June 20, 2012

Giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for your comments!

Who likes giveaways?  I know I do!  I haven't done one for a while, so it's definitely time.  *smile*

There's a little back story to the prize I'm offering, so bear with me for a moment while I offer up some praise for Claire Brennan of Waltzingmouse Stamps.

As soon as the new stamps were released at Waltzingmouse last month, I put in my order for the darling new Half Pint Heroines, a perfect companion set to one of my all-time favorites, Half Pint Heroes.

In usual Waltzingmouse fashion, I got my order (from Ireland to Massachusetts) in just over a week.  Unfortunately, I had been sent Half Pint Heroes instead of the new Heroines.  When I contacted Claire and offered to return the set in exchange for the Heroines, she told me to share it with a crafty friend instead.  How sweet is that?!

Of course, I only mention the initial mix-up so that I can relate to you, my friends, how gracefully it was handled.  I never get bent out of shape over an honest mistake, and any business large or small can make them.  What earns my respect and loyalty is when those little hiccups are dealt with in a prompt and attentive manner, and Waltzingmouse definitely passed that test with flying colors!  Thanks to Claire for her generosity in allowing me to share this set with one of my followers!

**Just so you know, I haven't been asked by Claire or anyone else to share this story with you, I just love giving praise where it is deserved and letting other stampers know about great customer service.**

Here's the set up for grabs:


For your chance to win, simply leave a comment on this post telling me about a great Customer Service experience you've had--it doesn't have to be craft-related.  

International friends are welcome to enter, too!


I'm going to be sharing some cards made with this set starting tomorrow, so be sure to come back for those!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Have a great day!

53 comments:

Erin (Homemade Cards by Erin) said...

Grin... love this... don't put my name in the hat for the winner, b/c we too were so graciously given Half Pint Heroes by Claire... my oldest son loves to craft and after participating in a number of WMS challenges Claire decided that he "needed" this set and sent it to him. So now whenever I use Half Pint Heroes I'm informed that it's "his" set and it's okay if I use it, but I have to follow my own craft room rules.

Marisa said...

Always nice to hear about companies who cater to their clients! Thanks for sharing this wonderful story and a chance to win this adorable set!

A wonderful service experience was when a sales rep. took me right to the isle where I was looking for batteries for my phone and when they didn't carry them, he took apart a box with the phone model we had, took the batteries out of the box and gave them to me saying they could get them easier than I could so I could take them!

Unknown said...

how nice of both of you to give this set away!

We recently had leafaway guards installed on our gutters and the entire customer service process was wonderful all the way to the quote and the timeliness of it. They even installed them before I could make a down payment. I call that good customer service

Veronica Z said...

That is such a sweet story! Thank you for sharing it. It is refreshing to read about companies that do excel in customer service. I rarely have stamping related customer service issues but A Muse Studio and Stamping Up have given me wonderful customer service in the past. Thank you for sharing such an adorable set!

Joyce said...

What a wonderful story. This stamp set is so cute, and I would love to win it. My story also involves Claire and Waltzingmouse. When I received my French Country set, there were a couple of stamps that wouldn't stamp right--problem with the flashing I have since learned. When I contacted WM customer service and explained the situation, I referred them to my blog, where I had posted the card I made. I got an immediate, horrified response from Claire, who apologized profusely and immediately sent me a new set. No questions, no demanding the return of the set, no insinuations that I was stamping incorrectly. I will always remember the grace with which she handled this situation.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the chance to win Christina! I've had more good customer service than bad. In fact I can't think of anything bad! Anytime something has been wrong, it's been taken care of!

Marybeth said...

I too had a similar customer service with Claire. One image of a stamp was damaged, I told Claire and she felt so bad she said she would send me a new one right away. Later that day I told her I was placing another order and she could add the replacement with my order.. Well, she put my order with hers Claire paid for the shipping ? That was so far above and beyond. I happen to love shopping at a place that has stellar customer service. Waltzingmouse is that place!

Mary-Anne V said...

I am glad you shared your story about the stamp mixup...its nice when people do those random acts of kindness esp. when they own a business. I have not had anything as wonderful as that but whenever I have had to address a concern I have never been disappointed by the people who have helped me out. thanks for sharing your story and the chance to win.

