Isn't it funny how you can experience the highs and lows of customer service in a matter of a day?

On a Monday i took my son to the dentist. This dentist is a pediatric specialist who offers so many bells and whistles I could have skipped my trip to Disney earlier this year. Her operation is top notch. Lots of staff and great use of technology. When my son sat in the chair a photo of him from his last visit popped onto the screen. Lots of incentives to let them take xrays and all the other yukky stuff that happens at a dentist's office. The team of hygenists was great entertaining my son with temporary tattoos and teeth brushing games but the doctor was obviously running behind schedule. It couldn't have been more than 15 minutes. Hardly something you'd think odd if you ever spent time in a pediatrician's office.

But when I went to pay, the receptionist said the doctor would pick up my bill because she was running late. She said the doctor was very sorry for the inconvenience, that my son was adorable and hoped we'd have a great rest of he day.

Talk about hitting the hot buttons: apology, something for free and complimented my kid. You guessed it, she had a customer for life (or until he turns 13).

Conversely, the local grocery store celebrating a grand reopening and remodelling earned a strike. Riding high on the no cavities announcement my son sauntered over to the pizza counter and said "I know, let's buy a pizza for daddy." The take and bake pizzas were marked with a sign that said they were $4.99 so I acquiesced and picked one up. "Is this right?" I asked the guy behind the counter. "Yeah, whatever the sign says," he replied. Otherwise I would have passed for the regular price.

As happens occasionally, the pizza went through at full price so back to the the courtesy counter i went thinking it was no big deal, they'd just refund the difference.I approached the counter with a smile. The three folks standing there noted the bag and you could see their eyes darting around for an exit.  When I explained the situation the girl ( I was nice, smiling and understanding this stuff happens) said "i'll go check" and promptly walked in the opposite direction of the pizza counter. The young man told me "I don't think that's right" and  stared at me for a minute hoping I would go away.  The older person, I'm guessing the manager, made a loud dramatic sigh and addressing his fellow employee says, " Sometimes those idiots forget to take the sign down." Again we waited. "That's ok, I'd like to return it then." I said. Finally, the manager opened the register (never once looking at me) pulled out four dollars and shoved them across the counter, never once acknowledging me or ceasing the conversation with his colleague. Here in Philly the  locals call that "being ignorant" and it is a cardinal sin.

Yet some replay of that last experience has happened to just about everyone I know. And, not just in cities, in small "Friendly" towns as well.

I can't fault the two 16-year olds since the most dismissive behaviour came from the manager. He probably trained them so how would they know better?

The experience is a reminder:

• Good customer service starts at the top- Employees will mirror what they see you do.
• A service-oriented attitude is a must when hiring sales help- You may have to teach that person how to run a register, which glue to use for which project or how to create a display that won't fall down. But the most important thing- a willing spirit would be at the bottom of it all.
• People share customer service stories- My dentist got two referrals from me and the grocery store will never get anything but my "I'll pick it up when I'm this part of town" business.
• Good customer service may cost a bit once in a while but the expense of finding new customers is always higher.
• Just because a customer doesn't make a scene doesn't mean she'll continue to come back. Most folks will just walk away never to return after a bad experience.

Insult to injury- the pizza was that looked so great tasted just fair-- Beth

Just read a super interesting commentary about how employers of newly-minted grads, and probably candidates across the board, are doing online searches and finding information about candidates that they posted on public meet-up websites and forums. Some are making decisions NOT to hire folks because of what they read.

Seems "the younger generations" have no qualms letting it all hang out, possibly sharing too much information in places that are  accessible to anyone with a computer. Adding to that, stuff seems to live in cyberspace forever, so a misguided decision to post information about drinking habits or other deep dark secrets will have a serious half-life.

Today I also read that Google collects information from the web and makes it easily searchable. Do not expect search engines to make decisions about what information should not be for public consumption. If it's out there it's fair game.

So employers are taking advantage of this availability of information when making decisions about new hires. Wow.  Buying a new interview suit seems almost silly to think about now.

Is this just another tool for ruling out a candidate when they both seem right for the job? You bet, especially in some industries which require security clearances and credit checks.

Bottom line when hiring staff, trusting your gut can be as good as research. Everybody has done something stupid and embarrassing in their lifetime. The confession can be cathartic. But the point here is that confession doesn't clear the slate so that you can move on. It follows you.

So word of advice, watch what you post in your online bios... especially if you ever plan to hold public office. Have a great weekend-- Beth

 I am sitting here writing up new products for the July/August issue (CHA Summer Show) and I'm thinking... I thought I had more than this. This isn't the first show that two months out I am sifting through new products and thinking, there should be at least three times as many products here.

