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Happy Singing Lady Newsletter Day one and all!
Over the past weeks we've had some of you ask one burning question. I'm here to explain.
Why is the Singing Lady still operating on limited customer hours?
There are many reasons why our customer shopping hours have remained the same since we re-opened. Always remember that we are certainly grateful to still be able to be open and continue doing what we love to do.
Safety is our first priority!
Normally we have consignors bringing their goods right through the day BUT because of social distancing - we allocated the first few hours of the morning to manage all the intake. Meaning - that it all happens before we open our doors to you - our faithful customers.
Limited Staff
Our staff has been greatly reduced by half. We had 12 Singing Ladies pre-Covid and now we're down to a magnificent 7. This team has been working EXTRA hard at processing all the intake before we open each day. Yes - it's possible to stay open and functioning with half the woman power - but we cannot overload my amazing gals.
Carol-Anne, our Store Manager works tirelessly reviewing all the items that are submitted to us. On an average day, we receive well over 200 submissions and she works through every single item and it's a big deal. Not only reviewing them all but then booking them all into a very tightly packed and organized calendar. 99% of this is done off hours - it's just not possible to sit down and review - trust me, sitting is not an option.
We used to process 60 to 80 items every single day - but that all changed drastically. Our intake amount is limited. Maybe when the world returns to semi-normal (don't feel like we're quite there yet) - we can ramp it up again but for now - it is what it is.
Lastly - we just cannot afford the extra hours of staying open. It's disappointing - but cutting costs wherever we can helps. As many of you realize, being business owners yourselves - staffing is high on the expenses list. As much as I'd love to give everyone more hours - it doesn't make financial sense right now.
We move stuff!
In those first few hours of each morning - among all the other tasks, the team moves the store around - and we can't have that happening when you're visiting us. Keeping both of our stores beautifully merchandised is something we take great pride in. You always have such lovely things to share with us about your experience upon entering our doors. That alone is motivation to keep at it.
Tammie, Personally
I have had to juggle many new balls in the air over the past year and some. Every night I am working at keeping our website updated along with tackling all the backend of the store's operations. It's a monumental task. Avoiding burnout is high on my priority list.
Our dedicated staff have been so supportive as I've worked through every single thing to make sure that we haven't skipped a beat over these difficult months.
At some point ... yes we will ...
We will eventually extend our hours but right now - everything we have worked so hard at putting in place simply works. We understand there is inevitable disappointment but as the saying goes - you can't please everyone - even though we give it our all to try. Might extending our hours help our bottom line? It might but it's not a guarantee and I just can't run that risk right now.
So thank you ....
For your patience. For your support. For all your words telling us how happy you are that we are still here. For remaining a faithful newsletter subscriber. For everything you bring to our hearts that keeps our spirits bright. Kind words go a long way.
New Arrivals
We're still showcasing approximately 100 items each week that are splendid. It's a miracle really - so thank you for helping to keep all the little miracles of being open happen. I could say thank you one million times over.
Tammie & Your Faithful Singing Lady Team