WFS Gives To Danny's Farm and Five Acres!

There are several exciting things going on at WFS these next couple of months! The holiday season is quickly approaching, and of course we'll be dressing up the store but we thought we could do a lot more than decorate and hang ornaments.

I've said before that in economic times such as these, it's our local charities and non-profits that suffer the most. When people feel they have little to give, charitable donations are the first to be cut from the budget. We understand and believe me, our store doesn't have room for much donating, either. But you know what? We're still in business and our crew members are still employed and for that we're thankful. In that spirit of thankfulness, we are going to be donating to two Altadena non-profits - Danny's Farm and Five Acres. Read on and discover how we'll be accomplishing this.

Danny's Farm is a a local non-profit with an amazing premise. We love how the Gott family's vision has improved and enriched our community! They even have plans to expand that vision which will create more opportunities for the disabled in Altadena. To get there, they need our help and they need your help. If you order custom holiday cards from WFS this year, we will donate 15% of the net cost to Danny's Farm. Don't let the word "custom" scare you away....these cards are cost effective and beautiful. Best of all, you can be the designer of your own holiday card! We will have our catalog of holiday cards on-line at by late next week. From now until January 1st, if you order your gorgeous holiday cards through Webster's Fine Stationers, we will donate 15% of the net sale to Danny's Farm and that's a very good thing.

Five Acres is another local Altadena non-profit that is near and dear to our hearts. They're running a Thanksgiving food-drive for the population they serve and we want to help! We'll be collecting the donations here at WFS, but here's the thing: when you bring your food donations in, please give them directly to a crew member. That crew member will give you a coupon for 10% off any purchase you make at WFS. You can use that coupon that day or save it for later use. It's just our way of saying thank you for making a food donation to Five Acres. We also have $10.00 coupons that are good for the same amount off a purchase at Macy's on Saturday, November 14th. Your purchase of these coupons benefits Five Acres and are redeemable on regular, sale or clearance priced merchandise purchases of $25.00 or more. Remember, these are valid on November 14th only. To buy one, just ask one of our crew members.

Also on our radar for the weeks coming up is a book signing with Altadena author Andre Coleman. Stay tuned for more information on that event!

Vision Before Focus

Last month, I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with a lovely woman I met through networking. Her name is Joan Rudder-Ward and she's a photographer. She writes a blog called Picture Your Success, Successful Ventures With Photography. She teaches new and established photographers how to branch out and be successful at selling their art through different venues.

She plans on publishing a book she's writing on the subject by the end of the year. She chose me to interview about how I go about buying artisan cards and what special things I look for. I thoroughly enjoyed our discussion, which ended up being about much more than artist's cards. I was touched that she felt so in tune with what I spoke about, but now am verklempt as I read what she wrote about me. I have to reprint it here so you can read it, too:

"Vision Before Focus

This spotlight interview is with someone who is not a photographer, yet there are valuable lessons here for anyone wanting to start or expand a business venture.

Lori Webster is the owner of Webster’s Fine Stationers, a family business that has been serving the Altadena, California area since 1926. I interviewed Lori for my new book on how to start your own greeting card business (release set for December 09) , because she buys custom photographic greeting cards for her store. She gave very good information on the whole process of how she buys them, how to price them, the best methods of making contact, and what store owners look for in purchasing greeting cards. This information will be revealed in the book.

Though the business has been around for 83 years, Lori, with her husband Scott, have owned their store for the past two years. We had a chance to talk about the challenges they are facing with consequences of management decisions made before they took over, the effect of big box stores moving into the area, and the economy.

Lori exemplifies what it takes to successfully start and run any type of business, and I’ll relate these to starting and running a photography venture. Even though the store has been established for years, change is needed to meet the varied challenges the retail sector is facing in today’s world. Therefore, in putting a “new face” on Webster’s, it is parallel to starting a new venture.