Three scenarios spring to mind. 1. People are forgetting to send me new product info (no formal press releases required- just send details and a high res photo) 2. People aren't introducing any new products at CHA summer (highly improbable) or 3. Products are "on the water" or details on features or packaging are yet to be finalized (likely).

I am seeing more prototype packages and products printed on an inkjet than ever before. The ripple effects of the  closer-to-the-show introduction is that Marketing folks end up behind the eight-ball and expected delivery? Way down the road.

As an industry I think we are going to have to manage our consumer's expectations (demands?) for new product. This condensed production process doesn't work for anyone. Manufacturers' staffs are becoming leaner and leaner, leaving fewer people to execute new products. Plus how does a manufacturer evaluate the success of a new product? Is a product a dog if it doesn't take off within the week? I think not. Some great products need a little nudge, especially the ones that have to be demonstrated.

The challenge facing our industry today- especially within the paper crafts category: how do we manage our customer's voracious appetite for new product? It's alot easier for a paper or fabric company to respond to seasonal trends but what about the tool companies?

 And what about that new product- is it being stockpiled and collected or is it being consumed? A two-part solution is needed- one that will rachet down the velocity with which new products NEED to be introduced and two, identify ways to get consumers to actually consume the products the craft industry sells so that they feel free (read without guilt) to buy more. Suggestions? Send them on to me Beth.Mauro@fwpubs.com--Beth

For folks interested in the National Stationery Show Report, it's posted in the forum section of cnamag.com paper crafts. If you have trends to add, please be sure to send them to me: Beth.Mauro@fwpubs.com.

This week has been crazy and hazy at the same time. The season that I refer to as Summer Brains is about to begin.  It starts Memorial Day and turns off like a light switch the day after Labor Day. There is something about the summer that just makes us check out. It may be the great weather, vacation activities or general slowdown as folks adapt to people not always being in the office. Here in the Northeast,Friday afternoons and Monday mornings are basically blacked out as folks are on their way from or to the beach or mountains. Do other parts of the country have this?

Speaking of vacations, when was the last time you took time off? (Knee surgery or a day to be at home while they came to shampoo your carpets doesn't count). This is a friendly reminder to take a few days and download your "brain cache." If you don't rest you can't renew.

I know I always come back from vacation with some new ideas. I love to visit stores when I am away. My friends know vacation= shopping. Last summer I discovered a great scrapbook shop (in addition to a great bead shop) on Cape Cod. I think this time I will plan some "me" time and take a class one night while husband and son poop out after a day at the beach.

I hope your summer brains season is a good one and that you enjoy some restful moments. Safe travels on busy roads this weekend--Beth

I spent yesterday at the National Stationery Show (NSS) which started Sunday at the Javits Center in NY. I've been attending the show on behalf of CNA for a few years now and I strongly believe this show offers lots of products and inspiration for craft retailers.

Stationery/gift/home dec trends feed into each other so trendspotting at NSS is highly useful. The other thing about stationery is that because greeting cards tend to reflect the emotional priorities of consumers it gives you a window into how consumers are feeling.

I'll tell you...they're feeling cynical. I was surprised by what seemed like a lot of tongue in cheek and downright snarky card messages.

That said, consumers are also looking for beauty, perhaps to surround themselves with pretty things during uncertain times. The print story was very elegant (venetian prints) and whimsical (letterpress and vintage children's book art). Pink and kelly green was the runaway color story. Not just with preppy looks but with contemporary ones as well. Pink is a hopeful color. Kelly green suggests new growth and a healthy earth. Can you be cynical and hopeful at the same time? I really think you can.

Scrapbook folks will see some familiar faces at NSS: Creative Imaginations, DCWV, EK Success, Ellison, K& Company, Sandylion, Daler Rowney, Glue Dots, and others, but their booths take on a different look in a Stationery environment. Very interesting to see scrapbooking products in the larger stationery market, just goes to show you how "on the money" our industry suppliers are.

You'll have to check back for my full stationery trend report tomorrow (sorry I need to get a code cracker to decipher my notes).

Prior to the Stationery Show, CHA held an event to launch a new licensing pavilion at their show. This Pavilion is for artists looking to license art to craft industry companies for packaging, stickers, paper, fabric, etc etc. CHA has put together a really attractive package so if you are a graphic designer or a manufacturer with a really distinctive look, consider the pavilion. CHA will be agressively promoting it and working to draw in art directors who could potentially license the work. Contact Anthony DeMasi at CHA headquarters for more info.

i always feel inspired when I  leave the NSS and am feeling more inspired because we already have articles in the works for our July/August issue of CNA that address some of the trends I saw there. Stay tuned! --Beth

Great article on MediaPost called Baby Boomers More Loyal To Service Providers Than To Products
by Erik Sass,  highlighting a recent study conducted by Focalyst that was a joint venture of AARP and the Kantar Group. The study measured brand loyalty for products and services with a rather large sample of over 35,000 consumers over the age of 42.

