How long do you expect to wait for an order from an ONS?
I placed an order for some threads about 10 days ago. Got a quick "your order was received". Then, about five days later, I get another email saying "we received your order and will ship it in about a week." Now, this is just some plain old DMC perle, not a special order pattern or anything else. Something I thought the company would have in stock, given their specialty (needlepoint, it's for a Laura Perin I'm dying to start).
Anyway, just impatient and want to share - and see how long you think it should take for an ONS to send orders!
I ordered something from SA and was told it should arrive in 5-10 days. It's only been 14 calendar days but I'm getting antsy. The tracking web site has no information about where it is except that it was received at the postal service.
I've only ordered from an ONS once a very long time ago but I've ordered from online quilt shops lots of times and rarely have had to wait more than a week to get my stuff. Most were less than a week.
Maybe it's just me but I think waiting 5 days to acknowledge your order (not counting the computer generated one) then saying it'll be another week before it's shipped is too long. Sounds like it's either a very small shop that doesn't keep much in stock or a very large company that doesn't employ enough people to get the orders filled quickly.
There was a fairly large shopowner show and conference the first weekend of June. My favorite ONSs get slow around show time, partly because some of the staff is gone to the show and the remaining staff is swamped, partly because there's a lot of new stuff coming in that needs to be inventoried/shelved/racked, partly because they're busier with people buying the new stuff, and partly because they're backordered from their suppliers, or waiting for that one last chart to come in before they ship the order.
I can second this recommendation! If something should not be in stock, she will e-mail to tell you this right away. GREAT communication from this shop and loads of wonderful fibers with superb customer service. If shop owners are backlogged due to trade shows, etc. I wonder WHY so many of them don't bother to share that info when they contact the buyer? A simple "Sorry for the delay -- most of us were at the trade show (or whatever)" goes a loooong way towards keeping customers happy! VBS -- don't get me started -- LOLOL! CiaoMeow >^;;^<
PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at
Well, like going to the ladies room at the restaurant, I complained and it finally arrived today!! Hooray! I am going to pull out the canvas tonight and hope to get started on it!
I'd bet that most shopowners think that the regular stitchers know when the big trade shows are. There are only a few - TNNA has the big one which just happened in Columbus first week of June. Nashville cash'n'carry in February, and then the winter TNNA in So Cal in January. With another similar to Nashville in August in Phoenix. And the Charlotte show that went away in July used to be the biggie.
Having fun in the shop - stuff ordered from the Columbus show starting to come in. And she got in these Vikki Clayton silks - interesting. They feel nice, similar to Needlepoint Inc silk. But to my eye they look very fine, and have a buttonhole twist to them. Owner got them in, as her shop has a yahoo group list, and people were talking about them and how to buy them off the web (interesting on a shop list). Anyhow, she got them, though not all the colors, but quite a lot. They're definitely inexpensive - however, I'm waiting to see someone stitch with them - I'm thinking that they'll need 2 plies for 32 ct and 3 for 28. We'll see.
But, some nice patterns have started arriving, along with other fun stuff.
Well, right there could be the problem. Except for the N'ville show I **never** pay attention to when the trade shows are because I am not involved. The only reason I know about the N'ville show is because I have gone several times to help out Poetta. Even if the majority of stitchers know when a trade show might be, shop owners should never assume that knowledge of their customers. Regardless, what harm is done by including a simple line in an e-mail saying we are backlogged due to shop participation in the recent trade show? One simple sentence and it can explain a lot to a customer who might not remember when all the trade shows are. See -- I told you not to ge me going -- LOLOL! CiaoMeow >^;;^<
PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at
LOL - you know I can't resist getting you going. But, I wasn't excusing the behaviour - lest you think I was. I totally agree, they should have some kind of notice up about delays.
I just know because of working in the shops, planning around, and trying to decide if I really should just be cranking on getting that part of the business back together and forget a "real" job that would involve pantyhose
- so to speak.
The big Columbus show used to be just NP & Knitting stuff - but since merging the Charlotte show (IMRG) into it, now covers XS as well, so more people in that world know about it.
Well, and now off to some errands for my event client (yummy wine release party tomorrow eve - I'll think of Sheena, though not as an alcoholic - merely with the have a nice glass and good company kind of thought). And then day 3 of working in the shop this afternoon. What fun.
Well, I, for one, am grateful for the information because *I* didn't know about all of them or when/where they were and I NEED to know!
On one of my other groups, they've been discussing one of the shows (don't know which) that's at a bad time of year for counted thread. I try to pay attention, really I do, but I get so confused about the whole "trade" stuff.
Ellice, if you have a minute, would you be so kind as to post the important trade rags you know about?
(Why yes, I AM a pathetic amateur in this business...why do you ask?)
Needlework Retailer is the main trade rag. Ads are reasonble, and you get an article about a product of your choice, if you buy an ad. The ad manager is really, really nice. I'll send you info separately.
Also, joining either INRG, or TNNA will get you their trade info, and groups to discuss, etc.
Hey, we all are at some point. I had to do a lot of work to find out who, what, where, and then kind of fell out of working on the designing because of other life getting in the way. But, also, working in an LNS with an owner who is active helped. We were doing the framing for a couple of designers, and there are other reps from big companies around so I found out by following up with my shopowner when she was going to a show, or who the mail was coming from.
Personally, if you're serious, about making the move from amateur to "professional" you need to join one of the trade associations. It's not cheap, but will get you contacts, in their directory, and able to get into a show. The advice I was given was to start small with shows - try one of the smaller regional cash'n'carry shows rather than the huge Columbus one. Since then, however, they've added a first-time exhibtor category at TNNA shows, and IIRC you can do a table display, or half booth kind of thing, rather than the full booth.
I'll send you a note directly later to talk about this some more.
I understand. This release is actually a rose, but from a Cabernet Franc grape. Very good, not too sweet, slightly cherry/strawberry. But, the vineyard at which the event is has an award winning Cab Sauvignon. I'll be helping them push the Rose. Label, is Revolution - and they've named this wine "independence" - as it's a Virginia wine from the heart of Revolutionary US.
Thanks for the Argentinian hint. Hmm, some kind of meritage....
Yes, I am. However, I'm slow at getting designs out so I thought I'd wait a year or so when I had a better inventory. Right now I'm sussing out what direction I want to take with regard to the trade shows, ads, and the like.
Any and all information is welcome and appreciated.
Have you discovered Carmenere from Chile? We really enjoy it. DH read an article about the history...the grapes were originally grown in France, but over time have died out in France. Some of the plants were brought to Chile (and apparently nowhere else) in the 19th century, and those survive. (Sort of like "heritage" seeds for veggies and flowers?) And the wine is reasonably priced.
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