I just had a strange request. A potential online customer wants a double mat with a bevel on the bottom mat but NO BEVEL on the top mat. Have you ever done such a strange animal?
Question Mat w/o a Bevel.
- Thread starter Larry Peterson
- Start date
All the time, a reversed bevel.
That way you wouldn't see the distracting white line of the bevel so that might be what your customer is trying to achieve?
That way you wouldn't see the distracting white line of the bevel so that might be what your customer is trying to achieve?
I forgot to say they want a square bevel.
Oh, huh? That makes no sense, so a straight cut?
"Square Bevel"?
Jumbo Shrimp?
That ""Die Stamped" look?
Jumbo Shrimp?
That ""Die Stamped" look?
Yup
Have not. Maybe, cut window 3/32" shorter than final, then cut across the top at right height,
with a straight blade, and cut the sides with a handheld, angled razor blade?
with a straight blade, and cut the sides with a handheld, angled razor blade?
I talked sense into her. I told her (.......................diplomatically of course.) that no one in their right mind would have a double mat with a square bevel up top and a normal 45 degree bevel below. Only a crazy person would do something like that (unsaid but implied). No push back so we are good to go. It will be with LJs discontinued Olmsted 1 9/16" Dark Wood w/Bronze highlights and Sienna(bottom)/Quary(top). I love that moudling and wouldn't want for her to ruin it with crazy mat bevels.
I finally remembered what this reminded me of - senior moment not withstanding. Remember creating a mat for your art in school using heavy construction paper. Take construction paper cut an opening with a razor blade and voila; instant mat. Amateur hour but hey; its school and your parents might be proud of your 'framing'.
Glad to hear that you resolved it. She probably heard about that "technique" from an "artist friend".
Rickglamorsidhe
CGF, Certified Grumble Framer
I personally agree with ALL your reasonings regarding that "potential online customer with the square bevel / normal bevel / reversed bevel (?) double mat" request, but isn't the customer supposedly always right, even when they might not be? Perhaps that (probable) artist-friend that Rick speaks of may have had something visual in mind when he suggested said "technique" which the customer only half-haphazardly described afterwards, & later (the customer) might regret the framed/matted result if & when she consults with her aforementioned artist-friend again.
I don't know, but potentially it sounds like a possible lose/lose for the actual matboard framer.
I don't know, but potentially it sounds like a possible lose/lose for the actual matboard framer.
Think of all the crazy requests that you have had over the years and then multiple that by 100 for all the ANONYMOUS COWARDS that live online that think they can request the wildest things. Being anonymous gives some a lot of freedom. Life is too short to appease all the online crazies and I am too old to deal with all of them. At 77, losing a sale or two because of crazy requirements isn't going to kill me. Trying to do what the crazies want just might. I am purposely dialing things back a bit as I lean into my dotage - cutting out advertising, reducing the types of services I offer, reducing the mouldings I carry, eliminating some distributors, etc. Even with that, I have all that I want. In this case the customer gave me the perfect response - Ok as long as you think it will look fine...I will go with your expertise. (exact quote)
And in case you think I am just another crotchety old folk, take a look at my feedback on Etsy. According to the norms, I am just peachy.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/thePaperFramer?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
https://www.etsy.com/shop/thePaperFramer?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
glamorsidhe
CGF, Certified Grumble Framer
Larry, I wasn't impugning you or your judgments --- crotchety or peachy (I'm 78). As I've said countless times, I constructively critique, not judgmentally criticize! (I've ALWAYS respected you & your comments.) And I was speaking of customer unknowns, not about you or other framers. Since when must I with my teaching background fear to make an honest comment about anything because "someone" might take it personally & take offence when no offence was intended! Since when must anyone with a teaching background remain silent rather than potentially offend. If you twist that into a personal negative . . . ?
I stand by with what I said. I will not apologize for what I didn't do.
I stand by with what I said. I will not apologize for what I didn't do.
I wasn't concerned personally by what you said. No offense taken. It was just me being me.
glamorsidhe
CGF, Certified Grumble Framer
And when I critique, constructively I hope, it's me being me . . . , but thanks for your above comment.
If you're not careful you will soon find yourself out of business.
Yup. That's pretty much the plan. Ease into retirement. One thing I didn't mention is that I have shut down Google indexing of my site so pretty much all the traffic I'm getting to my site is from repeat customers but after 23 years that's still a bunch. That's where most of my reduction is going. I don't do any internal advertising on Etsy but I never have. I just need enough traffic to cover my shop's rent which is cheap and enough sales to get me outa the house a few hours a day. I also get a lot of repeat business on Etsy and the lack of internal advertising there isn't hurting me. I figure my body will give out before my traffic/sales does.
Do you have a succession plan? Think about all those poor repeat customers who will have nowhere to go once you're gone if you don't...
I am training my customers. Twice in the last year I have had to close for a bit for medical procedures so they are starting to get prepared for my eventual retirement/demise or whatever.
glamorsidhe
CGF, Certified Grumble Framer
One small footnote to everyone who's read or responded to some of my above comments which periodically include my mentioning a teaching background: I mention it because, unlike art-tutors or art-instructors who often keep their explanations brief, class-teachers, as I once was, learn to speak rather lengthily in order to reach a maximum amount of students --- teaching within a group is not the same as teaching individuals. This habit, once ingrained, is difficult to break. I mention it not as an excuse but hopefully as an explanation for how I tend to speak.