SCREEEEMMM! AH CUSTOMERS

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UzZx32QU

UzZx32QU

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Christmas customers have come'th. Stupid requests, Dumb & Dumber, I'm getting too old for this. Oh!! Yes!! Cheap and Cheaper was here to. I need a 16 opening mat not too dark and can I get different corners on each opening and... I don't want the size to be bigger than 16x20, no frame just the mat... Does that price include you mounting the photo's NO! that too much...

How's your day going...

framer
 
No, no, no, no!! You're doing it all wrong:

Keep a baseball bat handy ON the counter; make sure you have red marker / blood-red paint stains on it...

Now watch how Cheap and Cheaper and his friend Dumb & Dumber suddenly are quite reasonable.

I am thinking about opening at 2 PM from now on. It seems this month is the time when customers come in after 3 PM only. Too bad it is too cold for the beach / pool.
 
I did get the job finally, but egads, it took over 2 hours (yes, really. 2 trips out to the one hour parking meter) to decide on mat colors, and precise dimensions for . . .1 piece. 2 openings, overall size: 13" x 8". I love customers, and sometimes I have trouble making up my mind myself so I try and be empathetic, but yikes! It's good she decided when she did. I might've reached the snapping point.

"No! You may not just see the blue one again. You have seen them all way too much. You are cut off. Out, out, out! I need to go back in the back with the cushy floor mat and the music I like. And not only has my microwave lunch cooled off, it's actually refrozen. Get thee gone!"

I wish there were a meter I could add in to the POS that would automatically add a charge if one ticket takes more than 30 minutes to complete.
 
I got that covered for extreme cases. My POS lets me have 9 different fitting charges that all say standard fitting. You use a 9 to blow them out the door.
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framer
 
I had a lovely "photographer" (uses low level DSLR's for his work and believes that all others are just excessive) in today, doesn't want to spend too much on the "bulk order" (5 frames). Doesn't want a green tint in the glass as no one elses glass has it, expects a 2 year old faded and dirty sample to match a new sheet of board perfectly and points out that he knows far more about framing than I do because he's been doing this since I was in school... He asked if I actually wanted his work because I have a big workshop that is apparently not doing much (he visited it during a lunch break on a transition day...), naturally I do want his work but why make it so damned difficult!!!
 
How do they know when we're up to our eyeballs. alone in the shop, running to the second on a deadline...do they sit out in the parking lot and watch, and wait??? And they always want to tell you aaaalllll about where that thing came from, and about hubby's hemmorroid surgery and I'm doin' the potty dance and they want the "other green mat", and after 2 hours of this, settle for the first thing you laid down in the first place, and then want it tomorrow. I've taken to laughing out loud, pretend they're joking, mutter something about the 300 people waiting for their orders in front of that one and if they want it sooner than next Spring, I'd best get back to it. 'Tis the season... isn't it? I love the Grumble, no-one else knows what this is like but you folks.
 
On the other hand, 51 baseball cards x 2. Price $1100. Will you do it for $1000? Yup. OK, here's the credit card. Call me when it's done. PS: The job was referred by Michael', bless 'em!
 
Ahhh, yes - but then there's the customer with 5 small (no bigger than 8x10, some prematted) pieces, completly open to my designs, who says "GREAT!" when you quote $400+. Doesn't need it anytime soon.

I'd share the horror of 18-no 14-no 12- no 4 pieces and can I get those Fiday (asked on Wednesday) but Kassandra would probably kill me....
BUT REMEMBER: without all of our customers (good, bad and in between) we'd all probably be working for Michaels (or worse).....

Tony
 
You have no idea how HAPPY threads like this make me!
 
I'm starting to get scared! I'm quite busy, but only have three orders in house that I know are for Christmas, excuse me, the Holidays...must be politically and socially correct, you know. What are people putting under their "Holiday Trees"?
I know they are all sitting out there waiting until Christmas Eve and going to want it right away...

Ho Ho Ho...
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Dave Makielski
 
Well, so far this week I went out and found a good quality chalkboard, cut it to 9 x 16 1/2" and framed it in a higher end moulding in a day. Also took in an order for a 38 x 56" beveled mirror on Monday afternoon which I had fabricated and framed and then installed Thursday morning. Sold one of those mats yesterday as described in the original post. They brought in an old frame and a paper insert from a multi-hole ready made and wanted a mat and glass cut. I don't have time so I said $90.00, they said ok, now I gotta stay late tonight and do it. Framed a 40 piece order for a business in 2 days last week. This along with all the normal orders for this time of year and throw in several sports jerseys.

