A Rave and a Card!

Let me start this post by expressing my gratitude and awe for a company I recently had a customer service issue with.  I've been loving Clear & Simple Stamps products for awhile now and have never had a single issue with anything I've purchased from them.  Then it happened...I opened a new ink pad that I was excited to try out and the smell about knocked me down.  Now, it was a sort of peachy neutral color which seem to have a different smell no matter the company but this smell was down right rotten smelling.  I stamped with it and you could tell something was just not right.

I dreaded having to endure the customer service process because of several bad experiences with a stamp company which shall remain nameless but I always felt that I practically needed a lawyer to "prove" that something wasn't working properly.  This always annoyed me because I'm the customer and if I'm not happy, shouldn't that be the only thing that matters?  I braced myself for the worst and got the ink pad packed up and ready to ship back to prove there was an issue and guess what...Clear & Simple Stamps quickly responded that a new ink pad would be on its way to me.  WHAT???  I was floored.  I didn't have to send pictures or the product back as proof that something was wrong?  No, they just trusted that the customer knows when a product isn't up to snuff.  What a breathe of fresh air.  I swear, I felt like I was in a Disney cartoon and the birds and deer started coming out of the woods to sing with me...yup, I was filled with THAT much joy!

Flash forward to today.  My package arrived and not only is my new (non-smelly) ink pad inside but I also got a cool bag of wooden buttons!  I then discovered a little card which graciously apologized for the defective ink pad and included a gift card to Starbuck's for my trouble.  After I picked myself up of the ground, I realized that this was the least amount of "trouble" I've ever had to go through to resolve an issue with a product.  It was a pleasure doing business with a company that so obviously respects its customers and I can't wait to place my next order!

Now on to the card I made today for the CAS-ual Friday challenge this week.  The challenge is an ingenious one and I couldn't wait to play along!  Basically, your inspiration is your own blog's header.  How fun is that?  The design team made some AMAZING cards so, go check it out and play along too!  Here's mine:

  

Stamps:  Where the Heart Is (Simon Says Stamp)

Inks:  Wasabi (Amuse Studio), Versamark (Tsukineko)

Dies & Cuts:  Talk Bubbles, Where the Heart Is (Simon Says Stamp)

Paper:  Simply Chartreuse (PTI), Sept Card Kit 6x6 Pad (Studio Calico), Solar White (Neenah)

Misc:  Foam Tape (Scotch), Raindrop Stickies