How not to write an issue note to a store owner

For the record, I,  for some reason seem to get my fair share of strange and silly requests.  Luckily, I get really very few complaints about my items.  Which I am extremely grateful for.  However, last night I received a rather rude complaint letter that attacked one of my products that I honestly have never received anything but great comments about.

Now, some may think at this point - well, bring on the letter.  I am not going to share it.  My reason is I don't want to give the person who wrote it any more power than they already have.  What I am going to do is explain how to properly address an issue with a store owner and how not to.  Sadly, it appears that a few people need a lesson in proper behavior and me being the snarky bitchy elf that I am - I am the one who is going to give it.  Because, A - I don't care what people think about me.  B. - I am not going to sugar coat something just to make it taste better.  If you recognize yourself in any of the following things I write - you might want to check your actions.

Now here we go....

First of all, when you write to a store owner ALWAYS include your transaction history.  I mean it.  It saves time.  During a day we could have had a hundred transactions or more.  Seriously, some times things are that busy.  If you don't include one, we might spend awhile searching through our vendor history for you.  That slows down you receiving a successful resolution to your issue.  Also, for me at least, I am possibly less likely to play nice with others if you make me jump through a billion and one hoops for you because you didn't follow instructions.  Yeah, I am that temperamental.  Also, sometimes you may have purchased the item.  The Lindens, we have heard on high, have taken your money and my vendors may not have a record of it having happened - because sometimes the Lindens don't play nice with others or my vendors decide to play the Exorcist. Spraying peas soup and everything - not an attractive trait.  If I don't have your transaction history, I will have no record of a payment ever having been made.  So, boys and girls, say it with me "Transaction History Is My Friend."  Good job, you just earned the right to read on to part two.

If you didn't understand the last section - re-read the damn thing until it sinks in for you.

Now, you have your transaction history on the note card - which is awesome - because it means you can follow instructions.  You win a gold star.  What do you put on the note card now?  Well, put some sort of greeting.  No, don't put - "Hey, How you doin?"  One, you sound like an idiot and two, you sound like an idiot.  You can put - "Hey ________________, (the owners name in the blank spot)  or Hello, or Help".  Any of those would work.  For me, if you put, "Goddess, my Goddess" usually gets my attention pretty fast because it means you notice my greatness.  Just putting "Hey" down for a few business owners gets your card ignored.

After your greeting, then state your issue politely.  Yes, even if you are angry as hell.  DO NOT INSULT THE DESIGNER.  Do not call the product crap, shit, garbage, a waste of money.  Yes, even if it was.  It takes hours and sometimes days and weeks to create items for Second Life.  A lot of blood, sweat, screaming, and tears go into them.  Yes, even if the item is a template.  Explain clearly and as concisely as you can what your issue is.  Don't ramble about your dog or how you need to pee.  Really, I am glad you can use the toilet or outhouse or bush - but I don't need to know about it.  I also don't need to know about your pets.  Just explain what your issue is like : I didn't receive my product or the box arrived empty or this isn't what I purchased or I somehow wound up with 70 of them..  Though creators may appear to be awesome and totally faultless in the world - most of us are human.  I seriously question a few designers when you see what they bring out though and you know who you are.  But, alas,  being human we make mistakes.  We sometimes have issues too.  Vendors mess up.  It is life.  Stuff happens.  Be calm, in most cases, we can fix it.

When you are done explaining your issue - close your note with a Thank you.  One, it is polite and your mamma raised you with good manners.  Unless you lived with a bunch of wolves - and in that case type - Woof.  Two, Sign your name - both your persona name and your SL name.  Why? Because sometimes we can't contact you with just your persona name.  Sometimes you can't with the SL name.  Sometimes we just want to know who we are trying to fix an issue for.

Now, you wait.  Usually we can get back to you within 48 hours.  I am saying 48 as a generalization.  Usually it is a ton earlier.  Sometimes it might be later.  We have RL too.  We aren't ALWAYS in world.  Sometimes we have to do things like eat or sleep.  Yeah, I know the whole being alive thing really sucks.  We will get back to you though.  Because here is the big secret - WE WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY.  Yeah, I know, shocking.  But it is true.  We want you to be happy so you come back to the store.  You bring your friends.  Then your friends bring their friends and so on.  We want you to spend your money with us so we can make more awesome stuff for you and the whole vicious circle can begin again.

