Monday
Jan182010
I have two things to say.
Monday, January 18, 2010 at 6:56PM
The first is this:
The second thing is to say:
I'm sorry.
I ask you to imagine a stack of papers this tall:
And on each paper was at least one skein of yarn. Some of the papers had two skeins of yarn, some had twenty. That pile represents 6,000 pieces of paper. Six thousand separate orders. That's how many orders were placed on our site in a three week time period in July and August.
Six thousand. So I want to say
again. Thank you for buying yarn from us. I hope you'll love it.
for being patient. It took me a long time to make all of that yarn -- too long. This experience has convinced me that yarn people are some of the nicest people in the world. Most people waited with exceeding patience and then had the kindness to email and say things like (and these quotes are taken directly from emails with the permission of the writer):
I don't share these out of vanity. I share them to applaud you, some of the bestest people in the world. These are the kinds of notes people send us after having waited for so long for their yarn.
I also want to share a couple of things with you. The first is that we made many of you wait a long time for your order, and while you were kind about it, it was still an inconvenience. I want to apologize for any inconvenience we've caused you. I know this was a sacrifice for some of you, and I don't take that lightly. Thank you.
Next, I want to answer a few questions for you.
Q: Why didn't you know how long it was going to take to make my order?
A: For a couple of reasons. The first reason is that we have a very unsophisticated shopping cart system. We are in the process of upgrading the shopping cart system now to something that has a lot more functionality. The additional functionality also means that it's more complicated from the back end, so it's taking us a little while to get everything done. Our current (unsophisticated) system does not compile orders. It cannot tell me, for example, "Hey, Yarnista, you've had 6,000 orders." Or, "Hey, Yarnista, 7,200 skeins of Georgia Peach have been ordered! ACK!" It wasn't until I began to sit down and print out every order one by one that I was able to count and see how many there were. The printing alone took me dozens of hours over the course of many months. It's a good thing I use recycled paper.
Secondly, having not mass produced any of the colorways that were contest winners, I significantly underestimated how long it would take me to dye them. And not just dye them, dye them and wash them and dry them and wind them and label them and package them and ship them. It took me much longer than expected to complete all of these tasks. I have no one to blame but myself. I take full responsibility for underestimating this, and if this inconvenienced you in any way, I am so sorry.
I also want you to know how hard I worked on these orders. Not so that you'll feel sorry for me, because I love handpainting yarn. But just so you'll be aware that your order was not lost or misplaced or uncared about. When I say I worked seven days a week, sometimes 14 hours a day, I mean it. When I say I had staff in the studio with me at least six days a week, often working overtime, I mean it. Please don't think your order was unimportant to us because it took a while to make it. I promise that the opposite was true -- I was and still am deeply committed to customer satisfaction, and I hope that every one of you loved what you received.
Q: What are you doing to make sure this doesn't happen again?
A: Good question. The first thing that we're doing is upgrading the shopping cart system. When this is in place, it's going to allow you to do things like log in and see where we are with your order. Imagine that! (Another feature our current system lacks.) The new shopping cart system will allow us to provide you with an upfront estimate of how long your order will take before you even get to the check out. (This will be made possible by the fact that our new system will actually compile orders!)
We are also increasing the number of retailers that carry our yarn, so you'll have better access to instock items via your LYS or your favorite web retailer. This will mean instant yarn gratification.
Our new system will allow you to choose a shipping method as well. You'll be able to select the cheapest option, expedited shipping via UPS/FedEx, etc. This will also give you more control over your orders.
We're adding two additional staff members in the coming months to help us better keep up with the flow of orders. This will help prevent a log jam from happening again.
We're going to be increasing the amount of instock items we have on hand, just in case you need something right away. You can contact us, and we'll see if we have something we can send immediately.
The good news is that all of the backlog from the Dye for Glory contest has been cleared, and we're now going to be focusing on quickly catching up with the rest of our orders. If you've been waiting for something, you'll be seeing it soon.
We're going to be closing to new orders for just a little bit (except for club members), but we're not going anywhere. We're just getting ready to finish up the shopping cart system, which we'll then test to death to make sure it's as bug free as possible. When we re-open, we're going to be debuting some new colorways and new products.
So,
again lovely, lovely customers and friends. I am so grateful to have you, and so grateful for your support.
The second thing is to say:
I'm sorry.
I ask you to imagine a stack of papers this tall:
And on each paper was at least one skein of yarn. Some of the papers had two skeins of yarn, some had twenty. That pile represents 6,000 pieces of paper. Six thousand separate orders. That's how many orders were placed on our site in a three week time period in July and August.
Six thousand. So I want to say
again. Thank you for buying yarn from us. I hope you'll love it.
for being patient. It took me a long time to make all of that yarn -- too long. This experience has convinced me that yarn people are some of the nicest people in the world. Most people waited with exceeding patience and then had the kindness to email and say things like (and these quotes are taken directly from emails with the permission of the writer):
"I just want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for the amazing yarn -- I have never seen anything like it, and it was absolutely worth the wait. THANK YOU THANK YOU!"