3 vital things you must start with to have a successful photography venture

Vision

~~Lori’s vision for the store goes beyond stationery. The vision is to offer the community more lifestyle choices in what they carry, such as recycled and fair trade products, and products made locally and in the USA. They offer much more than stationery as customers can purchase products for their home and office, for their children, for school, and even for their appetites with the gourmet food selections they offer.~~

What does your ” finished product” look like? What is your vision? In other words, what goal do you have for your photography venture?


Is your goal to have a full-service boutique- style studio that caters to expectant mothers and their children? Or is it a weekend wedding business where you are booked three weekends a month? Perhaps it’s the art market where you want your images displayed in fine art stores in your city, or across the country. And then again, you may only be interested in having good images for your own personal reasons, such as documenting family history that can be passed down to generations to come.

Solidify your vision. “See” your end result from the start.

Craft a Plan

~~Lori is attending a 26-week ““Business Builders Boot Camp” where she is crafting her plan to reach her vision for the store.~~

Once you have your vision, you then need to craft your road map, your plan, to get there. This is the time to do research and gather the resources that you need. It’s a common joke that creative people don’t like taking care of the business end of things in learning the left-brain parts of launching a successful venture… like creating business plans and setting up and accounting system. You don’t necessarily have to create a full-blown business plan, but business acumen is necessary. Small Business Development Centers can be found in most cities, with business classes available for nominal fees. They also have counselors that can help guide you to beneficial resources. You can also seek the assistance of professional photographers who offer consulting services.

Work the Plan

~~Even while she’s going through the business boot camp, Lori is simultaneously working her plan, by supplying her store with products and services that match the vision she has for the store.~~

One of the challenges of being in business is the follow-through on the different aspects of a plan. Diligence and perseverance are key to fulfilling your vision. Keep moving forward and stick with it. You can do it!"

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

Wow! I am beyond honored that Joan would think enough of me and the store to write this article and I'm so thankful that we got to meet. I only hope that someday I can return the favor, but for now a simple thank you will have to suffice. I also want to thank you, Joan, for the prayers - I appreciate them more than you know.

Links to the story and to Joan's blog are below on my blogroll.

Haute Halloween Spookfest at WFS!

Witches on their broomsticks fly
Ghouls hitch rides with vampires sly
Ghosties and goblins arise from their lair
All decked out with frightening flair,

They're coming to town real soon, I hear
Youngsters and oldsters quiver in fear
Of dreaded apparitions in the dead of the night
When silence runs deep with the absence of light

Join us to welcome this gruesome crew
Come party – let's have a Halloween do
At WFS, wear your scariest outfit
‘Cause 10/31 is reserved for it!

Bring the kiddies, bring Grandma
Bring yourself, bring your pa
Bring everyone, get ready to greet the night
Filled with fabulous Halloween delight!

----Lori Webster

_____________________________________________________________________________________

MAKE PLANS NOW TO JOIN US!

Make plans now to join us Saturday, Oct. 31st, at WFS for Halloween fun and festivities! Pick up coloring pages for the kids to create Halloween masterpieces that'll be hung on our Halloween tree. Each artist will be entered into our Haute Halloween drawing and names will be drawn at 2:00 p.m. Don't miss out on the wonderful prizes for kids and adults! There will be treats, too, for what's Halloween without treats? You won't find any tricks here, though....just straight up, spooky fun.

Following the drawing, we'll take the kids on a Halloween Procession up and down Lake Avenue and around to the back of the store. You're encouraged to participate, but definitely bring a camera – you won't want to miss out on this perfect Kodak moment! We'll march back into the store for more festivities, fun and Halloween treats!

Remember, all this on Saturday, October 31st, from 2:00 pm until 6:00 pm!

Tempus Fugit

Hey,
Don't write yourself off yet.
It's only in your head you feel left out,
Or looked down on.
Just try your best,
Try everything you can.
And don't you worry what they tell themselves
When you're away.

It just takes some time,
little girl, you're in the middle of the ride.
Everything, everything will be just fine,
Everything, everything will be alright.

Hey,
You know they're all the same.
You know you're doing better on your own,
So don't buy in.
Live right now.
Yeah, just be yourself.
It doesn't matter if it's good enough
For someone else.


