Doing Business

November 05, 2005

I got my rocker last night and I LOVE it!! Great service!

Thank you very much!
S.S.

Columbus, Mississippi

October 19, 2005

[ Note: Not every delivery is smooth and trouble-free. Most are, but not all. This is the nature of freight. After furniture leaves here, we cannot be certain of its handling, but we will assist in every way we can and we will take ultimate responsibility — this is certain. The email exchange below illustrates such a situation. — GW ]

Dear Austin,

Thank you for your email. I had called to schedule an appointment for delivery today, and waited all afternoon. Finally, I called the delivery place and they said that the rocking chair was missing. I asked what I could do now. They said they should be able to find it within the next couple of days. I told them I was upset that I wasted the afternoon awaiting the delivery. They apologized and said that they would deliver it within a 1 hour window once it is found.

I just thought I should let you know that the delivery service you have used has treated your customer in this way. I am not happy about this situation, but seem to have no other choice. Currently, I have a six week old baby and a visitor from Australia stuck in the house for one day and now we'll have to be here again, when they find the chair.

Otherwise, I have been happy with your service, and would suggest you to others, though maybe not your delivery service.

Thank you,
S.W.

---------------

October 24, 2005

S.,

I was out of town last week. I am chagrined to return and find that your chair has not been delivered and that you were stood up by Overnite. I am very sorry for your inconvenience and for the delay.

Overnite is a large company with terminals throughout the states. When their system works well, as it almost always does, they are amazingly fast and reasonably priced. When it doesn't, they appear to be a clumsy bureaucracy. Again I regret that you have experienced the latter.

Austin, my son, has been calling N. at the San Diego terminal, and I called him today. Apparently, or most likely, the chair was loaded onto the wrong trailer at some point between us and you and will soon be discovered out of place and delivered. I just called the terminal manager in Austin, our local terminal, who verified that, when this occurs, the missing item soon reappears.

I would like to give Overnite a few days to deliver your chair. If they have not delivered a chair to you this week we will finish one of the chairs we are now working on for you.

Sincere apologies, and regards,
Gary Weeks
Wimberley, Texas

---------------

Dear Gary,

Thank you for all the customer service that you and your son have provided. You have actually made an unpleasant experience pleasant with your well written emails and phone calls. I'm glad your company took the lead in making sure the rocking chair was located.

This morning I placed a call to the delivery company, and upon hearing my name, they knew immediately who I was. The rocking chair is to be delivered tomorrow between 8 and 10 am as I requested. I look forward to rocking away with my newborn daughter on a quality piece of furniture, as is the quality of your customer service.

Thank you,
S.W.

San Diego, California

September 25, 2005

The rocker has been delivered, and was more than I could have hoped for. It is extremely comfortable as well as beautiful (thus justifying the purchase to my husband). We have both been rocking everyday, with many more to come once the baby is born.

Thank you so much for making the process of ordering so easy and keeping me informed along the way. I will definitely recommend your company to people in the Philadelphia area.

Thank you,
J.L.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

September 09, 2005

Hi Gary,

We picked up the rocker last week and it is gorgeous. Sorry we haven't got back to you but we've been in and out of town for a couple of weeks. You definitely know how to ship it and we appreciate your attention to detail in the packing. It was perfect when we got it.

Thanks again,
R.S.

Salt Lake City, Utah

August 24, 2005

Dear Gary:

The rocker did arrive yesterday in perfect condition! We have been fighting over who will sit in it ever since!

I have not formally introduced myself, I am a 5th generation native Texan and lived in Austin until 10 years ago. I miss the hill country something fierce at times. Getting your rocker was a little piece of heaven. It is absolutely stunning. A. was so excited when it arrived! Your commitment and integrity to producing something so lovely is rare.

P.S. We have 8 month old twins — and a 3 and a half year old son. It's quite a sight to see me hold all of them at once in that rocker. I only wished we'd found you and the rocker sooner!

Blessings,
J. and A.

Washington, D.C.

August 11, 2005

Gary,

I gotta tell you, yours is a unique business. I run a company that receives shipments in excess of $300,000/year – I have NEVER had a vendor track a shipment like you, even when that shipment was worth over $50,000. I'm always the one trying to chase stuff down. I can only assume this is indicative of the quality of work you do everywhere.

