Comments from our Patrons

February 06, 2006

Gary,

We got the chair. It looks beatiful and feels great, just as we expected! The build quality is superb and your service exceptional.

After a quick two minute "rocking" on the chair, the only thing I could think of to possibly hope for/comment on — and this is purely a matter of personal taste and influenced by "butt-memory" of the rocking chair in my childhood home in Finland — is perhaps a little bit wider range of rocking when leaning back.

I wonder if you have any comments on this? Perhaps an issue with stability? Having said that, the rocking motion range on your chair is much longer/wider than on any other rocking chair I've tried here in the US.

Again, thanks for the wonderful chair; we look forward to a lifetime of rocking!

Best regards,
J.V.
Washington, D.C.

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[ My response and a reply follow: — GW ]

J,

I am glad the delivery worked for you and that you like the chair. I wish you and R. the best, and thank you very much.

When I designed this chair 12 years ago, I found the curve of the rockers and their relationship to the seat and back by trial and error. Many people tested the prototypes, giving their opinions, and I have delivered many chairs since. You are the first to comment that, for you, the rocker could travel farther back in its pendulum swing. I have had several people say that they are glad the chair doesn't go so far back as to give them any sense that it could go too far — there are some rockers out there that do give one a fright. This is not to say that your memory or experience is invalid . . . I just have to admit that I didn't get it completely right for you and hope that you find the other aspects of the chair pleasing enough to temper this compromise.

May you rock in good health.

Sincerely,
Gary

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Gary,

The beauty, craftmanship and comfort of the chair far outweigh my small observation! And I am sure it is only a matter of getting use to the range of motion the chair has.

J.V.

Washington, D.C.

December 29, 2005

Hi Gary.

BINGO! Mission accomplished! The rocker arrived Tuesday, as advertised. Both S. and K. have tried it out and love it. Now we're all on "high alert" waiting for a sign from the little guy that he's ready to be born. We're getting mighty close.

I can't tell you what a delight it's been working with you. It has given me great comfort to be able to communicate with you on such a regular basis. Knowing you were always just a phone call away or at the other end of an email made the experience all the more personal. Now I have one more request: please don't retire anytime soon! I want to order one of your beautiful rockers for my other son when it's his turn to become a father. Hang in there!

Thank you for everything.
L.D.

Washington, DC

December 21, 2005

Gary —

The rocker arrived pretty much right at the time promised, and unpacking it was much easier than I expected it to be. We are very pleased with how comfortable it is. My wife, who had been thinking of it as merely something for me, immediately found relief for her back in it and was surprised by how much she liked it (she's six months pregnant). Clearly, I will have to yield to her. Oh, and we were really impressed by the stool. You made something very simple into something really intriguing to look at, and it works very well with the chair.

Thanks again for better service than one gets anywhere, not to mention for furniture that lives up to expectation.

P.

P. Kenosha, Wisconsin

December 19, 2005

Gary,

The rocker and stool arrived in perfect shape. The chair is even more beautiful and comfortable than I had imagined it would be. I'll be ordering one or two more in the spring.

Thanks for your great service and product. You give me hope that American craftsmanship is alive and well, at least in Wimberly, TX.

Best wishes for a healthy and happy holiday season.
P.B.

New York, New York

November 09, 2005

Hi Gary,

I received the rocking chair just yesterday and I love it!! It is a truly beautiful chair and so comfortable. I rocked my baby in it as soon as he woke up and he was very calm and looked like he was really enjoying it too!

Thank you very much for rushing it to me. I really appreciate your extra effort.

Thanks again!
F.S.

Reston, Virginia

November 05, 2005

I got my rocker last night and I LOVE it!! Great service!

Thank you very much!
S.S.

Columbus, Mississippi

October 19, 2005

[ Note: Not every delivery is smooth and trouble-free. Most are, but not all. This is the nature of freight. After furniture leaves here, we cannot be certain of its handling, but we will assist in every way we can and we will take ultimate responsibility — this is certain. The email exchange below illustrates such a situation. — GW ]

Dear Austin,

Thank you for your email. I had called to schedule an appointment for delivery today, and waited all afternoon. Finally, I called the delivery place and they said that the rocking chair was missing. I asked what I could do now. They said they should be able to find it within the next couple of days. I told them I was upset that I wasted the afternoon awaiting the delivery. They apologized and said that they would deliver it within a 1 hour window once it is found.