Hey, don't write yourself off yet.
It's only in your head you feel left out,
Or looked down on.
Just do your best,
Do everything you can.
And don't you worry what their bitter hearts
Are gonna say.

------Jimmy Eats World
"The Middle"


Wow! Two weeks has flown by almost without my knowing it! Time's like that sometimes....you blink and it's gone. My friend, Debi Swanson-Patrick, mentioned that she hadn't seen any posts from me in a while and I thought, "really? I haven't?" I swear it seems like just the other day that I had.

When I last posted, Michelle, our manager, had found a more secure job elsewhere and left us on Oct. 2nd. Thanks to all the wonderful people who wished her farewell, I'm sure she'll miss you! Since then it's been a whirlwind of training - not just Leilana, who has been promoted to manager (yay, Leilana!), but our two new crew members, Trish and Devon. We've also been busy planning our Haute Halloween Night on Saturday, October 31st. The whole crew is involved in planning this event, so I'm confident that we'll all have a frighteningly fun time! I'll be posting more information about it mid-week, and keep your eye out for updates after that.

Yesterday was my 3rd class at the Business Builder's Boot Camp at the Women's City Club in Pasadena. I'm still awed by the talent of the women who are teaching and attending this class with me! They're all fascinating and I'm learning so much, not just in the class but by being in the company of such powerful women. It's an empowering thing to be bouncing ideas off of and having meaningful, intelligent discussions with this part of the area's top movers and shakers....for that's what we are, no doubt about it.

What we're learning is how to build a business phase by phase. By research, data, life experience and intuition, it is possible to fashion a successful business and by hard work, perseverance and sheer determination it is possible to keep that successful business going. Having the talent needed doesn't hurt, either. We're finding out, each of us, how we're going to craft that business and if the resident population in our areas will support it. Personally speaking, I want to be able to write a business plan that will take us where we'd like to be and also help guide us into the future. I'd like to grow that plan to encompass the North Lake Business District and its merchants. Cooperative advertising, cross promotion and building community are things that we should be doing all the time - I'd like to help us get there. Promoting a healthy business environment, nurturing it and keeping it thriving are key elements to a successful Altadena.

So while I'm busy learning how to improve this part of my world, please feel free to drop in, have a cuppa, a cookie and a looksee around the store. New things coming in for the holidays, which are almost directly upon us. Escape for awhile, indulge and allow yourself a small luxury or two. Enjoy the experience and if you do, please let us know. You can leave messages on this blog, you can contact me via email at lorinscott_1@msn.com or you can leave a suggestion in our suggestion pumpkin on the coffee table at the store. You can even write comments in our guestbook! I suggest you check out our website, too....it's informative, user-friendly, and best of all, chock full of wonderful things, some available on-line!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes.....

"Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Don't tell them to grow up and out of it
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Where's your shame
You've left us up to our necks in it
Time may change me
But you can't trace time"

---Song lyrics by David Bowie

Since my last post, there's been quite a few comments about the situation at Webster's here on this blog, on our Facebook pages and on Altadenablog. The general consensus of opinion seems to be that the walls between the stores and the lack of good customer service has severely impacted area residents' willingness to shop at Webster's. Scott and I and our entire crew understands that. We're working extra hard to bring quality shopping back into the fabric of life in Altadena because we believe you deserve it. We'll keep pushing until all parties involved understand this concept as well.

Having a thriving business center on North Lake Avenue is a sweet dream of ours. With some work and cooperation, the dream could become reality. The work the Altadena Arts Coalition has been doing toward this end has shown great promise. We're in the midst of planning our next event, tentatively scheduled in conjunction with the lighting of Christmas Tree Lane in December and we're so excited about it! Fabulous things are in the works, so definitely stay tuned for more details as we plan them out, and follow my updates on Twitter.

