Ladies and Gentlemen,

I come before you tonight to tell you a story of potential heartbreak... averted by what I consider to be the single most awesome feat of customer service I have ever been witness to.

But first...some backround. I ordered a special weave Christie modern from Celtic Craft Centre's Palm Springs store back on December 18 last year for my wedding June 30. I was advised that with the holidays, the mill would not get the order for the cloth until some time in January and that it would take a few weeks to get the fabric, etc. We all understand the time involved with a hand stitched kilt as well. However, I was told end of June was not a problem. Multiple contacts were made between December and now, with the most recent, June 11, stating the kiltmaker was hard at work.

Fast forward to this morning...Kilt and PC outfit are nowhere to be seen with 3 days to go. Some frantic calls are exchanged with the folks in Palm Springs. PC outfit shipped today for delivery tomorrow (Thursday). The kilt? Well...the kilt is still in Edinburgh...will ship Thursday for delivery...maybe Saturday? You never know with those pesky customs glitches. Good thing it's an evening ceremony, huh?

So here is where the story get's really interesting. I now need to hedge my bets. As some of you may know the Christie tartan is based
on the Royal Stewart, and as long as nobody looks at me and then the cake...or the bows on the aisles...or the flowers...or anything else I have already applied the Christie tartan to, I might just pull this off.

So I clicked over to SWK and ordered me up a Standard in Royal Stewart at just before 8pm, Minnesota time. At about 8:30pm, I shot an email to Jerry V asking him to charge me extra and overnight the kilt to me (so I could stop losing sleep over this). I then proceeded to drop tears im my 18yo single malt. Remember what time it is in Minnesota? Not 25 minutes later, I receive an email from Jerry stating my order has been processed and is on it's way to a 24hr post office!

Friends, this is the pinacle of customer service! Not only has Jerry removed the shake from my tumbler hand and that annoying facial twitch I picked up today, he has calmed beast known as Dr Jekyll/Mrs Bride as well.

Jerry, you have earned a customer for life and my endorsment to anyone who will stand still long enough to listen.

As for Celtic Craft? I am not a "throw you under the bus" kind of person. I am certain that when the kilt does arrive, it will be every bit the premium kilt they are known for producing. I'm just having some trouble reconciling the delay and lack of customer service.