"When correct measurements are important"

Author - Caroline Jones

"When correct measurements are important"

This little tale stems from a commission recently completed. 

I was asked to make a bespoke tunic top for a lady who lives about 30 miles from me, she didn't want to travel to the Forest of Dean and neither did she want to pay me to drive to her so I against my better judgement agreed to let her take her own measurments and I would make the top from those! I gave full instructions as to how to take the required measurments and recieved those from her after some delay on her part for reasons unknown.

Having got agreement for the sample of fabric and the design for the top I purchased the fabric and set about making the top having radically altered an exixting dressmaking pattern. So far I had done a lot of work on the pattern and spent cash on fabric, still she seemed a happy customer.

I made the top up and as it fitted my mannequin which had been set to the ladys measurments I assumed it would fit so contacted the customer, told her the top was finished and requested payment, she paid and I posted the top. So far so good!!

A few days later the lady contacted me, the top was too big, and too short. Not to worry says I we will have to meet up and I will sort it out. A few days later again she contacted me again, it was much too short and she didn't like the colour. So now I had a problem; the measurments had been wrong and she'd changed her mind on the colour from the agreed sample to the finished item. I like my customers to be happy and she wasn't, so I wasn't happy.

I gave her two options, either we could meet up when I would take her measurments, She would supply fabric and I would make another top free of charge or I would give a partial refund on the original cost. She chose the refund so I promptly sent that off and that ended our contact.

I have learnt from this tale to follow my instincts and always take measurments myself and to factor in a minimum of 1 fitting to the final cost. Had I done that the top would have fitted perfectly. Of course there is nothing I can do about a customer changing their minds on the colour of a fabric.

The moral of this tale is you are the maker, your business is on the line, when dealing with customers use your own judgement as your best guideline and if you can't do the job as they want to your own satisfaction then don't do it! Had I follwed this advice I wouldn't have taken on the top and would have saved myself many hours of work and not a little heartache.

Caroline, Fashion Revived