Supplier Stock Problems

[Framie]

What does a framer do when his supplier has no stock after customer has chosen a frame and gone?

Of course phone the customer up and say sorry my supplier has no stock for the next month and you have to come back and choose another sample and we will see if that’s in stock.

Doesn’t sound to professional to me, how do others work around this?

Do I have to phone up and stock check every time with the customer in front of me?

Doesn’t sound to professional to me.

I have always worked with barewood and hand finish and I stock plenty but I add loads of pre-finished Samples for a bit more choice for my customers but I order in to order.

Steve

[Dave]

I've had this a few times and nobody has minded terribly, if it's for an urgent job I either ring up while the customer is there, or with arqadia check online stock levels.

Dave

[Graysalchemy]

Curtail your selection of mouldings to those which you carry stock of or at least point customers towards ones you have stock of. I know I will get ear ache off bespoke framers but we all have favourites which we can steer customers towards.

[Gesso&Bole]

It is a common problem. Here are some ways I try to work around it

1. Wherever possible choose mouldings where there is an identical or similar pattern available from another supplier
2. Check online with Arqadia whilst the customer is there if it is urgent.
3. Always explain to customer that I can do it by (date) subject to my supplier having it in stock. (This will identify if there is urgency)
4. If I have to phone a customer to say I cant get it, I always find at least one, preferably 2 potential solutions BEFORE phoning them, then I can say "cant get it, but I have found an alternative that is a little bit bigger/smaller etc, but actually I think it will look even better"
5. Hand finish one to match. Had one last week that was small, but urgent - gold pattern has been discontinued, but supplier had silver version still in stock. Acrylic paint, gilt cream and wax - hey presto. Nuisance though, as 30 mins re-colouring for no money, but a smiley happy customer. So all worth it in the end.

This does lead to a bit of a gripe though. Regarding no 5 above. The rep for that supplier brought me the samples for said (discontinued) moulding when they were new, but is less interested in letting me know to bin the chevrons when they are being discontinued.

[Jonny2morsos]

If you post on here what it is you are looking for you might find someone with it in stock.

I am local to you so will help if I can. Just post here what you need.

[Framie]

Thanks all for your replies, first tried finding a match with different supplier with no luck and then looked at hand finishing but the moulding in question is Lion's L1748, distressed gold craqueleur on scoop moulding. I have played with crack effects but matching this moulding would be better to wait.

So I phoned the customer said sorry and and explained there was no stock and we had two options wait until the 24th for Lion the get some in stock (I Hope) or choice another frame to suit .

Not an urgent job she had it hide away for 12 years.

Customer was happy to wait stock and i'm framing 2 items for her so i'm doing the one job now and the other at the end of the month when I can get stock.

I think I was better to wait for stock than change the frame as it's being done with AR Waterwhite so I don't want the frame to be second best.

Thanks Jonny, Lion's L1748, if by any chance

Think I'm going to take a look at other suppliers and there stock levels, I have Wessex here every week so I may look at sticking some of there samples on the wall.

[Jonny2morsos]

Sorry not one I stock. I guess the customer won't mind waiting as it has taken 12 years to get around to framing it.

[Framie]

cheers anyway Jonny, yeah the 20 days wait is nothing compared to 12 years.

[SPF]

This is where the Arqadia website comes in so handy you can check the stock directly (if you have none) and inform the customer of availability 'before' they leave!

[Jonny2morsos]

However, the Arqadia website is not going to help this chap with a Lion moulding! The Lion website does have a low stock warning though.

[SPF]

Arqadia fail!

[Framie]

Yeah Lion's low stock warning is not to helpful, it's more for them to control there stock. But there always quick to answer the phone so only takes a min to check stock levels.

Got an Arqadia catalog yesterday so I'v been hunting

[Framie]

Well what a let down, 24th come and gone, no stock came in and they don't know when its coming in now.



Will be having to phone the customer again apologising and get her to come back and hopeful choose another frame to finish the order.

I placed an order for 15m to be delivered once mouldings there on the 24th and all they did was release the funds on my card, no phone call to say it never came in stock and we released the funds.

Don't I feel like a valued customer to Lion.

Going for to spent another £100 with them now for 20 sheets of mountboard

[Not your average framer]

Curtail your selection of mouldings to those which you carry stock...... I know I will get ear ache off bespoke framers

Not at all. Most framers do a bit of that, it's sound business practice! I have favourites which I order in quantity to control costs and reduce expenditure on delivery charges. Reducing costs is important these days.

[Graysalchemy]

Not at all. Most framers do a bit of that, it's sound business practice! I have favourites which I order in quantity to control costs and reduce expenditure on delivery charges. Reducing costs is important these days.

The name of the game reduce your running costs and maximise your profits. I have had to increase my mount board range to 3 colours

Hayseed (in two thicknesses)
Blackcore Black

*New Colour* White

Some people just don't like Hayseed.

[Grahame Case]

3 mountboard colours? you're having a giraffe!

we've got about 200

[Jonny2morsos]

When I updated my pricing system database recently I put on 248 mount boards and I have since added some more.

I only keep more than 5 sheets of about twenty different colours in stock and probably the same number of some other colours. Everything else are single sheet purchases.

[stcstc]

i only stock 4 colours

and if you only give someone choose of those they generally will choose one of them

[Roboframer]

Off the top of my head these are the blacks I carry (all normally in stock) Black, matt black, ash, coal, jet, black cherry, black suedette (the only non-Bainbridge), black silk, at least two metallics, darkest blue (under glass ... it's black & there's also a green that you may as well call black) and black leather - they discontinued that one but I have some left - I was highly cheesed off, it was the blackest of the lot.

I've got pretty much the whole alphamat artcare basic colours in stock plus some of the special finishes like the new silks, rice papers, etc - all in varying quantities, but two of those storage units full anyway (protek? ... the ones that can double up as a workbench) ...... and I can get just one board on the Nielsen van every Wednesday!

I show around 1000 mouldings and about 40% of those are in stock, again in varying quantities. I put coloured dots on the in-stock samples as long as there's over one length and do my best to sell from those, as long as it suits, wouldn't pass on something not in stock that was a killer choice. The coloured dots look a bit naff and I intend to have an in stock 'area' instead - that's been a round tuit job for longer than I'd care to admit.

If times got too hard/if I wanted a major clear-out I could just show only what I have in stock - and 400 mouldings and 150-odd mount colours wouldn't be a bad selection.

[Roboframer]

..... oh - and I'll lie to cover my own ordering cock-ups - or when I don't have enough stuff to order to make it worthwhile, blame supplier stock or damage in transit.

Doesn't everyone?