Customers.

[Gemsetterchris]

:caution: long ramble ahead.

So, customer wants this design (ring or whatever).. so you make it like that.

Or do you?

I know business can be hard & you need the coin.. but, as a "professional" & i mean trained not just someone making your money that way, you need to think.

Not all customers have a clue about technical issues, practical design....

I think as a pro, if you feel something they want is just plain wrong, you need to give good reason & offer alternatives.
You don`t need to go ahead with a job your not satisfied with because... one day despite your initial happy customer, problems can creep in.

Others with more taste or knowledge may ask who done that?

You may find you wished it was someone else putting their hand up.

A customer may well think twice if you refuse, (there must be a reason he said that) since your the specialist & you will possibly get your way.

Basically i`m saying i`d have more respect for someone not doing a job than someone who does whatever just for money.

Sorry for the long post.. your opinions please

 

[scott99]

Hi, do the job right or do the job over. You said you would do the work, and thats what people expect. If you don't want the work don't accept it in the first palce.

scott99

 

[Gemsetterchris]

I`d like to add.. this can go for manufacturing companies as well as private customers.

Many times i`ve had new ring designs come to me by so called goldsmiths via publicly known jewellers companies that i`ve thrown back despite being potentially worth thousands worth of work.

"Fine, i`ll get someone else to do them" they say..

Few weeks later i find out the model was scrapped due to "problems"

Now i get, "do you think this will be ok or what size stones do these require"

Seems being "honestly critical" pays off & people will respect all those years of experience you worked hard to collect.

Anyone can cobble a job, don`t if you know better.

Regards.

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi Chris

It all depends on what is being asked. With anything there is a time to say "no" to the customer. They are not always right!!!

As a professional it is always important to advise/educate your customers to a better way of doing something or a better approach to the job and budget. Things we take for granted they will probably be ignorant of.

However..............

When it comes to technical things, if a customer insists on something and you know it's going to fall apart or cause problems later on.............. then I wouldn't do the job. It will always be your fault even though the customer insisted you did it their way.

If the customers design is so bad (read, as ugly as sin) that you don't want your name associated with it.................then I wouldn't do the job. These jobs stalk you for as long as you live.

If the customer irritates the hell out of me....................then I wouldn't do the job. It's just an unpleasant working relationship and will eventually break down.

If the customer is an anally retentive micro managing control freak.................then I wouldn't do the job. For these types, water isn't wet enough.

Other than that, it's all on.

Cheers
Andrew

PS. If a customers expectations are higher than their budget and they can't be modified................then I wouldn't do the job.

 

[mvangle]

Well said Andrew!
In my "real" job of 33the years, If you dread the job before you even start, you don't want it.
regardless of the $. In the end it will NOT be worth it.
Just my 2¢.

 

[GTJC460]

I agree 100% with Andrew. Maybe my prior post of "give them what they want" was taken the wrong way. In every consultation, I suggest the beat way to do something and educate the customers why the ways suggested will work for their life style and needs. No one wants unhappy customers wearing ugly jewelry you made. But there are always certain styles you get called to make that you simply don't care for.

Every job I take in I put 1000% effort into making it aesthetically pleasing, durable, free of defect, and finished to best of my ability. Do I like every piece I make? No. But I don't let anything go out that I don't want my name on.

 

[jerrywh]

There are some things I just won't do. There are some things that I don't like the art work but will do for a good customer.
I just don't put my name on it and they don't tell anybody who did it. I have customers that payed me well when I was newer and need the money so I am loyal to them out of gaditude do their work.

 

[Birddog97]

I support my engraving habit by working as a Financial Advisor. I deal with this issue A LOT. Slightly different context, but same issue in prinicple. I think we have a professional responsibility to the client and ourselves. We should guide the client toward a more pleasing solution/design by offering alternatives and explaining the reasons behing our approach. I think thats what being a professional means. Don't sacrifice your values or character.
Now, your presentation and the tactics you use when offering your alternatives can be a huge determining factor in getting the job. That my friends is called "salesmanship". If you need the work, then improve your salesmanship, don't sacrifice your values. Even if you can not convince the customer that your way/design/solution is the best and turn down the job, you have gained a level of respect from the client and you have not lost self-respect by taking in a job you knew wasn't right.

 

[Gemsetterchris]

I`ve got a full eternity ring coming soon to be set with rubies only.
That to me sounds hideous, but it`s technically fine so i`ll do it.

However, as a full eternity & to be worn daily.. i`d say it`s not really practical.

This is a manufacturers customer so i keep quiet.
If it were mine, i`d make them aware of potential issues upfront but do it if requested.

It`s quite shocking that respected companies can function very well financially, producing work that is fundamentally flawed, not helped by some "parts of the chain of production" that do things as asked when..they freely admit that they`d never make something like that for their own customers :thinking:

In reality they are their customers "indirectly", & problems can ultimately lead to less work & bad reputation to which they are linked.

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

All jewellery I sell is made by one person, me. I only work for private customers. I make the design, do the forging, set the stones and engrave.

I can execute all styles customers ask for. Sometimes they come with a photo and ask me to make it and sometimes they just tell what they would like and then I just take a piece of paper and pencil to bring an idea to live.

I never draw detailed designs of jewellery. Once I did draw pave, and after the job was done the customer realised there where small diamonds set. He thought it was gone be just dots. :biggrin:

Anyway, customers may ask me to make everything, but I tell them that I will decide about the details as I’m the professional with the knowhow. I always succeed convincing my customers to have a job done the way I want it and they appreciate.

As I get older and being convinced about my own skills, I succeed to convince my customers to do a particular job the way I want it, but taking note of their desire.
I’m doing this for over 30 years, and all of the time when my customers see the result, they are happy with my way.
And I also tell them that my “master stampâ€￾ is on it that proves it is an original arnaud.

Sometimes I have a trader asking me to do a job, most of the time it had to be finished by Yesterday; it may not take long and must be cheap. Well I hate ding these kind of jobs, and in a way that is like working for a boss, and I started a business of my own because I always had troubles with bosses, that because most of the time I know better than he.

arnaud

 

[GTJC460]

It`s quite shocking that respected companies can function very well financially, producing work that is fundamentally flawed, not helped by some "parts of the chain of production" that do things as asked when..they freely admit that they`d never make something like that for their own customers :thinking:

In reality they are their customers "indirectly", & problems can ultimately lead to less work & bad reputation to which they are linked.

I used to buy and sell alot of diamond bands from one particular vendor. Especially a shared prong/common prong band. I was selling the heck out of this style for about 6 months. Then about 6months in, customers started popping diamonds out of them left and right. I said something to the vendor. He told me he had recieved the complaints from other customers too, however, some of his biggest accounts didn't seem to mind. He told they felt it was to their benefit for customers to have problems, so they could get them back in to sell them other goods and services. I laughed and said the best customer is satisfied customer that doesn't have problems. I no longer sell his goods. Now I make almost all my own bands