Ashley Newell said...

The other day, I took my son to Chick-fil-a (a fast food place) for his birthday. When they found out that it was my son's birthday, they gave him a free ice cream. I don't expect that kind of service at fast food and it made my son's day. He felt SO special! He's 5 now.

Kara Lynne said...

Good for you to give credit where credit is due. My first stamp order at Lili of the Valley must've been lost in the mail. They could've said they were not responsible, but they so graciously re-sent the order, no questions asked, and it was an expensive order!

Chunyuan said...

I love to hear about the great custom services. I have been admiring Waltzingmouse Stamps, now it is another attaction to order from them. I have not had any impressive great custom service experience for awhile to share.

June K said...

No need to enter me in the give away but I wanted to comment that I have heard nothing but excellent customer service stories about Claire and WMS. It is so great that she provides such superior service and all the way across from Ireland, too.

anya said...

That sounds like Claire! :)

Thanks for sharing this story Christina, it is so great to hear other people love WMS as much as I do! :)

Wendy said...

That is so nice of claire and so nice of you to give us a chance to win it. Just recently my husband and I purshase smartphones for the fisrt time along with opening a new account witn Sprint. About about a month after our purchase my pone started acting up and was not charging up at all. We went back to the store where the guy that helped remember us...long story short even thought it was past the 14 days for a replacement he went ahead reaplaced my phone, gave me a new wall charger at no charge and let me keep the battery from the phone that was getting reaplace since the issue was with the phone and not the battery. We were so thanksful for how he took care of the problen and how kind he was...is not often that one gets good costumer servise these days. Thanks for sharing this...I have not yet made a purchase from Waltzingmouse but is nice to know that when I do they will take good care of me. Love the images of their stamps.

Kim S said...

I was having trouble coming up with anything so I asked my family...they couldn't come up with anything either but we spent the last half hour recalling BAD experiences. Sad, isn't it?

My favorite all-time experience was from some time ago. There is a little town in the mountains of Colorado called Georgetown. It had a little book shop run by a little old lady. I had been backcountry skiing before I stopped into her shop. I found some wonderful books and threw out my credit card...I only carry the card and an ID when I ski. But she didn't take credit. Without any hesitation, she said "that's OK dearie, here's my address...send me a check when you get home.". You can bet that I stopped at that store every single time I was in the mountains with my checkbook in hand.

I found out later that the biggest bookstore in Denver sent their employees to her shop to train!

Karen B. said...

What a great story, Christina! I had some really great customer service from Kate at I heart Papers. I needed to combine some gift certificates, emailed her - on a weekend- and she promptly responded back with a new code so I could order that day. Fast shipping for them too! I would love to win this set, it'd be perfect for my boys.

Renee said...

Claire is a true gem!
I say it all the time...
but when it's true... :)
And not entering for the drawing...
just wanted to say how special you both are!!

Tracey McNeely said...

Seriously I have never heard anything but praise about Claire and Waltzingmouse. This makes me want to go ahead with that initial order I have been putting off for too long. I think it is wonderful that you shared this story--I agree give praise where praise is due. Living in Canada and visiting the states I will say that those who work in retail in the U.S. are the most pleasant that I have come across. Sadly customer service does not seem to be a priority at home. When I shop in the states I feel that the salespeople feel lucky to have a job and that makes me feel special.

Anonymous said...

Just was in the store this weekend trying to buy a swimsuit and the one that I wanted they didn't have. They found it for me and shipped it FREE...I just got it today and there was the nicest note attached. It really made my day. Thanks for sharing always and the chance to win such cute stamps.

Joan B said...

please don't consider me for the set as I already have it. just wanted to say how happy it makes me to see Claire and Waltzingmouse acknowledged this way. And you are kind to give away the set, rather than sell it.

Kristin said...

Love these kinds of stories!! :)

Stamps are super cute! I love some of those phrases for my kiddos :).

Thanks for the opportunity to win

Unknown said...

I've had great experiences with my Amuse Consultant. She's worked with me when my order almost qualified for promotions that I didn't know about before hand.

