2010 - The Year I Stop Giving Myself Ulcers

It happened twice in the last two weeks. Invitation customers waited too long to order their invitations. Now, they not only need the invitations but they need the print job rushed and their order shipped via 2 or 3 day delivery. I do everything in my power to accommodate their requests. As an invitation dealer this means I make several phone calls to the printer, this means any changes requested after a review of the first proof can't be proofed again because there is simply no time, and this means I start to worry that the final product is going to be incorrect or not received in time. The worry escalates as the days pass by. I can feel the ulcers forming.

It's not that I don't care about my customers and their wedding ceremonies. I care a great deal. That's why I advise brides to order invitations about 4 months before their weddings to allow plenty of time for ordering, proofing, printing and shipping. Many invitation printers state clearly in their albums and on their websites that production (after a proof is approved) can take 5 days. When rush jobs come in, normal processes aren't followed and the likelihood of errors ocurring increases.

This year, 2010, I'm vowing to avoid giving myself ulcers. I'l gladly help all brides, but I will minimize the extra efforts I'll take to expedite processing because a bride waits too long to place an order. I offer generous discounts on invitations and no charge at all for research and assistance finding invitations. The small profit I earn on an invitation order isn't enough to jeopardize my mental and physical health.