In the Loop

Welcome Matthew, the newest addition to the CherryLoop.com Family!

So, you are probably stopping by because you just received our latest email (sign up here, if you aren’t on the list), hinting at some big news. 

Our little, family owned, business continues to grow beyond our wildest dreams.  This growth has come with some unexpected results, some of which are positive and others not so much.  It is the “not so much” that we would like to address, and commit to overcoming immediately.

When we opened CherryLoop a few years ago we wanted to provide the best shopping experience for our customers with responsive, friendly, and consistent customer service.  With the incredible growth we have experienced in the last 6-8 months, we have not been able to uphold the high standard we set for ourselves during the company’s early years.

That changes today.  We would like to welcome Matthew Tencleve as our new Director of Operations and Customer Service.  Matthew has been a long time friend of ours and of the company, and we were finally able to convince him to come on board and take over our customer service and operations departments.  We have worked with Matthew in a variety of capacities in the past and we are convinced he is the best person for this job.

Here is what this means for you:

·         Upgraded Customer Service Hours and Policies

o   Monday – Friday 9am – 4pm Central Time

o   Call 918-728-6347 anytime during those times.  We will either answer the phone or return your phone call within 2 hours.

o   All emails will be returned within 24 hours (in most cases we will respond within the hour).

o   We will not keep official hours on the weekends; however, we will have staff on hand to answer calls and questions during reasonable hours.  We will also respond via email when available.

·         Faster response times to customer inquiries.

o   You will be notified immediately (during regular business hours) regarding any problems with your order.

o   You will be provided with fast options to solve any problems that come up.

·         Faster Shipping and Processing Times.

o   Items in stock will ship immediately.

o   Some items require shipping between warehouses, but this time will be reduced significantly.

·         A much more personable shopping experience.

Here is the next big announcement we have eluded to in the past.  We are embarking on a brand new website redesign and redevelopment.

The website has served its purpose well over the years, but it is time to make some changes.  Based on feedback we have heard from our customers, below is a list of some of the things we are considering in our new website redevelopment:

 

1.       Automatically Updated Inventory

2.       Ability to Expedite Shipping

3.       Order status updates via the website (Create a Profile)

4.       Choices regarding backordered items

5.       ETA on Shipping & Arrival

6.       Easily Accessible Size Chart, Shipping Policies, Descriptions, Reviews, etc.

7.       Easier to add to, or modify your order

8.       Easier search functionality

9.       Faster checkout process

10.   Not being charged for an item until it ships 

With all of that being said, here is where you come in. You get to help us build the new website, have input on what changes get implemented, and get free stuff.

Please send an email to info@cherryloop.com with the subject line: CherryLoop.com Feedback (if you click on the link it will autofill the subject for you).

Please let us know which 3 changes/updates you would like to see in the new and improved CherryLoop.com.  You can select from any of the above, or even better…come up with ones that aren’t on the list.  Please order them by highest priority (1 being highest).  If you have any ideas, suggestions, or any other feedback please let us know in this email.  We will read each and everyone, and we will weigh all of the answers and we will build our website accordingly.

Here is the BEST part.  Everyone that sends the above email, AND likes us on Facebook, AND posts on our wall their favorite item in the CherryLoop store will give your choice of the following:

·         Blade Chamois ($12.00 value)

·         US Icewear Footed Tights ($13.00 value, while supplies last)

·         Zuca Stuff Sack ($10.00 value, while supplies last)

If you already “like” us on Facebook, then all you have to do is send the email, and post your favorite item in the CherryLoop store on Facebook.

 

Here is an example email and Facebook post:

 

****/////

 

Subject: CherryLoop.com Feedback – April 2013

 

Hi CherryLoop!

 

My top three changes are:

1.       1. Order Status Updates

2.       2. Better Social Media Options (I didn’t see that on your list, but that is really important to me)

3.       3. Please charge for shipping (just joking), I would like to see expedited shipping options.

I love shopping with you guys, but sometimes I have trouble finding the status of my order…and I just want that to be a lot easier in the future.  Thanks for the free chamois J. 

I want a free chamois btw, but if those are out…I would like to have a pair of 6-8, Footed Tights, and if those are out, I would like to have a black/red Zuca Stuff Sack!