The funny thing about surveys is that they don't always tell you what you expect them to. For years advertisers have been chasing that 18-35 age demographic under the assumption that the brand loyalty adopted by young adults would be carried through life.

Not exactly so, according to the Focalyst study.

This isn't the first  sign that good brands are just good brands and that age-based differences are not that significant.What the Focalyst survey found was that Baby Boomers tend to be more loyal
to service providers and service-oriented brands than other product brands.

This quote from Sass' article says it all...

Heather Stern, Focalyst's director of marketing, remarked: "Boomers are most loyal when companies give customized service, a natural reflection of boomers' desire for personalized attention and rewarding brand experiences."

She goes on to say that consumers are  also willing to pay more if a product or service makes their busy lives easier.

Service is an area where each member of our supply chain can step out and differentiate. If you've ever looked at a competitor and said "What's so great about so and so, my product is 10 times better" or "I have 3 times the selection and better prices," look closely at their service model.

Bottom line-Great service leads to better relationships with customers and breeds loyalty. We know at least 35,000 consumers over the age of 42 (sound like a familiar customer group?) say so--Beth

If you've ever lived in a large U.S. city, you've probably consulted the Zagat Survey for restaurant advice. If not, chances are you've heard the Zagat name recently thanks to a partnership with the Today Show.

Zagat and NBC's Today Show co-sponsored a survey of the best fast food restaurants in the U.S. they rated everything from who has the best burger (Wendy's) and best chicken (Chik Fil A) as well as consumer motivations for selecting a particular restaurant (80+% said food tast was most important).

This survey was headline news. It definitely got the attention of branding experts. The world's most well known burger chain did not win top burger. America' original chicken chain was edged out by a relative newcomer. Will this affect business in a significant way?  I doubt it. American consumers have had strong opinions about products ever since Meathead did a blind taste test of colas on All in the Family. If you need a fast food lunch you aren't going to get fries at one restaurant and a burger in another. You're going to go the place you like best and that decision is influenced by more than just the food.

Drill down into the survey to find out what customers don't like- questionable cleanliness. Cleanliness WAY before good service. The fast food nation has been well trained that it should not expect top service for cheap fast food. That sure isn't the case with craft retail.

In craft retail, which has a fairly level playing field in discernible quality of products, this translates to who has the best selection, best prices, best services and and best classes (perhaps not int hat order). Cleanliness probably plays a factor- it certainly doesn't hurt to have a fresh and clean shop.

Zagat has begun expanding it's surveying efforts to include retail stores, some craft/sewing industry stores in NYC and elsewhere have been recognized in recent years. If you are a retailer in an urban area where Zagat raters are active, find out how to get on their radar screen. Just as Wendy's, Chik Fil A and McDonald's will seize upon and promote their top ratings, a local "best of rating" for your business is something you can make a part of your marketing message--Beth

Kudos to the  ad agency for Aleve (pain medication). Their latest television ad campaign uses participation in favorite hobbies as a motivation to be pain-free. In one clip a woman talks about how she loves to knit. She is shown working on a project with an interesting yarn and chunky needles. In another commercial, the pitchwoman is shown beading jewelry, complete with a board set up with a necklace in progress.

What's neat about these commercials is that (without even knowing it) they position crafting as a positive and desirable activity.  But what I think makes me happiest is that whoever was in charge of these commercials got it right. All of the props were correct, the right yarn, the right project, the person doing the project going through the correct steps. The settings were contemporary and the women didn't look dowdy.

These commercials are a long way from the quilted TP cartoons that showed matronly women "quilting" tissue with knitting needles.

I wonder what the next hobby will be... woodworking? Sewing? Painting? Keep going Aleve, we've got lots of great crafts for you to showcase--Beth

A couple of weeks ago I went to a bead show in Delaware for a little article research and female bonding. Some of you may recall that I purchased beads at a bead show I wrote about months ago. Confession time...those lovely turquoise  and quartz stones keep winking at me from the bag (as do all of other glass beads I picked up).

In Delaware I bought an amazing closure hand tooled in South Africa plus my filler beads. I now have the stuff to make some necklaces. Time to sit down and figure this out. I think my pal is going to nail my shoes to her floor as soon as her kids go to camp. I promise to have the necklace by CHA Summer!