As a store in transition in an uncertain economy, WFS has been able, for the most part, to hold its own. We are grateful to Webster's Pharmacy and our supporters, without whom we wouldn't have made it this far. As a result of this uncertainty, though, many of our employees feel insecure, and I don't blame them....I've been feeling a little insecure myself. Our manager for these past two years, Michelle Perata, is leaving us tomorrow for a better job elsewhere. We wish her the best of luck and will miss her dearly. She's helped us keep it together throughout the confusion of construction, the transition to being our own separate store and then helping retrain everyone to be the type of sales crew we envisioned. She's a wonderful gal and I hope you'll come by Friday to say goodbye to her. In Michelle's honor, we're serving cake (from Pastries by Nancy!) and lemonade from noon on and offering a 10% discount if you mention the code phrase "Michelle is the best manager"!

As sad as it is to see Michelle go, we're tickled that we could promote from within and give Leilana De Los Santos the position of manager. She'll be leading our crew Monday next, so if you haven't met her yet, drop by anytime to say hello. We're also sad to announce the departure of one of our newest employees, Tania. Her mother hurt her back and Tania left her position to help her out. We wish Tania the best of luck, also, and hope her mother's health improves soon. With Tania gone, we were left with two positions open and are thrilled to say those positions were filled within minutes. Our two new crew members are Trish and Devon, both local residents and both very smart, beautiful young ladies. We're building quite a team for you here at WFS and there's no time like the beginning of fourth quarter to hone their customer service skills. We'll have interviews with the new crew members soon.

We're also planning our Haute Halloween Festivities for Saturday the 31st. Keep reading to stay informed of our plans, and drop by the store anytime for decorating inspiration!

Out Of The Pan And Into The Fire

Scott and I received the following letter in the mail today, addressed to our store but unsigned and with no return address. One has to wonder why they addressed this to us. Was it because they knew the letter wouldn't fall on deaf ears? The letter rings eerily true with the posts I've been writing lately about what's fundamentally wrong at Webster's Shopping Center. Please take a moment to read this letter, then scan back and peruse my posts of the past several months. Letter follows:

" LETTER FROM DISSATISFIED CUSTOMER 9/18/09


WEBSTER’S

PHARMACY
FINE STATIONERS
HALLMARK STORE



TO THE OWNERS OF THE PHARMACY, FINE STATIONERS, AND HALLMARK STORE,

I HAVE BEEN A CUSTOMER OF WEBSTER’S, IN ALL ITS PERMUTATIONS, FOR OVER 50 YEARS. I CHOSE TO SHOP WITH YOU BECAUSE I WANTED TO KEEP MY DOLLARS IN THE COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT YOU. I DON’T PARTICULARLY LIKE THE LARGE CHAIN STORES, AND PREFER THE CONVENIENCE OF SHOPPING WITH YOU, EVEN IF I SPEND A LITTLE MORE. IT WAS WORTH IT TO ME TO KEEP MY BUSINESS IN THE AREA WHERE I LIVE.

AFTER OVER 50 YEARS, I DON’T SHOP WITH YOU ANYMORE, AND FROM THE LOOKS OF YOUR PARKING LOT, I DON’T THINK A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE DO EITHER. YOU COULD CHALK IT UP TO THE ECONOMY, BUT THE REASONS I DISCONTINUED FILLING MY PRESCRIPTIONS AND BUYING CARDS AND GIFTS WITH YOU GO WAY ABOVE AND BEYOND THE ECONOMY. IT HAS TO DO WITH YOUR COMPLETE LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVICE.

RECENTLY, I’VE EXPERIENCED AN APPALLING LACK OF SERVICE IN YOUR PHARMACY. MY DOCTOR’S OFFICE HAS CALLED IN PRESCRIPTIONS THAT DON’T GET FILLED CORRECTLY. IN ONE CASE, THE PRESCRIPTION CLEARLY CALLED OUT THAT GENERICS COULD NOT BE SUBSTITUTED. YOUR PHARMACIST WENT AHEAD AND FILLED THE PRESCRIPTION WITH A GENERIC WITHOUT CALLING MY PHYSICIAN OR ME. I DISCOVERED THIS ABNORMALITY WHEN I PICKED UP THE PRESCRIPTION.

