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Thread: Is it time i discard this customer? Would you?

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Iowa USA
    Posts
    4,441
    Let him pay the agreed price on the ones that are done correctly and as I said earlier pay for and get back the damaged ones. I see your way up north in Minnesota and its my guess your the only laser business within at least a 100 miles, set your prices to make a fair profit for your time and expenses
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Grand Rapids, Minnesota
    Posts
    305
    RODNEY. Boy! what’ a chewing out you give me! (Take my medicine? Not good business? Man Up?) - sorry; pushed the wrong button; this may be a double-post?


    Please, keep in mind: Initially, I was simply asking for advice ‘n opinions as to whether, or not, I should reemburse the customer his wholesale price of those 23 mugs that mis-engraved - $148. (BTW: This situation has never happened to me ‘fore. Guess I’ve been under the impression, these years, that most engraving shops have a “no responsibily/liablilty” practice.) Most ‘n best guidance I received said “yes” - Pay-up! (‘Guess I probably knew the answer ‘fore I asked.) Think I’ve made it clear, in my follow-up replies, that I am planning to pay this cost.


    Rodney. You’re right of course, I’m the one who set the (low) pricing structure for this outfit; have allowed it to continue. I am the one who buckled on price ‘cause of their intimidating me; always threatening to take their engraving elsewhere.- ‘cause, yes, back then, I direly needed their business! (not so much, nowadays.) As I’ve said: What troubles me more was the unfriendly ‘n confrontational way in which this guy addressed this issue, via e-mail. (Hurt feelings ‘n ego are involved: Have always felt we had a closer, friendlier, business relationship than guess we do.)


    Let me know, if this makes sense ‘n sounds fair: At this point: I have e-mailed him to say: I will pay his “cost” of mis-engraved mugs, as long as I can add back in the price of my successfully engraving those other 20 mugs, and, as long as he returns those 23 mugs to me to own. (I’ve learned from this ‘thread’ it is possible to sand-off Cermark, ‘though with ‘lot of effort. - hopefully, will be able to re-coop my loss?) And, right, or wrong, I did add to my e-mail a comment reminding him I’ve saved his outfit hundreds/thousands of dollars over time - my low pricing - my “free” unpacking/re-packing service, my lack of “rush charges” ‘n such.


    No matter how this shakes out, his approach has irrevocably altered my feelings ‘bout him,and ‘bout how I’ll do business, if any, with this outfit in the future. (Will be increasing my over-all pricing; am planning to charge a fee for unpacking/re-packing: something, I believe, he’ll be able to write-off as a different expense, unrelated to item cost of goods. ?? - anybody know for sure?)


    Will try to keep you all posted as to the outcome. Oh, and Rodney ... you have ‘nice day! - Bill
    (Using Epilog 35W Mini 24)

  3. #33
    Since your pricing was in effect before all this started I don't think it would be fair to charge him more for what you have already done. Pay for the bad mugs and get them back.He pays the original agreed upon per mug price for the good mugs he has received . All future business will be at fair market price rates.
    If the Help and advice you received here was of any VALUE to you PLEASE! Become a Contributor
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  4. #34
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Grand Rapids, Minnesota
    Posts
    305
    BERT -
    I certainly didn’t mean to imply I was going to try to increase my price for those mugs I had already worked on, already invoiced - the 20 that had turned out fine.
    Meant to say: I’m planning to raise my prices ‘bit on any future business he may, or may not, do with me. And, to charge, in the future, ‘least some sort of unpacking/re-packing fee - ‘cause that does often take ‘lot of time. - time I’ve simply written off as value-added; helping to guarantee my retaining this customer. Or, so I thought, ‘till now.


    One thing I’ve learned from you all: I need to seriously rethink pricing my engraving based upon the retail selling price of a customer’s items; rookie of me! (The earlier mentioned “an old car having brake work done” analogy was perfect; has helped to wake me up; worth re-reading!)


