Musings - Industry news, events & other fun stuff

A Day In the Life of a Mail Order

Have you ever wondered what happens to an order you place with us? How many people handle it? What fun and interesting places it visits? Well here is a day in the life of a mail order at our shop...

It's 11pm Sunday night and you've just placed an on-line through our shopping cart. Once you've submitted it the shopping cart system (which is in Georgia) assigns a 12 digit number, archives the order and e-mails a copy to us and to you. The e-mail version does not contain credit card information - for that we have to log into the server later. Usually within a few minutes of placing the order the e-mail copy arrives at our e-mail server, waiting for us to check e-mail later. Since we're closed on Monday it may or may not get read on Monday. Sometimes Cathe checks e-mail from home that day (or in the evenings) and she can print a copy of the order to the shop printer (Virtual Private Networks are so useful) and let you know we've gotten it. Otherwise it will get read the next day by either Rachele, Cathe or Debi and you'll get a confirmation e-mail we received the order. We do this because the automated copy you got when you placed the order really only lets you know the system accepted the order. We like to make sure you know we in fact have received it and are working on it. If you don't get that reply within a couple of days it's always a good idea to call us because no system is fool proof (especially not e-mail). If you've called in your order you know we got it, and if you've sent an e-mail or left us a message we also try to send something so you aren't left wondering.

Now we've printed your order, let you know we got it and it's in the queue to get pulled. In any given day we can get between 5 and 30 orders via the shopping cart, e-mail and phone (and that doesn't count special orders from in the shop or customers in the store during our regular ours). We put orders in the queue based on when the order came in or in some cases, if we know it's an urgent order. This is one of the reasons that it's always good to let us know if you have a deadline, especially an urgent one. It helps us prioritize the orders when we're pulling them and when we pack and ship them.

How long it takes us to pull an order is really dependent upon the number of items and whether or not we have to cut fabric. An order for 30 colors of a single type of thread takes much less time to pull than one with 8 pieces of fabric to be cut. If we've been asked to color match something or pick colors, that can also elongate how long it takes us to pull an order. It can be anywhere from 2 mintues to upwards of an hour for more complicated orders. If you've asked for your fabric to be serged or your canvas to be taped we do that when the order is being pulled and we try hard to keep threads in the same dyelot if you've requested that. As the order is pulled we check off what we have in stock, place it in zip top bag and continue with each item. Those we don't have get marked as such and the person who pulled the order initials and dates it in case there are questions later.

Once an order is pulled it either goes in our "incomplete" bin or in the "ready to ship" bin. Incomplete orders have several more steps and hands they go through. Debi or Cathe goes through each order to determine what needs to be ordered, if we can get the item and who we need to order it from. We order from over 200 different vendors so there's a lot of information both in our heads an in our database about where items come from. Plus some vendors have order minimums, both for single items and for the entire order. We put the missing items on Purchase Orders, write that number on the order form and log them in a spreadsheet with your name, the vendor, what the item is and your order number and date. If you wanted a partial shipment the order now goes tothe "ready to ship" queue. If you wanted it held for all the items it goes in our "missing items" bins (sorted alphabetically) after we've sent you an e-mail to let you know what needed to be ordered and some idea of a time frame. Time frames are tricky because there are so man factors to take into account. How often we order from that vendor. How long they usually take to ship. Did we just do an order, etc. It can take us a while to get through the incomplete orders because there is so much more paperwork to do for them. So you might not hear from us about what's missing until 3 or 4 days after your order has been placed.

Assuming your order is complete it's now sitting in the "ready to ship" queue. We ship most orders either on Wednesday or Sunday (effectively Monday) when Cheryl is in. Some orders do go out the other days of the week but it depends upon how many are in the queue, how busy we are with in-store customers, etc. Your order is checked again when it's packed so we're sure we pulled the right stuff. We do occasionally find errors we have to fix and even then we still sometimes miss things (we are human after all). Once it's been checked, it's packed - we tissue wrap most orders to keep things neat and because it's more fun to get a nicely wrapped package than a jumble. We put it in whatever shipping package it's going in and weigh it to caluclate the shipping charge. We ship First Class mail for close to 90% of our orders because it's generally the least expensive and generally reliable. If you placed your order on-line you chose the shipping method and we also ship Priority Mail, Global Mail, Air Mail, UPS and FedEx. For orders over $50 we insure it and add that to the shipping charge if appropriate (UPS and FedEx automatically cover the first $100). Once it's packed, weighed and we know the shipping cost we enter the order into our computer system, retrieve the credit card information if we don't have it on file and charge the order. If we have any problems with the charge we'll either call or e-mail you and we put the package in a special bin for such occurances. After the charge has gone through (or we've received a check) we create and print the shipping label. If your order is going out UPS or FedEx you get an e-mail from their systems with the tracking numbers. For USPS our mailing software generates an e-mail that we send on to you to let you know when the package shipped and how. With USPS we can't track packages so once we pop it in the PO Box we never know where it is or when it will really arrive but we've had very few packages actually disappear with the USPS (only 3 in 6 years). It can take a lot longer than you think so if we shipped it Wednesday and you think you should get it Saturday it might take til the following Saturday. We never know and we've learned to be patient. Once the package is labeled it goes in a box we stash packages in until the end of the day when we either take them to the USPS drop box (up the street at the Post Office), to the UPS drop box across the street or to FedEx down the street. Your completed paperwork goes in another queue to get filed and we generally keep them for 3 months before we shred them.