WHEN I BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE PHARMACIST, I DIDN’T EVEN GET SO MUCH AS AN APOLOGY. AFTER 50 YEARS OF DOING BUSINESS WITH YOU, (AND WE SPEND SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS A MONTH IN PRESCRIPTIONS AND OTC), IT IS THE LAST PRESCRIPTION I WILL EVER FILL WITH YOU. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT ACCEPTABLE.

I’VE TRIED TO REFILL PRESCRIPTIONS VIA YOUR PHONE SERVICE RECEIVED A VERIFICATION VIA PHONE THAT THE ORDER WAS CONFIRMED, RECEIVED A PICK-UP TIME AND DATE ONLY TO SHOW UP AT THE COUNTER AND BEEN TOLD THAT YOU DON’T HAVE THE MEDICATION ON HAND, AND IT WON’T BE AVAILABLE FOR A DAY OR TWO. AND NEVER ONCE DID YOU, OR ANYONE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION, PICK UP THE PHONE TO ALERT ME TO THIS. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, YOUR COMPETITORS ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO CALL ME AND KEEP ME INFORMED OF MY PRESCRIPTIONS’ PROGRESS, SO I WILL BE SPENDING MY PHARMACEUTICAL MONIES ELSEWHERE.

I RECENTLY VENTURED INTO YOUR PHARMACY LOOKING FOR A SKIN CARE PRODUCT YOU HAVE CARRIED FOR YEARS. I COULDN'T FIND IT. I WAS THE ONLY CUSTOMER IN THE PHARMACY. THE ONLY ONE! AND THERE WERE TWO LADIES BEHIND THE COUNTER, LEANING UP AGAINST THE WALL. I ASKED THE OLDER LADY WHO HAS BEEN WITH YOU FOR YEARS IF YOU CARRIED THIS PRODUCT. SHE JUST POINTED DOWN THE AISLE TO ME. SO I HUNTED, AND HUNTED, AND STILL DIDN’T FIND IT. SHE COULDN'T BE BOTHERED TO HELP. SHE WAS TOO BUSY STANDING BEHIND THE COUNTER DOING NOTHING. ON MY WAY OUT, I SAW THE PRODUCT, BUT BY THAT TIME, I DECIDED THAT YOU DON’T DESERVE MY MONEY. I WENT TO CALIFORNIA PHARMACY, HAD A GRACIOUS LADY HELP ME, PURCHASED WHAT I WENT IN FOR AND SOME OTHER ITEMS, AND LEFT AS A HAPPY CUSTOMER. TELL ME, DO YOU HIRE YOUR CLERKS TO LOAF BEHIND THE COUNTER, OR TO HELP CUSTOMERS? IF IT IS THE LATTER, YOU ARE PAYING GREATLY FOR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE HURTING, NOT HELPING, YOUR BUSINESS.

THE HALLMARK STORE IS NOT EXEMPT FROM THIS LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVICE. I ONCE ROUTINELY SPENT AT LEAST A MINIMUM OF $100.O0 A MONTH IN YOUR STORE FOR CARDS, STATIONERY, GIFT WRAP, GIFTS, TOYS, ETC. I VENTURED IN A FEW WEEKS AGO LOOKING FOR TWO BIRTHDAY CARDS, SOME TABLE FAVORS, GIFT WRAP AND RIBBON, INVITATIONS, TWO GIFTS AND STICKERS. AS I WAS LOOKING THROUGH THE CARDS, TWO THINGS HAPPENED.

1. A VERY ELDERLY LADY WALKED INTO THE CARD SECTION. SHE WAS LOOKING FOR A CARD THAT SAID, “BEST WISHES FOR YOUR 90TH BIRTHDAY”. SHE WAS HOPING SHE COULD FIND ONE, BUT IF NOT, SHE WANTED SOMETHING VERY TRADITIONAL AND PRETTY. THE YOUNG LADIES BEHIND THE COUNTER COULDN’T BE BOTHERED TO HELP HER. THEY WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING TO CLEAN UP AND CLOSE OUT. I HELPED YOUR CUSTOMER FIND A PRETTY CARD, AND HELPED HER TO THE CHECKOUT COUNTER WHERE SHE MADE HER PURCHASE. INCIDENTALLY, THIS CARD FOR A NINETY-YEAR-OLD WAS FOR HER YOUNGER SISTER. THIS CUSTOMER WAS AT LEAST 91 YEARS OLD, AND YOUR YOUNG, HEALTHY, ROBUST CLERKS COULD NOT LIFT A FINGER TO ASSIST HER.