"I was doubtful that any yarn could be worth waiting months for, but you have proven me wrong. I am amazed, speechless, really. I will be back again and again."
"Thank you for being the best thing in my week. I can't tell you what this package has meant to me -- you are truly a gifted artist, and I want to thank you for sharing your talent."
I don't share these out of vanity. I share them to applaud you, some of the bestest people in the world. These are the kinds of notes people send us after having waited for so long for their yarn.
I also want to share a couple of things with you. The first is that we made many of you wait a long time for your order, and while you were kind about it, it was still an inconvenience. I want to apologize for any inconvenience we've caused you. I know this was a sacrifice for some of you, and I don't take that lightly. Thank you.
Next, I want to answer a few questions for you.
Q: Why didn't you know how long it was going to take to make my order?
A: For a couple of reasons. The first reason is that we have a very unsophisticated shopping cart system. We are in the process of upgrading the shopping cart system now to something that has a lot more functionality. The additional functionality also means that it's more complicated from the back end, so it's taking us a little while to get everything done. Our current (unsophisticated) system does not compile orders. It cannot tell me, for example, "Hey, Yarnista, you've had 6,000 orders." Or, "Hey, Yarnista, 7,200 skeins of Georgia Peach have been ordered! ACK!" It wasn't until I began to sit down and print out every order one by one that I was able to count and see how many there were. The printing alone took me dozens of hours over the course of many months. It's a good thing I use recycled paper.
Secondly, having not mass produced any of the colorways that were contest winners, I significantly underestimated how long it would take me to dye them. And not just dye them, dye them and wash them and dry them and wind them and label them and package them and ship them. It took me much longer than expected to complete all of these tasks. I have no one to blame but myself. I take full responsibility for underestimating this, and if this inconvenienced you in any way, I am so sorry.
I also want you to know how hard I worked on these orders. Not so that you'll feel sorry for me, because I love handpainting yarn. But just so you'll be aware that your order was not lost or misplaced or uncared about. When I say I worked seven days a week, sometimes 14 hours a day, I mean it. When I say I had staff in the studio with me at least six days a week, often working overtime, I mean it. Please don't think your order was unimportant to us because it took a while to make it. I promise that the opposite was true -- I was and still am deeply committed to customer satisfaction, and I hope that every one of you loved what you received.
Q: What are you doing to make sure this doesn't happen again?
A: Good question. The first thing that we're doing is upgrading the shopping cart system. When this is in place, it's going to allow you to do things like log in and see where we are with your order. Imagine that! (Another feature our current system lacks.) The new shopping cart system will allow us to provide you with an upfront estimate of how long your order will take before you even get to the check out. (This will be made possible by the fact that our new system will actually compile orders!)
We are also increasing the number of retailers that carry our yarn, so you'll have better access to instock items via your LYS or your favorite web retailer. This will mean instant yarn gratification.
Our new system will allow you to choose a shipping method as well. You'll be able to select the cheapest option, expedited shipping via UPS/FedEx, etc. This will also give you more control over your orders.
We're adding two additional staff members in the coming months to help us better keep up with the flow of orders. This will help prevent a log jam from happening again.
We're going to be increasing the amount of instock items we have on hand, just in case you need something right away. You can contact us, and we'll see if we have something we can send immediately.
The good news is that all of the backlog from the Dye for Glory contest has been cleared, and we're now going to be focusing on quickly catching up with the rest of our orders. If you've been waiting for something, you'll be seeing it soon.
We're going to be closing to new orders for just a little bit (except for club members), but we're not going anywhere. We're just getting ready to finish up the shopping cart system, which we'll then test to death to make sure it's as bug free as possible. When we re-open, we're going to be debuting some new colorways and new products.
So,
again lovely, lovely customers and friends. I am so grateful to have you, and so grateful for your support.
Reader Comments (30)
we love you too!
Holy mother of pearl! Sharon you truly are the nicest Yarnista and woman ever. It comes across in each and every skein of yarn the love you have for your business; as a customer I so appreciate all the extra TLC you give us! It would be worth a wait forever.
That is incredible! :o
But yes, your yarn is absolutely worth waiting for. I would have waited twice as long for Ms. Peach, and been just as grateful to be one of the lucky ones to receive it. You have a gift, and I am so glad to be a club member!
I hope your time off includes a bit of relaxation time; I'm sure there hasn't been much of that in the past 6 months!
Looking forward to the 3IG Ravelympics yarn, and the new colorways! (And hoping that Springvale Bulky will be available!!)
We love you too! You are the bestest Yarnista ever...not only are you super-talented at what you do, but you have the most incredible work and business ethic I have ever witnessed. All that and more, while being a genuinely lovely person.
When I first saw the Dye for Glory colourways you came up with, I had a feeling that you would be swamped with orders. But never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that you would receive 6000 orders in a three week time span. Wow! How overwhelming! You have handled this with much grace and hard work. Enjoy your break, such as it is (we are such demanding customers!)....you truly deserve it.
Congratulations, Sharon! You deserve all the best.