Thanks for the chance to win, Christina. Claire really is a class act!

Darnell said...

Thanks for the chance to win Christina! I recently ordered clear resealable bags from Clear Bags and a nice young man called me a few minutes after I'd placed my online order to tell me he noticed that it was cheaper for me if they sent them through the post office, so my total was $3.50 less. That's not a lot of money, but in my book, that's a lot of customer service!

The Paper Parade said...

Christina, I love this set! I can't wait to see what you make with it :) And what awesome customer service...really amazing! So for my example of excellent customer service, it is from cutathome.com. I ordered the Sizzix Big Shot Pro from them, but she called me back and said unfortunately they were sold out at the moment. She told me when it would be back in and asked if I'd like to wait or have a refund. I decided to wait. Not only did it arrive in a timely fashion, but she also sent some brand new embossing folders along with it as a special treat!

Kim Heggins said...

To date I have not had any problems with Waltzingmouse stamps or their customer service but have heard many stories about how sweet and gracious Claire has been about everything. It is always nice to hear this type of story, thank you for sharing it and thank you for the chance to win this adorable set.

Sharron said...

When talking about excellent customer service, I don't have to think further than WM! Claire certainly is the best. I don't know of anyone who provides better customer service. I had problems a while back with little pieces peeling off of a few stamps. It wasn't a lot of them but I thought I should notify Claire in case I was doing something wrong. Well, she immediately replaced the sets. And anything that is ordered from WM is always handled quickly and efficiently. It's wonderful to know an answer is just an email away whenever a problem arises. I am loving Half Pint Heroines so much so would love to add Heroes. Thanks for the sweet way both you and Claire are handling this!

Cathy Weber said...

I also had a great customer service experience with Waltzingmouse...I received a replacement set of stamps within 2 weeks and also had the most heartfelt apology as well, totally unnecessary but was very nice to hear. Thanks for the chance to win a super cute stamp set...very generous of both you and Claire!

Lee Anne said...

I haven't purchased any WMS yet, but every time I browse her site, this set is first on my list. Just LOVE it!

I love great customer service stories! My most recent one doesn't involve crafting. It involves Sonic! Apparently the manager there thought that I had been waiting too long for my drink and gave it to me for free. Loved that!!

Banu said...

WOW, what a wonderful experience and thanks for the give away. I do not own any WMS Stamps yet and have heard about their great service.

My own personal great service has been with Gina K designs. Once I got a stamp set with the correct index sheet, but the wrong stamp inside the packet. I was told to keep that and they sent me the right stamp set right away. Just way too good.

kari bell said...

My local LEGO store let me exchange an unopened LEGO set (that I inadvertently bought a duplicate of for my son) even though I didn't have a receipt, which I believe is their policy. The box was clearly brand new. I'll definitely return there!!

{i've been eyeing the half pint heroes set, thanks for this chance to win.}

Anonymous said...

Hahahhaha this set is adorable! Thanks for introducing WMS to me too... and yay for GREAT customer service :) I can definitely see myself purchasing from them in the near future!

Amy Kolling said...

I think lately the best customer service has got to be the girls at Absolutely Everything! I've ordered multiple times and each time I get a little something extra in my package as a thank you. One time I ordered but not everything was in stock, so they went ahead and sent what was in stock and then shipped the other stuff once it came in! I ordered enough for free shipping too and they still mailed 2 packages because they didn't want me to wait! Awesome service!!!

xiumaiyuki said...

Claire is the BEST, isn't she? I just love her and her stamps.

Karen Dunbrook said...

I also enjoy about great customer service. I have purchased a few things from Simon Says and always had quick, great service with good communication. Here is Canada, the delivery is so long and shipping rates can be so high but they are awesome about keeping it reasonable and processed so quickly. Paper Smooches is another fab company with the owner Kim, replying to my emails...wonderfully reasonable shipping and great communications.

Kara said...

Luckily, I have had no customer service issues anywhere. Every problem I have had so far has been taken care of to my satisfaction online and in stores. Knock on wood! Thanks for the sweet giveaway. Claires sounds like such a kind person!!

