Kismet Yarns - Amazing products, staff not so much

While the Kismet range of yarns is fantastic, dealing with the actual company is a nightmare. Their website is very specific about the fact that they do not supply to the public (which is fair) and they provide a contact sheet for you to find a store closest to you. To be fair I didn't read the caption above the contact correctly the first time, I thought it was to get them to contact you about being a supplier/retailer of the products, so I filled it in and sent it off, that was over a month ago, to date I have received no response. To my mind it is only polite to respond even if it is to say that I used the form incorrectly.

I tried phoning them this morning, my first call was cut off, the second call went through and was answered with a curt "hello". I realize that business is far less formal than years gone by but surely it is still the norm to answer a business line by identifying which company has been reached in a polite and friendly manner?

I was put through to Muhammad. Now as a retailer we have several wholesale suppliers both local and international, not once during the application process or initial enquiries with any of them have we ever been grilled so hard on exactly what stock we carry and how our shop is set up. I eventually managed to obtain the information I required about minimum orders etc. and was then horrified when he launched into a lecture about how to make my business successful! On the one hand with hindsight I suppose I can give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he was trying to be helpful, however as a successful business owner I resent getting advise from a stranger that has no concept of our shop layout, available space or clientele. When I advised him of that he became so aggressive that I put the phone down on him (something I am not proud of).

If Kismet yarns is interested in improving their level of service, I suggest they either provide their minimum order/criteria list on their website or draw up an e-mail containing all the information to be sent to prospective clients.