Thanks,

Johnna Customer

Facebook Post

Hi CherryLoop! It is hard to choose my favorite item cuz I love them all lol, but I would have to say it is the Spiral Pants from ChloeNoel.

****/////

So, that’s it for the big news!

 

Thank you all again for your business, loyalty, support, and for the being the best customers on the planet.

 

Regards,

 

Travis, Robin, and Matthew

We have not made an announcement this huge since...well, ever...

First things first.  Let's talk about the sale that is going on right now for current customers only.

1. Take 25% off everything in store* if you spend more than $150.00.  This is the best deal you will find the rest of the year.  I promise this is better than any "Black Friday" deals, "Cyber Monday" deals, etc, etc.  This sale alone is noteworthy.  However, this is pretty run of the mill for our customer base in early November.  You must be on our mailing list, or be a current customer to qualify for this.  Code: Loops25Off

2.  Take 15% off everything in the store* if you spend more the $50.00.  This is self explanatory, and no big deal.  Use the code: Loops15Off

OK, now on to the good stuff.  If you are on our mailing list, or a current customer, you qualify for the following.  Spend more than $50.00 (after discounts are applied), use one of the codes mentioned above, and you can start receiving "Loops Awards".  The current plan gives you $7.00 in store credit for every $50.00 you spend from now until December 31, 2012.  That is free money.  You are getting in on the ground floor of MONEY, when you do this.  Seriously, think about it...you buy some Christmas gifts like you were going to anyway.  It totals let's say $350.  You just earned $49.00 in CherryLoop.com store credit.  You can spend this money any way you want in our store without restrictions from January 1, 2013 until March 31st, 2013.

We want to thank our loyal customers over the years, and reward them with incredible savings like this.  I suggest you don't miss out on this opportunity.  You must purchase a minimum of $50.00 of merchandise with one of the above codes BEFORE Tuesday, November 6th or you will have missed this opportunity.  So, please...I'm begging you...just buys something small so you can get in on this deal.

This is the beginning of our Loops Awards Program, and any of the "Charter Members" will be grandfathered in to the highest level until March 31st, 2013.  You will automatically qualify for the Platinum Level and will receive double awards for each qualifying purchase through March of next year.  You will also get to use any purchases from now until the end of 2012 toward you new balance.

Restrictions and not so-fine print:

1.  All Zuca Products are excluded from the 15 and 25% off; however, your Zuca purchases are applied toward the store credit promotion.  You can apply store credit to anything on the website.
2.  Does not apply to previous orders.
3.  We do NOT accept returns or exchanges on items purchased from the Clearance Rack.
4.  We can only accept exchanges for items purchased with a discount code.  This is very important to understand.  Any returns will be treated as exchanges or issued a store credit for the original purchase amount.
5.  The sale will end at 11:59pm Central Standard Time on Monday, November 5th.  It will not be extended under any circumstances.
6.  For a full list of terms of service please visit the website: Terms and Conditions
7.  For more deals, the rules of the sale, and a better understanding of what the promotions are visit our blog: In The Loop

Thanks again for everything!

Regards,

Travis and Robin

 

Every once in a while we have some incredible news regarding product launches.  This is one of those times.  The brand new Zuca Line has just rolled out (pun intended), and we have them all in stock and ready to ship out!

Here is a glimpse at some of the new inserts:

 

Ok, so from right to left we have the following brand new inserts:

1. Orbz (Green Spotz with Bright Blue Background)

2. Splash (Blue, Green, and White Tie-Dye) - Winner of the 2011 Design contest.

3. Sweetheartz (Red and White Hearts, Pink Background, Crystal Embelishments) - A little late for Valentine's Day 2012, but get one now for 2013!

Do you see something that I see?  That isn't a Gray Frame on the Splash insert...that is a brand new White Frame!  Yes, after all of these years a white frame is finally available, and we have a ton of them.  Get one today!

 

The white frame will go with any insert you choose.  You just can't go wrong with this sleek look.

 

We wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of the Veteran's who have served our country past, present, and future.

Without the sacrifice of these brave men and women and their families we certainly would not enjoy the freedoms and liberties we have today.

