The owner of a local scrapbooking store uses her background in customer service to connect with her customers.

Tamera Marti, owner of Scrapping on the Go and Pictures Delight Photography, said she visited a scrapbook shop in Minneapolis and was inspired to start a scrapbooking store. Marti’s shop opened July 19, 2008, and though Marti lives in Winnebago and drives about 45 minutes to her store each day, she grew up in Albert Lea, and she and Michael, her husband, hope to move back to Albert Lea soon.

This isn’t Marti’s first experience owning a store in Albert Lea. She was co-owner of Ye Olde Country Coop. She also worked in customer service at Mrs. Gerry’s Kitchen, where she said she learned the importance of building relationships with customers.

“Customer service is my No. 1 priority,” Marti said. “Without customer service you don’t have anything. … I hate answering machines and recordings, so I like the one-on-one, being personable with customers and those are the skills Mrs. Gerry’s taught me.”

While Marti runs the scrapbooking shop, Michael takes studio photographs in the back room, and he has booked some weddings and other events.

Marti said word of mouth is her best form of advertising, so relationships are important for her business. Marti said she is a people person, and she tries to read people when they come into her store.

“Usually before someone leaves I know something about them, whether they have children, if they scrapbook or card-make,” Marti said. “I learn something about them, then they’ll ask about the craft night.”

About four times a months, Marti holds craft nights for about 12 people to come in and work on their projects. Marti said Fridays cost $8 and Saturdays cost $10. Marti provides meals, beverages, snacks and prizes for everyone who comes. Marti said she likes to hold them back-to-back on a Friday or Saturday so scrapbookers can leave their materials and come back the next day.

“The one thing the people like the most is it’s a home away from home,” Marti said. “I make the people feel comfortable. They go to the fridge; they help themselves. I order in pizza, or the meals, whatever we’re having.”

On craft nights, Marti can view her customers’ work, and she said she can build relationships with them, and it gives her an opportunity to find out what products her customers are looking for.

“You have to find out what works for your store. I found out packs of paper don’t work, but single sheets do,” Marti said. “I can have a pack of paper; 20 sheets in it. They don’t want it. You break it down, and sell it individually.”

She said customers ask, “What is this new paper?”

Marti said she carries some unique items that aren’t often found at other stores, like vinyl wall clings, that can be easily applied and removed from walls. If an item can’t be found in her store, Marti said she’ll special order items, look for them on eBay and she’ll recommend other stores for her customers to go to.

If she can’t order an item, Marti said she’s not afraid to recommend a different store where a customer may find the exact product for which the person is looking, which is something Marti said she thinks her customers appreciate. Marti said she’ll even shop at other stores for her own scrapbooking.

“I tell them, ‘I can’t carry everything, feel free to go elsewhere,’” Marti said. “I’ll help you find it. I just do what I can for my customers — try to make them happy.”

Marti just started having monthly card-design and page-design competitions, where customers submit work and other customers vote to determine the winner of a $20 gift card for the page design and a $10 gift card for the card design.

“I’m honored that customers keep coming back and that they like my store,” Marti said. “If it wasn’t for my customers, I wouldn’t be here. So I’m grateful to my customers, and I try to make them happy.”

New ways to fill the customers’ scrapbooking needs are on the way, as Marti said she’ll soon get Albert Lea Tiger paper.

“When you love what you do, the time goes by really quick,” Marti said. “If you don’t really love and like what you do, it’s not going to work. My customers become like family to me. This is my home away from home. Sometimes when I’m here, I don’t want to leave. I like being here. I just want to stay and play and get stuff done, but I got to go home too, I’ve got kids.”

Scrapping on the Go is at 1428 W. Main St. in Albert Lea.