2. WHILE THE ELDERLY LADY WAS SHOPPING, A FRAZZLED CUSTOMER ENTERED FROM LAKE AVENUE. SHE WAS LOOKING FOR A WALKER FOR HER MOTHER WHO JUST RETURNED FROM THE HOSPITAL. SHE LOOKED UP AND DOWN THE HALLMARK STORE AISLES, UNATTENDED AND UNAIDED BY YOUR EMPLOYEES. I FINALLY STEPPED IN, AFTER ASSISTING THE ELDERLY LADY WITH HER CARD PURCHASE, AND TOLD HER THAT I BELIEVE THE WALKERS CAN BE FOUND TWO DOORS UP IN THE PHARMACY. SHE TOLD ME SHE HAD CALLED IN ADVANCE, AND NO ONE TOLD HER WHAT DOOR TO GO TO, OR THE DIFFERENCES IN THE STORES. YOUR CLERKS, IN FACT, LOOKED AT HER BLANKLY, AND TOLD HER THEY DIDN’T KNOW WHERE SHE COULD FIND WALKERS! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?

SO I SAVED YOU TWO SALES AND TWO CUSTOMERS’ ONE CARD SALE IN THE HALLMARK STORE AND THE ONE WALKER SALE IN THE PHARMACY. I, HOWEVER, DID NOT MAKE A PURCHASE THAT DAY. I WAS SO DISGUSTED WITH THE ENTIRE SCENE THAT ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK THE NEXT DAY I STOPPED AT THE HALLMARK STORE IN LA CANADA. THE FRIENDLY PEOPLE GREETED ME AS I WALKED IN AND ASKED IF I NEEDED HELP. I TOLD THEM WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR, AND THEY SHOWED ME EVERYTHING I NEEDED, AND MORE! I WALKED OUT OF THERE THAT DAY FINDING ALL I WANTED, AND PAID $437.35. THAT IS $437.35 THAT DID NOT GO TO YOU. I NOW DO ALL MY HALLMARK AND GIFT SHOPPING IN LA CANADA AT THAT STORE.

THE SAD THING IS THAT I CAN GIVE YOU DOZENS OF EXAMPLES OF WHY I DON’T SHOP WITH YOU ANYMORE. THE TROUBLE IS THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO THINK THE SAME WAY I DO. WE DON’T LIKE THE WALLED IN ATMOSPHERE, (SORRY THE FAMILY BROKE UP THE BUSINESS FOLKS, BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF WAYS THAT TECHNOLOGY CAN DEAL WITH KEEPING STOCK AND SALES SEPARATE WHILE KEEPING THE IDEA OF A LARGE SHOPPING CENTER INTACT). NO ONE WANTS TO SHOP IN THE DARK FINE STATIONERS SHOP, AND WE ALL LIKED THE CONVENIENCE OF GETTING OUR PRESCRIPTIONS FILLED AND WALKING AROUND PICKING UP OTHER ITEMS. I LOVED BEING ABLE TO GET SCHOOL SUPPLIES, HALLMARK CARDS, OTC ITEMS, ETC., WITH ONE-STOP SHOPPING. I DON’T LIKE YOUR TOTAL LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVICE, YOUR SHORT-SIGHTED ATTEMPTS AT WALLING IN YOUR SHOPS, YOUR “LET THEM EAT CAKE” ATTITUDE. I HAVE FOUND PLENTY OF OTHER FRIENDLY, HARD-WORKING, ESTABLISHMENTS THAT WELCOME MY BUSINESS.