Thank you.
W. D.

---------------

Gary,

R. called the carrier on Tuesday morning. They said they'd give her number to the driver who would call and arrange for delivery.

He didn't call.

It didn't matter, she was home. The chair came in yesterday.

There was very minor damage to the crate, but the chair is fine.

The chair is better than fine, it's beautiful. I took lots of pictures of R. opening the crate, removing the bubble wrap, and sitting in it right there in the garage before we could even get it in the house! It was like a neighborhood event with multiple neighbors stopping by. I took more pictures of her and the chair in the new nursery. I can't wait to take pictures of her rocking our first, little F., due in 4 weeks. If you're dying to see your chair in action, let me know and I'll email you some.

We are very pleased with our purchase. I had no idea the chair would be as solid as it is; the seat, the arms, the legs, everything is nice and thick. We planned for this chair to be in our family for generations, and that will obviously be no problem. We've been working on the nursery for a while, but last night R. called me in, and with tears in her eyes told me that the room now feels like the baby's room.

R's already talking about how she needs the footstool; we'll have to check the budget.

Feel free to use us as a satisfied customer reference. R. said "This is not only the most comfortable rocking chair I have ever sat in, but one of the most comfortable chairs period."

Gary, your work is outstanding and we appreciate it.

W. D.

Hailey, Idaho

July 27, 2005

We have it and it is beautiful. Thanks for making this buying experience fun!!

W.H.

Bowdon, Georgia

June 21, 2005

Gary:

Thanks for your inquiry. The rocker arrived in fine shape last week. It was crated so well, even the truck driver commented: "Gee, I guess that's not the kind of rocker you buy at the Old Country Store." So true.

D. and M. were beside themselves over the quality of the construction and comfort of the rocker. I have to admit I was skeptical until I went over to try out the chair myself. I didn't want to get up out of it! Your rockers are amazing. Thanks again.

--
P.L.

Smithfield, Virginia

June 20, 2005

Hi Gary,

I was going to write you an email today, but it looks like you beat me to it . . . :) Yes, I did get the chair yesterday and it is more beautiful than I'd imagined it! It is as much a piece of art as it is a piece of furniture . . . The original design, the quality of the wood, and the impeccable craftsmanship makes it a one of a kind piece!

I would give the overall experience a 10/10 if it wasn't for the delivery . . . The delivery company would not deliver on Saturdays, and could only give me 4-hour windows in the morning or afternoon. That doesn't work for any person working full-time, as it effectively requires one to take a full day off. The Stickely dresser I bought a few months back was delivered on a Saturday morning, and that worked out perfectly. As the Overnite Transportation warehouse was just a few miles away from my office, I ended up driving there during lunch break to pick up the chair myself. The crate would not fit in my Honda Pilot, so I had to disassemble it on-site . . . Quite an ordeal. In short, I'd suggest that you look into using a delivery company that does Saturday deliveries.

Thanks for such a beautiful chair!

Best regards,

M.M.

[ I regret any inconvenience to any patron and work to keep it to the minimum. However, the shipping prices quoted in our catalog and on the website are for the level of service noted in this email: large appointment windows on weekdays only. I can see how these specifications are problems for some, but the price cannot be beaten by any other carrier that I have found. The option of a Saturday delivery will cost at least twice our quoted prices, but I will be happy to arrange it for those who require and desire it. — GW ]

San Francisco, California

June 02, 2005

Dear Gary:

As I was having a glass of wine last night, and sitting in the Weeks chair, I thought again what a terrific piece of art that thing is. It's functional, stylish and even by itself – it adds something to the room. And also – thanks for the prompt delivery.

Who knows??? maybe I'll order another sometime in the future.

all the best
H.B.

St. Martin, the lesser Antilles

May 23, 2005

Dear Gary-

We just received our gorgeous rocking chair delivered perfectly to Amsterdam this afternoon. My husband and I are really thrilled with it! Thank you so much for creating something so special for us as we expect our first child. It's a beautiful heirloom treasure which I am sure will be passed on to future generations!

(Also, thank you so much for your promptness in correspondence, your precise time table and impeccable packing and delivery.)