Everything seems to be a rush, almost nothing is going out in more than a week. Most need them within that time. There are also several pieces that we're storing until Christmas. That's all a-ok by me. It's been such a lousy year that I'll do just about anything, having to give speedy and excellent service ain't NOTHIN to complain about.
The very, very ,very nice thing is that many of them are asking "How soon can you get it done?" before they ask "How much does it cost?" Haven't got a customer in here yet today though... weird. Prolly the snow and below zero wind chill.
 
There's so few on the G that everybody must be very busy... A friend came in this morning and commented that I got the retailers sickness. Stressed, tired, rushed, I'm too old for this look. I'm getting lots of small orders only a couple of nice ones, way too many dimestore frames that they want just fit up because they can't do it. I think I will take my own steak to a restaurant tonight and have them cook it professionally and just rent the plate.

framer
 
:D !
This reminds me of one of my favorites. Christmas Eve a few years back. Wanted about 18 pieces framed for Christmas, but didn't want to spend more than $150. She came in at noon and I close at 3 on Christmas Eve. I don't think I've ever laughed at a customer before. I just couldn't help myself.

Count yourselves lucky though. After work last night, I went to the mall. I bought a book at the book store from a young girl who had the oddest of expressions. She kept varying between a wide smile and worried expression. I asked her if it had been a long day and she almost burst into tears. Picture making minimum wage and having to deal with the plagues of humanity that girl must see.

Dave, nice rant. I think though that you are missing the point about "the holidays". There really are other groups celebrating things (and having things framed) at this time of year. Not everyone celebrating a "holiday" is Christian. I have quite a few customers who are having things framed for Hanukkah. Now wouldn't it be rude of me to ask them when they want their Christmas order? Or to wish them a Merry Christmas? It's not PC, it's just common courtesy.
 
Jacob:

I hear ya! Happened to me, last week. A nice lady brings a painting she made herself and wanted it framed (pine trees, sparkling stars, big moon).

As I was printing the work order, I typed "Christmas Scene" as a title for the job. She looked at the printout and said:

"Oh, you think it looks "Christmasy"?

I looked back at her last-name, realized my fault and said: Sorry, I meant to write "Hanukkah Scene". We both had a very hearty laugh!!
 
Jacob, I was just commenting on how we are homogenizing everything. Of course all ethnic groups have varying holidays and I think we should recognize all of them with respect.

Whenever I am in doubt as to someone's celebration inclinations, I always use the "Have a Happy Holiday" approach. If I know, for instance, that they are Jewish, I wish them a Happy Hanukkah.

I guess turning 50 this year makes me wish people didn't become so offended by others beliefs and practices. We need to respect each other, especially during this time of multicultural celebrations.

I think Paul's little story is how two people should react...with kind respect and the right attitude to not take offense when none is meant.


Dave Makielski
 
Originally posted by Meghan MacMillan:

I wish there were a meter I could add in to the POS that would automatically add a charge if one ticket takes more than 30 minutes to complete.
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AHAHHA

A few of my coworkers will easily spend hours with customers. Some customers love this sort of treatment.
 
Our premises are in a small but very busy village (on a through route) Before us it was a hardware store (5+ years ago) we STILL get customers walking in asking what happened to the hardware store, and we STILL get customers asking us for hardware. We are always polite, apologetic even -and give directions to the nearest hardware store.

One 'customer' only wanted one cuphook, she whined so much about the 2 mile drive that I actually unscrewed one from a beam and gave it to her, (just had to replace it for our Christmas decorations!)

One guy booted the door open, (he couldn't use his hands, they were full of jerry cans) he approached the counter, getting slower and slower as he realised he wasn't going to get parraffin here - bellowed an expletive and left.

But now we have had it with these really good 'customers' of the last shop - e.g. Last week a lady, after doing about 16 laps of the place (all staff were busy serving/taking orders)
waited at the counter until I was free and said "I'm probably in the wrong shop, but do you sell sandpaper?"

Again I was almost apologetic as I shook my head, smiled and said "No" and that really should have been that, but no, she had to go on - "Oh isn't it terrible that these shops keep closing down, it isn't fair that I have to drive to the retail park for silly little things.................."

So I lost it and said "Madam, the last shop went bust, and if all their customers were as frequent as you then I'm not surprised; we didn't force them out, and there are lots of 'silly little things' here that you cannot get for miles too, and I also think that it 'isn't fair' EITHER - six million years ago there was a freakin' GLACIER here, now I have to go all the way to NORWAY to see one - THINGS CHANGE LADY - DEAL WITH IT"

I know I'd never score high marks on a customer relations course with an outburst like that, but God it felt good! Now we single out at least one customer a month for letting steam off at, regular customers help us with selection, some even send people in to see if we go off on one at them - "Fuse wire? - Yeah sure they sell it in the framers!"
 
