PSA: A customer told me my headbands were too tight and it fixed my binding

So I had this regular customer who brings in old books for rebinding. Last month she picked up a journal I did and said "you know, I love the cover but I can barely open the thing without feeling like it's gonna crack." I was kinda annoyed at first lol but she was right. I'd been pulling my headbands super tight cause I thought it looked cleaner. Turns out that was making the spine way too stiff and actually ruining the hinge. Loosened up the tension on my last three projects and they open way smoother now. Has anyone else had a client call them out on something that actually improved their work?

2 comments

2 Comments

julia84319d ago

Hang on, you were pulling them SUPER tight? Like... how tight are we talking here? I thought headbands were supposed to be snug but not like you're trying to strangle the book. That's wild that a customer had to point out something so basic, but honestly I've had similar moments where a comment made me realize I'd been doing something dumb for years without thinking.

david82118d ago

Three years I was tightening them like I was cinching a tourniquet on a patient, @julia843, and no one said a word until a customer asked if I was trying to pop the spine off. I felt about two inches tall, but hey, at least we all learn eventually, right?