what would you do?

[tashabear]

Froghunter did me a good turn the other day, and referred a caller to his store to me. I guess the guy had been calling, asking about leather and tools and whatnot, and finally told him that he just wanted someone to make some small items for him. So Froghunter, being the swell guy that he is, gave him my contact info and told him that I'd be happy to oblige.

The guy called me and we chatted, and he said that he was really all about the quality of handmade, bespoke goods, and that he wanted two notepad covers for a 3x5 spiral bound notebook and a trifold wallet. No tooling, just dyeing, but I'd still have to develop the patterns, cut everything, punch the holes, dye it all, and stitch it together. Not a big deal, but it all takes time. I told him that I'd have to do a little math, and that I'd get back to him with a price.

I emailed him later that night and gave him the price, describing exactly what he was getting for the money. The next morning, I got an response that said he'd "let me know what he wants to do." Now, I've been brushed off before, and that's just what this smells like.

I'm sure other folks here have experienced this phenomenon. What do you do? Do you just let it go, reasoning that if they don't want to pay what your time, effort, and materials are worth, you don't want to do business with them? Or do you poke at them a bit, and email or call a week or so after you give them the quote to see if they're still interested? I'm torn. So the question is: WWLWD (What Would LW Do)?

[Mike Craw]

Tashabear,

I think the term is "follow up"...not "poke at them."

If, after a week or two and a polite follow up call, you still get, "I'll let you know" then you have, in all likelyhood, been brushed of. I would then agree with your first option and just decide that he didn't want to pay for quality...and let it go.

Just my two cents worth.

Mike

[TwinOaks]

Yep, what Mike said. However, I'd limit it to one follow up contact, about a week after. Any more than that and you're begging for work. Even if you don't have a customer willing to pay for quality, you still have two new patterns.

Edited October 18, 2008 by TwinOaks

[Pip]

You can always say that you have another customer who is waiting on the leather as it is great quality and you have promised to give him first refusal before you say yes to the next job, that does four things.

1. Lets him know your busy and time is precious, and you are not begging for work.

2. gives him the option to duck out and do the decent thing and let you know, without alienating him from coming back with a proper purchase.

3. gets you out of sounding like your desperate for work from rude people who don't contact you back. Or if we give him the benefit of the doubt and say he has had something take precidence over letting you know, he can firm up the order there and then or at least back oput to free up your schedule.

4. It adds value to what you make, ie he got it first, the best quality etc etc.

And it isn't exactluy untruthful you will have other customers asking for stuff, so its just a matter of forethought, prophecy or something like that.

Do not drop your price, or you set up every customer to do the same thing, ie If we let them stew they'll drop their price!

My 2p's worth.

and as twin oaks says you'll have two new patterns!

[Johanna]

And never ever take on work without getting half your money up front. If they punk out, at least you won't be out the cost of your materials.

Johanna

[Pip]

And never ever take on work without getting half your money up front. If they punk out, at least you won't be out the cost of your materials.

Johanna

Wise words indeed! Oh, great sage of the forum lol

Edited October 18, 2008 by Pip

[Dale]

Don't take it personally. You describe it as a brush-off, but I really consider it "undecided" or "unprepared" (for what it actually costs). Granted, the guy could use some social skills (don't say "I'll get back to you" if there's a possibility you won't). In truth, I do the same sort of thing myself..."I need to think about it," or "I want to look around a little first." It doesn't matter if I'm dealing with a mom-and-pop or a chain store. I'm just not prepared to commit yet. If you're looking for recommendations, mine would be to just let it go. If he comes back, great. If he doesn't, you really haven't lost anything. Remember it's normal customer/client behavior. You'll get more of them (maybe a lot) and it's not going to productive to get frustrated about them.

[tashabear]

Don't take it personally. You describe it as a brush-off, but I really consider it "undecided" or "unprepared" (for what it actually costs). Granted, the guy could use some social skills (don't say "I'll get back to you" if there's a possibility you won't). In truth, I do the same sort of thing myself..."I need to think about it," or "I want to look around a little first." It doesn't matter if I'm dealing with a mom-and-pop or a chain store. I'm just not prepared to commit yet. If you're looking for recommendations, mine would be to just let it go. If he comes back, great. If he doesn't, you really haven't lost anything. Remember it's normal customer/client behavior. You'll get more of them (maybe a lot) and it's not going to productive to get frustrated about them.

It wouldn't irritate me so if he hadn't made a point of telling me about these expensive bespoke shoes he bought in Germany, making a point that he was in it for the quality. Did he seriously think I'd do this for costs? That's just insulting, and why I don't sew or knit for pay. No one is willing to pay what my skills are worth there, because at this point, I'm a lot better knitter than I am a leatherworker, and I don't think anyone wants to pay me $2000 for a handknit lace shawl.

[Hennessy]

Froghunter did me a good turn the other day, and referred a caller to his store to me. I guess the guy had been calling, asking about leather and tools and whatnot, and finally told him that he just wanted someone to make some small items for him. So Froghunter, being the swell guy that he is, gave him my contact info and told him that I'd be happy to oblige.

The guy called me and we chatted, and he said that he was really all about the quality of handmade, bespoke goods, and that he wanted two notepad covers for a 3x5 spiral bound notebook and a trifold wallet. No tooling, just dyeing, but I'd still have to develop the patterns, cut everything, punch the holes, dye it all, and stitch it together. Not a big deal, but it all takes time. I told him that I'd have to do a little math, and that I'd get back to him with a price.

I emailed him later that night and gave him the price, describing exactly what he was getting for the money. The next morning, I got an response that said he'd "let me know what he wants to do." Now, I've been brushed off before, and that's just what this smells like.

I'm sure other folks here have experienced this phenomenon. What do you do? Do you just let it go, reasoning that if they don't want to pay what your time, effort, and materials are worth, you don't want to do business with them? Or do you poke at them a bit, and email or call a week or so after you give them the quote to see if they're still interested? I'm torn. So the question is: WWLWD (What Would LW Do)?

box up some toilet paper that has a lil brown dye on it ,mark 'sample' on outside n mail it to th dude when he calls b nice n tell him u can do it all.

[tashabear]

And never ever take on work without getting half your money up front. If they punk out, at least you won't be out the cost of your materials.

Johanna

I knew I jumped the gun by buying the leather, and I did spend the time making the pattern for the notepad. But I have a show coming up in January, so they'll both get used, and it was only $20 anyway. But I wasn't going to start making anything for him, especially the wallet, without a deposit.