Last week I posted a survey on my Facebook page and the feedback, suggestions, and ideas were FABULOUS!!! Thank you to all of you who took your time to help me improve my shop! It was such a fun and positive experience I can't wait to have another one!!!
One suggestion that several of you had was a customer loyalty program. I absolutely LOVE this idea! I have been working on this idea and am struggling to find the easiest way to make it work for all of us, so now I need your help again!!!
I love getting my little card punched at my local quilt shop...always reminds me that I have some free fabric coming my way - love this! Since we don't have the face-to-face card punching option, I need a way to implement a program that gives all of you this same happy "Whoo hoo, Free Fabric" feeling with your packages! My only requirement is for a program that is not time and labor intensive for me! I have a very limited amount of time (like ALL of us!) so I need a customer loyalty program to be very simple and straight-forward, without any additional bookkeeping for me.
My thought is this: with each purchase I will send you "Diva Dollars" with your package. I can either have specific "This many Diva Dollars buys you this much fabric" guidelines, or they can have a dollar value in my shop. Which would you prefer?
As for redeeming your "Diva Dollars" I could either ask that you mail them to me and I would then apply your credit to a custom listing, OR, you could text or e-mail me a picture of your combined "Diva Dollars" and then I would apply them to a custom listing. I want a program that rewards all of you fabulous people who buy my fabric, but with instant gratification and no bookwork. Yes, I would like to have a lollipop and world peace too, but for now I'll focus on a loyalty program!
Do you see that I'm totally stuck!?! Ugh, really looking forward to your suggestions on this topic!!!
If you read this and have an even better idea to this "Diva Dollars" concept PLEASE share! I absolutely adore all of you and feel like I've made so many new friends all over the world, which has been the happiest bonus about starting my shop! Seriously, you all are the BEST and I can't wait to start up a program to benefit your loyalty and fabric addictions! ;-)
To offer your ideas or suggestions please leave a comment on this post. You can comment using your name, your shop name, or completely anonymous - please do what is most comfortable! If you use your shop name, by all means please include your shop website so my followers can check you out! Free advertising!
* * * * *
On a separate topic, SEVERAL mentions were made about International shipping! Enough mentions that I want to address it so you all have some answers!!! Shipping fees for First-Class Mail are 100% based on the weight of the package. In the US, anything over 2 yards has to ship Priority Mail for $4.95, because First Class Mail is SO much more expensive! Yes, 2 Yards will ship for $3.50 within the US, but as soon as I add a Fat Quarter, it is $4.95! I don't like this, but this is the way it is.
As for International shipping charges, the US postal service (USPS) raised Priority Mail envelopes to Canada by $2 to $12.95 and to all other International addresses by $3+ to $16.95 earlier this year. I am outraged by these steep price hikes, but at the same time, my profit margin is so low I don't have the ability to pay these increases myself. The ONE HAPPY BONUS that has come from these price hikes is that I was annoyed enough to figure out how to safely package an additional TWO YARDS of fabric into each Priority Mail envelope! It is amazing what I can do with some ribbon, tissue paper, and some serious arm muscles! Oh yeah, a little "Diva" attitude too! ;-)
For all of the added frustration these shipping increases have caused you, I am sincerely sorry! I am always looking for better shipping options so if you ever learn of a better shipping company and/or options, please send me a note - I will properly thank you, trust me!!!
I am SO honored and humbled by each sale, each time you all choose to shop with me! I am so humbled by your outpouring of love and smiles you send me daily, and I am very eager to start up a customer loyalty program to send some love and smiles right back to each of you! You all are the BEST!!!
* * * * *
My blog has been sadly neglected the past few months, but the good news is I have several of my customers with FABULOUS shops that I will be featuring very soon, and most of them have amazing tutorials they are going to post! Time to get excited!!!
All the best,
Tayva - StitchStashDiva
