TSWLTH

Our Joanne's is cramped, disorganized and dimly lit. The staff aren't overtly rude (barring one manager who lasted a total of two weeks) but they are overworked and not particularly knowledgeable. They also complain vociferously about conditions within direct earshot of customers.

And I have to admit to being driven absolutely crazy by some of the customers as well. Okay, a lot of them. Nothing like needing a few yards of interfacing or something, and the cutting table's backed up four deep on both sides and every one of them is a quilter buying a quarter yard of fifteen different fabrics.

And Joanne's customers are some check-writin' women. Who nevertheless seem to forget that the checkbook needs to be retrieved from its secret location within the megapurse until the entire sale is rung up. God forbid we should dig up the checkbook and fill out everything but the amount during the 10 minute wait to pay for your purchase. Who knows, maybe this time they won't ask you to pay...

I *always* check Hancock's first because shopping at Joanne's is such a scrungy experience.

Kathleen

They shop in my grocery store, too!

My pleasure, for you and Katie!

've found them excellent to deal with, very helpful and obliging, and theprices are competitive. Well worth splashing out the few pounds forswatches.

And at my Costco! The customer in front of me a couple of days ago yakked on her cell phone the entire time while in line, had to dig around for her CARD when she finally reached the cashier, and then again for her checkbook after the total was known.

Beverly

Hey, I know your comments were in response to another post, which I took to be a light-hearted leg-pull. *I* said sorry for not expressing my thoughts too well. This NG seems like a more or less friendly place, let's try and keep it that way.

:-)

I may be teaching granny to suck eggs, but have you come across the Fred Aldous site?

another is

web site only shows a fraction of their range. We live not too faraway in the heart of Broadland, so it's one of our sources, but it's reallythe sort of place to visit and browse. Another favourite, but I couldn't find a web site, is Mason's in Bath Street, Abingdon. There are a couple of shops just two or three doors apart, one specialises in craft stuffs, the other in fabrics. The fabric shop is a veritable treasure trove, what I would describe as a real old-fashioned store. There are bolts of fabric *everywhere*, and you have to be prepared to heave and struggle to get at them, but they have some wonderful stuff there. It's an absolute must when we're staying with friends in Oxford.

Oh, we quilter's can be a right pain at times! ;) I bet they are all buying for a class when they go in flocks like that.

'Scrungy'... I like that! I can picture it exactly! Scruffy and grungy all in one word! :D

I don't think I've ever bought stuff from them, but their prices are good. I buy plenty from Croft Mill, I've bought from the Remnant House, and I buy quite a bit fron BL Joshi UK Ltd. When I can get up to Kenilworth and go through to Coventry, I try to hit Tasime's and the sari shops, and when in Yorkshire I never miss a hit on Bombay Stores in Bradford! Another favourite place is Dainty Supplies in Washinton, which I get to several times a year when visiting FiL and friends who live within walking distance. They are also good for mail order. Bu when there, it's my Sunday Morning Exercise: wander up to Dainty and back with the swag! :D

I wonder how far Abingdon is from Kenilworth... Ooh! Down the M40 and off at Bicester! Not too bad at all! Delicious Goddaughter's fambly live thataway, and we visit several times a year. Her mum's another fabriholic and sews costumes for her school plays (she teaches A level Theatre Studies and English). I'm sure we could set off one Saturday for a fabric acquiring trip... :) :) Ta ever so for that!

Precisely who died and left you in charge here? That "other" snotty post is by a known list troll.

me

You have the problem, not me.

You are correct, it was intended as a light-hearted leg-pull and something most sewists can relate to: we can't resist a fine piece of fabric and buy on impulse for a future project and so our stash builds.

Obviously "Me" is very uptight about that "accusation" on my part, like it's a big deal. My advice to her is to lighten up and hopefully reduce her stress, especially since stress is known to aggravate her medical problems which she described here so COMPLETELY and with which I sympathize. JPBill

On Wed, 17 Jan 2007 13:42:06 -0500, Olwyn Mary wrote (in message ):

the same is true of my closest Joann's, but it's in a semi-remote town of

10,000 (even so it's 25 miles from me!). In a town that size, NO one stays in business if you aren't nice to the customers. Also, they *always* allow for unevenly cut edges there. Same caveat though about only selling what corporate sends. In addition, they are always short-staffed, which I attribute to corporate - there's no shortage of folks looking for work here.

My home town has 2 Joanns - one that was always Joanns, one former Cloth World. I always preferred the latter before the buyout because the staff was so much nicer there. Even now, many years later, the staff at that location is much nicer and more accomodating. It must be a managerial attitude that has been handed down through the staff turn-overs.

This rings true to me. If the management wants courtesy, and treats staff with courtesy, that decides the issue. I have to laugh at people who say their doctor is ever so nice, but the staff are dragons. The staff does what the doctor tells them to do and what the doctor accepts and encourages. Usually a doctor does this intentionally - wants to maintain that friendly, easy-going attitude with patients, and have the staff be the "bad guys." I've known doctors who had the nurse give shots to children so that the kids wouldn't associate the stabs with the doctor. Let'em hate the nurse.

Hehehehe... In the past 25+ years I've only had two doctors (GP's). Both have always been the soul of courtesy, as have their staff. I've seen a few locums in that time, all from India or Pakistan originally, and they have all been excellent practitioners for me, and very nice, polite and professional to deal with. So have all the nurses and the midwives. I think my docs have filtered out the ones they don't like and that wouldn't suit their patients! I do hear some horrid stories from patients of other practices in town, and stay with mine! :) Same for my dentist!

As for shops... Lakeland is my Gold Standard! I measure all other shops and mail order companies against them. One or two have matched them, but I've yet to find any exceed them! :)

Well, actually doctors usually do not give injections (they have not done so for a few decades now)..

You really don't want them to anyway, they don't have the expertise.

Nurses give injections as part of their usual nursing duties.

me (just another nurse).

Thanks! Had them book-marked but never used them. It's good to get personal recommendations for these things.

Sarah

"Pat in Virginia"

The Joanne's store here is pretty much the only game in town, besides Wallie's. And they're also under staffed, but I can say they've always been polite, and helpful. I might have to wait a few minutes, and if they've had a really bad, or long, day they might not be very talkative, but that's OK, I'm not always "up", either.

Sharon, a transplanted northern New Yorker, who now calls Northwest Virginia home

If you're making a day of it, another place well worth a visit in that area is Millets Farm, at Frilford, near Abingdon (about 5-6 miles away). Garden centre, farm shop restaurant, plenty to see. It's very popular!

used to be a craft shop there, but I see it's not listed anywhere onthe website.