At Mayamam Weavers we are proud of the quality of the products we offer. Our mission is to not only make beautiful products but make beautiful products that are durable and long lasting. We are always gratified when our customers tell us how great the quality is, too! But the path to quality has had some bumps along the way. In Cajolá, the culture doesn’t allow for someone to criticize her companions and their work. This initially made it difficult to address quality issues within the group. Our first quality control coordinator, Blanca, actually created the position herself. Her job was washing and ironing the products to prepare them for sale or to be shipped. As she worked, she had eagle eyes and was constantly questioning the construction of the products or the quality of the weaving.
It did take Blanca time and good interpersonal skills to develop the process of critiquing the products, returning them to their makers, and asking for an improvement. It certainly wasn’t easy, but eventually, the process was accepted. A benefit at that time was that everyone got involved in establishing what is quality and how to prevent errors. She really carved out a unique job, and her successors have been able to continue and improve on what she started.
Nowadays there are two people working in quality control, our coordinator Sonia and her assistant, Ismelda. Their responsibilities include washing and drying all the products (including washing and drying fabric for some products to preshrink before they are sewn). Then they review each product one by one to make sure the construction is good and the final measurements meet the specifications. At that point, the products are ready to be sold in Guatemala or shipped to the U.S. to sell. If an error is found, they return the products to their maker, and work with the seamstresses and the weavers to correct the errors and prevent them from happening again.
If there is ever a time when an error can’t be remedied, that product is sold in Guatemala or the U.S. at a discount on our sale page. We never sell products with poor construction, but the second quality products might have been made using the wrong color zipper, incorrect measurements and somehow don’t meet the specs of our current collections. Mayamam Weavers sale pages also include discontinued products at discounted prices. Our sale pages are popular because you can find quality products at a savings.
Our dedicated Quality Control team plays a crucial role in the success of the cooperative as they work closely together with the backstrap weavers, foot loom weavers and seamstresses, to ensure that each handmade piece meets the high standards that Mayamam Weavers is known for.
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