Anyone in need of training on how to adress customers ?

One of the reasons I was dying for April to start was to follow the Crazy Arse Hair Hunt. On Easter Friday I suddenly realised that was the H day so I immediately stopped everything I was doing and headed to the Hunt Starting Point. The detailed notecard about this hunt was VERY challenging and specifically mentioned we should not count on “normal hairs”. Also, there would be no hint giving nor a blog on the hunt, just because the hunt items would be all in plain sight and no farer than 20 meters away from the landing point.

Well, some of them were, others not really. The fact that the item was a sphere did not helped much either but anyway I was able to do it in just one day, since there were only 40 stores joining in.

As often with most of the hunts on the first day, some of the items were not yet set up in the stores. Others were not simply set for sale. Because we had no other option than collecting each and every item, each time we got stuck I would send the owner and designer a polite reminder where I asked for their help at least in providing the next landmark so I could proceed – not only me, of course, since with time a small brotherhood of hunters had gathered and we were doing this together.

I had the most pleasant surprise when Rose Columbia from NeVerMind replied to my notecard in the nicest way and promptly offered me her item, thus sparing me the pain of going back to a place I had scanned inch by inch before. Not happy with that, a few moments later I received another IM from her allerting me to another item that was still not set for sale some couple of spots aways… and offering me a notecard with all the landmarks of the involved stores. Gosh, this was like a gift from heaven to me and the half a dozen fellow hunters that were gathering efforts to end this task and totally saved our lives! Each time we came to a place where we faced a problem with the item, I sent a new notecard to the owner/designer and we were able to move on to the next place.

One thing is certain – most of the designers got back to me in the most friendly way and hurried to correct it. Even though this is something we already count with on a first day of a hunt, there being no hint blogs, groups, etc, would make us simply stuck to a place until the owner/designer was kind enough to come along and help us.

The opposite also happened. From another owner of I got a reply that went something like:
[22:24] name deleted: Could we possibly have a better warning of how things are to be run in a more clear notecard for future references to that I don’t need to be spammed out the ass with IMs about a hunt item not being up? Roflmao..

She may have mistaken me with someone connected to the organisation of the hunt. I can easily imagine how annoying it should be to get a zillion notecards about the same matter. She wasn’t probably in one of her best days. Still, I don’t think that’s a suitable way to adress a customer. Next time, I will surely refrain myself from any action – lesson learned. But as far as I am concerned, that’s a shop I will not return to… and oh boy, I had brought home so many demos from there, lol !

Honestly? I think some designers should get themselves some store managers and stick to what they do best ;P

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@ Sand Shack Surf Co.

Sand Shack has been one of my favourite stores for quite a long time already. In fact, since the very first time I ever set my feet on Emma Gilmour’s outlet at the time. That was in the beginning of October 2007, when I spent a while in-world dealing with Sand Posthorn’s destiny. Sand had been my first attempt to enter Second Life, a little bit before I came up with the idea of becoming virtual twin with my best friend at the time – and someone I learnt to turn to in times of trouble.

Oh dear, there I go again, lol. Anyway, I was only contextualising, lol. October 2007 was not exactly a good month for me – a set of circumstances led to my first breakdown in FL, which now I know was just announcing the end of a period in my life. As I slumbed down the hill in my First Life, Sand was taken out of the drawer and became a rebel stray. During one of my lonely rides across the grid, I found this amazing small store with some pretty awesome coloured clothes, and that is how I bought the denim jumper skirt Sand is wearing in the picture below, which became one of my favourite outfits – to these days.

Maybe because I thought Sand Shack was a “Sand’s place”, I never bought anything for me there. Maybe it was the name of the sotre, lol. You see, I tend to keep them apart. They share our home group and one or two common contacts in their list, but that is all.