    Fact they want their items logo-branded - that their end-customers don’t see this as an added value worth paying more for - shouldn’t have been influencing my price for engraving! ‘least, not to the extent that it has. More I think ‘bout it: his cost for “branding” could, or should, perhaps be coming out of a different line expense, and not associated with his cost-of-goods. - maybe, treated as an advertising, or marketing, expense? Anybody have experience with this idea?
    So, what I’ve learned is: even needing business, never again to allow any outfit to “bully” me into under-pricing, under-valuing, my services! In this case, I didn’t gain their respect, nor appreciation; in fact ... just the opposite! I’ll l learn, later this week, how this all pans out! (Thanks ‘gain for all the wonderful input!) - Bill
    (Using Epilog 35W Mini 24)

  5. #35
    Rule #1 of business involving the internet

    NEVER post customer info that *could* be identified if the customer reads it. If your customer reads this thread (it's google searchable) he's going to be telling all his mates and it will cost you a lot more than $184

    Rule #2, "Work is undertaken at customers risk" will lose you a LOT of business and is very likely unenforceable in pretty much any country including the US

    Rule #3, It's either a hobby or a business,decide on which and price accordingly
    You did what !

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Savusavu, Fiji
    Posts
    1,167
    +1 for Dave's post. Especially #3.
    Longtai 460 with 100 watt EFR, mostly for fun. More power is good!! And a shop with enough wood working tools to make a lot of sawdust. Ex-owner of Shenhui 460-80 and engraving business with 45 watt Epilog Mini18.

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Grand Rapids, Minnesota
    Posts
    305
    DAVE
    I do appreciate your thoughts (warning?) ‘bout my so openly explaining my situation on-line, on SMC. May be wrong, but believe I went out’ a my way not to identify the particular company I’ve been referring to? And, wasn’t all that concerned that someone might. (Fact that I’ll be refunding his cost-of-goods should put the fire out!) And, just ‘tween you ‘n me, I don’t cringe at the thought of losing their business, as I once did!


    Plus, don’t think I’ve said anything in this thread that I wouldn’t honestly say directly to this individual and, still may. And, wouldn’t much care if he somehow happened to read it.
    What?
    - my asking your opinions of my “no liability” practice?- ‘bout the right, or wrong, sense of it? (Keep in mind, in 10 years, or more, I’ve never run into a situation like this; simply caught me off-guard!)
    - my expressing my “hurt feelings” ‘bout the way this guy’s handled his (reembursement) demands.
    - ‘bout it being clearer to me, now, how this outfit hasn’t valued my special pricing ‘n services?
    - that you’ve all helped me see that I shouldn’t be pricing based upon a company’s (item) selling price?


    Really didn’t mean to make a mountain out of a mole-hill! I’ve learned 'lot from you all! Lastly, for now: some ‘long the way have questioned whether mine is a business, or a “hobby”? My applying a discount pricing strategy, for a long-standing customer, may not have been smart, but it hardly means that this is a ‘hobby’ for me! Just so you know! You’ve all helped me see that I need to re-evaluate my pricing methods, ‘n ‘way I deal with certain companies. I thank you all for this! - Catch you later. - Bill
    (Using Epilog 35W Mini 24)

  8. #38
    Bill

    Fact they want their items logo-branded - that their end-customers don’t see this as an added value worth paying more for - shouldn’t have been influencing my price for engraving! ‘least, not to the extent that it has. More I think ‘bout it: his cost for “branding” could, or should, perhaps be coming out of a different line expense, and not associated with his cost-of-goods. - maybe, treated as an advertising, or marketing, expense?

    I've seen you mention it a few times how the customer should or could justify, expense, or categorize your cost. Frankly it's non of your concern how the customer runs their business and figures their cost.
    You have 1 job to do and that's to engrave what they want and charge a fair asking price for your work. How the customer handles their cost is their problem.



    That's just my advice.
    Jeff Body
    Go-C Graphics

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  9. #39
    Bill, best advice I can give anybody about business it's never personal, feelings are for your private life not your professional life
    You did what !

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