Crown City Hardware

On Monday, I ordered an entry handle set from Crown City Hardware for a client and it arrived today (we ordered it with overnight shipping).

I wanted to write a quick post about Crown City because the experience of ordering the item was such a pleasure. I am so used to incompetency when calling customer service, that when I spoke with Dave at Crown City it was almost surprising. He actually knew his products well and answered each of my questions quickly and clearly. The entire transaction, including the actual purchase, took less than five minutes. It makes such a difference when you’re dealing with nice people who know what they’re talking about.

Then I had an issue with the invoice, called back and spoke to Jason. Again… very nice, and he resolved my problem without any hesitation.

Maybe everyone in Pasadena is nice, or maybe its a culture carefully cultivated by Crown City corporate. Whatever it is, it works. I am sure that Fivecat Studio will be ordering more hardware from them very soon.

Oh yeah… the handle set is beautiful too. Bonus!

Holiday Fire Safety

New York State Department of State (the building code people) sent me a Holiday Fire Safety Bulletin today.

From the Bulletin:

Holidays are times that all New Yorkers enjoy spending with family and friends. During this time, many of us decorate our homes and places of work to further cherish the holiday feeling with trees, signs, lights, and candles. The information in (this bulletin) is to help you and your associates in decorating for a “safe holiday.”

Over the next few weeks, I am going to share a few of their tips for a safe holiday.

GENERAL HOLIDAY SAFETY TIPS

Decorating, both indoor and outdoor, can be exciting. Here are some tips to help assure that your holiday is a safe one:

• Ensure that your family and friends that are staying for the holidays know your home fire escape plan.
• Have your chimney or vent for your fireplace or wood-stove cleaned and inspected before use for the season.
• Keep a fire extinguisher handy in your home and have functional smoke detectors installed. Check all of your smoke alarms regularly.
• Whenever possible, use flame-retardant or flame-resistant decorating materials.
• Never use natural vegetation indoors that is not set in water or soils.
• Watch for overloading of electrical circuits. Use listed power distribution blocks or strips with automatic circuit protection when overloaded or overheated.
• If a fire breaks out in your home, leave immediately and call 911 from a neighbor’s home.

This brochure will help you in decorating for a safe holiday. Also included are prohibitions of interior decorations found in the Fire Code of New York State.

Have a happy, healthy and safe holiday season.