Question: What would you do?

What would you do?

Would you remove someone else’s work and replace it with your own?

I received a request to “fix†the engraving on a Colt 1911. The customer said that he is unhappy with the engraving and that he would like me to make it look more “professionalâ€. Vague statements like that make me cautious. To make a long story short, I discovered that the work was done by a very talented, award winning, long time engraver. Upon inspecting the gun it was obvious that the engraving itself was well done but not very ornate.

Setting aside all of the other questions like why didn’t he give the original engraver the opportunity to “fix†the engraving, or was there a miscommunication between the customer and the engraver, or did the customer want more that he was able to afford?

I just said no. I was not willing to erase someone else’s artwork and replace it with my own. I let the customer know exactly how I felt and offered to engrave a different pistol if he would like. He politely refused the offer and we went our separate ways.

What would you do?

Dan

Probably would have done the same. If I knew the back story.

If a client doesn't put up money enough to allow the first engraver to do the job he is capable of - or to later have it "improved" upon (should that be possible/necessary) - then I'd figure that client deserves to go buy a new gun and start over the right way.

There are times when the folks you are workin' for just ain't right... There are exceptions to "the customer is always right"...


Brian

What you did is probably the right thing. In my store, I do everything I can to ensure customer satisfaction, but I don't subscribe to "The Customer is Always Right". There are to many times that the customer just doesn't know. Part of my job is to discern those things and explain them. I try to do it beforehand, when I take jobs in. Sometimes they aren't evident until later, when I am preparing to do the work. I am always willing to stop and call, with an amended price quote (that happens very, very rarely. I try to stay within my bid), and sometimes I call to say the work can't be done, at least not the way I do it. Sometimes I just have yo say NO!

The Jeweler is almost always right, as he (me) is the one that has to fix any mistakes and/or pay for unseen problems...and sometimes my mind has to be right. Setting a $5,000 (cost) emerald demands that I be ready and focuse. I will not be rushed.

I think you did the right thing. More than likely the customer wanted more than his budget would allow at the onset and he is now trying to get more for a "better" cost. I would turn down the job myself because it is almost impossible to match another engraver's style without EXTREME measures taken and the requisite cost to replicate it, and the customer would still be unhappy.

Bill

tactifully pass on the request. if done by an engraver as described, i'd not be a part of that. the gun could be valuable as is. perhaps a history there that you are unaware.

Refusing the remake was the best thing to do, under the circumstances. You probably avoided bitterness and hard feelings, should the other engraver, and other people, get wind of what was done. You don't need that.

I'd have done exactly as you did without giving it a second thought.

Three words spring to mind..........Can - Of - Worms.

Who needs the grief

Cheers
Andrew

Thank you all for your input. I couldn't think of any possible way that situation ended well.
Dan