Newbie Grumble

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S

sward

True Grumbler
Joined
Mar 17, 2007
Posts
56
Loc
Germany
Here's a grumble for you - guy comes in asking for a mat to be cut to fit an RM frame with 3 windows cut to his very specific dimensions which he has drawn out on a piece of notebook paper. I tell him I'm sorry, but I can't cut a blind mat, and ask him to bring in the items so that I can measure them and I would be happy to cut the mat right there on the spot. He absolutely insisted that I cut the mat and openings stating that he would take responsibility. I told him it was my business practice to not cut windows in a mat blindly. He was very mad, but I held my ground.

He did ultimately returned with the items, I took the measurements, cut the mat to fit the frame and cut the windows. Then I showed him how the measurements he had originally come in with were wrong (measurements were the actual size of the photos). Customer ultimately left happy and even complimented me on standing my ground with him previously.

I am sure when my blood pressure finally does come down I'll be very happy for him.

Sherry
 
I guess I would have messed up.

If he would have insisted on me cutting it based on his numbers, I would have.

And yes, I would have charged him for the second mat to make it right.

I'm glad that the transaction worked out well for you and your customer. I would have been afraid to stand my ground on that.

:)
 
Good job! I've had a few cutomers like this. I tell them, like you I won't cut a mat without seeing the items, but this one time I broke down and cut it telling them that if it's wrong I'm charging double to cut it again. Guess what? It was wrong, I got paid double and they bring their items in for me to measure. Happy framing!
 
I get these all the time - and sure - I'll cut them, Noooooo problem.

I'll keep their diagram and staple it to the order and give them exactly what they want - no question.

Sometimes they got it right, sometimes they screwed up.

Best case was a special order of jumbo matboard that needn't have been!

Why should we worry? I mean what if you go to a lumber yard and ask for a length of 4x3 six feet and three inches long, and what you really needed was a length of 6 x3 four feet and three inches long?

Or order 10 boxes of wall hooks - 1000 per box, when you only wanted 1000 hooks in total? (Don't ask!")

Incidentally Sherry 'Grumbling' does not (always - or even remotely) mean complaining/ranting etc etc

"I have a Grumble" is negative "THE GRUMBLE" is a NICE place!!!

This is, or could be a 'rant' - rants are cool - get it off your chest - but some would call it customer bashing and say it should be on warped.

Anyway - you did OK out of the situation and sometimes I WILL question the customer's dimensions - depends.
 
John, I'm looking for a GREAT deal on wall hooks. I hear you buy them in the large quanities and .......................................... ...
 
.......................... and all turned out well - had eight boxes collected (two packs of 1000 per box - kept the extra 1000) - just £7 ($13?) for carriage and am spending the credit on a new pneumatic flexipoint gun plus all the air hose and connectors/regulators!
 
Sounds like Christmas, with the new toys and all. A pneumatic flexipoint would be cool.
Are you replacing one or venturing out in a new area?
 
Pneumatic tools are wonderful. They make it easier to keep your temper with difficult customers.

I don't like to work from a customer's measurements either. Most people do know how to use a ruler, (although I have met a surprising number who don't) but they rarely have had the chance to learn what the measurement rtequirements are for framing.

It would never occur to someone who had not actually put a frame together that an 11 x 14 inch frame should really be 11 1/4 x 14 1/4 or that the opening for an 8 x 10 piece of paper needs to be smaller than 8 x 10.

Although, I must admit I once really enjoyed watching a smartalec trying to put a piece of glass that was exactly 11 x 14 into a frame that was exactly 11 x 14.
 
My favorite is the retired heart surgeon who decided to make his own picture frames on his brand new table saw. Made a nice profile, 2 inches wide, with a 1/8 deep rabbet. Brought in dozens of pieces, 8 inches long and 10 inches long. He said he couldn't get the miters to work right and wanted me to cut the miters so he could have his 8x10 frames. He got made at me when I told him I couldn't, "your wood isn't long enough to make the 8" side and I'll have to use your 10" piece for the 8" side" .
I think I ended up saying "I didn't tell you how to do open heart surgery, so you shouldn't tell me how much moulding is needed for an 8x10 frame. Next time why don't you get a second opinion."
 
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