GO OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW. LOOK AT YOUR PARKING LOT. IT’S EMPTY, RIGHT? I REMEMBER A TIME WHEN IT WAS DIFFICULT TO FIND A PARKING SPACE IN YOUR LOT DURING THE WEEKEND OR HOLIDAYS. YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE SPECIAL EVENTS YOU WANT, YOU CAN ADVERTISE ALL YOU WANT, BUT YOU WILL NEVER HAVE THE CUSTOMERS YOU NEED UNTIL YOU PROVIDE GOOD, FRIENDLY CUSTOMER SERVICE AND HIRE PEOPLE WILLING TO GET OF THEIR BUTTS TO HELP THE CUSTOMERS. AND AS LONG AS YOU KEEP UP THOSE CONFINING WALLS, LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY, THAT DIVIDE YOUR SHOPS AND YOUR FAMILY, YOU WILL NEVER HAVE THE CUSTOMER BASE YOU NEED TO SUCCEED.

IT’S NOT JUST THE ECONOMY, FOLKS. IN THIS RECESSION, YOU HAVE TO GIVE BETTER SERVICE TO GET THE CUSTOMERS. YOU DON’T HAVE MY BUSINESS, AND I KNOW YOU HAVE LOST THE BUSINESS OF DOZENS OF OTHER LONG-TIME CUSTOMERS DUE TO YOUR NEGLIGENCE. WAKE UP BEFORE YOUR STORES, AND YOUR NAME, BECOME JUST MORE FOOTNOTES IN ALTADENA’S HISTORY.

PLEASE CONSIDER THIS FEEDBACK FROM A FORMER CUSTOMER WHO TOOK THE TIME TO TELL YOU WHY I WON’T BE COMING BACK UNTIL I HEAR THAT YOU HAVE TURNED YOUR BUSINESS, AND YOUR ATTITUDES, AROUND."

First of all, let me address the person who wrote this letter to the Pharmacy but delivered it to us. Thank you very much for this. Really and truly, thank you. Scott and I been asking for feedback from our customers for two years now, trying to engage everyone in the area. We knew the division of the stores wouldn't be readily accepted without any communication by management to the public. We knew the lack of customer service was a problem with the other stores and this is why we've been such sticklers with the crew here about ours.

But this isn't about which store has better service, because the simple fact of the matter is that the public perceives as as one entity. We can divide it up all we want but we can't change our customers' perception and this is why we advised long ago that we all work together to maintain at least the illusion of our being whole. Sadly, that was ignored. We have to ask why they ignored it, which was, loosely, the basis of my last post.

Ellen Snortland, a customer and friend, had a quote in her writer's workshop series, "Author Bite By Bite" (a wonderful group that can be found on Facebook) that particularly appropriate for what's happening here. It's an old Zen saying that "The gate to enlightenment is guarded by two lions: Confusion and Paradox". How very true that is. How very sad it is that Webster's hasn't been able to get past those two lions to find their way to a clear path. How it pains us to watch this happening without being able to do much about it, other than make sure our own store doesn't fall victim to the same pitfalls.

What I'd like to know now is what effect this letter is going to have on the Pharmacy. Maybe it'll be the catalyst they need to pull it together. It'll take a lot of tough love, but I firmly believe that it can be done. With our help and your help, I believe it can be done. What can you do to help, you ask? Please, please, let us know what you think....without your input we are rudderless. Post here, post on our Facebook Fan Page, write letters, come into the store and talk to us. For months, I've been asking this with little response....c'mon, Altadena, you can be vocal when you want to be!

One last thing to the author of the unsigned letter - we know the lighting in our store needs to be addressed. It's been the same since the 60's and never got updated like the other areas of Webster's. It takes a lot of money to change lighting in a retail store (it's not like buying lamps for your home) and we don't have the money right now. I'm a decorator, so this bugs me every single time I walk into this store but I'll have to be patient. Little by little, our store will become as wonderful as I envision it being but it'll become that vision only with your support. We sincerely hope that we can entice you back as a customer. We promise not to disappoint.

