Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Off to Work I go

So, I'm at work today, in my store, Shades of Soho, in Glen Rock. Yes, we also have a store in Norwood. I'm not usually here, at my store, because I'm taking care of my son. But, my husband is taking a class and we have no one else to work in the store. Well, and no one is better than me anyway.

I love what I do. I really do. I get super excited when someone brings in a cool lamp and it's up to me to find the right shade, the right fabrics, and the right finial. I love seeing a lamp come in the store and knowing exactly what should go on it. Of course, since I do think I know it all, I get bummed when the customer doesn't agree with me, but they usually do. Most people go home thrilled with their purchase and I'm satisfied I sold them something that was unique, gave their lamp a total makeover, and they got something that can make them happy when they look at it.

We spend a lot of money on advertising and we advertise a lot. I just wish people would read and adhere to what's in the ad. In every ad it says, BRING YOUR LAMP. Some people just flat out don't bring it. We always tell people over the phone they need to bring their lamp. They get here, they tell me they don't need it, I talk to them for a few minutes and then they say, "I guess I really should have brought the lamp". I don't know WHY people are so resistant to bringing it. I wouldn't go to buy a dress without my body, a hat without my head, and you CAN'T get the right lampshade withOUT your lamp. Then are the people, I find even more odd, that actually bring the lamp, but come in the store without it and argue that they want to see what we have first. Well, we have everything and what isn't on the shelf we can make. You can't just "see" what we have because we need to see the lamp to see what goes on it. It's IN YOUR CAR. We'll help you go get it. Just bring it in. I've had 20 minute conversations about what we might be able to put on your lamp hypothetically, when in 20 minutes you could have been on your way home having purchased a shade. It's totally baffling.

I had someone this morning who had the lamp in the car. She came in with her old accordion-like plastic shade from 1974. I asked if I could help her. Her answer? "Probably not". How is that an answer? Why would you come somewhere if you didn't think you could be helped. If you are a sociopath and I'm a shoemaker and I ask if I could help you and you say "probably not", then sure, you may be correct. But, if you need lighting or a lampshade, I'm 99.9% sure I CAN help you. Unless you need a shade made out of hemp, bamboo, fur, gum, feathers, or some other weird substance, we're pretty well-versed in this arena. Turns out, I could help her, but it was one of those, "well, it's in a room no one goes in so I'll have to check with my husband". Okay.

I had another person who didn't bring the lamp because it was a floor lamp. Yes, we need to see those too. Because as I'm looking for a shade, it comes out that it's a swing arm lamp. That makes a HUGE difference. Now I know, especially without the lamp, the shade I sell you can't be even a quarter of an inch longer than the previous shade because it will hit the arm. I go through a whole thing, trying to find something close to what they had. People forget to give these details. They come back in, with the new shade, and say "It didn't fit". Yet, they still didn't bring the lamp. Double baffling.  I find it insane when they say they came from "far away" too. You came from far away without everything you need to make your purchase? Really? I wish I had that kind of time to waste.

You know what makes all this head scratching worth it? The people that totally get and appreciate what we do. There was a couple that came in to fix two lamps and get two shades. One shade they took home and the other we're making. They were here for 45 min, we were chatting and picking out fabrics and trim together, they were able to make up their mind, together, without bickering with each other or being rude to me, and you could tell they loved our stuff. They were a pleasure to work with. The last time I was working, there was a man, his wife and their 6 yr old daughter. His lamp had a whole story how he brought a pair home from another country, he gave the other one to a really good client and now just has the one. He loved this lamp. He and his family were here for an hour and half, we tried on a lot of shades, but ultimately he picked one, we made it, and he's over the moon about how it looks. He's come back since for other shades. I love hearing people's stories about acquiring old lamps, how much they love their piece, and how much they love having their lamp resuscitated with a new handmade lampshade.



***Had to stop writing because people came in the store***

Later...

The people with the floor lamp just came back. With the lamp. And swatches from their couch. Totally different than what I was picturing. We made it fun. We tried on about six different colors and shapes. They came in with a beige colored plastic sort of shade. She thought she needed a wide (across the bottom) shade because she needed light. No, she only needed a fabric shade vs a plastic one. The fabric let all the light out. Now she won't even need to move the swing arm to read. When you have a plastic shade (on the inside), it makes all the light go down instead of out, up and around. She ended up getting a really cool finial too- it looked like green and yellow leaves in a brass circle. Prior to this, she just had an old brass cap finial. It looked like a brand new lamp when it walked out our door. I feel happy now.

We really get more people who love and "get" what we do here than those that don't. That's why we still do it. It's just the people that make me crazy who make things way more difficult than they have to that can mess up my day. But, at least I sometimes get a good story out of it. People insist on bringing their dogs in here. One lady held her dog up to my desk and in baby talk told me that "Baby" (her dog) has really wet paws. Ok, well, then why is Baby in my store where he could put his wet paws all over the lampshades? There was a dog in here today. I don't dislike dogs. In fact, if I was ever to get a dog, these tiny ones people seem to bring in here are the type I'd like. This, today, though was no teacup Yorkie- it was a middle size dog on a leash. I just find it so entitled to bring an animal into someone's place of business that isn't a kennel or specifically dog friendly. We have breakable items at dog level. I'm wondering what they'd say if Fifi lifted her leg and pissed all over some shades. Can I use the same philosophy as "you break it, you buy it"- as in, "you peed on it, it's yours."??? I'm not sure what people are thinking when they bring their dog in here. The same places I'd be wary of taking my rambunctious toddler into are the same places I'd be thinking my dog probably isn't their target customer.

I've met some really fun & interesting people too. I've had great conversations, heard heartbreaking life stories, I've had people send me photos of the lamps with the new shades in their home to put on my "brag board", and I've gotten cards and letters of gratitude for making their grandmother/aunt/mom's lamp(s) look fantastic and fresh. That's why I call us the bridal store of lampshades. Because people can be as emotional about dressing their lamps as they can about dressing for their wedding day. Sometimes we're dealing with a real emotional connection between people and their lighting. We understand that and want you to have an "experience", not just swipe your credit card.

I just wish some people would remember that we don't "just work here". This is our life, this is what we do, and we care what people go home with. I'm bossy and opinionated about what you buy in here because people are going to see it, hopefully they're going to have an opinion on it too, and I want it to look beautiful. If you're looking for the same old, same old, we do have it, I just don't want you to have it. I want you to have something extraordinary. I don't want you sell you a large white drum shade circa 1965. And believe it or not, you can HAVE extraordinary at an affordable price. You just have to have a little imagination, be flexible about what would work in your space, and know that a lampshade doesn't have to be beige. I'm willing to bet we're usually spot on with the first shade we pick for you. It may not be what you think your style is, but I guarantee it will look great on your lamp.

I'm ending my day today with the greatest, most pleasant customer I've had in the past few times I've worked in my store. She was just a pleasure to work with. She had beautiful old lamps that she wanted to dress up. She had style and expected her lamps to have style too. Traditional and formal but nothing boring or run of the mill. She didn't hem and haw about price, she knew what she liked right away, and she just wanted shades that restored her lamps to their former glory. She more than made up for any abuse I took today and the mess I made and had to clean up of all the shades in the store. Thank you, Mrs. O.  You make it worth it.

www.shadesofsoho.com