polite, but I let him know how I felt. He won’t be ordering again! I simply don’t have time for small minded people with big mouths… business or no business! It’s down to respect for other human beings!!

I shouldn’t have had to justify anything to him though – that’s the point. I spent a good half an hour replying to him … and it’s THAT which puts me behind!!! If he’d called sooner to let me know that there had been a problem – I would have looked into it sooner! I will ALWAYS fix problems for customers … but I can only fix things when I know they exist!!!!

Okay vent over.

The day actually took a turn for the better when I got a call from my friend T this afternoon... she'd worked for me off and on in the past helping out, and we'd been really good friends, but gradually lost touch.

It was SO out of the blue ... today of ALL days ... I got a call from her!!! It was bloody fantastic to talk to her! The bizarre thing was though ... I had not long left the workshop and just sat down when she rang ... she was calling FROM the workshop and I'd left the door unlocked!!

Talk about timing ... we haven't spoken properly or seen each other for about 9-10 months and then for her simply think "I'm going to go and visit Dee today" all out of the blue and turn up on the doorstep the only time I have ever forgotten to lock the door! Bizarre co-incidence!!!

It was great - we came back to my place for a cuppa and a natter, and had a really good catch up. It was just what I needed!!

I can't stop grinning!!!!!!!!

I am just having the BEST day and it's not even midday!!! Normally when the telephone rings at work, I take a very deep breath and try and answer it with a smile while I am secretly wondering who wants my money (or my blood - or both!!) ... but today? OMG it's just been the best day!!

First call of the day was a woman confirming a candle party booking for early December - she hadn't bought from me before, but had mentioned to a friend of hers (who happened to BE a customer of mine!) that she fancied a candle party but didn't want the well known American candle party company ... and her friend told her all about me and how great I was, how my candles were super strong scented and she'd burned nothing like them before etc!!

Inflate ego part 1!

Next phone call was a woman who started by giving me her order number and I got ready to hear "and I haven't received my order yet" ... but what I actually heard was her thanking me for getting her candles out so quickly and how wonderful it all smelled!!! This was a first time customer and she put another order in over the phone for Christmas presents for her friends!!

Ego pretty inflated already but heck always room for bigger eh!! By this time I am smiling just a bit!!!

I get on with packing up some more orders and realise I REALLY need to order packaging (bubble wrap, styrofoam peanuts and more boxes). There's enough money in the biz account to order what I need, but I actually owe this company money from previous orders and can't afford to pay it off, so I had put off placing a new order. Bit of background - the business really struggled in the early part of the year and I had called the packaging company to put in a small order and mentioned about the cash flow problem. They were SO great and understanding, and because I had been a very loyal customer of theirs for so many years, they said I could order what I needed and not worry about it for a few months. How amazing was that! Because I'd been loyal to them and a good customer over the years, they helped me out a lot. Anyway I called them today to place the new order and I mentioned what I owed ... again they told me not to worry about it but just to send them some extra money via PayPal when I could.

I feel very lucky to have such a wonderful company as part of my supply source and I am going to plug them here!! If you need packaging in the UK, it HAS to be Box it In - Steve and Faye are both fantastic and the customer service can't be beaten!!!

So yes, feeling very smug from the couple of calls earlier and very looked after by Box it In, I just took another call!! This woman told me that her daughter in law had been buying from me for years and was a regular customer of mine and had got her started on my stuff too and how amazed they had all been about the quality and the strength!!! She said to me that she couldn't think of anything better to get her daughter in law for Christmas than some DeeLights candles!!!!

Feeling smug with a huge grin on a very inflated head that just may not make it through the door!!!!!!