My shop has been open for a year and a half. Before that it stood empty for a full year. Prior to that it had been a shoe repair for 55 years. The man who owned it passed on and his daughter kept it going part time for about a year after that so that brings us back to Spring 2002. Still, people walk in, shoes in hand. I made a point of finding out where else people could go for shoe repair. I told one man and he got quite riled. "Belvedere Avenue? I'm not going that far! Hrumph!" It's less than a mile.
 
Wow, Roboframer, in 15 years of running big company's shops I never considered going off on a customer like that. Even 6 years at Michael's where the atmosphere was "us versus them", where some of those customers deserved to get blasted and we deserved combat pay, I always kept my cool. I vented a lot to fellow coworkers but never directly to a customers face. I'd walk over hot coals before I would speak to a customer like that in my own shop. I've been lucky with the customers I have had. Sure, some annoy me, but yikes. Even if I were fortunate enough to have an over abundance of business I would bite my tongue.

These customer venting threads on a public forum always give me the heebee jeebees.......venting is one thing but, some of these posts are just plain bashing. Send all the dopey ones my way, I'll take them.
 
Whyisit that the customers who want it in the biggest hurry, always take the most of your time deciding what they want, then can not fathom why it costs so much?

John
 
Hey, if it's bringing in bodies thru your door...wow...you don't even have to lay out money for advertising! Be glad...be happy!

The cup holder hook was cheap customer relations and you might get some good work out of it from that person or every other person they tell about "old fashioned service". I doubt you'll see the sandpaper person or their friends again though...

Opportunities abound!

Dave Makielski
 
So I lost it and said "Madam, the last shop went bust, and if all their customers were as frequent as you then I'm not surprised; we didn't force them out, and there are lots of 'silly little things' here that you cannot get for miles too, and I also think that it 'isn't fair' EITHER - six million years ago there was a freakin' GLACIER here, now I have to go all the way to NORWAY to see one - THINGS CHANGE LADY - DEAL WITH IT"
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Hi RoboFramer. I can't help thinking about Basil Fawlty and his tirades. You were inspired. :D ;)
 
Things might be different in the UK but here in smalltown Pennsylvania, if I went off on a customer and she told ten of her friends and they told ten of their friends.....you get the idea.

I had a woman in on Saturday (probably historically the busiest saturday of the year) wanted "just" to get some ideas and prices on three pieces. Mentally, I wanted to choke her but worked up the designs and prices, she left $800 poorer and best of all, doesn't want them for Christmas.

Had another customer in late in the afternoon timidedly ask me if something could be done for Christmas. Told her it could. She had been at another framer earlier in the day and he told her, rather rudely, he wouldn't even look at her art until after Christmas. Didn't have time. She traveled 30 miles to our shop, passing numerous other shops on the way, because her sister told her we were "nice to work with" :eek:

Yes, customers can be a pain. But we wouldn't be in business without them...and the pains are really few and far between.
 
Good for ya Maryann!

In this business you can really never tell. One mousy looking, PIA shrew could be your best deal of the whole month.

And, it happens a lot too: The best behaved, smartly dressed, Ferrari-hauled-into-your-store ones could be the cheapest imbecile to ever cross your door step!!

Trust me, it happens a lott.
 
I just had a customer call to see if she could get an inexpensive frame for a 20 x 30 print. Nothing expensive, so I was breaking the price down for her (oem metal) and didn't get past the cost of the frame! She said "stop right there, I could get that done at Michaels for $20, they just can't get it to me by Christmas. And it would be in a beautiful wood frame! Right, for $20
Arghhhhhhhh
 
Originally posted by JRB:
Whyisit that the customers who want it in the biggest hurry, always take the most of your time deciding what they want, then can not fathom why it costs so much?
John
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Before even reading this I was going to post about the inverse proportion of time designing:dollars spent. On Saturday the fastest sale I made was also the highest single item ticket - (about $450) "No, don't show me any more. I like that one." after the first corner hit the counter. The one that took the longest by far? A single mat to fit the client's ready-made for $17.00.
 
You can't get anything at Michael's for $20, not even a mat and certainly not a 20 X 30 custom frame, not even a ready-made frame. Don't let them fool you on that one, it's a plot!
 
