Can you top this?

[emrr]

A customer comes into the shop with a frame she had purchased elsewhere (a garage sale form the looks of it). After hearing what I would charge to fit her picture into it she decided she would do the work herself. Could she borrow a hammer and screwdriver and whatever I use to fasten the artwork into the frame; and so that she could see what she was doing, would I lend her my glasses? When I refused these simple and reasonable requests she demanded to speak to the manager (that would be me) because I had been so unhelpful. Folks like this make my day. We entertained ourselves for the rest of the afternoon speculating about where else she shops. Does she go to Midas Muffler, pull her car up onto the lift and ask to borrow a wrench? What about at the dentist? Hold the mirror a little more to the left, dear.

[Susan May]

emrr - I have had this same customer. (or her twin!) I just tell them that my lawyer won't allow me to let other people to use my tools for insurance reasons. If someone was to get hurt, you could be taken to court.

That, or you could let her use the materials for a charge that is twice the fit up price. That covers your time for "helping" her. http://www.thegrumble.com/framer/ubbs/wink.gif

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Sue May :)
"Everyone is born right-handed, only the greatest can over come it!"

[Jim Miller]

That's a good response, Susan May.

I believe older customers more often have that mindset. Liability is one reason do-it-yourself framing has died out. Still, some customers recall those days and think our shops are for their use.

Sometimes it's hard to do 21st century framing for 19th century customers...

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Jim Miller, CPFcm; GAFP Committee Member

[ArtLady]

Wow. I can't even come close to this thread!

[ArtLady]

Wow. I can't even come close to this thread!

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Timberwoman
AL
I cut the mat, I pet the =^..^= cat.

[BUDDY]

James your right about the validity of the Insurance issue. My chapter investigated the insurance rates for frame shops as well as the national.I think the finding was that a major cause of higer rates were risk of injury from tools.In fact a speaker we used explained that if your work area was located in such a way that customers needed to walk through it your rates could go up due to increased danger from exsposer to equipment.
So politely explain that you don't wish to increase your permiums ,and no one but employees are allowed to handle tools and equipment and you probably won't be lieing.
BUDDY

[This message has been edited by BUDDY (edited August 28, 2000).]

[ArtLady]

I couldn't yesterday but today I can top this thread.

I had a lady special order a piece from an edition by a Hawaiian artist. Unknown to me she have been to the artist's website downloaded the image and was using it as a screen saver. The piece came in overnight shipping charges today and she would not accept it because it did not match her screen saver. Lucky for me the publisher will take it back. Out shipping charges though.


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Timberwoman
AL
I cut the mat, I pet the =^..^= cat.

[Marc Lzier]

Offer to put a frame on the computer screen?

[Marc Lzier]

Offer to put a frame on the computer screen?

[emrr]

How about this one? Lady comes in with a pre-cut mat. It's just the right color and size to fit in her frame but the hole is too big. Could I cut it smaller, please? I swear I'm not making this up.

[Zorro]

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!

[Framing Goddess]

LOVE this...

Lady comes in- needs 16 X 20 frame for whatever. I show her one. (I am holding it vertically.)"No, no," she says, shaking her head, "that won't do, it needs to be THIS way." (holds her hands 'sideways')I crouch down, I put the 16 X 20 down under the counter between us, make some rustling noises, turn the 16 X 20 'sideways', stand up with it now held horizontally and the woman says, "YES, that's EXACTLY what I want!" She bought it and went home. No kidding.

[ArtLady]

Zorro,

Are you sleeping or defending us?

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Timberwoman
AL
I cut the mat, I pet the =^..^= cat.

[Frank]

This is just too much fun! How about this one...Back when I had a retail frame shop I used to let local artists (amature?) hang their art on my walls (for a commission of course). One of the artists whose artwork I had sold a couple of times brought in a small piece to be framed. After spending 20 minutes designing the framing with her when I gave her the $50 quote she told me that was way too much money!!! A week later she came back with the piece framed close to what we had designed but with regular mats and a cheaper frame all badly done and wanted to hang it on my wall to sell. Needless to say I took down the pieces I already had hanging and gave them back to her and told her I no longer accepted local artists work.

[emrr]

FramingGoddess - I hope you explained that horizontal frames generally cost about 20% more than vertical ones.

PS The REAL Zorro would know that his horse was named Diablo.

[This message has been edited by emrr (edited August 29, 2000).]

[Angela]

I once had (key word "had") a customer return a piece of glass because "it doesn't go with my decor."

She left before I could ask if non-glare or UV would have worked better. . .