Bead shows are so interesting. I love the cross-section of people. First the audience is much more diverse than a general craft show- more racially diverse and more age-diverse. On a Friday a lot of the folks are retailers or people who buy beads to make jewelry for resale. I noticed a couple of retailers filling in at the bargain table. Good for them, they'd get the beads for a song, re-bag them and get a good mark-up.

Beaders are great sharers and I love nothing more that chatting folks up- hearing about their beading activities, how they got into it, etc. etc. They think it is so neat that I work in the craft industry (little do they know they do  more beading than I do). I've been to three shows in different locations and I am starting to recognize people which is fun.

Sometimes it's a good idea to go to a consumer show and be a consumer. Chat with the people, they'll tell you what they like about a product, a store, a TV Show a website. For the $10 you pay to get in the door you'll get thousands of dollars worth of focus group info. Plus you'll refuel the inspiration tank. If that isn't worth ten bucks, I don't know what is-Beth

Most folks are back in the office now that the Market in Salt Lake City is over the feedback is that the show was a good one.  Vendors reported seeing stores that had never been to a market before as well as folks in the process of opening a store. Good signs for us as a healthy independent base is important to our industry.

I think there are some opportunities for designers to exploit for the next show. One is wearables- across the board, particularly for children and items more to the fashion side than the wearable art side. Perhaps the punchneedle designers can show us how their designs can be incorporated into jackets etc.

We need all kinds of patterns for those neat contemporary prints that were in abundance. Favorite Things had a great band collar jacket that brought a few of these prints together very successfully. I hope other fashion designers do as well. We also need to see some great ideas for home decor (tabletop?) and quilts. Amy Butler had some great items in her booth using her pillows. I'd like to see more inspiration for our customer. Consumers may love the prints but they need some direction on what to do with them.

Am I missing it or are there few dolls and other soft sculpture items. As a Santa and Angel collector I am always eager to see what designers introduce.There are so many soft squishy yummy fabrics out there, perhaps some more baby items as well as collectible soft sculpture.

Looking at all the thread options... I want to encourage folks to educate their customers however possible about which is the right thread for the job. It is in your vendors' best interest to help you with that info so ask them for information.

I am glad to see that the fabric purse as an accessory item has not gone the route of the scarf. Designers wisely keep reinventing this fashion item and the latest versions are soft and slouchy  with self fabric straps. Alot of these were shown at market in dyed wools, Consider what you have in faux suede, velvet and other textured home decor fabrics to switch them up.

All in all another great market with great ideas from fabric companies and pattern designers. Start planning now, while the ideas are fresh in your mind, for promotions and classes to keep folks engaged. It's going to be a stay at home summer- I figured out when I gassed up in NJ yesterday. Yikes.

That could spell opportunity for crafting close to home. Check out our online forums for advice on kids camps-- Beth

With meetings and appointments aside I could really dig into the show floor on Saturday. Also had an opportunity to chat up my trend tracking peers and we were in agreement- no runaway trends from the show. Lots of line extensions and product introduction of exisiting trends (ie: felting and punchneedle embroidery).

That said, there is plenty to capitalize on from a store's point of view.

New fabric lines- Joel Dewberry (son of of One Stroke Painting's Donna) introduced three stunning collections for Westminster Fibers. Barn Dandy fabrics is a collection of vintage inspired western prints presented by a designer Polly Wilson who is inspired by her own ranch living. Paris Bebe presented a very dainty collection of "shabby cottage florals.

Contemporary fabrics- There is an opportunity for designers to create more patterns for contemporary fabrics with large repeats. There were many more offerings of these "modern" prints at the show. I hope to see more patterns to help our customers understand how to use them.

Halloween-Buttermilk Basin took a risk and dedicated the whole booth to autumn/halloween items and  it is a winner. My favorite there was a hooked wool squirrel with  a big loopy tail and some coordinating acorns. These are seasonal items that would appeal to folks who do not celebrate Halloween.

More Aprons!- If  you do not have apron patterns in yours store- give them a shot. Taylor Made pattern company had a version for mom and daughter- very cute for the holidays. More great options from Threaded Pear and Kwik Sew.

Yesterday I mentioned yo-yos- for the customer who doesn't want to make hers...Wimpole Street sells them already gathered.

Cute Little Things-Designers are responding to the "Not enough time to quilt" lament with lots of small projects that are great in-between or gifty projects. Lots of cute ideas for wool needle cases (Need'l Love) and pincushions (Reets Rags to Riches). I especially liked Wooden Spool Designs bumble bee needlecase and pincushions.

Display ideas always abound at Market but Blackbird Designs stepped out with a Princess and the Pea inspired bed piled high with mattresses and in between each mattress was a separate set of "covers" that included a quilt.

More trends and product ideas to come. Safe trip home from Market all- Beth