greenoak
07-16-2011, 06:37 AM
a growing problem with us is trying to do a little more in special orders for customers....we make nice 500$ pieces and the customers often want them a little different.... it sounds easy to them...and we are delving into it a bit.... its working out , but adding problems.. ....the customers end up happy but its causing me all kinds of stress....on the good side its sold a few extra 600$$$ each month.....assuming they wouldnt have bought what we already had on the floor....
we dont have the staff to do it right.... the wants are too unorganized.... the way to do it is very outside the box for us.... keeping track, mainly....
its just totally against the grain for me...i want to be cash and carry and as is where is and no credit.....this is us ....and now we are trying to do this other thing...which is really popular...the orders soak up more time than the 100$$$ extra im pretty sure....its hard a t every step...and its a 2 or 3 week process...
im being very narrow on what we will do.i only allow it on counters and harvest tables,,and only with 2 or 3 color choices.....and charging an extra 100$$$ to do it...
.my son is kind of a pushover and resists a lot of this, he basically wants to do whatever they ask...he made a 7 ft square table for someone once., before the rule changes,,,.......and hes the one they corner and talk to since he connects with the amish who do the building....this can take an hour of talk...which i also dont like...since he has so much else to do...but hes the best at t aking the order...he hates to charge them the extra 100...and tries to get around it.....i want to sell them what we already have on the floor.... the extra 100 has helped them pick from what we have.... ..
we have to keep track of so much just in our heads.... and thats bad too..the stuff doesnt come in with tags....and you cant have labels on it in the paint shop either....
another problem has come up with this..... the customers know we can do about anything carpenterwise so they assume that we WILL do what they want.... and they know we can paint furniture and assume we will do that too.... one lady drove 2 hours to get very dissappointed on this point...and was pretty unhappy and mad when we kept saying no...and i made it worse and it was horrible....she came back the next week within our boundaries.... which we were so glad .... and thanked her , we hardly ever get a mad customer...it was very upsetting.....
we are trying to change and offer a bit more and stay within our comfort range...im trying to offer this in a way we can do within our capabilities.... we arent a custom shop ..its complicated
thats my vent for the day....and i see ive posted under the wrong topic...i should be under managing...sorry...
we dont have the staff to do it right.... the wants are too unorganized.... the way to do it is very outside the box for us.... keeping track, mainly....
its just totally against the grain for me...i want to be cash and carry and as is where is and no credit.....this is us ....and now we are trying to do this other thing...which is really popular...the orders soak up more time than the 100$$$ extra im pretty sure....its hard a t every step...and its a 2 or 3 week process...
im being very narrow on what we will do.i only allow it on counters and harvest tables,,and only with 2 or 3 color choices.....and charging an extra 100$$$ to do it...
.my son is kind of a pushover and resists a lot of this, he basically wants to do whatever they ask...he made a 7 ft square table for someone once., before the rule changes,,,.......and hes the one they corner and talk to since he connects with the amish who do the building....this can take an hour of talk...which i also dont like...since he has so much else to do...but hes the best at t aking the order...he hates to charge them the extra 100...and tries to get around it.....i want to sell them what we already have on the floor.... the extra 100 has helped them pick from what we have.... ..
we have to keep track of so much just in our heads.... and thats bad too..the stuff doesnt come in with tags....and you cant have labels on it in the paint shop either....
another problem has come up with this..... the customers know we can do about anything carpenterwise so they assume that we WILL do what they want.... and they know we can paint furniture and assume we will do that too.... one lady drove 2 hours to get very dissappointed on this point...and was pretty unhappy and mad when we kept saying no...and i made it worse and it was horrible....she came back the next week within our boundaries.... which we were so glad .... and thanked her , we hardly ever get a mad customer...it was very upsetting.....
we are trying to change and offer a bit more and stay within our comfort range...im trying to offer this in a way we can do within our capabilities.... we arent a custom shop ..its complicated
thats my vent for the day....and i see ive posted under the wrong topic...i should be under managing...sorry...