Anything off for cash?
Posted: Tue 14 Nov, 2006 7:09 pm
I don't suppose that I am unusual among picture framers when I can say that the great majority of my customers are a pleasure to deal with. They are friendly, polite and genuinely appreciative of what is done for them. And they return again and again. I cannot ask for more than that.
But we have all met the other sort haven't we? They arrive bearing a tatty selection of old wrapping paper or worse containing an assortment of dirty and semi-derelict old frames which have been neglected for years, glass which is filthy and probably broken, old mounts and backing board complete with half a century or more of accumulated acid, dried up mould growth and various other filth - and they drop the lot on my clean table on which other customers are expected to place pristine original artwork and expensive prints while mounts etc. are chosen.
Then they enquire whether I am prepared to put their ancient and extremely grubby old family group photos or whatever into said frames - the obvious implication being that they expect to save vast amounts of money because I am not being asked to make new frames. Well of course I will do it if the frames are reusable. It is a legitimate request and it is all business. However, by the time I have explained to them that the savings might not amount to all that much, if anything (and how long it will take to finish dismantling and cleaning the frames, removing old nails, screws and staples together with remnants of old tape and glue -not counting any actual repairs which might be needed - then measured, cut out new mounts, backing board and glass and assembled the whole lot - and disposed of the waste including broken glass) some time has passed already and they are still wanting their old frames reused and have yet to choose replacement mounts. So now they want mounts which are not going to look incongruous in a final assembly comprising old dark oak frames (or equally old but damaged gold ones) and photographs, or seriously faded old watercolours painted on something that now looks like brown wallpaper. Of course they don't know what mounts they want, which is fair enough, and proceed to pick bright new colours that are going to scream at them. More time is passing while they ignore my gentle steering towards the very much less assertive colours that will tie their picrtures and frames together so that they look as if they belong. Yes, the customer is always right (like hell they are) but it is my reputation that will hang on their wall for all to see, and when their visitors show a distinct tendency to wince on seeing the disasters that such customers are willing to put on their walls, do you imagine that the customer will admit that it wasn't the framer's fault, but their's?
Eventually, mounts are chosen, a price is reluctantly agreed, the customer departs. She has haggled about the price of course. Has it not occurred to her that she took up almost an hour of my time and all she really had to do was choose two mounts? Who does she expect to pay for that hour. I could easily have made a £60 frame in that time yet her whole bill will be rather less than that! The frames are made and the customer returns to collect (and they usually have an equally miserable-looking companion - perhaps its infectious) and both concede, though in a muted way 'cos it doesn't pay to be enthusiastic, that a fine job has been done.
Now with most customers the final stage, handing over the money, is done in good grace and a spirit of mutual appreciation. Not with this type of customer it isn't. They are not even giving you a smile. They ferret about in a purse or wallet as if totally unfamiliar with its contents. That is feasible I suppose. At least the moths get ample time to escape. Then they slowly lay out most, but not all, of the money on the table. They seem to be struggling to find the right money, the last few poounds, so I enquire politely whether they will need change. They may or may not answer but what they will say next is "Anything off for cash?"
Now I getting fed up though trying not to show it. To start with, they agreed the price on their first visit. Secondly, I think it an insult to any craftsperson to ask for a discount. It is all very well for normal retail outlets who simply buy, display and sell goods. Most of them have a large enough mark-up that they can justify a discount from time to time. Isn't that how they afford to have "sales"? But for small craft businesses it is a totally different matter. If our products are carefully priced there is only one place in our costings where we can reduce the costs that we pass on to customers - and that is our wages. And if Mrs Mean-Miserable-and-Proud-of-it thinks that I am cutting my wages for her then she has another think coming.
She probably won't be back. Every cloud has a silver lining.
But we have all met the other sort haven't we? They arrive bearing a tatty selection of old wrapping paper or worse containing an assortment of dirty and semi-derelict old frames which have been neglected for years, glass which is filthy and probably broken, old mounts and backing board complete with half a century or more of accumulated acid, dried up mould growth and various other filth - and they drop the lot on my clean table on which other customers are expected to place pristine original artwork and expensive prints while mounts etc. are chosen.
Then they enquire whether I am prepared to put their ancient and extremely grubby old family group photos or whatever into said frames - the obvious implication being that they expect to save vast amounts of money because I am not being asked to make new frames. Well of course I will do it if the frames are reusable. It is a legitimate request and it is all business. However, by the time I have explained to them that the savings might not amount to all that much, if anything (and how long it will take to finish dismantling and cleaning the frames, removing old nails, screws and staples together with remnants of old tape and glue -not counting any actual repairs which might be needed - then measured, cut out new mounts, backing board and glass and assembled the whole lot - and disposed of the waste including broken glass) some time has passed already and they are still wanting their old frames reused and have yet to choose replacement mounts. So now they want mounts which are not going to look incongruous in a final assembly comprising old dark oak frames (or equally old but damaged gold ones) and photographs, or seriously faded old watercolours painted on something that now looks like brown wallpaper. Of course they don't know what mounts they want, which is fair enough, and proceed to pick bright new colours that are going to scream at them. More time is passing while they ignore my gentle steering towards the very much less assertive colours that will tie their picrtures and frames together so that they look as if they belong. Yes, the customer is always right (like hell they are) but it is my reputation that will hang on their wall for all to see, and when their visitors show a distinct tendency to wince on seeing the disasters that such customers are willing to put on their walls, do you imagine that the customer will admit that it wasn't the framer's fault, but their's?
Eventually, mounts are chosen, a price is reluctantly agreed, the customer departs. She has haggled about the price of course. Has it not occurred to her that she took up almost an hour of my time and all she really had to do was choose two mounts? Who does she expect to pay for that hour. I could easily have made a £60 frame in that time yet her whole bill will be rather less than that! The frames are made and the customer returns to collect (and they usually have an equally miserable-looking companion - perhaps its infectious) and both concede, though in a muted way 'cos it doesn't pay to be enthusiastic, that a fine job has been done.
Now with most customers the final stage, handing over the money, is done in good grace and a spirit of mutual appreciation. Not with this type of customer it isn't. They are not even giving you a smile. They ferret about in a purse or wallet as if totally unfamiliar with its contents. That is feasible I suppose. At least the moths get ample time to escape. Then they slowly lay out most, but not all, of the money on the table. They seem to be struggling to find the right money, the last few poounds, so I enquire politely whether they will need change. They may or may not answer but what they will say next is "Anything off for cash?"
Now I getting fed up though trying not to show it. To start with, they agreed the price on their first visit. Secondly, I think it an insult to any craftsperson to ask for a discount. It is all very well for normal retail outlets who simply buy, display and sell goods. Most of them have a large enough mark-up that they can justify a discount from time to time. Isn't that how they afford to have "sales"? But for small craft businesses it is a totally different matter. If our products are carefully priced there is only one place in our costings where we can reduce the costs that we pass on to customers - and that is our wages. And if Mrs Mean-Miserable-and-Proud-of-it thinks that I am cutting my wages for her then she has another think coming.
She probably won't be back. Every cloud has a silver lining.