Mmm… ahead with the Sand Shack story, hehehe. Recently I received a notice featuring some new releases and I got curious. I found they were sharing artilleri’s sim, which is a great place to hang around. I also discovered Sand Shack’s current mainstore, a large place full of light, with a beach-like atmosphere and clothes orderly displayed in a festival of colours. It is a true pleasure to visit it, and the words happy clothes immediately came to my mind. So much that I even took my daughter Eva to shop as well (gosh, that central garden is a danger for kids, specially when we cannot tie them down to our hands and they insist on running around the whole time!).

Bottom line – have a look at this dress, is it really summerish or what ? And the cute flip-flaps ?

Oh gosh, I had seen so many already, but none with the quality of this shading! Both items are available in about a dozen different colours and if you had a look at the picture below, you may have noticed how many days went by before I changed to another outfit, lol. Definitely, a place to air your credit card. I know I will be returning there, there’s a lot of things there I want to wear during my holidays, hehehehe

Fashion Details:

Sand Posthorn is wearing:
Tail: *Smitten Kitten ~Heavy Metal Fluffy Tail/Black*
Ears: Blooma’s Fishie Ears
Hair: :::: IrEn:::: Yasmina (blacks)
Eyes: ~Gracile~ “Illuminati” Red
Skin: (CS) Vogue Skin – Cashmere (Canimal Glow – Blue) Freckled
Shape: yours truly, Summer Wardhani
Tattoo: – Y7 – Tattoo Jaguar V2 1
T-Shirt: Stylebomb – boneshirt short
Skirt: Sand Sharck Surf Couture – July Jumper – Blue
Socks: Tealane, previously SYD – Rainbow Indigo Stripey Socks
Boots: BLD – Snippy’s Mice INfested Boots (sorry, store no longer exists, remember a wonderful sim called Earth Glass ? *sighs*)
Lip Piercing: Worldly Treasures Jewelry – Forget Me Not Lip Jewels
Choker: :::NEKO PUNK ! Leather choker bitter
Wristbands: Primitive Design – Leather Wristbands

Me is wearing:
Hair: Curious Kitties – Nyanotech 09-1A Hair – Owa
Nails: *Analise* Nailz Neon Dreams (Cobalt)
Eyes: *Sin Skins* Intense Garnet Eyes
Lashes: *Dawn Design* Megan Lashes
Skin: *YS&YS* – 20 – Adriana_Sunny_Glit_Freckles_EB_Carot
Dress: Sand Shack Surf Couture – Colleen (Navy)
Bracelets: Laure Farella, bracelet ANG 2
Necklace and Earrings: =IZUMIYA= PB Apr (PeppermintBlue Fashion Bar 090504 Newbie Assistance Pack – Free)
Flip-Flaps: Sand Shack Surf Couture – Freedom Flops (L) – Nav

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DYN Clothing – pros and cons

I came across DYN Clothing in one of my hunting tours. I was soon conquered by the lay-out and décor of the store. A huge bright place with plenty of room to walk around, where items are very well organized, with the female and male sections clearly identified and articles well disposed around.

At the entrance, everything one may ask for – there’s a yummy Lucky Cup Cake, a funny game where you can try to earn some lindens, a Midgnight Mania Board and a couple of freebies both for newcomers and for older residents.

Above all, it was the fashion displays that caught my eye. Over the all-whitey walls, the vibrant pictures seem to shout at us irresistibly. Well chosen poses, beautiful model avatars, amazing colourful backgrounds, those pictures have it all!

BUT… oh hell yes, there are some buts. First, I noticed the vendors make you pay without the chance of looking what is inside of the pack – I really don’t like those type of vendors, for I enjoy knowing exactly what layers and prims I am buying.

In spite of that, I had closer look at the items, trying to decide what to buy in the first place, hehe. Here and there, however, I detected some flaws, which didn’t seem to result from lack of competence.

That led me to try the gift that was in the hunt package, soe pyjamas where once again I noticed these tiny flops. The top was plain white with an illustration, and at the neckline the cuts are not really even. The tissue seemed to lack a dimension, as if it was simply… flat, a blank unprocessed texture.

It made me stop, although the clothes looked gorjeous on those fashion boards. Up to now, I am still trying to make up my mind on whether or not to spend some lindens over there. Some of the creations look really very good in terms of design – but then, the actual manufacture of the product seems to have been done on the run.

