Went to pick up the new custom printed care tags this morning. You know, the ones where I spent a lot of money on a really nice paper? Where I’d brought in a sample of how they should look, including the hole drilled at the top so I could attach them to my scarves? My expensive scarves? Where I wanted a tag that would reflect the value I placed upon my product and to help justify my price? Where I had made a serious point to the gal at the counter about how that hole had to be far enough away from the edge of the paper so that it wouldn’t break? Because the cheap ones I bought from Staples hadn’t been far enough away?
Yes, those care tags.
As I was waiting for the gal at the counter to get my invoice ready, I opened the box because they had not, as had the previous printers done, attached one of the tags to the outside of the box.
My jaw dropped when I pulled the tags out to inspect them and I saw that there was barely a 32nd of an inch between the top of the hole and the edge of the paper. (The tags from Staples had at least had a 16th of an inch!)
“I’m sorry” I said. “I cannot accept these.”
There was suddenly stunned silence in the room.
“Look at the hole. It’s far too close to the edge of the paper. It’s going to break and look terrible.”
“Oh.”
“So I’m sorry, I cannot accept these.”
Rustle, rustle as the gal opened the file and found the sample I’d left.
“Oh.”
“You see how much room there is on this (sample) tag? I need at least that much space or the paper will break and the tag will fall off.”
“Oh.”
“So I can’t accept these.”
At which point another gal came over, looked at the tag, too, and said “Oh.”
And then said “I see. Well, we will have to re-do them.”
“Yes” I said.
“Can you use any of these?”
“No,”
“Well, how soon do you need them?”
“I’m going away and don’t need them until I get back. I’ll phone when I’m home again.”
(A small sigh of relief pervaded the room)
“OK, that sounds fine.”
“Right, I’ll phone when I get home, then.”
No. Just, no. One little word. So powerful.