Sharon, those photos are mindblowing. I thought I had it bad, going through a ream of paper every month in my job.... but I don't have to dye lots of skeins of yarn for every piece of paper I print out ;)
Wonderful news all the way around!! Sounds like you are definitely implementing some great things - things to make our experience even better than usual (which is hard to imagine) and things to make your life easier as well.
You are one awesome Yarnista Sharon! But more importantly you are an awesome person!!
Thanks so much!!
Sharon, you are an amazing lady. Your passion for your work shines through in every skein of yarn you make. Thanks for all of your hard work and keep up the good work! It sounds like there are great things ahead!
Sharon, you are a dear. You have been working harder than I could even have imagined in my wildest, yarn filled dreams (and dreams they would be because you were surrounded by yarn after all). I am so glad that share your visions of color with all of us.
You were the best when I was looking for a Christmas present for a friend who was in need of a pick me up. You found some beautiful yarn that you had in stock and packaged it up for me and sent it. During all this. With all those orders. Oh my.
We love you.
Stacy and the silly willy sleepin' rugrats
p.s. - I can send you my C.V. I have plenty of art experience (does crayolas and colored paper count?). I can relocate. Well, maybe I should talk to my husband about that part. But I am sure it would be ok.
I love my Georgia Peach and it was definitely worth the wait! I'm glad you let us know how many orders you got (in a 3 week period!!) I figured it had to be a huge number---each colorway was awesome! I really love my yarn, but you really need to have time for yourself and your family (little kids grow up realllly fast!!) Hopefully, you'll work that out! :)
It was definitely worth the wait! All that plus club orders and everything else and you were still always so nice when we (at least me) bugged you about where stuff was. Can't wait to see the new colors-- I bet you'll have another 6000 orders :)
I love you too! Loved reading this and all your recent blog posts!!
Congrats Sharon. You have handled the limelight and the back-breaking work very gracefully and you have the ABSOLUTE BEST customer service in the knitting world.
Kudos to you, your staff, your helpers, and your family :) We love you.
Incredible! You must have been swamped by all the orders, not to say the amount of beautiful yarn the orders represented. Think of all the love the skeins received when they arrived in their new homes! Thanks a lot for my lovelies...
Does this mean that you'll be the Yarnista Supreme full time?
Holy...smokes. I knew it was a lot of yarn. I never thought, in my wildest dreams, that it was that many orders. I'm so glad you're going to be taking some time off--I've done 6 month deployments (and it's been about 6 months for you on this) where I was working 12+ hour days, 7 days a week, but NEVER for the full 6 months! I can't even begin to imagine how exhausting that would be. I'm so glad you're going to have the chance now to make the improvements that will make your life easier...and I'm looking forward to all of the new goodies when you get back!
I'm speechless. 6000 orders? In three weeks? I'm no math genius, but that's 2000 orders a week. 285.7 orders per day, 7 days a week. And that's orders, and not just single skeins, presumably. Wow.
Take whatever time you need to fill your orders. Not only do you have regular orders, you have all the monthly club orders.
We love what you do and how well you do it.
And may I tell you how thrilled I am that you are blogging every day? It's the first thing I look at. I know you're incredibly busy, but it's just one more example of your generous spirit.
Take care of yourself. Thankss for everything.
Kudos to you. You are one special person. You say that you are shy but you don't blog like you are shy. I am honored to know you and to be a customer. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the beauty that you create and for being you!
I am in awe! I knew that you would be incredibly busy after the DFG colors were released; I could never imagine the amount of gorgeous yarn that you have produced in such a relatively short time. I hope that this is just the beginning of many great accolades! I am grateful to be a club member and will continue to be one as long as I can hold the needles in my hands!
Yay for a growing business - you deserve it. As said above, you handled this whole situation most gracefully and are no doubt exhausted. Glad you are caught up - now maybe you can rest a bit and spend time with your family. After all, that is what is really important. Best wishes for continued success (within reason). I think you should relax and join us iin the Ravelympics - knitting with team Sheepnuts. We love ya' Yarnista!
you're amazing.
i'd be in a coma.
WE LOVE YOU!!!
Well I didn't send you a thank you note, but I thought about it many time since receiving my yarn. It is simply stunning. I look forward to you re-opening soon :)
All I can say is Wow! That's a lot of orders...lots of yarn. You totally deserve some rest. And I'm so happy for you being caught up...it's so great to see you posting and hanging out on Rav again :)
Congrats again!
You're sure one busy lady. I'm very thankful for all my yarn from you and have never given a second thought if/when there's been waiting involved. I know how hard you're working, you do create art, and I don't mind waiting for that.
What you've got planned all sounds so great, so I'm eager to see what you do this year! Be blessed and hope you've rested up since that DFG onslaught!
Thank you so much for posting this. It's nice to understand why things were so backed up, even if it's after the fact. 6000 orders? Wow!! No wonder.
To be honest, I wasn't sure that I would be ordering from you again, based on my last purchasing experience. But now that I read this, and understand why things happened the way they did, I will be back. I promise!
I had a feeling the DFG colors would take a while, especially with the different processes. My Georgia Peach was totally worth the wait. And hmm, I'm in the area...