Customers' Own Items?

[Bill Stearns]

Hi All -
Could use your help making a decision. Wondering how many of you engrave your customers' own [personal] items - versus only those items you sell? I have for years, but now questioning the wisdom. Up 'till now I've considered my service a "marketing advantage" over my competitor, who typically engraves only his own products. Needing sales as I do, I too often take on projects I probably shouldn't. Recent posts (Dan's) regarding the amount of time jobs "actually take" versus profit got me thinking. Plus, I am a hero if the item turns out nice; an incompetent boob if it doesn't. (no matter what the reason.) I don't need to belabor the issues, I'm sure. So often their items are irregular shapes - a foreign material - or, troublesome in some other way. Case in point: Ruined a customers thermos: didn't say stainless, but sure looked like it was. Cermark didn't take at all! Two glass flag-case fronts: so focused on other factors, I forgot to mirror the text! Engraving turned out fine; just on the wrong side! Two actual hammers to be given as awards: text and logos turned out okay, but took me an age to size and center correctly 'cause of the handle's contours! Sure you get my point. Hate to turn 'way potential sales - but now wondering if I shouldn't? My customers are made aware that I can't be held liable for errors, but, still - there's that "boob factor"! (BTW: customers' items represent, maybe, 15% of my business.) What'd you think?

Bill

[Scott Shepherd]

We refer them to our competitors. No kidding, we do. I'm done with that kind of work. I've done my fair share of it and I'm done with it. You never make money on it, it's always a hassle, it's just not worth the trouble.

[Chris DeGerolamo]

We engrave all sorts of customer's items...if you get butterflies and don't feel comfortable, pass on it. If you're are confident, do it. We nearly exclusively mark on customer provided parts. In fact, I firmly believe the 'yeah, I can do that' attitude got us where we are today.

To each there own.

[Ross Moshinsky]

This has been covered several times on this site.

1. Charge a setup charge.
2. Avoid engraving directly onto the part. Add a plate or some similar alternative.
3. Offer an alternative.
4. Make sure you are supplied an extra. I won't do glassware unless I get an extra. I don't care if it costs them an additional $5-25.

[Scott Shepherd]

Let me clarify, we WILL engrave customers items. We won't engrave certain jobs, which consist mainly of things like "Can you engrave a pocket knife", where they have one knife to engrave, can't tell me what it is, don't have any idea what "artwork" means, etc.

But we engrave customer provided items daily.

[Chris DeGerolamo]

Let me clarify, we WILL engrave customers items. We won't engrave certain jobs, which consist mainly of things like "Can you engrave a pocket knife", where they have one knife to engrave, can't tell me what it is, don't have any idea what "artwork" means, etc.

But we engrave customer provided items daily.

Yeah, I was wondering about that, a bit different than how I had interpreted initially...I just figured you manufactured a ton.

[Nicolas Silva]

We engrave all sorts of customer's items...if you get butterflies and don't feel comfortable, pass on it. If you're are confident, do it. <snip>

Total agreement. But charge accordingly. Whoever says you can't make any money on it is correct, You aren't making any money if you don't do it.
It's a pain, but the pain factor is added in. Best wishes.

Nick S.
Studio-N, Dallas

[Mike Null]

My practice is the same as Steve's but I am turning more away all the time if I see a nuisance factor or too much risk. I also follow Ross'
idea of providing a plate where possible.

Today a guy wanted 3 Sterling silver spoons engraved with a date. The only place to engrave was in the bowl of the spoon. I declined.

[Hilton Lister]

We have always regarded our business as a Service Industry and have always done customers work - well over 90% of our business is in this area. Yes, it can be stressful and when things go wrong, you can sometimes
wonder if it is all worth the trouble.

Most Engravers in our area of the world are the same way, so there is plenty of competition for the work and we seldom turn people away. We just try to warn them of potential problems and leave them to choose whether they will go ahead with the work or not. If I won't do it, the guy up the road will even if it's not up to my standard.

After all, we have many methods of marking objects, from hand engraving, through manual machine to laser or sandblasting. Generally we can find some way of doing most objects.

[Bruce Volden]

I'm with Hilton, well over 90% of my business is from customer supplied items. I stock VERY little in my inventory as far as awards, badges, desk plates......but JDS is 30 miles away.
Customers supply knives, swords, gun stocks, rcvr's, craft items, jewelry boxes--well you get the idea. Been this way since 1995. It would be nice to fire the machine up and do the same stuff over and over and over again but I'm easily bored and always like a good challenge. Don't get me wrong I have engraved the same stuff in HUGE quantities but I never enjoyed it.

Bruce

[Tim Bateson]

I charge more for engraving the customer owned products - unless it's an industrial job. Yes I have screwed up a few... Missaligned name on an iPad. Wrong name on an engagement ring box.... I now double check everything on these types of jobs. At the price I'm charging, I shouldn't be rushing through them, as I have been guilty of in the past. I do turn away a LOT of work too. Things I have learned take too much time or maybe mark inconsistently. However, I am still a sucker for trying something I've never done before. Live & learn.

[Bill Stearns]

Hey All -
Thanks for all your input, guys - as always! Your opinions 'n views are always so helpful. Would seem I mostly need to set tighter perimeters as to what (customer items) I will engrave 'n those I won't take on. (Better a puzzled customer leaving my business than an upset or angry one, uh?) My thinking of turning 'way customers items mostly prompted by a recent rash of errors 'n stupid mistakes. (which may have had more to do with my anxiety 'n stress levels lately, than my skills.) I will start charging more, where "set up" is involved. Will limit the amount of chit-chat; customers telling me the life-story behind their items. (time is money, right?) Will make sure they are fully aware of my "assume no liability" policy: not that this softens the blow of an error; a lost customer, the result. In short: probably dumb of me to think of eliminating this part of my business - heaven knows I need the sales!

Thanks 'gain for helping me think through this -
Bill

[Mary Geitz]

I charge more for engraving the customer owned products - unless it's an industrial job. Yes I have screwed up a few... Missaligned name on an iPad. Wrong name on an engagement ring box.... I now double check everything on these types of jobs. At the price I'm charging, I shouldn't be rushing through them, as I have been guilty of in the past. I do turn away a LOT of work too. Things I have learned take too much time or maybe mark inconsistently. However, I am still a sucker for trying something I've never done before. Live & learn.

So Tim, what did you do with the misaligned ipad? Did you have to buy a new one? As a customer I think I'd be ticked off.

[Robert Walters]

"What would you like engraved? (Leave blank for none)"


The customer is always right...

failures.jpg


Right?




What we have here... is a failure... to communicate!

LMAO, I love that photo!


It goes along the same lines as:

"We are not responsible for lost or damaged packages"
16296d1076766644-fedex-vs-ups-your-thoughts-fedexups.jpg

[Tim Bateson]

So Tim, what did you do with the misaligned ipad? Did you have to buy a new one? As a customer I think I'd be ticked off.

Actually, I appologozed and didn't charge for the job. I've since done all of their corporate iPad engravings for the past 3 years.