Ok, I think that covers it.  Just be polite.  Treat us like you would want to be treated.  It makes everyone much happier.  Plus, we talk.  Yeah, shop owners talk.  We tell each other about the crazy stuff that happens to each other.  We ask each other for advice.  You really don't want to become known for being the one who was the pain in the ass.

I hope that this has helped you out.  A lot of this is really common sense and common courtesy.  Respect is a two way street.  Plus, you really don't want to be on the receiving end of one of my more postal responses.

Take care-
Scout

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What happens when you shop a bit to much at Sanctuaire

My CSR, Ichi, shops a little bit to much at the store.  I mean when she moved this time into the new Sans Souci build.  She actually required an entire moving van.

Moving van unloading at Ichi's

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Home Show and Sans Souci Cottage and Outbuilding

Home Show began on July 1st and for the first time, Sanctuaire is a part of an actual home and garden event!  For the Home Show, I was stumped on what to create.  My first thought was a chicken coop cause for some wacky reason I had a vision of a shop full of chickens clucking.  Then the sanity returned to me and I was watching a really bad movie.  I mean cringe-worthy movie.  In the first few minutes of the film I saw it.  Like a magic light from bad movie nirvana.  My Home Show build.  Sans Souci.

Front View of Sans Souci

Sans Souci Pergola

Sans Souci is based off of a 12th century French farmhouse.    There is a pergola off of the house.  All of the windows and doors work.  Because I hate windows that don't do anything. You can also mod the script in the doors to lock for you.  I didn't set it to lock cause I actually wanted you to be able to go in and experience the house.

View of the Living Space of Sans Souci

 Sans Souci stairs are really special to me for sentimental reasons.  For years while in choir as a first soprano, I had to sing a certain French madrigal. Mon cœur se recommande à vous.  A basic translation is: 

My heart is offered still to you
Full now of woe and deep despairing!
Be not to constancy untrue;
Say one farewell, my sorrow sharing!
My mouth which once could smile in gladness,
And charming stories improvise
Now can only curse in its madness
Those who banished me from your eyes.

 Upstairs is what I call a sleeping/living space.  But it is large and open and you can fill it to your hearts content with anything that makes you happy.

Sans Souci Outbuilding

Upon popular request for a bathroom area.  I built an outbuilding that matches the house and can free float or attach to the house.

It is a large empty space that can be used as a bathroom, an artist studio, a study, a very small and cramped bordello.  I mean it is an empty room and the choice is up to you.

The house is on display staged in Winterfell though out the month of July.  As well as for sale there and at the Home Show event.









Landmark to the Home Show - http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Argentina%20Amor/127/164/24

I hope to see you there and I hope that you love the house as much as I do!

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New stuff and not so new stuff

Well, I haven't been a total slacker in the few months that I haven't blogged.  I actually have had quite a few awesome and amazing things happen for the store.

Ok, cool thing numero uno - and that is the extent of my Spanish.  But Sanctuaire is now at The Nest.  Yep, someone actually thinks I make ok stuff.  Here is a picture of my store location.

And yes, I am part of The Nest Easter Hunt that runs until the 30th of March!  So, pick up some free eggs!  Here is a picture of the inside of the store too.

 Ok, I was also accepted into Fifty Linden Fridays!  My first cycle started on the 16th.  So, I built an Irish Cottage for it.  Personally I am extremely proud of this build.  All the doors work, all the windows.  Fireplaces.  Wait, what was I missing.  Oh yeah, it was entirely mesh.  No, it isn't currently in the store.  There is more news on that front as well.

I always knew the current store build was temporary.  I tend to buy builds when I have a secret master plan in my head for the store.  After speaking to my best friend and honestly one of the only people on the planet who can talk me off a ledge - Serra - I asked her to join up with the store.   Soooo, Sanctuaire is joining up with Decorum, under Sanctuaire.  Did that make sense?  The advantage of this is - I really don't enjoy making furniture and Serra can make stuff as the mood strikes her to sell in the store.  Which is awesome for everyone!  What does that mean really though?  Well, I am building a new store.  This will probably tie me up for two or three weeks so I can get the details exactly how I want them to be.  Then the mess of setting it up will begin.  Hooray! :S

And finally, today, Sanctuaire was accepted into The Home Show scheduled for the month of July!  More news on that when we get closer to it.

