If you have been following me for a while, you know that I am looking for more ways to be “out there”. I have chosen to concentrate on in-person rather than online activities because I believe that art is something that most people will not buy without seeing it in person. So Art Fairs are on my radar. For some strange reason, Art Fairs in Quebec are often referred to as a “Symposium”. Maybe it’s because I was in Academia for too long, but to me, and to most dictionaries, a Symposium is a conference that involves discussions on a particular subject, usually scientific. So how that got stretched into describing an Art Fair, I have no idea. It just is. Vive la différence! So I have been googling “symposium” on and off to make a list of potential places I could show my art. I found quite a few, and although most have not been active for the last 2 summers because of Covid, I figure I have time to look up their criteria and see if I am a fit for their next edition. One of my criteria is "distance from home", because adding the cost of a hotel night or two might make it more expensive than it’s worth. So I was happy to see that the town where one of my daughters lives has one! That would be great! Get to see them and the grandkids, maybe spend an extra day there, sounds wonderful! I found the symposium on Facebook, where there was little information, but a link to a website promised more. The website, it turns out, is some artist’s “art blog”, which is in fact answers to paint-related questions (including how to hide paint cracks on a wall or remove paint from bricks(?!!)), with no mention of the symposium at all! So I messaged the symposium’s Facebook page about this oddity in early July, and asked if I could get more information on the Symposium. I got an answer in mid-September, which curtly said that before I could get an answer I needed to pay the participation fee! I replied the same day that all I wanted was to be put on a mailing list or something, and asked if I had to pay just for getting information. One month later, I get the simple, one-word answer ‘Yes”. Unbelievable! Needless to say, this did not make be want to be part of that Symposium any time soon! But I might reconsider, because in my search for writing this blog, I did find an email address for someone who might actually be in charge of this symposium, and I could send them a copy of the complete conversation thanks to the magic of Facebook Messenger’s eternal memory! In contrast, I have been dealing with a local printer to get some greeting cards made. Up until now, I had been dealing with an online provider and I was moderately happy with their product, but their recent substantial price increase was just the push I need to go to this solution which I had been considering anyway! I know I am a tiny customer, but you would never know it from the way I have been treated! I received electronic proofs of the cards the day after I ordered them, with an offer to make them better If I wasn’t satisfied. I replied to the email, but apparently this got lost in the ether so, after a week, I got a follow-up phone call about it and spent a good time on the phone discussing small adjustments I would like. If they spend this much time with every customer I can’t imagine how they get any work done, much less make money! But needless to say, I know who will be getting more of my printing business in the future! I am sure you have equally good and bad experiences dealing with people. I guess my message here is twofold:
What’s the worst or best customer service experience you have had? I’d love to read it in the Comments below!
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AuthorMy name is Claire Bureau. Archives
March 2023
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