I changed my blog style/design last night. I think it looks better now – easier to read. Maybe more boring. I will keep looking around until I find something that just – fits, you know?
Yesterday when I was out shopping at a nearby yarn store I was able to cash in a 20% discount. Whee! The bad thing is that I would have made this deal a lot sooner had they given me their envelope system. Lots of receipts never made it into the tally, probably about $200 worth of purchases, and they are only looking for $300 to get the 20% off discount.
I have a like/hate thing going with this particular yarn shop. I love that it is quirky. But I don’t like the business attitude of the owner. She makes a big, big deal about using credit cards or debit cards. Supposedly they won’t take either for anything under $25, but I have never been able to take a stand on using a credit or debit card on even a $90 purchase. They pointedly ask if you are carrying your checks? Then give you a speech. I always crumble. Damn.
There was a person with a small purchase and she did not have any checks. The clerk kind of leaned on her to make a bigger purchase, which she wouldn’t. The owner gave her the speech, several pointed looks, and then some dramatic sighs, and then they let her use her card, all the while making a big deal about it. I bet they lost a customer.
Are there any store people online that can tell me how much the charge is for using a debit card? I know of another shop that does the same thing.
I think the crabbiness about it is what really ticks me off. Post your guidelines and kindly remind people, but to get a lecture – I just don’t know what that accomplishes – I would think less sales, but maybe I am just being naive.
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Onto the pics:
I found (and bought) this cool drink bottle yesterday.
It says, "feeling unraveled. . . knit!". It has a nice built-in handle, but 2 pics of a water bottle seems a bit excessive.
Here is a somewhat decent pic of the Highland Triangle Shawl start:
Now imagine less neon, and the greens are more natural. Less blue.
It will block very nicely. I just can’t bring myself to up my needle size because the sloppiness just kills me. I would rather block it to within an inch of its life.
Now, off for a late-ish shower, a trip to the bank, and some shopping before it gets too hot out. I am dealing with some major hot-flash moments lately. Sometimes it really sucks to be me.
Peace!
ZenKnit 
Which store are you talking about? It must not be one that I shop at very regularly, because I can’t recall an experience like you’re talking about – and I don’t know about the envelope thing.
The charges for running a credit card depend on the bank you’re using for your vendor account. Our bank charges 3.5% So, that does add up, but it’s a cost of doing business. It should be calculated into the price of your product. It costs a lot of money when someone bounces a check, also, so the only safe solution is cash only, but I doubt a store in this area could survive on a cash only basis.
LOVE the water bottle!!
I have worked on and off at a retail card / stationery store – I know that the owner made a policy for a $10 minimum to use debit/credit cards. Occasionally exceptions would be made for store regulars or true “emergencies” but if there was a line, or a person buying a small card – say $2 we wouldn’t ren the card. I don’t know the percentage, but I know she’s considered raising that limit… it’s hard for them to compete with walmart and target and stuff like that. Just my two cents. I really like the shawl you’re working on!
I know where you shop 🙂 I’ve hit that attidude before… and since all the TC yarn stores are a bit of a drive for me, I usually drive to one of the others. I agree that I like the quirkyness, but dislike the clautrophobic feeling.
I like this blog layout – simple, clean and easy to read.
I don’t mind the simplicity of the new look (on your blog) at all. It’s easy to read, very clean. I love the mountain scene, too.
at the store i work at, the owner tells me it is ILLEGAL to refuse credit OR debit cards for purchases under a certain amount. I don’t know if that’s a matter of law or in the merchant agreement with the credit card company.
I’ve run through $2 purchases on a card for customers several times – it’s usually a transaction fee of a few cents, plus a percentage of the sale, plus a monthly fee, plus a daily batch fee (or less frequently – hence the delay in some charges showing up on your card).
Probably more than you ever wanted to know.
ah, I know the store you speak of. she wouldn’t run my card one time, so I jumped in the car, drove across the highway, picked a gas station and used their atm. don’t recall the lecture, heavy sighs, or any of that (maybe it wasn’t the owner?) a bit of an inconvenience, but I had already had bad luck finding the yarn I was looking for at two of the box stores – I wasn’t leaving without my yarn! one of the shops in the northwest ‘burbs asked if I had cash/checks instead of running my card on a small purchase, but since I barely carry cash and never carry the checkbook, she was kind enough to slide it.
and I like your new look – the simplicty seems to go along with the Zen name of your blog.
I know which stores you’re talking about and I’ve gotten the same attitude. One store hasn’t seen me since – she threw a fit because she was going to have to pay a .27 charge on my $150 purchase. See ya.
When I had my soap business I would take checks for a $3 bar of soap, even though each check cost me .20 to process. It’s all in the cost of doing business, same as rent and bags. I would much prefer these stores raising the cost a nickle a skein and stop making me feel guilty for trying to pay them.
I also like the new look.
The thoughts that retail prices should be increased to cover the merchant’s cost of credit or debit transactions are curious. Why should any cash-paying customer, anywhere, subsidize the credit or debit card users’ fees? What kind of ‘ism’ is this type of transference? Shouldn’t those who use a less costly money transference system be rewarded by keeping that savings themselves, rather than be punished by being forced to give that savings to those who use a more costly transference system?
I know exactly the store you’re speaking of. The woman once gave me & my friend a 10 minute lecture on signing/not signing the backs of credit cards. It sounds like she has credit anxiety or something. I’ve heard of not accepting credit cards for under $5 but $25? That’s ridiculous. Isn’t it funny how you didn’t mention the name or location and we all know which store you’re speaking of? Love the new look!
yes, for a small yarn shop the fees can be a cost (particularly with a card like American Express) but they are not oppressive. many people today don’t even have checks any more, as more and more banks are switching to check cards instead. you should remind this woman that using paper checks have lots of risks to buisiness owners too, such as bouncing, theft, etc. furthermore, it’s totally uncool for a shop owner to make her customer feel bad!
Taking credit card charges does mean a small percentage of each sale lost, but it certainly makes buying easier for many, so that more than makes up for it. If you’re going to be in business it pays to make things as easy as possible for the customer so they *want* to come back. Seems like your LYS hasn’t figured that out, somehow.
I can relate on hot flashes. Extra fun in the Summer, aren’t they?
It is absolutely in the agreement that the merchant has with Visa and Mastercard that they cannot place a minimum amount that they will accept. And you can (and should) report a violation. You can do this online at the Mastercard, and Visa sites.
I work at a yarn shop part time, and we won’t lecture folks. We want our customers to want to come back — enjoy the store, enjoy what we have to offer, and spend whatever they can afford. Cash, check, credit. It’s all fine, as long as it doesn’t bounce. I ran a credit card through for less than $2 the other week. No problem. They were embarrassed they didn’t have enough cash, but I told them it’s okay.
I’m pretty sure that Sharon is correct. And vendors are not supposed to add surcharges based on the kind of transation (e.g., charge extra for credit card transations) — or at least in Missouri they’re not supposed to.
I think I also know of the store of which you speak. This store also tends to have fairly high prices as well. I once had needles in hand to purchase while in line. They hasseled the woman in front of me about using a charge card “for such a small purchase”. Next they hasseled another woman for a return with a reciept. I started thinking about that extra money I was being charged, and got out of line and drove to another store, which was much further away. I wish that the stores would realize that yarn should be a fun thing.