All the best,
J.K.

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

May 08, 2005

The rocker has shown up and is even nicer than I imagined. Really beautiful. I haven't taken it out of the crate yet, as I need to transport to my daughter's apartment first, but it looks fine as is.

My wife is now commenting that she may like your rocker best — we have two other wood rockers including one I had made to her size (5' 1-3/4" but she says she is 5' 2"). Everyone knows that your walnut rocker is mine, and I can kick all out except my wife. I may need you to make one more soon, so I can get my rocker back.

Thanks again — the rocker is beautiful and you made the whole order/delivery process painless. Great work!

J.D.

Alexandria, Virginia

May 03, 2005

Gary,

Yes, I got the rocker — it's in perfect shape. Ray absolutely loves it! Thank you so much for your professional work and personal follow up. It has been a pleasure working with you.

S.H.

Yorktown, Virginia

March 21, 2005

We received the chair right on time. We are extremely happy with it, and appreciate you checking in with us.

S.M.

Houston, Texas

February 23, 2005

Hi Gary,

Here it is. A happy mother rocking already with the baby. We are totally happy with the chair. The only bad news was that French customs were much more expensive then expected (533 euros, which is about twice the amount you mentioned initially; this is something you have to know for future transactions!).

[ Ouch! I get an estimate for duties and taxes from my agent and forward that amount to people in another country who are considering a purchase. The customs and duty charges on previous shipments to France have been accurate. Apparently, however, it is impossible for me to get a firm and correct quote for duties and taxes to every country, every time. This experience makes me reluctant to estimate duties and taxes on an international shipment.
— GW]

Thanks for the efficiency in processing it all so as to make it available on time. And congratulations for the design: being born in Canada at a time when rocking chairs were very popular, I can tell you this one is really, really, well done.

All the best
C. M.

Paris, France

December 23, 2004

Gary,

the chair arrived on time yesterday, and it is lovely. When I sat in it I didn't want to get out. You can add me to your list of delighted customers.

Thanks for checking up on the delivery. Service as well as the product are excellent.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

C. C.

Arlington, Virginia

December 06, 2004

Gary,

They just delivered the rocking chair, and it is perfect! Beautiful! Wonderful!

You warned me it would be a different color than the other cherry rocker you made me (#629 in 2000), but the contrast was surprising. My older chair is a beautiful rosy color now and I had never realized how it had changed. Now that I know, it will be fun to watch the progress of the new chair.

The delivery folks were a joy to work with — very friendly setting up the delivery date, and excellent service when they arrived.

My two grown daughters will no longer have to fight over who "inherits" my rocker. I just hope they don't decide to bump me off so they won't have to wait!

Thank you again for such a wonderful addition to the family. Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays or whatever applies . . .

S.K.

Ft. Worth, Texas

December 01, 2004

Gary,

We are very pleased with the rocking chair. It's extremely comfortable for M., and looks great in the nursery.

The shipping company delivered the package without problems, except for a tear in the bottom of the box, that resulted in no damage. We are still waiting on the baby, but I'm sure that the chair will meet with the baby's approval, too!

Thanks very much,
R.D.

Washington, D.C.

November 17, 2004

Do I like it?

Oh yes! It made me so happy I felt silly and self conscious at the effusive email I began writing to you soon after it arrived. I decided to wait until I cooled off a bit.

It's everything you said it would be. My husband, seven year old son and I all agree it's incredibly comfortable and beautiful. A true heirloom piece. Wow. We love it! We touch it all the time. My son accuses me of sitting in it too much. I had to agree to take turns.

I am so happy and grateful that you and your people came through. I've dealt with a lot of different dealers and contractors recently. Most have been very disappointing to work with . . . problems with communication, integrity, quality and other issues have clouded the interaction. It's strangely life affirming to deal with you and have everything happen as promised. Whew! What a relief! THANK YOU!

Oh yeah, the box it came in is a perfect hideout/playhouse for the kid. He's decorated it inside and out and plays in it every day. Thanks for the bonus!

I hope it pleases you to know that you have made this family in San Diego so happy. Please keep your high standards. The world needs more like you!

Sincerely,
S.U.

San Diego, California