Monday, March 30, 2009

One Week, One Day

The jury is still out. We are still in transistion, having very little stock. People still think we are closed. Fulltime is 37 1/2 hours instead of 40. The drive is longer (I drove 1.8 miles before, now 15 miles one way. Quess filling up on gas once a month is a thing of the past. Hopefully inventory increases this week. Needles, thread, feet, hoops and machines. It will be great to send people home with a machine instead of a work order.

Stopped into 'my JoAnns' Saturday morning to see my friends that only work on Saturday. Got alot of hugs and Steve, one of the Managers, told me to be careful or he would have me cutting fabric. :)

Friday, March 20, 2009

Employeed

After waiting most of the day, I finally received my phone call about 2:00 this afternoon. I was told pay rate, commission scale and that benefits would be avaiable, if I choose to accept employment as a salesperson at the Dublin location. Fulltime, with two other fulltime employees at this location. I said yes, I was somewhat disappointed, as I had hoped to be offered the position at one of the locations. But I had prayed about it, and I know that there is a reason that, altho' I have been with the former company longer than all expect 3 others that I wasn't choosen. God is in control, and His wisdom doesn't always match our supposed logic. The girl who is to be the manager at the Dublin store is a great girl, a Christian, and we are good friends. I believe we can be a great team.

The drive to Dublin is much longer than my 2 mile drive to Lincoln Village, I will have to drive within 3 traffic lights of LV to catch 270 north. I will have the joy of rush hour, at times, including stop and go traffic. I will be getting a new Franklin County map and try a couple back roads, if there are any.

My first day with VSM is tomorrow, 11-7. See some of you there. I will still the majority of my JoAnn shopping at LV.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

The Saga Continues

It seems most people in the Lincoln Village market believed the email:

"Due to changes in the structure of Husqvarna Viking,the Stitching Post will no longer be a Husqvarna Viking dealer in the Dayton & Columbus markets.

Effective today March 7, 2009, ALL of the Stitching Posts inside the Joann stores are CLOSED. "


Business almost totally dried up, two days we had zero sales. When customers came into JoAnn's and saw us there they were extremely surprised and full of questions. It got to the place I sounded like a tape recording.

Yesterday and today interviews were held. We will be informed tomorrow (Friday, if we are hired and where we will be working). Today, (Thursday) we boxed up our location and all is gone except the large fixture that couldn't be removed yet. It feels surreal; the ownership change, the closing of our location, the uncertainty of the future employment.

Many, many customers have expressed their disappointment, but more so, many have been so kind in their comments of appreciation of my service to them. As I took names and addresses for the new data base, many insisted that I personally let them know where I was going to be working. Many gave hugs and one even called me in tears and told me she was already praying for my husband and I in this transition. The JoAnn's employees have been unbelievable, what a wonderful 'family' of friends I have there; so many expressed sadness in seeing us leave and gave hugs, phone numbers and email addresses. I was made to promise, repeatedly, that I would let them know where I was going. I was encouraged to fill out a job application with them so they could 'keep me.' I didn't realize how deep our relationship had become. I am truly blessed.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

What next?!?

Rumors have circled for months about The Stitching Post. Friday evening, close to time to go home I got a phone call that The Stitching Post and Husqvarna Viking (Sewing Machines) were no longer partners.(A fifty year partnership). Saturday morning VSM would be our (my) new employer. The cash register wouldn't work. Many of the supplies couldn't be sold......And on and.......including an email sent from the president of The Stitching Post that said all stores inside JoAnn's were closed. This caused a lot of concern for our customers.

Included in the stack of papers of instructions on our new procedures, was a job application. We needed to get it filled out and to headquarters by Tuesday. After 30 days, we can interview for continued employment.

Oh, did I mention, one of the papers said that our location and one in Dayton would be closed within two weeks?

Today all the thread,(including the thread needed to demo machines) needles and all other stitching post merchandise was removed--boy does it look empty.