Infuriating lack of customer service

Okay -- someone please educate me. What is wrong with Coats & Clark threads? Just wondering?

And what threads do you use for general piecing?

Not a @#! thing. I've used it for about a hundred years and had no problems. I prefer Aurifil simply because it's possible to get so many more yards on a bobbin and, of course, the orange cones go so much further (farther? no matter, I'm tired). Why don't we all go give the 'rolling eyes' woman a swift kick for Sunny? That would be fun. Polly

If this woman were not the owner, I would certainly notify the owner about the behavior! Since she IS the owner, I would contact the Bernina folks -- she certainly isn't doing any good for them! And I would tell all my friends in any case.

Something similar happened to me about 30 years ago when I took my Singer to be repaired and the Manager did not turn it back to the straight stitch setting before I picked it up. At that time I was working too many hours and just didn't have the time to search through the book to figure it out, so I took the machine back to get it set for me. I had called first. The manager said something like "So you are the lady who doesn't know how to operate her machine." I had a good answer before I left, something like,"I'll know not to come to this shop again." I didn't go back and I didn't buy a machine from him later on, even when I had the hots for one. All my friends knew what happened. He lost a few sales.

It's late for me but I think I have one swift kick left in me today. I'm in Polly. I use C&C once in awhile. When that was the only kind closer than

13 miles away I learned to make do. There is not much I am a snob about though and I don't sell other brands of thread like the rolling eye woman. I sure get sick of folks who should be working to help you instead of treating you like you are the scum of the earth. Poo on her Sunny. Taria

Polly Esther wrote:

Next time she tries to tell you what is wrong with your machine, I would ask her, in as serious a tone as I could muster, if she was psychic, and when she asked why I would explain that obviously she must be if she had never sewed on your machine but knew exactly what was wrong.

Before she could respond I would say, "I have two points to make. One, if something was not wrong with my machine I would not be here wasting my time talking with you as I would be sewing instead, and two, the Bernina headquarters will be hearing from me and I will be suggesting that they pull your franchise due to your abysmal customer service. Any questions?"

Just my two cents worth, but I really don't take it anymore. I am polite but direct and do a little teaching besides. While we as customers can be wrong, no one has a right to treat us like this.

Just venting along with you.

Steven Alaska

I was humiliated. And to top it off, the repair guy couldn't get the machine to act up when it stuck fabric under the presser foot and stitched upa storm. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

He allowed how the tension is obviously not what it should be and I said "That's the problem" and then she asked if I ever change the stitch tension when I am sewing. Again, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. She pointed to the tension dial and siad "this is where you change the tension."

So I left it there for agood cleaning and tune up. And we'll see.

Oh yeah, she said 'You use Coats and Clark thread?' like you would ask 'You clean your face with dog poop?' and rolled her eyes and informed me that nobody serious would use CC thread. Now, I know that. But I consider most of my sewing to be utilitarian and I can't afford the good stuff.

Oh well, just venting. I do hope to get a new machine in the next year. I want a Janome 6600. I won't buy here in town if I can possibly help it.

Sunny Obvious total incompetant boob who uses cheapie thread

Sounds like a local dealer here, except the repair man isn't dependable either. It used to be a great shop with great service and a good repair person. Then it was sold and things went downhill. They fired the repair guy because there wasn't enough business. He promptly went into business for himself working out of his home. I've been taking my machine to him for service and recommending him to my friends. I do feel sorry for the original owners; they had built the business from the ground up over the years and I am sure they probably still have some money in it.

Julia > I took my machine in to the shop where I know the repair man is

Personally, I look for a relationship with my repairman like the one I have with our pediatrician ...

If I bring my son in sayin' he's under the weather, my pediatrician *trusts* that I know my son better than she ever possibly could. There's been many a time that we've caught an ear infection in the early stages because he just wasn't "right" and we brought him in.