- So that is it.  Take care! ---- Scout

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Four Walls Hunt Item Finally Finished

After the last few weeks I really wondered if I would get anything done - let alone the Four Walls item.  I don't know who the hell made up the idea that the holidays were a magical, jolly time.  Personally I think they were on crack cause you name a holiday and I can mention a total hell moment in my life.  But, after actually focusing on what I needed to do - and making 70 different items before settling down.  I finally did it.  I titled the collection - Lost and Found.  Personally, I like when things don't quite go together but when you see them you go - oh, ok.  That is what this set is to me.  I hope that you love it as much as I do.  I will be adding more to this set after the hunt is complete.

- Take care!

Scout

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BLACK FRIDAY SALE!!!

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Where I have been...

Well, it has been a semi eventful week or partial week.  My car and I decided that it would be a brilliant idea to make contact with a drunk driver.  So, I have once again been in the hospital.  I am suffering with a glorious punctured lung (in my opinion the worst of the injuries), a broken arm - again, and a few broken ribs.  I also am a glorious coloring book of bruises.  I just got out today and a few days ago I asked my beloved boyfriend to access my email account to send out messages.

 I hope that everyone out in Second Life is well and I am trying to send out all of my required messages now.

- In bumps and bruises -
Scout

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MadPea - The Case for Praying Mary Hunt - and my gift

I was very excited to have been accepted along with fourteen other designers to participate in the MadPea - The Case of Praying Mary hunt.

The tale behind the hunt is as follows :

Widow Millar was nicknamed 'Praying Mary' due to gruesome killings of three of her husbands and praying next to their dead bodies. Mary denied everything and claimed it was all a misunderstanding. Her motives were never understood. Once Mary was caught during her murderous act towards husband number four, she was sent to the Peatonville Asylum and was locked away in an isolated cell. The number XVIII was engraved over and over on Mary's cell, but no one was able to figure out the meaning for it. Mary herself passed away under sinister circumstances in the Peatonville Asylum in 1934 and the case went cold.

Millar's abandoned house was long closed from public until it was eventually sold to a family fairly recently. While refurbishing the house, they discovered a hidden journal underneath the planks on the floor. The journal seems to have been written by Mary herself and it desribes clearly how Mary did not only kill the three men who married her, but also the 15, who refused her proposal or otherwise got in her way.

After some thorough investigation it's been confirmed, that 15 men went indeed missing during the years of 1920 and 1933. The grounds of the former Millar house were turned upside down, but no bodies were found. The journal is the only clue of what has happened to these men. On each page of the journal, next to the description of the killings, Mary has drawn a cross with jibberish on it. It's believed that when someone deciphers the message, the bodies of the men can finally be found and their souls released to rest in peace.

My contribution/gift for the final act of the hunt is - a house.  Yeah I know.  But I love to build houses.  This house is really special to me though.  It has working windows, locking doors, and a hidden compartment.  It also has all the normal sanctuaire details - like trim, hinges, door knobs - oh and of course custom textures.  The total prims for this house are 129.   Yeah I know!  Like I said I am pretty proud of myself for this one too.

Here are all the pictures for it -

So to start the hunt - go to http://slurl.com/secondlife/hoshi%20island%20/68/159/48/?title=MadPea%20Hunt

Let your journey begin!

Huggers- 

Scout

Oh and by the way - On the 11th of October - for Boobiethon - EVERYTHING IN MY STORE (other than hunt items) - WILL BE TURNED OVER TO THE EVENT.  What does this mean - well all proceeds for 24 hours will go to the Boobiethon Event.  The proceeds go to the Feel Your Boobies Foundation to help fight against Breast Cancer.

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Another reason for me to go ballistic

I have been hosting the BoobieThon sales event in front of my store for the last four days now.  Everything has been going great and I have been very happy and proud to be the one setting it up.  However today, someone decided to well really tick me off and I told them I would put them on blast for their stunt.  Here is the letter that I wrote to them so that you can see the exact reason why I have done that.


