My husband initially found Rita's by doing an online search when he needed to have a suit altered. Rita said the jacket was fine and just hemmed the pants. The turnaround was quick and the cost seemed reasonable. It was several months later when my husband started wearing the suit that I realized the jacket really could have used some tailoring too.
In the meantime I'd called to see if I could take in a few items of my own. I was told to check back in a few weeks after prom season when she wouldn't be so busy. I went in a few weeks later with a designer dress and a skirt. I showed Rita how the shoulders needed to be taken up on the dress (I'm short) and the waist needed to be taken in to make it fit. She pinned the waist part but didn't feel the shoulders needed to be fixed, and I figured she's the 'expert', she must know what she's doing, so I didn't fight it. (Big mistake.) I also paid to have the back slit sewn up a few inches. At the same time I dropped off a skirt to have the waist taken in.
When I went to pick up the dress, the back slit still wasn't sewn up (she'd forgotten about that, so she hurried and sewed it up right then and there).
I also realized how strange the dress now looked with just the side seams taken in because it was still too large on top. AND I still need to stitch up more of the back slit myself because it's still too high.
I realize I should have pointed out the problems and given her the chance to make it right, but if she didn't notice them, perhaps she's just not that great at alterations.
Lesson learned.