We donated 5% of all sales on 11/11/11 to the following organization:

http://www.usvetsinc.org/

We recently heard an interview on NPR with the President of this organization, and they are doing great things to assist Veterans with housing, career development, and counseling.  Let us know of any other organizations you feel are worth donating to.  We take the care and support of our Veterans very seriously.

Here are some uplifting quotes to remind us of how important their sacrifice is to us.

Thank you!

• It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you.  ~Author unknown, sometimes attributed to M. Grundler

• This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.  ~Elmer Davis

• Freedom is never free.  ~Author Unknown

• As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.  ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

• Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul.  ~Michel de Montaigne

• How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!  ~Maya Angelou

• Courage is almost a contradiction in terms.  It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.  ~G.K. Chesterton

• In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned.  When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.  ~Mark Twain, Notebook, 1935

• But the freedom that they fought for, and the country grand they wrought for,Is their monument to-day, and for aye.  ~Thomas Dunn English

Travis and Robin

We have some of our great figure skating friends to congratulate on an incredible season!

Agnes Zawadzki, a long time friend of CherryLoop.com recently placed 4th at the US Nationals in Greensboro, NC and just a few days ago grabbed the Bronze at the Junior World Nationals.  You can read several great articles at the Ice Network about Agnes and her beautiful skating here:

Russian ladies take top spots at junior worlds
Zawadzki aims to play spoiler at U.S. Champs
Czisny triumphs as stellar season continues
Aaron picks Agnes to win at Skate Canada
Ice Network Skater Profile - Agnes Zawadzki

Ashley Cain and Joshua Reagan, also long time friends of CherryLoop.com, who hail from our hometown (well Robin's) of Dallas, TX.  We have been watching their career bloom for several years and we couldn't be happier with the results.  They traveled the world on the Junior Grand Prix tour, and recently took the Gold Medal for Junior Pairs at Nationals and placed 5th at Junior Grand Prix in December.

You can read about all of their recent accomplishments here:

Cain, Reagan impress to win junior pair crown
Ice Network Skater Profile - Cain and Reagan

One of the things we love about this sport is watching the skaters grow up on the ice.  We see sparks of genius in them when they are very young, but it takes an outrageous amount of drive and ambition to skate at the levels these skaters do.  We could not be more proud and we look forward to watching their careers in the future!

Congratulations Agnes, Ashley, and Joshua!

Travis and Robin

Happy Holidays Everyone!

This post is intended to help all you last minute shoppers understand what is happening with your CherryLoop orders at this busy time of the year.  Today (December 15, 2010) is the last day you can place an order if you expect it to arrive before Christmas (December 24th, 2010).  Most orders placed today will ship on Monday, December 20th, 2010 via USPS Priority Mail.

There are some exceptions.  We may sell out of a certain item, and then we will notify you with options.  It will look something like this: Refund your purchase, wait for the item to arrive (probably after Christmas), or exchange for a different size or style.

We also may be able to get items ordered after today to you prior to Christmas depending on the products.  We have a lot of items in stock at our Pro Shop and those will ship much faster.  It is best to call us and discuss availability if you really want it before Christmas.

There were some styles that we have been waiting on to arrive for several weeks.  The Chloe Noel spiral pants and the princess seam jackets.  They are now available and will be shipping soon.  I know a lot of you are waiting on these items, but we are working tirelessly to get these orders out to you.

Thank you for your interest in CherryLoop.com, we appreciate your business.

We would like to wish you and your family a happy holiday season and a prosperous new year!

Travis and Robin
CherryLoop.com

Happy Birthday CherryLoop.com!

On September 25th, 2009 at 12:01 am we officially launched CherryLoop.com - Your online figure skating store.  A lot has happened since that day.  We've been to many figure skating competitions, events, and appearances.  We made it through our first Holiday Season.  We opened up a Pro Shop in April this year.  We have been featured on some of the most prominent websites, blogs, and magazines.  Our apparel and equipment has been worn by Olympic Skaters, National Medalists, and hundreds of up and comers in figure skating.  We've added new vendors such as Brad Griffies, Harlick, Zuca, and many others.