Njeri said...

Just this week we I was shopping for a gift for one of our clients who had a baby, I went to a baby shop and the staff not only made the experience easy, they also gave me a free sippy cup.

Suzanne said...

Hi Christina! What a lovely post- thanks for the chance to win this stamp set! I also placed an order for the Heroines set, as well as some other Waltzingmouse stamp sets, and this was my first order with the company. Within a day of ordering, I received an email from Claire letting me know that one of the older sets I had wanted was out of stock but should be in soon. She was so sweet and courteous. She apologized for the inconvenience, but let me know that the rest of my order shipped as planned, and that should would promptly send along my other set with some extra goodies as soon as possible. Just as she promised, my second package arrived shortly thereafter, with a generous amount of beautiful twine and wood buttons. I was just amazed to receive an email from her directly, and was so impressed by how proactive she was in handling the situation. Two more thumbs up here for WMS from me! :)

Jessica Wekenman said...

What a great story! I have only heard such wonderful things about Claire and WMS stamps! I am a little embarassed to say I have yet to take the plunge and place an order...I will soon though, for sure! I can't really think of a good customer service story, except that when I lived in Florida, I used to stop at Sonic every night on my way to work for a Route 44 Cherry Slush, and after awhile the manager gave me a sticker for my car that would get the drink for $.99 anytime. I always thought that was so nice, and they really appreciated my buisness. Unfortunatley, I moved to MS, and they would never honor that sticker, and I pretty much found something else to drink andstopped going to Sonic after that...started out nice anyway! Thanks for the chance to win the super sweet set!

Susan said...

Wow, how sweet of you to offer this CUTE set. I've only ordered once from WMS and it was very quick and friendly service. I may need to pick up a few sets again...

I agree that CS is so important these days. My most recent great CS incident was at Lowe's. I had bought some paint to paint my daughter's room and didn't get enough. It was a very expensive No-VOC brand, costing $45 for a gallon! I went back to get it color matched to a cheaper brand and they couldn't match it. So they gave me the expensive paint for half price. I was very pleased with how they handled it. Guess where I went to buy 4 more gallons of paint that same week. :)

Bethany Stellpflug said...

thanks for the chance to win...that was so nice of Waltzing Mouse stamps to let you give the set away! Yeah for wonderful customer service!

Fuzzy Slippers said...

Doesn't it make you feel so good when you have a good customer service experience. :) My most recent one was (amazingly) with AT&T. My mother-in-law ended up in ICU. Our family took to texting to get info out to everyone quickly. I don't have a texting plan (gasp) cause I don't have teeneagers. Anywho I went over my texting limit and got a text to let me know. I called AT&T to see if I could up my limit or something. The gal was very sweet walking me through everything and I (honestly only casually) mentioned that it was cause of my mother-in-law being in ICU for the past week. She waved all the charges for that week! I just about cried at how sweet she was! She wanted me to focus on my family and be able to keep texting updates! Makes you feel good when folks are nice. :)

Debbie Carriere said...

What a great story!! Love this set and always have wanted it, but have never ordered :) Don't know why???
Hmm....good customer service...Starbucks and Trader Joe's are places that I have ALWAYS had good service at. A few years back, I was in TJ's looking for my favorite licorice - LOL - and couldn't find it. Turned out they stopped selling it, but the woman was so nice in offering up replacements and even opened a container for me to try a sample!!! Thanks for the chance to win :)

Dr. Ivy said...

I love your card. I have a little guy and this is a great boy set. I have several great customer service stories, but the best one was last summer when my dh and I were doing home improvement and hit a snag with our laminate flooring not interlocking and we called the store they said they would exchange if we had receipt. We had purchased the flooring a few years before and could not find the receipt. After a few hours of our discussing with customer service they told us to come in with the floor. We weren't sure what their decision would be but when we arrived he told us to go ahead and swap it out. Yea, a few hours of disappointment and our project behind schedule but now back on track. Thank you Menards.

Alanna said...

Thanks for the chance to win and for sharing that great story. During college, I would go to Panda Express probably three times per week. The manager started recognizing me and gave me 10% off on all my orders.

