Even with the supremo disasterousness of the fiasco to be forthwith known as “deanna’s non-river rock fireplace”, RL ROCKS. You may recall my blog from 2 days ago - a little letter to the paint gurus at Ralph Lauren - that shared a little of my experience with some of their paint. So I wrote it. I posted it. And then I figured that it would be good to send it. So I did a minute bit of editing (assuring them that I still adore and support their fab products) and then I hit send. Mostly for fun. I figured they’d get a chuckle. And guess what??? LESS THAN 24 HOURS later, I had the friendliest, happiest, cutest, & most generous letter from them in my inbox. If you missed the letter, go here first.
And here is their perfectly fabulous response:
Dear Deanna,
Thank you for your e-mail regarding your experience with the Steam Boat
Basin River Rock paint. First of all I want to apologize to you for
this disappointment and inconvenience. I have forwarded your e-mail to
our Ralph Lauren Paint Specialists, so they may respond to you/further
assist you, as they work within the manufacturer. Please allow a few
business days for this follow-up. You may also contact them directly
Deanna, although I think that your e-mail says it all so
well. 
We certainly do not consider you an “Idiot Painter”, and have deemed you
a true artist/painter of words. As badly as we do feel that you have
had this disappointment with the Ralph Lauren paint product, we
appreciate your taking the time to contact us and articulate your full
experience. You did make us laugh.
All of us with significant others, can certainly relate to the home
improvements not helping to improve the relationship….initially! I
was just telling my Supervisor today, that all married couples deserve
little purple heart medals for each year that we are married!
Although this issue has been forwarded to the appropriate department/the
Ralph Lauren paint specialists, our RalphLauren.com Customer Support
team wanted to send you a little gift certificate to put toward
something that you may want on RalphLauren.com. Please watch for this
gift certificate to arrive on your e-mail within 1-2 business days.
We appreciate your humor and positive attitude, Deanna, and wanted to
thank you for making us smile today.
If you have any further questions or feedback, please do not hesitate to
contact us again.
We than you for your patronage and for your interest in Ralph Lauren
products.
Sincerely,
RalphLauren.com
Customer Assistance
So. Two life lessons here, I guess. 
First of all, if you’re not satisfied with something, say something. Your voice is important. Saying it nicely and with humor sometimes helps, too. You might even get a stellar response like this one.
Second lesson… Hire a painter.
www.ralphlauren.com
Dude, that is so freaking awesome.
I painted my daughter’s room with a can of their paint…it was the best paint I’d ever used in my life. One coat, and it was thick and gorgeous color. I couldn’t believe it (there weren’t any special textures or effects).
That stinks that yours didn’t turn out well, but YAY for them for actually caring about the customer!!
September 20th, 2007 at 9:17 amNo kidding - talk about A+ customer service. And actually, I too have used their regular paint with fantastic results. Naturally, after this episode, I’ll be using it again. I’m just not destined for the glam & sophistication of their River Rock line… (sigh).
September 20th, 2007 at 9:21 amGreat response.
September 20th, 2007 at 4:28 pmWOW! I think RL. deserves and A+ on this friendly letter. And you, Deanna, deserve an A+ for making people smile. This is a good example of how the power of words can make a difference in people’s lives.
September 20th, 2007 at 7:57 pmBravo! Bravo! Bravo!
Ali
P.S. Have you thought about how you will spend your gift certificate??
Well… You know me… I’ll go on there and no matter how much it’s for I’ll buy something worth way more anyhow. They’ll get their money from yours truly…
September 20th, 2007 at 8:04 pmAnd you’re so sweet!