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May 13, 2006
the relationship...
[My old Remington, which I use to type the customer's name in their labels. Very heavy.]
You may have noticed on English Cut that I love Savile Row and the tailoring business. Also, I feel that the experience and happiness I've gained from this trade has made me pretty fit to wield a tape measure.
There are lots of different ways you can market your business. And as a lot of people do, they like to publish testimonials from customers and examples of their work on delighted clients. If you've been reading English Cut, you'll know this is not something that I make a habit of doing. Simply because, as we say, "You're only as good as your last coat".
This I take particularly to heart. To cherry-pick favourable displays of garments and the flushed platitudes delighted customers can often cause problems. Not to the delighted customers, of course, but to the new prospective customer. Hopes and preconception are planned on something that's not yet been born. Especially worrying if it's his or hers first bespoke.
I have plenty of letters and photographs from delighted customers. Sometimes a simple "Thank you", sometimes a full set of wedding photographs and a long letter from the bride and groom. Of course it's wonderful to recieve these. Thankfully not so commonly, I also get complaints. We all get them, and that's life. But my customers are personal to me, and I like to keep it that way.
This being said, I'm going to publish this letter from a lovely gentleman who's recently received his first suit from me. The reason is not to wave my flag, but more to point out the facts as I've said earlier. This is a relationship business. Anyone who calls himself a Savile Row tailor already knows this- we're not here for the quick buck. It simply cannot work that way, without causing immeasurable damage to the trade.
Here it is, with my response underneath, written verbatim:
Dear Tom,Now this sounds like the perfect ending to the perfect tailoring experience. But here are the facts.Just a little note to say that I have received the suit and have given it a full run (4 days out of a 5 day week on business). I wasn't quite sure when I first put it on as the shoulders were a bit funny, but it settled down quickly over the road test.... and, this is a spectacular suit. Really, possibly one of the best in my wardrobe, if not the best. It is soft in an A&S way, but at the same time, pretty trim with lots of shape. Less drape/room than what I am accustomed to with A&S both in the chest/arms- but then again, it is also because of the peak lapel style. The cloth was an exceptional choice, different but not too flashy (the blue overcheck is subtle and very elegant), also surprisingly versatile with all types of shirts and ties (a female colleague even asked if I was wearing a different suit having changed shirt and tie).
Bravo! I received compliments. People asked me at least two times in one week if I spent a lot of time working out at the gym - no mean achievement as I have put on 10 lbs over the last 5-6 months (as you know). Other people have mentioned that I look very elegant. No one mentioned the suit in particular (always good - one should never receive compliments' on one's suit, compliments should rather be addressed to one's comportment).
So, I told people that I had not been working out, but that I had a great tailor!
Feel free to post this on your website if you like!
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your kind note. I know we can do a lot better, and I hope a lot quicker!
We both learned a lot with this first one. So it was a good exercise for us both and I'm delighted you're pleased.
At least with the re-make we can let it out should you grow any more.
Take care and Kindest Regards,
Tom
My customer was based in Europe and we met in London almost a year ago to the day. He was extremely passionate about his style of dress. He is young but has an extremely broad knowledge of the world of bespoke. He's tried a few different tailors, some he prefers more than others. But what gave him time in my book was he never criticised anyone. Instead he always approached the situation as a gentleman. He appreciated their strengths and weaknesses, which we all have.
Also, he didn't want to rush this through. I know we do "skiffles" for existing customers who we know well. That's life and we're all pushed for time at some point. But it's very prudent not to be impatient on your first.
He placed his deposit and ordered a three-piece suit of Lessers cloth. Measurements were taken and the pattern was cut. We made a single breasted peaked lapel. Not very common, a style that can be a little cleaner across the chest, with less drape by the very nature of its style. Because he's often travelling on business, we didn't get a fitting until a good two or three months later. All went pretty well. I was perhaps a little over-optimistic on how fitted I wanted to make the jacket. He was a little concerned with the weight he'd put on with all the travelling. No problem, this is what it's all about. I'd re-cut it and all would be well. After another few months we got together again. We could've tweaked the jacket and the suit would have gone home to its new owner. But I wasn't happy; the coat needed let out further.
This we could've done. But had he wanted to let out a perfectly good suit five years down the line, we'd be stuck.
So in the end, I put my hands up and decided to make another coat from scratch. He, being the gentleman he was, accepted this and appreciated my decision over the inconvenience. This is where the fun really started. First of all, the cloth was out of stock, and the replacement was a different shade. However, they did have just enough of the old length which was in short pieces, so I had to jiggle around with it to cut my job. Also it was a check, which didn't make life any easier. No matter, with several hours at my board and lots of head scratching we finally got it out. And in the end and all was well. We had a fitting and we were both much happier.
So I simply had to finish it and send it to him, easy.
But Mr Murphy had defiantly taken up full-time residence. On the final pressing of the jacket, the tailor, who's done this about twice in twenty years, managed to burn the pocket flap. On this news I decided to lock myself in a darkened room. Remember, I'd used all the remaining cloth left in the world!
But after some long slow breaths with my head in my hands, I remembered the original jacket. This I should be able to dismantle and make a matching flap. Thank God it worked. When I slipped it on before I put it in the box to be delivered, I was at last delighted. Exhausted, but delighted. And I knew my client would be too.
[Me in the garden of Warwick Hall, trying to take my mind off burned pockets.]
So there you have it. I made no money on the job, and I'll have a nervous breakdown if anyone picks that cloth ever again. But I don't care, because the end result is the customer's letter above. Of course things are normally a lot simpler than this for everyone. I simply wanted to make him a suit he'd be delighted with, and he knew that. Fortunately for me, he had a wonderfully kind and tolerant approach to this situation. Now, no matter what happens in the future, I know I've gained a super customer whose patience has earned him a suit he'll be delighted with for years to come. If he'd not been so understanding, we could of parted unhappily and the whole experience would have been tainted.
So know you know why I never like to shout from the rooftops on how good I am. Tailors are not always as fortunate to find customers of this calibre.
Remember if your dealing with the best, they'll dearly want to give their best. And providence can, and usually will, be cunningly trying to dash our plans. But hold out and you'll have something special that you'll always cherish.
Nothing good comes easy, or even early, sometimes.
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Posted by tom at May 13, 2006 12:26 PM
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