If your order was incomplete we add to it as items come in and at some point, either when it is complete or when we've gotten significantly more of it, it goes in the "ready to ship" queue. If we can no longer obtain an item or if the delay is significant we'll either send you an e-mail or call you to let you know. Some hand-dyed fabrics and threads can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 months to come in.

From start to finish an order can go through the hands of anywhere from 2 to 5 staff. It can take a single day to get printed, pulled and shipped, a week for that to happen or it can several weeks if we have to wait for special order items to come in. The volume of orders definitely affects this as well as how complicated each order can be. With the variety of product we carry in the store the variation in orders is sometimes mind boggling. But we love having this part of the business and getting to know stitchers from near and far who aren't always able to physically visit us in the shop. We hope you enjoy shopping with us as well and that this helps you understand a bit more about what goes on behind the scenes with your orders.

Nashville Cash 'n Carry Show - Sunday

Well it's after midnight and we have finished packing to come home Monday afternoon. The show was open from 9am - 4pm and we took advantage of every shopping moment, with the exception of the short break to deal with our Southwest boarding passes (one should never pass up the opportunity to be in the A group). Debi and I made our way through the remaining two floors, which were filled with another 60 or so vendors we had to check out. For many, we select our purchases and come back later to pick them up since time is of the essence, both for us and for them. So after a couple of trips to the room to drop off what we'd gathered throughout the day we made one last pass during the last half-hour to get all the things we had to "go back" for. It never fails that we managed to forget someone so at about 7pm when I was madly entering the items in our to database (I bring a copy with me) I had the sudden "oh no, we forgot...". Fortunately the vendor (Hillside Samplings) was just finishing their own packing up and we were the last package in their queue. So Debi was able to run downstairs and retrieve it. Worst case, they would have sent it to us, but we try not to freak them out by forgetting or purchases.

I spent from 5pm until about 11pm entering data and at that point hit the wall. The brain would not handle any more database work so we decided to go ahead and pack. As always it's a tight squeeze but with the help of larger box we scrounged from one of the vendor floors, we think we've gotten it all sorted. Hopefully none of the bags weighs more than 50 lbs. I can usually tell but once in a while I'm over zealous in what I think it will weigh. But we can move a few things around if we have to so we can balance out the load. Thank heaven for Southwest's 3 checked bags per person policy. They are the only airline that allows 3 per person so we try to fly them whenever we go to a Cash 'n Carry show.

I have a few photos I'll add after I get back on Monday. I don't want to have unpack the camera cable for the computer at this point. But there'll be just a few more photos to show what it looks like before we pack it all up to bring home.

We'll have most items ready to put out sometime on Tuesday and we'll add a few each day as we finish off the data entry and labeling. If you've heard about something, just give us a holler. It'll be a couple of days before I get the list posted of everything we brough back.

I hope you enjoyed our little adventure in Cash 'n Carry land.

Nashville Cash 'n Carry Show - Saturday

Well, we have finished our first day of marathon shopping and after another wonderful dinner with the Needlework Maffia, we are ready to wind down the day. We started out at breakfast around 8am, where we fortify ourselves for the day. Debi and I rarely take the time to each lunch at this particular show since shopping time is so limited. The show on Saturday runs from 9am - 6pm and we are on the move the entire day. There are 5 floors of vendors with about 30-35 vendors per floor. Our normal course of action is to hit the couple of vendors we must get to early on Saturday because of limited edition items and then we methodically go floor by floor.

So this morning we started out picking a few limited edition items at Hillside Samplings followed by a brief visit to Indigo Rose. Catherine has a family member who's the manager of a Starbucks so she brings coffe with her to brew in her room all day and it's a magnet for the caffeine addicts (of which Debi is one). After a cup of good coffee we're off the complete our rounds. Vendor rooms are on floors 2 through 6 and we worked our way through the 2nd floor until about 1pm. This floor included From Nancy's Needle, The Hearts Content, Liz Turner Diehl, Britstitch, HIllside Samplings, Threads of Gold and Week's Dye Works. We filled up our rolly-carts (the truly indespensible tool of any trade show) and when done with that floor took a break and retreated to our hotel room on the 9th floor. A quick "necessary" break, a phone call to confirm dinner, depositing our new found goodies on the couch and we're off for the afteroon.