Your repairman for your precious SM (though not as precious as a human life - for the most part ) should be the same. Who uses the SM every day (or as often as possible)? Who knows the hums and whirs it makes by heart? Who's put it through it's paces, knowin' every single stitch pattern it makes? Well, that person would be YOU, not her, of course.

If you belong to one, I'd go to your guild and warn them 'bout this idiot. This woman's clearly a prima donna ... lackin' any kind of common sense, rude, and overall, just a plain dumba@#. I'd run to the nearest quilt shop cuttin' table (ours always has a group clustered 'round it - it's like the water cooler!) and tell them all, too. No one deserves to be treated the way you were ... and you have the opportunity to make sure that no else receives that kind of treatment.

I'm real sorry you had to go through all this, Sunny ... I sure do hope that the person cleanin' your baby sees the problem and fixes it. Big ol' hugs and well-wishes goin' out to you!!!

(((((((((((((Sunny))))))))))))))))))

Hugs! Connie :)

You have my sympathy. I despise condescending people. And I use cheapie thread too. So there, nyah!;-)

I hear that it can fuzz and if your needle is also a cheapie the thread can break. Personally, I use Smetz (?) needles and C&C when I have a color in my thread stash that I need and it happens to be C&C.

Is this person the owner? If not, I would definately tell the owner. Word of mouth is important to small businesses and someone should have a talk with her. If she is the owner I would just tell her that she should improve her customer service and you are planning to take your business elsewhere and tell your friends about how you were treated.

Very good answer Steve.

Oh Kate, what a can of worms you open when you ask that question......Marsha says as she rolls her eyes....;-)

You know what, it really boils down to a matter of resources and preference. I am a self proclaimed thread snob. There are very few threads I will use because I want 100% cotton and I want a fine thread. Coat & Clark also make a 100% cotton thread.

Use what you want, it is your quilt, your sewing.

Sunny.........hope your sewing machine is working fine and your thread spools never run out. :-) That woman was a condescending horses rear end.

Piece and hugs,

Marsha in nw, Ohio

Years ago when I had my Singer something kept going wrong with the bobbin and the repair person could not figure it out It was one of those front load while still in the machine, so I got out the manual and slowly looked at the picture and looked at the machine. A small spring that closed over the bobbin was jumping off sometimes. I used my eyebrow tweezers and gently push it back to where it needed to be. Sure felt proud of myself for finding the problem. Barbara in SC

I think some Bernina dealers (hopefully, the minority) take a course on arrogance once they get the franchise. Way back in the early 90's I bought my first bernina (a 1090), bernette serger *and* a fancy cabinet from our local Bernina dealer -- the only one in the Chattanooga area at the time. After a few months, the dealership owner became absolutely unbearable --from challenging any question, to downright calling me a liar in one instance. I now have three Berninas, but haven't bought anything else from that dear lady! For several years I took my machines to Knoxville TN for routine service. Since then, I go to Atlanta when I need anything Benina. We now have another dealer in the Chattanooga area--at a wonderful quilt shop, and it's an absolute joy to walk in there!

rusty

On Sat, 10 Nov 2007 17:55:26 -0600, Sunny wrote (in article ):

What a terrible experience. And really, there is nothing wrong with C & C as far as I'm concerned. I use it often, and its a little linty at times, but its really the only "all-purpose" thread sold here locally. And sometimes I just don't want to use expensive stuff.

Maureen

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 09:14:25 -0600, rusty wrote (in article ):

Our local Janome dealer is like that too. Everyone I know who has a Janome drives the 45 minutes over to Jacksonville. When David bought my Jem for Christmas, that's were he went and that's where I go for service.

I'd say the man has lost a lot of sales from the "serious" sewers and quilters here.

Maureen

Steven, I love what you said. And, BTW, whatever happened to "the customer is always right"? As you said, we can be wrong, but there are polite ways to point that out. :S

Sending along mental "butt-kicks" to that 'rollin eyes' witch!