Wednesday 25 January 2012

Coach Bags - Great Service

I do love a good handbag.

My beautiful Coach handbag



 I discovered Coach bags when they had an outlet in Harrods, pre Millennium, and bought a couple of lovely bags and purses (still in use) during the sales.  I was very disappointed when they closed their concession, and Coach bags were no longer available in England.

Coach bags became a real treat for me, to be bought by my husband when on business trips to the States.  About 5 years ago I went on one such trip to California with him and he bought me a very beautiful, simple tan bag from the Legacy range.  I was delighted with it, and it quickly became my favourite bag, so you can imagine my horror when, just two years later,  I brushed against some (unlabelled) wet paint, and the front of the bag was ruined.

I looked up the instructions that had come with the bag and they seemed to say not to use anything on the very traditional leather.  So I sadly put the bag away.

Last year Coach opened two shops in London, the flagship store being in Bond Street.  Now I love to go  to Bond Street, and when I had to go to do some important shopping (teabags from Fortnum and Mason) I thought I would dig out my poor old bag and take it along to Coach.  They might just be able to recommend something.

The staff in the shop were so helpful and kind.  They whisked the bag away and said they would see what they could do about it.  I left them contact details.

A few weeks passed and I received a phone call.  The bag was back and ..... the paint had gone!

I went up to London to collect it, and as you can see from the before and after photographs it's now as good as new.

I am completely delighted with the bag, and with the service from this shop.  I had no receipt, from the original purchase, but all Coach bags have indentifying features and numbers, so the company knew it was one of their bags.   The problem was not in the manufacturing of the bag, but they still dealt with the paint, and there was no charge.

Sometimes it is worth spending a little more money on a bag, as in this case I think you are also paying for superb after care.

Thank you Coach for such wonderful service.

If you haven't discovered Coach bags, do have a look on line.  I am saving my pennies (and pounds) to buy a new bag in the summer.



My poor bag, with dreadful white paint on it

And it couldn't have been in a worse place on the bag



The bag when I collected it from Coach

It is perfect, I am really delighted 


Just in case anyone wonders, this is my own experience and I have not received anything (apart from First Class Service) from Coach.

Wednesday 18 January 2012

Dog (and Cats) in France

A Very belated Happy New Year!

I can't believe how busy the first half of January has been and I am feeling  terribly guilty that I haven't posted on this blog since last year!

I have, of course,  found time to look at other blogs though and my short post today  was inspired by a post in Diane's lovely blog Pilgrim and Pie, here.  She featured a lovely photograph of her cat, which had been taken for Racheal McKenna's delightful book The French Cat.  I thought the book looked so lovely that I have  ordered a copy for a friend, whom I know will love the combination of beautiful France and cats, the animal she really adores.

Now I myself am not a cat person but I do adore and love my dog, a twelve year old rescued Greyhound. So I thought I would post a couple of  photos of him at his holiday home in Brittany.


Sun bathing in the garden
Outside the boat shed
(he has now dug a huge hole here!)

On the beach Christmas holidays 2011/12