Sunday, August 19, 2012

20 Things Cloth Diaper Retailers Wish You Knew


1.       If a store is helping troubleshoot problems with your diapers, please give them all the information. If you’ve been adding a cup of bleach and a scoop of fabric softener, tell them so they can give you the best advice. They won’t judge. Many will go above and beyond to help you, including contacting the manufacturer for you.

2.       Even though most store owners still work at least part time from home, please give them some time to answer your emails or return voicemail, especially if it is during the weekend or at night. There may be times you get a response in five minutes and other times it may take a day. Remember, behind each store are real people with families, commitments, interests and so on.

3.       Trust them! They really do know what they are doing. Most store owners thoroughly research and try the products they carry. When they give you opinions, it is based on years of experience.

4.       If you are shopping in store, please do not open packages. Many times, there are sample products available for you to look at and/or try.

5.       Please don’t ridicule the products. It’s fine to ask questions about the products, but please don’t say things like “Who would buy this?” or “Who would spend this much on this?” There are other customers that love those products and it can be really uncomfortable for them to hear other customers mocking them.

6.       Ask first if it’s okay to take pictures in the store.

7.       Yes, certain manufacturer policies suck, but the manufacturers decide on these policies, not the store owners or sales people. If a store goes against a manufacturer’s policy, they could lose the right to sell that brand.

8.       Please supervise your kids! Many stores offer a play area for children. Do not take advantage of this by expecting the store owners and/or employees to watch your kids. If your child takes a product off a shelf and damages it, offer to pay for it or at least apologize.

9.       Local stores want your shopping experience to be wonderful, but they do have other customers to attend to as well. If you need help that will take longer than a few minutes, please ask if they have time to help you or contact the store beforehand to schedule some one-on-one consultation time. If you purchased the products from that store, they will be more than happy to help you.

10.   Treat them like you wish to be treated. Yes, if it wasn’t for the customers, the stores wouldn’t be here. But, that doesn’t give you the right to be rude or pushy. This is especially true when you are shopping online. Sometimes, we forget there is an actual person on the other end of that email.

11.   Retailers expect to make a living and not a killing. Cloth diapers have some of the worst price margins. Even if a diaper costs $30, a retailer may only be making 25-30% profit on it. After paying taxes, employees, shipping and overhead costs, there’s not much left. This is why they can’t offer sales, coupons and free shipping on a constant basis.  Most retailers do not start a store to get rich but they do need to support their families.

12.   They work hard, spend endless hours educating, ordering products, displaying, cleaning, pay taxes and payroll and take time away from their family. Please respect that.

13.   The internet is full of cloth diaper opinions and advice, some good and some terrible. Your local retailer can save you hours of time, frustration and even money in the long run. By asking the right questions, your retailer can help you choose cloth diapers you will love and, as a bonus, they are available to troubleshoot if needed. You will rarely get that level of service from the big box stores.

14.   Cloth diapers will be peed and pooped in on a daily basis and washed thousands of times in their lifetime. They are an investment and should be treated like that. So, shop locally and get advice from professionals.

15.   While retailers love helping families, please do not purchase your entire stash somewhere else and go to your local store for help. While a few questions are fine, they cannot spend an hour of their time helping with products that were not purchased at their store. Besides, if it is a diaper that retailer doesn’t carry; they may not know the answers to your questions. If you do purchase elsewhere and need help, consider attending a local Cloth Diaper 101 class.

16.   When you support local stores and websites you are saving local jobs and the local economy. Saving a buck on deal sites may seem great at the moment but hurts everyone in the long run. Support your local cloth diaper retailer and they will always be there for you.

17.   It hurts when you use their time and stock then leave empty handed and shop online. When you don’t shop at your local store, it will eventually close and there will no longer be a local place to ‘browse’.

18.   Every dollar you spend is a vote for what retailer/manufacturer you want to see succeed. Buying North American made products from local retailers really does make a difference.

19.   Before purchasing a product from a deal site, check with your local retailer. Once you add in the hidden costs, it may not be that great of a deal.

20.   Give feedback. If the retailer provided great service, let them know. If there was something you didn’t like, let them know. The only way they can grow is if you let them know what you like or don’t like. But, please contact the store before leaving negative comments on social media sites. A simple misunderstanding could ruin a store’s reputation.

