redoing work

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farmgirl1

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Oct 13, 2002
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Centreville, Va
I did 9 mirrors for a multimillion dollar home. Customer, decorator, and I agreed on the size of all mirrors. Made them and had them hung. Customer now decides that 4 of them need resizing. Yes, I'll do it but have no idea what to charge. Suggestions?
 
If they want them bigger, I'd charge full price.

If they want them smaller, and you can cut down and reuse the materials, I'd charge a straight labor charge ($60/hour, or whatever your regular rate is.)

No offense, but there are multi-million dollar homes in Centreville?
 
All four need to be bigger. I may be able to reuse some of materials. Customer feels decorator should have realized that mirrors should have been bigger. I basically work for the decorator on this job.
Multimillion dollar home is in next town over, but Centreville has a ton of million dollar plus homes. It's in Fairfax Co and home are quite pricey
 
I'm going to guess that in a multi million dollar home, these aren't cheap mirrors. Well eating (or even close to eating) 4 nice mirrors probably wouldn't be fatal to my shop. I do think it could start a chain reaction that would be fatal to my shop.

Note to self: Don't let this happen to you. Put a disclaimer that clarifies that because the designer is familiar with the project, and I am not, they are responsible for any oop’s, afterthoughts, changes, mistakes, errors, mental lapses, bad ideas, bad choices, sizes, colors, shapes, types, textures, smells…….

Carry on.
 
Can you keep the rejected ones and sell them to recover some of your cost? And then let the designer eat the difference, it isn't your fault he/she had poor judgement.
 
Don't even think about wearing the cost, it is outright not your responsibility.
 
Lay it out to the decorator. I am sure no other business she works will would eat a thing. Don't like the color of the sofa after all? We'll redo it for free. Walls didn't turn out quite purple enough? Repaint for free. Don't think so! And don't offer to resell them to make up your cost. Let the decorator resell them to make up HER cost.
 
Bigger.

Then full price and give the smaller ones to the designer as is and let her worry about "designing" them into one of their future jobs. Don't fall into the trap of breaking them down. "I may be able to reuse some of materials" WRONG !! Don't go there you will regret it.

I'm with Ellen (well not literally). The jetted tub is to small can you install a new one at no charge? NO The bookcases are too short can you stretch them another 8 inches? NO
 
You need to charge your regular price for the changed order. If the Designer was smart "change order" costs were part of the original deal.

Stand behind your charge and don't be suprised if suddenly the first job becomes accpetable.

Doug
 
Then full price and give the smaller ones to the designer as is and let her worry about "designing" them into one of their future jobs. Don't fall into the trap of breaking them down. "I may be able to reuse some of materials" WRONG !! Don't go there you will regret it.
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do I hear an AHMEN!!!! from the congregation????
thumbsup.gif
 
I eat the cost on re-dos only if I feel we somehow were responsible for the error. It does not sound like you were in the least bit responsible, so maybe offer a small percentage off the full price. When I sell a mirror, I always send the customer home with a sheet of corrugated board cut to the size of the finished piece, and I mark the edge of the visible glass area with a pencil. Then the customer can call back with a go-ahead if the size works, or come back to adjust the size of the corrugated if the size does not work. I've found this to be very helpful when trying to squeeze a mirror between a light fixture and a sink, and especially helpful when ordering a mirror to fill a large wallspace. People tend to go too small and really need the visual of a full-size template.
 
Charge full cost for the re-do to the decorator; if the home owner is an attorney and the cost is to be assumed by "Esquire" you may want to do the same. We have had more problems from decorators and attorneys than from any other professions. Well, I must also add engineers to this; they frequently measure the borders of a print and complain in the bottom is weighted and want it corrected.

Jack Cee
 
In this job you were "sub-contracted directed labor". 100% of the liability lays at the designers feet. Thats why they get the BIG bucks.... and how they handle this can either add to or detract from their reputation in your eyes [and how you will relay your experience about this person to other potential vendors], and their clients.

Stand firm and make her earn HER paycheck.

She can always take her business elsewhere, but she wont.
BUT if she goofs all the time and wants you to cover her incompetence... you may send her elsewhere.
 
While I am firmly in the "It's not your mistake. Eat nothing!" camp I think in real life my response would depend on how I was approached.

If the designer or client came at me saying "These are the wrong size. Make us new ones" I'd dig my heels in and explain my "No returns on custom orders" policy.

If the designer said, "Gosh Meghan, the mirrors are beautiful but we really underestimated the size. Is there anything you can do to help me out on the new order?" I might (I said "might" so everyone just stay calm) not charge fitting on the new ones.

And if she said it with some hand dipped dark choolate truffles with almonds in her hand...


Originally posted by DB:
When I sell a mirror, I always send the customer home with a sheet of corrugated board cut to the size of the finished piece, and I mark the edge of the visible glass area with a pencil.
Click to expand...
I don't know why I never thought of this. I always give them kraft paper and tell them to fold until it seems to be the right size. 25% of the time they come back with trapezoids...
 
Thanks everyone for the input. I used kraft paper templates for a couple of the mirrors sizes I was concerned about but in hindsight should have done them all. Would have saved much headache. Will definitely do it next time. Issue is unresolved yet.
 
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