JACQUIE LAWSON’S GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE

I’ve been subscribing to Jacquie Lawson’s wonderful online greeting card company for many years now. I’ve always appreciated the beauty and creativity of their offerings, and now I’ve also had a lovely experience with their customer service. As always with something deserving, I figure why keep the praise to myself? It’s so much better to share the story with my readers.

Jacquie Lawson is an incredible English artist who has been creating the most spectacular e-cards for years now. And the yearly membership fee is beyond reasonable, especially for the quality and prolificness of their designs. When I signed-up almost a decade ago, it was just because I saw one beautiful little card that featured a Christmas tree that twinkled, (which turned-out to be Ms. Lawson’s very first one! Who knew?) In the ensuing years, Jacquie and company have gone soooooo beyond that particular exquisiteness.

They also design a new online Advent Calendar every year. It costs a bit extra, but it’s totally worth every penny. (And you can share the joy with others by giving it as a gift!)

So a few years ago, I received one, and loved it. And then I actually forgot about it for a couple of years because, as you can see by my now-thousands of columns here on INAM, I always have so much else on my mind.

And even though I’m absolutely fine with staying in and having no outside activities during the pandemic, (which is what all but essential workers should be doing, as well,) I was a bit in need of some cheering-up this holiday season.

So when I received a notice from Jacquie Lawson that this year they were just giving the Advent Calendar to all their subscribers, (because of this hard year,) I was thrilled to have something so beautiful to look forward to.

I immediately tried to download it, but I ran into a crazy glitch, probably because I haven’t had time (nor figured-out how) to update my browser. (I keep forgetting that Mr. X got me a new computer a little while ago–I don’t like the way my writing pages look on it, and it’s so big, which is really uncomfortable for me to look at, so I keep fighting using it. It sits right behind my old computer that I love, and I turn to it in cases of semi-emergency only.)

So I did something I’ve rarely ever done about anything in life–I went onto the Jacquie Lawson website and wrote to them about my problem with opening their lovely Advent Calendar. That’s how much I wanted to enjoy it!

Within forty-eight hours, I got a detailed note back from them, (someone named Taylor, to be exact,) telling me exactly what to do, with all kinds of suggestions of what the problem could be. I really appreciated all the deets, which I followed, but I still got nowhere with it.

I tried every few days, because I sooo did not want to bother their customer service people again, and I erroneously thought that maybe, by some magic, I could get it going. But, alas, no luck. And then the free link expired!

So I finally emailed them again, the day before Thanksgiving. (It’s not that I’m insensitive–they’re in England, so they don’t celebrate our American holiday. That I know of, anyway.) And then the morning after Thanksgiving, without hearing back from them personally yet, (after all, it had not been even forty-eight hours since I contacted them again,) I checked my emails as soon as I woke-up, and saw a generic note from the company, telling everyone that the calendar was about to start the countdown to Christmas. I actually started crying a little bit, because I felt so bad that I was going to be left out of all the fun! And, of course, I kept berating myself for not just writing back to them right away to say I still couldn’t get it to work.

So in a grumbly kind of mood, I got out of bed and sat down at my old formerly-reliable computer to begin my workday. And then, lo and behold, I got another email from a different customer service rep, (Jason this time,) telling me that–get ready for a tear in your eye because I’m actually getting a little choked-up even writing this–I should go to Order History in my account because…they put a second complimentary Advent Calendar link there for me! OMG!

I rushed right there. And I was royally rewarded with a calendar that is more gorgeous than ever! And there are so many activities you can do on it along the way, like trimming a Christmas tree and doing jigsaw puzzles. You have to see it to believe it! My words do not come close to describing it.

So in addition to loving the calendar itself and the artistry and the cleverness, I really want to extend a major Thank You to the Jacquie Lawson customer service personnel for going above and beyond to give me this fun surprise, which is more appreciated in 2020 than ever before!

All other companies should take notice of how they do things over there, and follow suit. No one else in the world may be as fabulous and sensitive an artist as Jacquie Lawson and her team, but they can sure try to be as nice people.

And now I must stop writing about it and get back to my Advent Calendar right this very second. I look forward to every moment of the discoveries on it.

If you would like to share the Jacquie Lawson experience, here’s the link to get started: www.jacquielawson.com. Tell them Karen sent you!