I got a call from a customer today. It was about a special order for jewelry she'd placed at my retail show in August.
She sounded clipped. "I ordered a necklace set, and I haven't heard anything from you!" she said.
Inwardly, I sigh. When I take special orders at this show, I explain to people that the fair itself is nine days long, not including two days of set-up. Then there is breakdown, there is the much-needed family vacation afterwards, and getting my life back in order.
There will be other orders ahead of theirs, and there will be wholesale orders to be shipped to stores.
This year, there was the added time spent getting one child off to an internship, and her first living quarters away from home. Not only did that take a huge amount of time, I don't have her help here at home or in the studio anymore. (And she was a HUGE help, though sometimes that was offset by the monumental pile of laundry and dirty dishes she generated.) (Oh, and our cheese bill should go down as she won't be making her famous macaroni and cheese for her friends anymore. You know, the one calling for 3# of cheese....)
I tell them not to expect anything until at least mid-September, and more likely by the end of September. Sometimes, like this year, where I took a LOT of special orders, I tell them it might even be mid-October.
Because of this, my policy is to take their check or credit card info--but nothing is charged or deposited until their order is completed and on its way to them. And I pay for shipping.
Still, I begin to cringe in mid-September when the phone rings. Because I know it could be people demanding to know where their jewelry is.
In the excitement of ordering their special piece, they often forget my caveat. And the calls start coming in.
Today's call was no exception, except that, surprisingly, the customer DID remember my words. "Well, it's almost mid-September," she pointed out. "And I hadn't heard anything.
I'm human. My first response is irritation. My second is guilt. What HAVE I been doing?
I take a moment to assess.
I'm actually ahead of schedule this year. I've gotten over half of my special orders out already, some within a week of the show. In fact, I just shipped a mammoth order (over $1,000) last week.
And if I just let myself take another few minutes to think, I know I will find peace in my heart again.
They love my work enough to give me their hard-earned money. They love my work enough to wait for their special piece. In fact, the woman is worried because she needs it for a wedding. She's wearing my jewelry to a wedding! Quite an honor....
And she's been waiting eagerly, like a child anticipating Christmas. It's that excitement and impatience we all feel waiting for something GOOD to happen.
Turning this negative feeling into positive action is a struggle for me sometimes. But I always feel it leaves me in a better place.
