Carlson Craft

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I recently got married and had planned everything far in advance, including finding the "perfect" wedding invitations, or so we thought.



After many friends and relatives highly recommended Carlson Craft, as the best, we felt very comfortable trusting something as important as our Invitations to them. Boy, were we wrong!



After reading many negative reviews (should have BEFORE ordering), as well as from our own experience, this company clearly is not what it once was.



We viewed their invitations online and also visited a stationery store, so that we could see the different styles "in person". The store owner was very helpful and showed us everything we wanted to see. Several times, she tried to steer us to other brands, but we had heard good things about Carlson Craft and didn't even consider other companies.



We ended up ordering online, since the price was better. We were told our order would arrive in a week. Two weeks after ordering, I called the distributor to find out why we had not received our invitations. She sounded very irritated...not at me, but at Carlson Craft. She said they misplaced our order and she had to send them everything again.



OK, things happens. Another week and we still had not received them. Again, I called and was told that Carlson Craft was still working on them. When the online distributor also tried to get us to cancel the order with Carlson Craft and order a different brand, I should have realized there were problems. Not one, but TWO of their own distributors tried to let us know that ordering another brand might be a good idea.



However, with all of the great recommendations, we assumed everything would work out fine. Over a month after ordering, we finally received our Invitations, printed in the wrong ink color, with my name misspelled! Also the wrong date on my R.S.V.P. Cards. I saved a copy of the order and checked the spelling, R.S.V.P. date and ink color. We did not receive what we ordered. The ink color was awful, some sort of HOT PINK, when we ordered black ink.



Again, I called the distributor, who did not seem at all surprised about the errors. I told her that we still had lots of time, but I was getting a little nervous. I asked how soon they could get them printed right and she promised to call me the next day. After 3 days, I called again and was told that Carlson Craft wanted me to pay for THEIR mistakes. If I wanted expedited shipping, I would have to pay for that, too!



I told the distributor that this simply wasn't acceptable. She agreed and contacted Carlson Craft again.



Finally, two months after ordering and after receiving THREE shipments with errors, we finally received our Invitations. They looked nice enough, although not as good as the samples we saw in the stationery store. The paper was not as thick as the samples and just did not seem to be of the same quality. I must say, this was quite an ordeal.



We barely managed to get our invitations sent our to our guests on time and I was a nervous wreck. Planning a wedding is stressful enough, without having to worry about vendors giving you what you pay for. Even with the online discount, we still paid a huge amount.



To anyone who is planning a wedding, I suggest that you order from someone other than Carlson Craft. Apparently, there were extremely good for many years, hence, all of the great recommendations. However, the company clearly has gone downhill in recent years.



Other reviews I have read tell very similar stories. We were extremely disappointed that the service and quality was so poor. The fact that their own distributors prefer to order from other printing companies makes me believe that Carlson Craft will be bankrupt soon. (Also read that is about to happen in other reviews.)



I usually don't write reviews about products or services. In this case, I feel a duty to warn all soon to be brides, don't order from Carlson Craft! You'll Be Sorry!

For years, Carlson Craft has been known for producing high quality printed products, especially wedding invitations. Everything was going well, until the previous President of Carlson Craft moved on up the corporate ladder, and the job was given to the "next in line". Unfortunately, things have steadily gone downhill since. Carlson Craft has begun using lower quality stocks on many items and has added many low quality items to their product line.



Over the past two years, not only has the quality of Carlson Craft products gone downhill, the number of Production Errors has increased drastically. Many orders have to be reprinted several times because many employees have reached the point where they simply no longer care.



Since the change in management, the error rate has been close to 10%, orders are not completed on time and are constantly being lost in the system. Those that are not lost have a very big chance of being printed incorrectly.



After being employed by Carlson Craft for nearly 6 years, I have seen things gradually falling apart. With the change in management, a large number of long time, knowledgeable and valuable employees had "abandoned ship", due to the new management team. I personally see the system falling apart on a daily basis.



A large number of Carlson Craft Dealers have stopped carrying the product line and found other vendors that are more dependable. Sales are down drastically because of blatant mismanagement and extremely poor decisions in the Merchandising area.



Prior to the management change, operations were relatively smooth and those of us who are employed by Carlson Craft took pride in our work and were treated fairly. Now, nearly everyone who works around me is actively looking for another job. It is indeed unfortunate that there are not many jobs around the Mankato area, other than working for Carlson Craft or other Taylor Corporation companies.



Before ordering Carlson Craft Products or becoming a Carlson Craft Dealer, please take the time to do a little research. Carlson Craft has major problems printing an orders correctly and shipping orders on time. While many orders are done right the first time, you won't know if yours will be one of them.



It is very hard to understand why owner Glen Taylor would allow the company that made him what he is today fall into total disrepair. Many of us find is hard to understand why he hasn't stepped in and replaced those in key management positions.



One would think that he would finally have enough of an incompetent company President who fills Management Positions based solely on friendship and loyalty to her, rather than ability to effectively manage.



Mr. Taylor, if you should read this, please check on your "flagship" company. There are still a lot of loyal, competent employees who would love to see the problems corrected and would be willing to stay, if there was a even a slim chance that things might improve.



At this point, I have made the decision to relocate my family to another area, if necessary, in order to find employment with a company that I can be proud to work for. I hope with all of my heart that a major renovation at the top levels of management is in the works and that it comes in time to save what was once a great company.