Judith said...

Hello Christina,
This is so sweet of you, sharing this wonderful stamp set with one of your followers!
What is my story? A few month ago I ordered a Basis Pack Craft paper at Karins Knutsel&Zo (a Dutch webshop). Normally the delivery of 12x12 cardstock costs about 6,50 euro. I asked if they could cut the paper in half, so the shipping would be less expensive. But no, Karin didn't do so, she sends it all for free! Thank you, Karin (-:

Have a lovely day!
Greetings, Judith

PS: I love your card, what a great idea draping the ribbon like you did!

Colleen Wold said...

Thanks for the chance to win this SUPER cute set!
A recent great customer service experience I had was just a few weeks ago when I bought a stamp set online via an Ebay store.
I received the set and immediately opened it to use it. When I pulled the first stamp off (perhaps in excitement?) it tore in half. And it was this cute lil' flamingo (which was half the reason I got the set). I was bummed, but thought I would contact the seller.
I did, and they offered to send me a replacement stamp from a "house" set they had on hand. I was so happy! I didn't really expect that much from an Ebay store.
Thanks again!

Unknown said...

I love your story! Good customer service is a company's most valuable asset and they can't have it without great employees.

My DH and I went to breakfast before running errands yesterday. We were lucky enough to have our favorite server wait on us. She is always so grateful to customers, not just us. She ALWAYS thanks us for eating there and makes sure our order is perfect. Yesterday, I ordered a fruit cup, but got a fruit dish. It was the first time I had ordered the fruit there and didn't realize I had the wrong one until we got the bill. It was twice the price of what I wanted. When I asked the server, she explained the difference and cheerfully went away to change the price to the item I thought I ordered. We told her not to worry about it, but she would not hear of it. She wanted to make sure we were happy. It was a small thing, but her attitude was so positive and sweet we could never be upset!

Thanks for the chance to win!!

Luv2talk said...

It was my very first order with MFT. I was unaware of the TRIPLE SCOOP bonus (awarded at $65). It clearly states you must add it to your cart before submitting your order and they can't add it after the fact. I ordered enough for free shipping ($60) and hit submit. I went back to the website later that evening and saw the TRIPLE SCOOP promo. I had not qualified for it, but would have ordered more to get it, had I known about it. I emailed KIM and explained my story. I admitted I did not order enough and that I realized the site says you can't add it after ordering. She emailed me back and said if I placed a second order and they both totaled enough to qualify, they would add the PROMO to that order. WoW! Incredible CS! LOVE MFT!

Marilyn (stampwithMJ) said...

How generous of you to give away the stamp set. Great customer service seems to happen so often in this craft industry of ours. I find it amazing. On how it compares to other industries. Orders are shipped fast & flawlessly & often there's a little treat.

Melissa said...

How nice of both of you!! I've always had fabulous service from Claire also--she has sent me a replacement stamp for one that wasn't stamping well--no questions asked!

I would LOVE to win this set, so my heroines can play with some heros, LOL!

Anonymous said...

Claire's generosity does not surprise me at all! She and WMS are the best in the business!! Love her stamps and the always arrive so quickly from Ireland. My great customer service happened just last night. My girlfriend and I were participating in a Relay for Life event with a third friend who is a 1 year cancer survivor. We headed to Dairy Queen for a late night snack and a mistake was made with my order. They let me keep the sundae that was made in error and gave me my Peanut Buster Parfait too! Simple gesture but how it is handled makes all the difference. Thanks for the opportunity to win this great set.

Katie said...

I just placed an order through Ellen Hutson here in WA, and they were awesome. Super fast and great communication all along the purchase and the shipment.

Chunyuan said...

Hi Christina, I just have to stop by and tell you about my experience of a great custom service I just had with Wplus9. When I got my last orde a few days ago, I found out they shipped the Label layers 4 die instead of label layers 4 stamp I ordered. I emailed. They responded immediately and shipped the stamp set right away. They also asked me to keep the die as well. I am always impressed with the speed my Wplus9 stamps comes. Now knowing they are responsive and take action immediately, I am willing to buy more stuff from them.

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