Thank you for attending Boobiethon 2012, a charity event raising money for the fight against breast cancer.  As I was looking through my sales records for yesterday I noticed that you had made a purchase of an Odette Desk Set - Pink, from me for the cost of 1L.  Knowing that this couldn't have been the case because no one would rip off a charitable event by only paying a single linden for a 350L listed item.  I went and checked out my vendor.  I discovered that instead of using the pay now option - you decided to set your own price.  

Normally when one sets their own price for a charity event they go up in price.  Because after all - every single linden raised is going to charity.   However, strangely you appear to have made a mistake and reduced the price 349 linden.  I am saying made a mistake because I am sincerely hoping you can't be that big of a scum bag to rip off a charity.

Before you say, oh I didn't know that I was supposed to pay the listed amount or more.  Well that makes two of us because I didn't know that certain people would be as pathetic as to only pay a single linden for an item that all of the proceeds are going to charity.

If you just wanted to make a donation to the event - that is awesome and cool - you should have gone to the main area donation station and donated your linden.  Everyone would have been happy to accept it.  However, it appears you decided to rip me off (which to me it doesn't matter it just makes you pathetic and sad) but much more importantly YOU STOLE MONEY FROM A CHARITY.  Stealing from a charity is like stealing from a church.  You don't do that.  The fact that I have to state this to you not only makes me angry - but also makes me extremely depressed.  Not for me, because in the grand scheme of things I am just a shop owner and hosting the sales portion of this event for the Boobiethon 2012.  The part that makes me sad and depressed is that if everyone thought about charity as apparently - by your actions - you do, then the world would be a horrible and horrific place to live in.

Yes, I am aware that 350L basically equates to $1.42 us money.  That may not seem like much. However when you take that $1.42 and multiply it by 10, 50, or even 100 - that becomes an extremely large sum that can help thousands of people.  If everyone, like you, paid only a single linden for an item then how many people would not be able to receive aid?

If you made a mistake and meant to donate more and somehow the vendor instead of 1000L only took 1L - I apologize.  Please be my guest and go to the donation booth / tip jar and make the remaining payment.  However, as I suspect, you only intended on paying 1L for the desk.  I hope you honestly enjoy it and that every time you look at it - it reminds you of this letter.  That way the next time you attend an event being thrown for a charity - maybe you will help them out in honor of how scummy you were in this situation.

I hope that you have a good day and please enjoy the desk.

Sincerely -
Scout Danger (Scout Eberhardt)
Owner of Sanctuaire
Host of the Boobiethon 2012 sales event

I erased their name to protect the not so innocent.

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I almost typed - Oops I did it again... But I stopped myself.

I just finished another part of the Odette Library Collection.  What every good library needs - bookcases.  Now, I can texture most things in a matter of moments.  I can decorate a home in an hour.  For some unknown reason it took me almost 10 hours to put books in a bookcase.  Who takes 10 flipping hours to figure out the layout of a bookcase... apparently I do.  But all that - um, does this look better here or here - is to your benefit cause they are beautiful. If you can't tell I am feeling a bit gushy about this - well I am.  Often when I am creating furniture I have at least twelve melt downs == ask Ichigo (my awesome CSR who I will be introducing later today in a blog entry)  For some reason I can build a house in about four hours.  Create textures and a feel for it in two more.  So six hours to finished home.  But it takes me almost a week to do one table.  I don't know why but it has always been the case when I am making home furnishings.  Probably comes down to being a raving perfectionist.

Ok, to the cool stuff about these bookcases.  I hate selling stuff that isn't interesting or cool.  Cause well, I like stuff that does stuff.  This bookcase is no exception.  If you touch the fifth book in on the shelf with the three frames -- you can receive a book from the full bookcase.  Currently you only get Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - but you can add your own books, diary entries, porn, whatever your little heart desires.  Plus, you can lock it up so no one can access your weird stuff you stored inside.  Sometimes I even impress myself :P

Ok, so that is about it.  I am going to get off my bum and put all of my back log - radios, desks, and now bookcases on marketplace sometime today.  But all of these things and more are now available in the store!


Take care -
Scout

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