One more little thing. This customer who wrote the letter states that he or she has "been a customer of Webster's, in all its permutations, for 50 years". If they were, then they'd remember when the stores weren't all interconnected. Sometimes the people who patronize a certain store are a bit afraid and resistant to change, too.....just sayin'.

The Learning Curve at Webster's Fine Stationers

I’m embarking on an adventure. Today I started a 26-week course given by the Women’s City Club of Pasadena called “Business Builders Boot Camp”. The brainchild of Lilli Cloud, Donna Chaney and Jennifer Hamilton, this course will help me formulate a sound business plan for our store. I was blown away with the absolute awesomeness of the women attending along with me, and I feel that this is without doubt one of the most positive things I’ve done for our store so far. I need to learn more about how to steer our business toward the goals we set upon taking ownership of it. I want to learn how to maintain those goals and add to them and how to grow after realizing those goals. I can’t wait to soak in the knowledge and expertise all these wonderful women are offering and I’m so thankful that I happened to be invited into the group. I’m one lucky gal to have such fabulous friends and to have the chance to make more!

In class I spoke of our store and the history of Webster’s. We were identifying what the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are for our businesses and I volunteered to be the class example. It was an exciting discussion and I actually learned so much from listening to my classmates’ comments. Hands down, the top ranked strength for us was our name recognition. We discussed what a powerful tool name recognition is, then we talked about what can happen to that name recognition if it’s not given the proper care and attention it deserves. In other words, the store’s weakness is its lack of follow-through.

What Webster’s has become is a perfect example of what happens when you become complacent. Paraphrasing Petrea Bruchard in her article about us in her blog, Pasadena Daily Photo, Webster’s sat up on that hill and never really had to do much to attract shoppers. We were the only game in town and it was exciting at the time to have a nice place to shop in the neighborhood. We were the town’s hub and it was good. But local shopping fell out of favor. New and more exciting big box stores opened nearby and then warehouse stores came along. Things were less expensive at these places, you could get similar items for less, so business for Webster’s began fall off. The shopping demographic changed and we didn’t change with it, or we didn’t change in the right direction. With the years of neglect came apathy and denial, lackluster service and a general feeling of malaise that could be felt by customers. I noticed it when I took a full time job in the business office there in 1995 and I’ve talked with many people who’ve noticed the same thing throughout the years.

With Bill Webster’s retirement and the splitting up of the stores two years ago, our store began communicating with the public. We became very active on social media sites and have worked diligently to improve our visibility and reinforce our brand. Scott and I have made so many new friends and reinforced old friendships that we’re very thankful for. Many of these friends have offered advice, most of which we’ve taken to heart. But one piece of advice leaves us a bit flummoxed. Move on, they say, after learning about our trials with the Webster’s Corp…..find another storefront to rent where you’ll be more successful and get out before you go down with them. We’ve heard it from several different sources recently, especially now with the advent of Karen’s Hallmark‘s demise. I get where these friends are coming from, I truly do. But Scott and I just can’t reconcile moving the business away from Webster’s. What would happen to the main store if we did that? Where would that leave them? And more importantly, what would that say about our integrity?

Integrity is vitally important to Scott and I personally and it’s vitally important to us as a store. If we don’t follow through with what we’ve promised, then what are we? Integrity is also important to us in relationship to our family, reciprocated or not. If not for Webster’s, there would be no Webster’s Fine Stationers, and for that opportunity alone we’re more grateful than we can say.

Two years ago, we envisioned a small complex of stores working together to make a healthy whole and unfortunately, that didn’t happen. We’re now experiencing the closure of the Hallmark store, which will of course affect us all, and not in a good way. It will negatively affect the store on so many different levels, it’s staggering. Hopefully, though, this will become the catalyst for the two remaining stores to work together closely, and most of all, to learn from this experience. Scott and I remain hopeful because we believe in our store. We believe we can offer the community many benefits, which we’ve discussed in prior posts. We remain hopeful that with our help, Webster’s will remain in the community, but remember that we’ll need your help, too. Remember to shop local and please remember that Webster’s stands for Altadena.