*I'd like to thank all of the cloth diaper store owners that helped me write this post!

If you are a retailer, please comment on this post with a link to your website and/or social media pages. If you have a brick & mortar store, let us know where you're located!
Customers - what would you like retailers to know? Join the conversation on our Facebook page.

30 comments:

  1. We are located in Sarasota, FL in the historical Rosemary District - 434 Central Ave.

    www.facebook.com/bippydiapers
    www.bippydiapers.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have a small in home store in Ellington, CT and can be found anytime/anywhere at www.Buttercup-Baby.com
    Find me on facebook at www.facebook.com/ButtercupBabyStore

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good things to remember about local stores. However, I would like to comment on number 10. It goes both ways. I have been on the receiving end of one of the most unprofessional emails I've ever received from a business...and it happened to be the local diaper store. Because of which I do not support shopping there any more. Do not talk to your customers like they're your best friend when you do not know them. Especially in emails where comments can be misinterpreted. Happy faces and "LOL" should not be used in emails sent to customers, for example, to tell them they in fact did not win the prize that you had previously emailed they won. Respect customers and customers will respect you. It goes both ways!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I completely agree Jane's Mommy! Thankfully, I've found stores like that are the minority.

      Delete
  4. PS I really wanted to share this with my customers but I feel like it's a little harsh. I want my customers to know about MSRP, China cheapies, Deal Sites, Why target/amazon won't help you, etc, but I'm worried about making them sound un-appreciated, especially in numbers 4-10. This is strictly my opinion of course, but I can't afford to possibly turn a customer away by looking ungrateful. I am probably in the minority though since I am so small and need every penny I can get.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for posting! I own Eco Booty, an online store located in Canada.
    www.ecobooty.ca
    www.facebook.com/ecobooty
    @ecobooty

    ReplyDelete
  6. We are a retail store in Hillsboro Oregon. We would love to help Oregon families with their diaper and baby product needs. We offer much more than cloth diapers! We also carry a large stock of child safety products!
    My Precious Kid
    633 SE Baseline St
    Hillsboro OR 97123
    http://www.MyPreciousKid.com
    http://www.facebook.com/MyPreciousKid

    ReplyDelete
  7. I loved this post! Thank you!

    I am an online retailer, located in Tampa, FL, with several local pick-up locations to make moms' lives easier! I also do twice + monthly cloth diaper 101 classes and diaper sewing classes.

    www.GreenMommyDiapers.com
    https://www.facebook.com/greenmommydiapers

    ReplyDelete
  8. We are located in Milton (Pensacola), FL! Our shop is http://ecomamas.me

    ReplyDelete
  9. We are an online retailer of not only cloth diapers but also various other goodies for mom & baby. Our store is http://ecomamas.me!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I shared this on fb, but wanted to be part of the conversation here. I should preface this by saying that I follow many small businesses online and purchase from them whenever I can. I appreciate their contribution to the cloth diaper community and love supporting WAHMs. I think this is an interesting article, especially since it wasn't initiated by retailers, but a blogger started the conversation. I would like to see the flip side of this with the customer's perspective, though. I actually feel like local and small businesses lecture their customers a lot about these topics and are not always as professional as they could be (and blogged about it). I don't think you can or should lecture customers into "good behavior." I also think the American system of coupons, discounts, and big retailers is a challenge for small businesses, as is the online giveaway system that has become such an integral part of the online cloth diapers culture. Complaining, criticizing specific customers, or airing gripes publicly are not the way to handle these challenges (as I've seen some of these businesses do). Also, businesses have to decide what kind of relationship they want with customers and their goals. It's okay not to be a catch-all resource for everyone, there's plenty of blogs for that, but don't set yourself up as one and then get angry when people don't purchase in exchange for your help. Lastly, the issues with profit margins and discount stores should be handled behind the scenes and cloth diaper manufacturers should better support their small business partners. Customers want to support small businesses, but they have a bottom line too. Provide excellent customer service, great products, and competitive prices to attract customers and most of us will happily support small businesses if we can. Just, please, don't try to lecture or guilt me into it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wonderful points Mindy! I posted this more for education and I hope it didn't come off as lecturing. As much as I love a good deal, I think it's really important that we support local businesses as much as possible.

