Charges for opening and cleaning customers frames

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Not your average framer
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Charges for opening and cleaning customers frames

Post by Not your average framer »

I often have to open a customers existing frame and clean the old tape of the back. In some cases I find it advisable to clean and seal the inside of the rebate too!

All this takes time, which customers rarely seem to understand. Generally I add on a fiver, or even ten pounds to cover this, but I know that this often is not cost effective and does not cover the time taken to sort things out.

Has anyone got a better way of charging for this, or otherwise solving the problem?
Mark Lacey

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framemaker

Re: Charges for opening and cleaning customers frames

Post by framemaker »

I just charge for time and an amount for materials etc.

anywhere from £5 to £60
Roboframer

Re: Charges for opening and cleaning customers frames

Post by Roboframer »

I have a fitting charge per frame size which can also be an un-fitting charge if it looks like removal of old stuff will be problematic.

For example if someone wanted a new mount and glass in an old frame measuring about 20x20" and I charged for un-fitting and re-fitting, they'd be paying a total of £49.44.

If it were a larger job with specialist glass, double mount or maybe a fillet, I'd probably waive either one or both of the fitting charges.
Abacus
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Re: Charges for opening and cleaning customers frames

Post by Abacus »

Like you, we just charge £5.
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birdman
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Re: Charges for opening and cleaning customers frames

Post by birdman »

Like Robo we have what we call the Dismantle/Insertion charge, which Estlite calculates based on the glass size. This charge for a 20x20" frame would be £14.00. Minimum charge is £5. That does not include any additional material such as a new mount or new glass.

If it is a little tricky we might add on a PITA charge too, especially as with old frames it might takes ages to get the old tape off, or the nails out or the mitres might even be coming apart and need glued. You have to charge a reasonable sum based on the time and effort you put in.

Quite often the overall cost of doing this is more then for a new frame and sometimes the customer will decide to go for a new frame instead. If they don't they have to pay for our work.

Rolf
Rolf Lawson GCF
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Roboframer

Re: Charges for opening and cleaning customers frames

Post by Roboframer »

The fitting charge is useful, a fixed price per size (united or square inch/centimetre) that you can add when you have not got anything else listed that covers a particular problem, or that you can deduct to rescue a sale by offering a 'ready-made-to-order'

One major other use we have for it is for customers that take too long at the 'design counter'. The first 15 mins is free but if it hits 30 mins I add the fitting charge and do so every 15 mins thereafter - it won't be listed on the sales order of course and it happens very rarely. If I can't complete an order for a single item, or even a group of items in the same frame in 25 mins or less (with smallprint) then something is wrong and it's not this side of the counter!
Blue sky
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Re: Charges for opening and cleaning customers frames

Post by Blue sky »

I have a assembly charge loosely based on my hourly rate. Starts at about £6 for small frames and goes up to around £50 which covers cleaning etc. This is added on to the material costs.
misterdiy
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Re: Charges for opening and cleaning customers frames

Post by misterdiy »

I have some very attractive lady customers and the thought of suggesting to them that I have a stripping and insertion charge based on an hourly rate may be a new angle in selling. Or maybe not :giggle:
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prospero
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Re: Charges for opening and cleaning customers frames

Post by prospero »

This is where good working practices come in. Some framers seem to give no heed to the fact that the frame may one day have to be opened. For repair or whatever.
Had one the other day. Silver, with a white liner. The silver was marked. tried retouching - no go. But it was only small and I just happened to have an old stick of suitable moulding to replace it. 10 min job.
Simples. :D
But the liner was glued in. And when I say glued in, not a dab here and there, but all the way round. I would have to spend about an hour carefully trying to grind out the glue and then success not certain.
Fortunately I also just happened to have a stick of the same liner. :P
If it had been an expensive moulding and a bigger frame, the whole exercise would have been very pricey. :Slap:

Often it is more economic to replace a frame sooner than scrape all the tape off the back (and fix that wonky corner).
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misterdiy
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Re: Charges for opening and cleaning customers frames

Post by misterdiy »

Very often the case that to do a repair will be more costly than replacement. I can't count the times when customers have said please use my existing back and glass, and if the back is OK we will but invaribly we just chuck the glass away and put in new as it is far more time consuming to clean it up. The one exception would be old glass (pre-float) which is in a charavter frame. That we keep but then we still charge more than a replacement glass.
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