Update: Robert Kaufman Customer Service


Look what came in the mail! Wanted to share a happy ending to the Doe fabric “dress debacle” I detailed a couple weeks ago.

Robert Kaufman Geo Pop Canvas Architextures Grey Fabric

After experiencing issues with Carolyn Friedlander’s Doe fabric, several people suggested I reach out to manufacturer Robert Kaufman to alert them. Sandie – a customer service manager – actually reached out to me on Instagram before I even had a chance to look up an email address.

She encouraged me to contact her directly and tell me more about the problem.

So I did.Moore Approved Carolyn Friedlander Doe Dress Simplicity 1652 Robert Kaufman Fabric spot skirt

We emailed back and forth a few times, and Sandie mailed me a FedEx envelope to send her some of the defective fabric so RK could investigate. She also explained that it appeared there was “compressed fiber or lint ‘dust’ on the fabric at the time it was printed. Once washed, the compressed lint comes off and gives the appearance that the fabric is flaking off leaving small white specks.”

Sandie also suspected the fibers were weak and prone to tearing.Moore Approved Carolyn Friedlander Doe Dress Simplicity 1652 Robert Kaufman Fabric princess seam bust2

All I had to do on my end was place the fabric into the envelope and leave it on my doorstep.

I was offered either exact replacement fabric, or I could choose any other fabric(s) off the Robert Kaufman website.

Still feeling a bit traumatized by the Doe print, I wrote back to ask if I could get two prints of the Geo Pop Canvas (one yard each) and 1.5 yards of Architextures Draft Paper in Grey. (I’d purchased 3.5 yards of the Doe fabric) It took about a week to arrive in the mail, and I noticed instead of 1.5 yards of the Architextures fabric – there was two full yards.

Sandie, if you ever end up reading this, please know that you are a great example of customer service done right!

1) You obviously monitor social media platforms efficiently, and reached out to ME when I was having a problem.

2) Because it was a manufacturing issue, you didn’t refer me to Fabric.com where I’d purchased the fabric. You took the time and resources to deal with this directly.

3) Returning the fabric was easy, and you took the hassle out of it by sending me the FedEx envelope and arranging for the pickup. I didn’t even have to print out a shipping label!

4) From our interactions, it was easy to see that you are dedicated to providing quality products to customers. You seemed to be vested in tracking down any problem fabric.

5) It was very generous to offer me replacement fabric of my choosing and sending me slightly more fabric than I’d originally purchased.

6) You were very kind and helpful!

Out of the many times I have reached out to a company’s customer service department, this was probably the best experience I’ve ever had. In fact, I not only will continue to use Robert Kaufman fabrics – but knowing how much they stand behind their products made me like this brand even more.

What’s unfortunate is that too many corporate cultures breed “customer service representatives” who don’t even seem to be on the same planet.

When we moved into our house, the United States Postal Service would not deliver mail to us for nearly three months due to a dispute with the builder over cluster box units. After a rather heated and totally unproductive conversation with a rep at the regional consumer affairs office, he ended the conversation with, “I hope you have a nice evening!”

Uhh, definitely not going to be!

So you can imagine my surprise to encounter someone who treated me like a human being and handled the matter professionally. Other companies should really take note of how Robert Kaufman does business.

See you next time!

– Jennifer





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