To charge or not to charge

Create a Post
Dancinbaer

Dancinbaer

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Apr 26, 2002
Posts
1,267
Location
De Pere, WI
My cutter will only handle a 40" mat board. A project came in 50x16. I made a splice. The customer came back to pick out a frame, saw the splice and asked if it would be seen. I explained only if you look really close. I contacted the customer when the package was ready for pick up. Again he asked about the seam. I suggested he come and see for himself. He emailed me and said his wife did not want a seam. Neither of them came over to look at the finished package. They just didn't want a seam. I explained I would have to outsource the mat cutting for an additional charge. He said go ahead. So now I've taken apart the original package, made arrangements with a very helpful frame shop to order the over sized mat and cut it.

Question: Would you charge extra for the time to disassemble then reassemble the package in addition to the mat cutting charges?

I guess I'm a little disgruntled the customer would not even come and look at the finished piece and see how unnoticable the seam was.

Thanks in advance.....
 
even with a 40" mat cutter you should be able to cut the 50" mat..........the other dimension is not that big. Just cut as much as you can with one arms length and then slide the mat over and continue the cutting.
 
You took the order and don't have the right equipment. That's not the customers fault.

You should not charge the customer.
 
I wouldn't charge them for the disassemble and refit. I would in the future farm out the bigger stuff and charge them for that. But, there are other ways to cut that mat yourself, like taking the bar off the cutter and using it with a straight edge of some sort. Or, could you have added in an open v-groove design to work in the spliced board?
 
Denny,

I wouldn’t charge extra for it either. Hopefully, if you farmed out the mat, you’d still make some money on this project. By charging extra, you’ll probably alienate your customer and lose him/her.

even with a 40" mat cutter you should be able to cut the 50" mat..........the other dimension is not that big. Just cut as much as you can with one arms length and then slide the mat over and continue the cutting.
Click to expand...
Maybe I’m missing something, Jerome, but with my 40” cutter the guide bar hold down rod is hinged at the top (at 41-1/2”) and wouldn’t allow a mat width more than about 8 inches to extend to the right of the guide bar. If you temporarily unscrew that hinge, you would no longer be able to keep the guide bar parallel nor could you keep pressure on the bar.

Could you clarify?
 
Definitely do not charge the customer.

If it were a case that the materials used only came in standard size there would be a need to splice.. but since it is your equipment that cannot cut it - farm it out in the future.

It may cost you a bit more, if you don't build it into your price - but save you in the end with a happy customer.

Roz
 
Bill, since the "other side is 16", I would remove the measurement bar and hand position the mat. marking the back of the mat for the start - stops. That will give you about 3-5" of play for the mat. The other method is to take off the cutting bar as was mentioned. My old C & H has about 5" to the hinge from the cut line. And yes....the cuting is from the top of the mat....not the back.

The original Keeton mat cutter (which has long since worn out) I had did not have a measuring bar. All mats were cut sort of free hand from the back after scribing the opening measurements.
 
Everyone else said my answer.

Keep them happy, pay the extra out of pocket and they will come back.

In the future take apart your mat cutter and use the slide and blade to cut it.
 
Denny, to avoid that problem in the future, bring you truck over to Two Rivers and I'll make you an really good deal on a Mat Maestro.
 
Bill,

like Kathy said, you could take the cutter bar off and use it as a straight edge. I did it for an oversized mat I had to cut. Real easy, and since the blade only extends 1/2 way into the slip sheet anyways you really don't need to worry about gouging your counter top!

Dancin,

I wouldn't charge for the refit, but I would be ready to consider the customer lost for good!

My first year I cut a mat that I knew I had to splice, the customer flipped out! During the design she kept talking about different looking mats she liked, mat embellishments she liked, v-grooves, french lines, marbelizing. I didn't think she'd like the splicing, so I threw in a v-groove and made v-grooved box details in the corner. Looked really cool, I thought, and she liked different looking mats, I thought. She was so mad, she insisted I ruined her enjoyment of the print forever, and she never wanted to see it again! She wouldn't even allow me to remove it from the frame and return the print to her! I ended up buying the print from her, and eating the frame!
 
Nice try, Ron.
 
Originally posted by Ron Eggers:
Denny, to avoid that problem in the future, bring you truck over to Two Rivers and I'll make you an really good deal on a Mat Maestro.
Click to expand...
You looking to <strike>sell </strike>fire Matt? He hasn't posted lately, isn't he still working for you? I might be tempted to <strike>buy</strike> hire him. Does it come with its Grumble account?!
 
Once again the wisdom of the Grumble has prevailed. I won't charge for the added work.
Thank you all for your responses.

Ron, Thanks for the offer but I think I'll pass. Unless you'd be willing to provide your toll free tech support number and drive to De Pere when it's not working right. Besides, I think I'd be homeless if I came home with something like that. The basement is getting to small now.
 
The Mat Maestro is working exactly like it did the day I bought it - which is to say, it's okay if you know the work-arounds.

But I'm cutting about 3 mats each week and seriously considering a future without a CMC, a Vacuseal Press . . .
 
Just a question- Did you mention to the customer when you took the order that there would be a splice?
 
Originally posted by belinda:
Just a question- Did you mention to the customer when you took the order that there would be a splice?
Click to expand...
Yes I did. I explained my limitations. The project consisted of a poster of the Packer stadium (36x?), a game ticket and a commemorative coin on a card. I suggested different layouts that would stay within my 40" limit. I even suggested doing the project as two pieces, one with the poster, the other with the coin and ticket. The customer choose the single frame with the finished size 50x16 knowing there would be a seam.

Thank you for asking.
 
That I understand0 I figure if you told him up front there would be a splice/seam, I don't know why he expected you to eat the cost when his wife said no.

I am not saying you should make him pay- it makes you a good businessman to do the right thing for the customer, but it was pretty off for him to do that.
 
To me if the seam was discussed up front then it is the customers responsibility as much as yours. That is no different than you both agreeing on a blue mat and then after it is done they say no I wanted a white one.


Is this a long time customer or a first time customer?
 
Originally posted by Jerry Ervin:
To me if the seam was discussed up front then it is the customers responsibility as much as yours. That is no different than you both agreeing on a blue mat and then after it is done they say no I wanted a white one.
Click to expand...
That was my initial feeling but after giving it some thought decided to seek advice from Grumblers.

Originally posted by Jerry Ervin:Is this a long time customer or a first time customer?
Click to expand...
First time customer referred by another customer. This customer says he has another piece for me to frame but haven't heard from him on that yet. I suspect he's holding back until this first one is on his wall.
 
Making customers happy is in the job description of 'retail.'

I would even happily (at least on the surface) change a blue mat to a white one.

This is a cheap way to make this customer happy.

I like happy customers.

edie the andthaniamhappytoo goddess
 
Create a Post
Back
Top