Of course, such things would not bother me much if I thought the relation quality/price was alright. I have nothing against buying dresses at 200 or 250 L$. However, when a single top costs that same price… and the same happens with some short pants or blouses or skirts – there, I tend to think twice before I spend my money. At the end of the day, that means a whole 400 L$ spent in a single outfit. I regret it a lot, but for that price I demand a perfect work.

It will nevertheless be a store I will keep an eye on. I hope that in time they come to correct either their prices or the quality of their work. One thing is certain: I’m afraid the two don’t match.

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Clio pret à porter

This all started as another Sweethearts’ story. *smiles* Yes, I do have many of these, most of them unpublishable, lol. Which is not surprising, when you think that is a place full of life, with people constantly coming and going.

A non-expected IM suddenly opened in my scree, from the talented Clio Cardiff from Clio pret a porter, asking me if I’d mind she dropping on me something. I have to admit it that at first I didn’t link together the name with the store, and my first stupid reply was like “As far as it doesn’t kill me…”. How idiot does it sound, huh ? Lucky for me, she thought this was funny, and was kind enough to ask about my favourite colours and then…

…tcham tchammmmm! Here they are.

Gwen gown in pink
A sweet pink gown with a shorter front skin that smoothly grows longer on the back. It flows gently as I walk and dance and I couldn’t resist putting it together with my ballerina shoes from Shiny Things. It totally makes me feel cutie and sweetie like a ballet doll. And in this picture, obviously, AnaLutetia‘s pose do help *winks

Embrace Darkness gown in black and red
And this vibrant black and red, with a three parts skirt (one in front and another one that attaches to each leg) that envolves me in a cloud of mystery and catched the eyes of everyone in the place – it’s not everyday I am invited to dance by three different guys *winks* and have IMs cumplimented me on my outfit, which obviously gave me the chance to thank her publicly for her kindness.

You know, I wish more designers had similar initiatives. No, I am not putting myself forward to some more gifts. But hostess over there have to be on their best formal look everytime, and I am sure you can imagine what this implies in terms of financial effort. Being the center of the whole place surely makes everyone turn their eyes on you, and I am often asked for landmarks of the stores where I got several items I wear – from jewelry to shoes (oh yes, amazing where people close up their cameras, hehehe)

To Ms. Cardiff, who made me feel a princess for two whole shifts, my heartfelt THANK YOU. To all of you, be welcome to have a look at her mainstore in here – I am sure you will find something you will like it, amongst so many different styles…

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At Zaara’s

Zaara Kohime, the well known indian designer, has recently launched her new sim. Remember those elephants just accross Tesla’s mainstore? I do hope Tesla will keep them, having always found they fitted perfectly – it’s the sort of thing one would NEVER expect to see wandering around some stores, hehehe.

Well, Zaara has now her own sim – which is worth a detailed visit for the textures she has used do catch your eyes… and soul. Enjoy at the sound of pure indian songs, and visit the club accross her main store, opposite to the lake in the middle of the sim. Ah, once you are at the club, don’t forget to click on the floor – you HAVE to try those wonderful bellydances ! And if you are a male, or have brought one along with you, be prepared for a really good laugh, hehehe

After you have checked the central places, take the narrow streets behind the stores, and amaze at the colourful typical indian market and stores. Be careful with the cows around, as you know they are sacred animals in India… and these ones I found them totally friendly, so there is nothing to be afraid of !

Along with the sim launch, Zaara is having a photo contest – read the rules here, and good luck ! In my own opinion, the whole place would need a little more of trees and plants around, but I guess Zaara’s isn’t done with the landscaping part.

And if you think that a place with stores is not one in which you may take good pictures – well, even me, who have no fancy windlight pre-sets and know nothing about post-processing was able to capture these two images. So, just imagine what you can do if you’re a gifted photographer… or even better, a geek at image processing software ! 😀

Indian bath at sunrise

Indian curtains at sunset

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