The never ending custom order.

[Scott Novota]

I am sure none of you are new to this little problem I was just wondering how you deal with it.

Customer: I would like to get a piece of custom work done just like this one, but bigger with more of these things, and different colors like red and white.

Me: Ok so lets get this started, it will be 100 dollars for that piece just a little bigger than that, with some 16 optic ribs instead of 12, and you would like it in red and white.

---3 days later.

Customer: Well...it is bigger than I wanted.

Me: Sigh, ok could you give me a better idea in inches exactly. Great!

---3 more days later.

Customer: Well, the ridges are right maybe a little bit too deep. The size is perfect but the red is not exactly what I was talking about. It is kind of a bozo red...hehehe..I want more like that.

Me: Ruby red? How come you did not bring this up on the first piece? Or better yet when you ordered it.

Customer: The piece was not what I wanted in size what difference did the color make?

Me: Sigh...so lets get the straight. Lower ridges, ruby red, 6 inches across, 8 inches high. Is there anything else I am missing?

Customer: Nope.

---3 more days again.

Customer: Size is perfect, color is great, but you know what I kind of like the ridges better on the first one. You know the bigger ridges give it more character now that I see it in person. Also the white...seeing how the ridges are not right can you make that more of a cream?

Me: How about you bend over and I can ... I mean why don't we start over.

Customer: Yea ok great I would really like it in Blue but I was scared you might get mad so this is great.

Me: Sorry I don't do customer orders.


Scott.
.

[David Patchen]

A friend only does custom orders at a 30% premium over retail. He makes three and the customer gets to chose the one he likes best. If customer wants two of them, they are both at regular price. I like this approach. They still pick their favorite, but your work is limited.

I've used this approach a couple times and it worked nicely, but I don't encourage comissions.

[Gary Guydosh]

I work it about the same way that David said. I tell them that they are all one of a kind and that I will make two for them to choose from, each will be a little differant. That is about all I will do for that. Then I just put the second one -if they do not want it - out for sale, someone will like it. This is just something that I do not like to do because of this reason. At the start I do have color samples and tell them to pick what they want, period. There are to many light blues and greens and so on.

I do the same with molds, I make people send me what you want and turn that . There are to many ways to get a shape done.

This could go on for ever.

[Scott Novota]

By the way Gary keep and eye out for and e-mail. I need a couple of molds but I am going to need some hand holding on what I need.




Scott.
.

[Edward Skeels]

Originally posted by Scott Novota
blah blah blah...
Scott.

So what you're saying is you don't know how to qualify a customer.

from an email I sent recently to a lighting company owner:

"My criticisms of the design which have been expressed to (designer) in the past are:

High watt bulb washes out the color. Little usable light from small opening. End user cannot easily re-bulb fixture to compact fluorescent due to small opening. Use of solid color overlay vs. frit guarantees a failure rate during glass production.

Unwillingness to use energy efficient bulbs; either compact fluorescent or LED limits the marketing of this fixture. This is just another incandescent pendent in a cluttered market. Given the current state of affairs, I think this design is irresponsible.

Your repeated statements that you do not wish to adequately promote this item (one sales representative with limited exposure in the North West) means that sales will not support efficient manufacture of the glass shape. I would require orders of 3000 pieces per year in this shape to justify any effort on my part to secure labor.

I’ll be back in Napa on Thursday."

I also told the "designer" that if she can't design for the process she should stay home and play with Barbie dolls. (blank stare)

Another potential client (RISD graduate with a glassblowing studio looking for a subcontract blower) can't supply CAD or a dimensioned line drawing, use email, provide a physical sample, provides molds that don't produce the shape (one mold for mulitple products, just beat your head against the wall reworking the vessel by hand), would gladly draw on the floor with chalk if I let him (so traditional ya know), and describes a particular product as a "gesture".

I showed him a gesture.

People using Apple computers is a big tip off. Great for being groovy but these aren't people who can integrate with the masses. No cross platform capabilities.

Cut your losses now. You can make money or you can be a whipping boy trying to please people. There are better things in life.

[Scott Novota]

Ed that is exactly what I am saying. I am honestly just having fun with this and the custom order thing drove me right off the edge of my fun scale.

I found that I was getting pissed off about trying to make a 45 dollar trinket 6 times so someone could have exactly what they wanted for 45 dollars. I just needed to figure out how to say "Hey this is a one shot deal and if you don't like that is ok but I am not making this 6 times until it is your perfect little 45 dollar door stop."

My time and attitude suffered. They still ended up not being happy and I could have done that with the first try.


Scott.
.

[Jordan Kube]

Well this sounds like a great learning experience. I qualify "great" by saying it was a realitively cheap one. Better this than some thousand dollar piece that drags on for months or something crazy. You need to have certain boundries with these types of things and we sometimes have have the need to please people, consciously or unconsciously. You want to make customers happy and hopefully they come back. Sometimes it's better to say no. Make custom pieces with certain prearranged limits and those limits are your own.

Ed has a unique customer service perpective but he definately knows his processes and is an asset to the right customer who can take advantage of his knowledge. He doesn't **** around (as if you couldn't tell)

[Edward Skeels]

Originally posted by Scott Novota
I found that I was getting pissed off about trying to make a 45 dollar trinket 6 times so someone could have exactly what they wanted for 45 dollars...
Scott.


You've reached enlightenment much faster than I did. I would take on every job a client brought, thinking it was a necessary evil to get the good work.

All it does is train them to bring more poorly defined work and smaller quantities.

I'm trying the cherry pick the jobs now but the customer seems dissapointed that I'm not happy taking on every request.

Another client gets it because he's in the same boat, just further up the food chain. He doesn't want the junk jobs either.

Would you rather suffer a fool or take the day off?

I take the day off. Same profit $$$, better profit life.

http://www.skeelsglass.com/images/Alameda-Napa.wmv

[Jon Myers]

Originally posted by Edward Skeels


People using Apple computers is a big tip off. Great for being groovy but these aren't people who can integrate with the masses. No cross platform capabilities.



http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136649-page,3-c,notebooks/article.html
:D

[Jordan Kube]

Sweet irony

[Edward Skeels]

Originally posted by Jon Myers
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136649-page,3-c,notebooks/article.html
:D

I was talking about the people, not the machines.

[Jon Myers]

I know exactly of what/whom you speak...

[David Patchen]

Nice video. I don't know many glass people who are also sailers. Next time you want to sail from SF to Napa and want some company I'll bring the beer.

[Rick Sherbert]

Um.. Ed.. Can I come take a day off with you??? I make great windward balast (and just happen to know a sheet from a sail)

Nice.

[Scott Novota]

Give you my Sat.

[David Paterson]

A good way to qualify a customer seeking custom work:


"Yes, I do custom work but it is more expensive. I always have to make more than one piece to produce exactly what you want."


If the work needs an exact dimension, such as a lamp shade with an exact 3.25" diameter opening, I tell them the price is double what a similar sized piece in my store would cost.

.

[Scott Novota]

No sales but it gets up there. Not mine, but I get to have fun on it!

[TC Robertson]

I hate custom orders also. The 30% rule sounds good. I cut my losses early and refund $ to avoid more damage.


That video of sailing is fun, I almost got seasick! I am still working on my Cal 3-30, it should be ready in the spring. More labor than cash input at this point. I heard boats are going cheap down in CA. Sign of the times I guess. Later, TC ;)