I just thought I should let you know that the delivery service you have used has treated your customer in this way. I am not happy about this situation, but seem to have no other choice. Currently, I have a six week old baby and a visitor from Australia stuck in the house for one day and now we'll have to be here again, when they find the chair.

Otherwise, I have been happy with your service, and would suggest you to others, though maybe not your delivery service.

Thank you,
S.W.

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October 24, 2005

S.,

I was out of town last week. I am chagrined to return and find that your chair has not been delivered and that you were stood up by Overnite. I am very sorry for your inconvenience and for the delay.

Overnite is a large company with terminals throughout the states. When their system works well, as it almost always does, they are amazingly fast and reasonably priced. When it doesn't, they appear to be a clumsy bureaucracy. Again I regret that you have experienced the latter.

Austin, my son, has been calling N. at the San Diego terminal, and I called him today. Apparently, or most likely, the chair was loaded onto the wrong trailer at some point between us and you and will soon be discovered out of place and delivered. I just called the terminal manager in Austin, our local terminal, who verified that, when this occurs, the missing item soon reappears.

I would like to give Overnite a few days to deliver your chair. If they have not delivered a chair to you this week we will finish one of the chairs we are now working on for you.

Sincere apologies, and regards,
Gary Weeks
Wimberley, Texas

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Dear Gary,

Thank you for all the customer service that you and your son have provided. You have actually made an unpleasant experience pleasant with your well written emails and phone calls. I'm glad your company took the lead in making sure the rocking chair was located.

This morning I placed a call to the delivery company, and upon hearing my name, they knew immediately who I was. The rocking chair is to be delivered tomorrow between 8 and 10 am as I requested. I look forward to rocking away with my newborn daughter on a quality piece of furniture, as is the quality of your customer service.

Thank you,
S.W.

San Diego, California

September 25, 2005

The rocker has been delivered, and was more than I could have hoped for. It is extremely comfortable as well as beautiful (thus justifying the purchase to my husband). We have both been rocking everyday, with many more to come once the baby is born.

Thank you so much for making the process of ordering so easy and keeping me informed along the way. I will definitely recommend your company to people in the Philadelphia area.

Thank you,
J.L.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

August 24, 2005

Dear Gary:

The rocker did arrive yesterday in perfect condition! We have been fighting over who will sit in it ever since!

I have not formally introduced myself, I am a 5th generation native Texan and lived in Austin until 10 years ago. I miss the hill country something fierce at times. Getting your rocker was a little piece of heaven. It is absolutely stunning. A. was so excited when it arrived! Your commitment and integrity to producing something so lovely is rare.

P.S. We have 8 month old twins — and a 3 and a half year old son. It's quite a sight to see me hold all of them at once in that rocker. I only wished we'd found you and the rocker sooner!

Blessings,
J. and A.

Washington, D.C.

August 11, 2005

Gary,

I gotta tell you, yours is a unique business. I run a company that receives shipments in excess of $300,000/year – I have NEVER had a vendor track a shipment like you, even when that shipment was worth over $50,000. I'm always the one trying to chase stuff down. I can only assume this is indicative of the quality of work you do everywhere.

Thank you.
W. D.

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Gary,

R. called the carrier on Tuesday morning. They said they'd give her number to the driver who would call and arrange for delivery.

He didn't call.

It didn't matter, she was home. The chair came in yesterday.

There was very minor damage to the crate, but the chair is fine.

The chair is better than fine, it's beautiful. I took lots of pictures of R. opening the crate, removing the bubble wrap, and sitting in it right there in the garage before we could even get it in the house! It was like a neighborhood event with multiple neighbors stopping by. I took more pictures of her and the chair in the new nursery. I can't wait to take pictures of her rocking our first, little F., due in 4 weeks. If you're dying to see your chair in action, let me know and I'll email you some.

We are very pleased with our purchase. I had no idea the chair would be as solid as it is; the seat, the arms, the legs, everything is nice and thick. We planned for this chair to be in our family for generations, and that will obviously be no problem. We've been working on the nursery for a while, but last night R. called me in, and with tears in her eyes told me that the room now feels like the baby's room.

R's already talking about how she needs the footstool; we'll have to check the budget.

Feel free to use us as a satisfied customer reference. R. said "This is not only the most comfortable rocking chair I have ever sat in, but one of the most comfortable chairs period."

Gary, your work is outstanding and we appreciate it.

W. D.

Hailey, Idaho