We had to drop off an order at Just Another Button Company on floor 6 so that was our next floor to conquer. This floor included Picture This Plus, Marking Sampler, Silver Lining, Fancy Work, Lizzie Kate, JBW Designs, Sisters and Best Friends, Sam Sarah Designs, R&R Reproductions and Blackbird Designs. That took us until about 3:30 or so to complete, then time for another trip to the room, more depositing of goodies and off for round three today.

Our last floor today was the 5th floor, which had Dinky Dyes, BIZZI Creations, Cat's Whiskers, Kelmscott Designs, Art-Stitch, Kreinik, Pine Mountain Designs, Hob-Nobb Designs, Whimsey & Wit, Patricia Ann Designs, Brightneedle and With My Needle. We try to take a little time to visit with vendors, especially those we've known for a long time, but there's not always enough time for as lengthy a visit as we would like. But at least we get to catch up a little on what's new with many of them. We finished floor 5 about 5:55pm so it was time to head back to the room again and then get ready for dinner. So in 9 hours we visited about 100 vendors, bought lots of goodies and wore our poor feet out. Ok, in my case it seems like my knees are what can't take the stop 'n go traffice like they used to.

Dinner was at the Stockyard restaurant, a fabulous steak house in the old stockyard building just outside of downtown Nashville. It was an actual stockyard until the mid 70's and has been a restuarant for most tof the time since then. We had an absolutely fabulous wait staff, with the quote of the evening being "I love it when you moan" from our head waiter. I can't recall the last time I laughed so much at a dinner and it wasn't even comedy night! The food was wonderful and as always, the enjoyment of dinner with our friends was the highlight.

We're settling down for the night - printing boarding passes for those leaving tomorrow on flights home and getting paperwork sorted. Actually I'm writing this while Debi is sorting paperwork. We're not leaving until Monday in the early afternoon so we've got time for a change, to go through our purchases and sort them all out before we pack them. Usually we leave on the last flight out Sunday to Oakland but decided this year to stay an extra day and not be so rushed. I think it's going to be a welcome change even it means not spending another night in my own bed.

We have bought and ordered a lot of new items for you. New bead kits, a new scroll frame system to try out along with a new lap stand, new samplers, a few new punch needle designs (which I love), new cross-stitch designs and a few fabrics. We'll publish a separate list of the new items when we get them all cataloged - hopefully by the time we get back.

Tomorrow is the last two floors and we only have 7 hours (9am - 4pm) to get them done. This includes Bent Creek, Little by Little, Crescent Colours, Milady's Needle, Heart in Hand, Twisted Thread and the list goes on. So another 60 or so vendors to vist and explore. But now it's time for a good night's rest!!!

Nashville Cash 'n Carry Show - Friday

Debi & I had an uneventful flight Thursday from Oakland to Nashville for our annual Cash 'n Carry show here. This show is held in an Embassy Suites and features a large number of Counted Thread designers. Each vendor uses their room to display and sell product from and we go from room-to-room finding fun things to order and/or bring home. Cash 'n Carry means we do in fact bring much of it home with us in our suitcases (thank heaven for Southwest's 3 checked bags policy!). There are 4 floors of vendor rooms and the show runs all day Saturday and until 4pm on Sunday. So there is a lot to see and do during those 2 days.

Thursday evening we went out to a fabulous dinner at Merchants in downton Nashville with the Needlework Maffia and Cathy & Bob Campbell of Primitive Traditions. The Needlework Maffia is made up of Jean from Attich Needlework, Jeannine from Acorns & Threads, Deb from Stitchville USA and myself. We were given this name by Dave Vanosdall of The Sweetheart Tree a few years ago and it kind of stuck. Along from our shops was Deb (NIAH), Debbie (Attic), Harriet (Stitchville) and Roz (Acorns). With 10 of us for dinner we were able to grab a limo at the hotel and ride in style!!! Dinner was wonderful, mostly because we got to hang out with our good friends.

Friday is a day for classes and for visiting with even more friends in our industry. We also usually attend the Retailers Luncheon, which a number of shops come to. This year one long time shop owner shared her ideas for shop success and we all came away with at least one or two new ideas for our own shop. Debi has a couple of afternoon classes and I'm spending the day writing up reports for various things before meeting with some other shop owners and vendors regarding an event at our summer trade show in Columbus. Friday night is Meet & Greet, where we get to see something new from many of the vendors exhibiting here. Then we get prepared for the main event - 2 days of shopping!