Oh, yeah! Buyers are Liars, ya know... Yesterday some woman comes in to 'buy' a drafting table set. It is packaged by Alvin and is a nice set (chair, table, base, lamp & pencil tray for $225ish) Tries to tell me that 'on the internet' it comes with a taboret (which is a small rolling cabinet that fits under the table) I said that ours didn't, that taborets were extra. (Like $200 extra!) She spends about 2 hours in the store, checking a bunch of stuff against a list she printed off from artsupplies.com. No doubt so that she can check quality before ordering from them. Get out of my store. At least she didn't ask if we price match the internet! PS: artsupplies.com sells the same drafting table set for $169.00. Sigh. The end point of my rant is that the Creative Center (which is what Alvin calls this package) DOES NOT come with a taboret, regardless of what this woman said. Liar! Liar!
 
maryann is it not better to not take the job now rather than upset the customer on christmas eve.when there is no time to chase up another framer, rather rudely could be as little as saying sorry love can't possibly do anything for you untill after christmas it realy depends how touchy the customer was.the customer probably thought two weeks was plenty of time but the other framer did not.as a bulk mat cutter i stoped taking orderes today because even working 14hr days for the next week & a half including weekends i will not get every job on my job list done.
 
I have noticed the past week or so the number of framing jobs have increased but the ticket price per piece has definately gone south. That's fine. A lot of these customers have never been in our shop before. I am taking the time to talk to them, ask them how they found us and explain a little about us and our shop.

I love having our pos system (it's new this year, and our shop is 7 years old). I know immediately if this client is new to us.

Oh by the way I left 30 minutes early on Saturday and my husband was to close up the shop. I called him a few minutes after closing, he was with a customer..... A while late he called and said that client wanted four christening dresses framed (separate frames, suede, etc) and didn't need them until the first week of January.... You would have thought Santa brought him his gift early, he was so happy. I think he was happier about them not needing it until January than actually making the sale.
 
Emibub and others,

Basil Fawlty is my hero, that story about the sandpaper lady went into our bi-monthly newsletter under the regular 'Do you sell.........?' section, some readers even ask us for daft things to try and get in it. There's a readership of about 2000 and rising and stories like that actually do earn custom, people come in to have a laugh about it.

Today we were asked for flowers I replied 'er, no - sorry, but have you tried the, er, FLORIST ?'

'Oh yes' said the lady, 'but they're closed'

I don't care what anyone says or if I risk certain people never returning, (but before I go off one one I'm already certain they won't and furthermore do not want to deal with anyone that knows them!) I'm only human and get upset, it takes a lot. But generally I am (apart from the world's best framer, which goes without saying)very courteous and polite and very quick to solve problems to keep customers happy - customer NOT happy? Then we do whatever they require to change that, EVEN replacing a frame FOC for damage that was there when they got home that we KNOW FOR CERTAIN was not there when it left the shop.

But sucking up and wringing caps we do not do, Basil himself would be more likely to!

The sandpaper lady DID come back, and like most would, saw the funny side of the incident. Us Brits appreciate a bit of constructive criticism; we, after all, had a point
 
PS

Emibub

Would you put up a sign in your window saying 'OTHER FRAMERS' DOPEY CUSTOMERS WELCOME HERE'?

Tell you all what as well, we run such an efficient ship here that orders for Christmas are never a problem, we offer a next day or even a while you wait service all year round. Last Christmas eve, with all the orders done (had to be obviously) I framed a football shirt for same day, after taking two on the day before for next day.

I just love it though when you take on order for a complex or large job and THEN they ask, 'what time can I come and collect it?'
 
PPS

It's great having this website to myself while you are all asleep!

Biggest missed opportunity for a customer/proprietor from H E L L
TV show/episode?

"Fraser and Niles Crane check in at Fawlty Towers"

Roboframer

(The name's John - John Turner BFA (hons)
(that's Best Framer in Angmering - honest!)
 
Why do they insist on doing it themselves and then after they have nearly ruined it, expect us to fix it?

Lady brings in photo (mangled I might add) that she thought would work in an obviously too big mat with frame. She then taped the picture in the center of the cardboard back (tape shows everywhere) and put it in the frame. She didn't like the results. I wonder why?

The frame is a very cheap looking plastic.... scratched too.

Coupled with the slightly mangled photo - will make a lovely present for her son don'tya think? holy cow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can I get the tape off? Don't know haven't opened the frame yet. I'm still staring at it shaking my head.

When she saw it didn't work why did she go ahead and tape the picture in?????????????

She glanced at the frame and said, "My husband said it was the wrong size. He said the mat was just too big." Like he could be wrong when he stated the obvious.
 
PPPS

This is such a great website, there is nothing like it in UK. I can't believe how inactive I have been on it since I first registered in 2002,

I am a born again grumbler.

John
 
I just love do it yourselfers..... I hope the sarcasm came across.
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I'm dealing with a couple right now. They come in almost daily to check on this or that. One of them I am matting and backing their image and putting UV glass on it, they are making the frame. He came in yesterday, he had made the frame the wrong size. It was too short and too wide. I offered to write down the dimensions again, but he snapped "I've got 'em" I think a couple more days of this and I'll be making him a frame, and I'll do it with a smile. :D
:D
 
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