We want to thank each and every one of our customers for your support.  We are convinced that figure skaters, figure skating parents, coaches, judges, and leaders are the best customers in any sport or industry.  We've come to know so many of you so well, that we feel you are much more than customers.  Most of you have become friends and family.  This is why we are so grateful for you.  We feel very fortunate to be involved in this community.

We have learned a lot about the business, the sport, and ourselves in this year.  Some things we've learned the hard way.  Those of you that had to wait longer than expected for some items this summer know what we are talking about.  The good news is, we are still going strong and we are completely committed to our customers.  We are working hard right now to ensure that we are fully stocked for the holidays and are trying to head many problems off at the pass.  There will be mistakes, there will be disappointments, but we can promise we will do everything in our power remedy any issues to your complete satisfaction.

Thank you all for making this a wonderful year, and here is to many more to come!

Regards,

Travis and Robin
CherryLoop.com 

Well, we've been back from the Houston Fall Invitational for two weeks now and we're still putting the shop back together.  As predicted in our last blog post, we had a blast in Houston at this event.

It isn't everyday you get to hang out with an Olympic Figure Skater, and that is exactly what we got to do on Saturday.  Amanda Evora blessed us with her presence and was kind enough to take pics and sign autographs.  Our youngest daughter Violet got an autograph and a photo with Amanda.  Amanda, as you know, skated for the US at the Olympics in Vancouver with her partner Mark Ladwig.  They took the silver last year at Nationals clinching a spot in the Olympics.  They finished a strong 10th place in Vancouver, and they have a promising career ahead of them.  They appeared on the cover of Skating Magazine in the August/September edition.


Above is Amanda Evora and our littlest Violet at the Houston Fall Invitational.

Amanda Evora and Danika Burton (skater at our local rink in Tulsa)

We also got to catch up with a lot of our long time friends and customers in Houston.  Peter Cain from the Dallas Stars Figure Skating Club was there with many of his skaters.  We missed his wife Darlene and Daughter Ashley as they were preparing for the upcoming Junior Grand Prix in Sheffield England.  Ashley and her partner Josh Reagan have been on a rampage since winning the Novice Pairs Gold Medal at Nationals in Spokane last year.  This is a really exciting time for them, and we wish them the best.  They leave on Sunday, and I know they will kill it!

Read this awesome article about Ashley and Joshua at Golden Skate: Read Here


This is Ashley at regionals last year in Dallas.

We also saw Hailee Settle and her partner Rique Newby-Estrella.  Their program looks incredible.  We saw Becky Du, Zhaira Costiniano from the Senior Ladies division.  We got to know Shymali Moujan and we look forward to watching her skating career blossom.  It is so much fun to watch the younger skaters move up the ranks.  Skaters like Ashley Bratton, Megan Midkiff, Hope and Kennedy Plott, and so many others.

We'll post some more pictures as we go through them.

I can't believe that Regionals is less than 3 weeks away!  I'm still recovering from Houston.  This is notice that we will be at the Southwestern Regional Championships in Colorado Springs.  So, stop by and say hello.  We can't wait to see you!

Well, I had to get this post up before midnight.  We took the plunge.  As of today, April 2nd, 2010 CherryLoop has a brand new store front!  CherryLoop.com's sister came as much as a surprise to us as anyone.  We realized how much business we were doing at our local rink, and we wanted to offer our neighbors the same great service we offer the online community.  So, we rented some space at the Oiler's Ice Rink in Tulsa, OK, built out the space, and officially opened to the public today.

This offers us a place to do custom boot fittings for people in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Fayetteville, Little Rock, Wichita, and anyone else who happens to be close by.  We now have a place to get immediate feedback from our customers on new merchandise, sizings, and other information that used to take weeks to compile.  But what we really like is being so close to our customers.  We'll get some valuable feedback which will in turn be passed on to our online friends.

If you happen to be in the area, please stop by...we're having a "Grand Opening" Sale tomorrow.  10% off everything in the store!

We'll post pictures of the new store, and you'll get the opportunity to hear about all of the changes as they progress right here at "In the Loop".

Thank you all for your continued support.  We truly appreciate it!

Travis and Robin