      Delete
  11. I have an on-line and in-home store - please feel free to contact me for an appointment in Greeley, Colorado (near Loveland.)

    My Blossom Bottom
    970.313.3401 text only

    www.MyBlossomBottom.com

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyBlossomBottom

    ReplyDelete
  12. Nappy Shoppe is located in Plano Texas. We offer a range of cloth diapers, baby carriers, nursing supplies and teething needs.

    When you shop at Nappy Shoppe, you help keep 12 girls employed part time, and give back into the local community.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And, you guys are always awesome and friendly! You listen to your customers and I'm so thrilled with how you've grown. Thank You!

      - Lori B.

      Delete
  13. Green Bean Babies is located in NJ and we are always willing to help! Find us online at www.greenbeanbabies.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. I own an online store (also open by appointment in my home) in Gurnee, IL.

    Max and Jack's Room

    www.maxandjacksroom.com
    https://www.facebook.com/MaxandJacksRoom

    ReplyDelete
  15. The Green Baby Store is located in Central Wisconsin, we are online and offer local demo appointments too!
    www.thegreenbabystore.com
    www.facebook.com/thegreenbabystore

    Thanks I <3 Fluff, great article!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You guys are awesome! Ordered from you a few times and have always been happy w/ your customer service. :)

      Delete
  16. I own a store in southern California http://www.envirobabystore.com

    I think what I would most like my customers to understand is MSRP. I also want customers to understand that with diapers, you generally get what you pay for. Several customers have told me about the diapers they found for half the price of the diapers in my store. I often explain why they are cheaper, but people usually aren't interested. People also tend to prefer buying on Amazon, which is great unless unless a customer needs help.

    I really don't mind if someone buys diapers elsewhere then comes to me for help. I find it to be a great way to demonstrate customer service and the spirit of what I do,

    ReplyDelete
  17. Country Cloth Bottoms located in the Rural area near Edson, Alberta!
    Online and in-home by appointment!
    www.countryclothbottoms.com
    www.facebook.com/countryclothbottoms

    Awesome article <3

    ReplyDelete
  18. We own an online store and also do local appointments in Aberdeen, MD.
    FiggyFuzz Baby Boutique
    www.figgyfuzz.com
    www.facebook.com/figgyfuzzbabyboutique

    ReplyDelete
  19. I own My Baby Wears Cloth. We are online and also take local appointment in Harford County, MD.

    www.mybabywearscloth.com
    www.facebook.com/mybabywearscloth

    ReplyDelete
  20. We're located in Michigan between Detroit and Lansing! Open for office consultations 7 days a week.

    www.mybabyfirst.com
    www.facebook.com/mybabyfirstllc

    Thanks, Tara, for a great post. And I also feel it's our privilege to serve those interested in learning more about our knowledge, whether or not they become customers. We've been loved enough to have what we do - and we love to spread that love!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'm a WAHM of 3 boys - I started REBEL-CLOTH, the greener way to cloth diaper! That's right, my diaper covers can be used ALL day!! No more extra laundry. They are waterproof and absolutely adorable.

    http://www.etsy.com/shop/RebelCloth
    http://www.facebook.com/rebelclothnow

    ReplyDelete
  22. Supermommy's Superstore is central Kentucky's breastfeeding, cloth diapering and natural parenting resource located in Towne Mall in Elizabethtown. We offer a variety of classes and private consultations by appointment.

    www.supermommys.com
    Facebook.com/Supermommys

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thank you! I"m the mama of 2 littles and start The Fluff & Stuff Shop when my son was just 3 months old, nearly 3 years ago.
    www.thefluffandstuffshop.ca
    www.facebook.com/thefluffandstuffshop

    Truro, Nova Scotia :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Love this! www.greenwithjoy.ca We are located in beautiful Prince Edward Island (PEI). We are an online & home based business retailing cloth diapers and other natural parenting products.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Excellent post! We are an online and in-home store (opening soon) located in Greensburg, PA.

    www.kushietushies.com

    ReplyDelete