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greenoak
07-16-2011, 06:37 AM
a growing problem with us is trying to do a little more in special orders for customers....we make nice 500$ pieces and the customers often want them a little different.... it sounds easy to them...and we are delving into it a bit.... its working out , but adding problems.. ....the customers end up happy but its causing me all kinds of stress....on the good side its sold a few extra 600$$$ each month.....assuming they wouldnt have bought what we already had on the floor....
we dont have the staff to do it right.... the wants are too unorganized.... the way to do it is very outside the box for us.... keeping track, mainly....
its just totally against the grain for me...i want to be cash and carry and as is where is and no credit.....this is us ....and now we are trying to do this other thing...which is really popular...the orders soak up more time than the 100$$$ extra im pretty sure....its hard a t every step...and its a 2 or 3 week process...
im being very narrow on what we will do.i only allow it on counters and harvest tables,,and only with 2 or 3 color choices.....and charging an extra 100$$$ to do it...


.my son is kind of a pushover and resists a lot of this, he basically wants to do whatever they ask...he made a 7 ft square table for someone once., before the rule changes,,,.......and hes the one they corner and talk to since he connects with the amish who do the building....this can take an hour of talk...which i also dont like...since he has so much else to do...but hes the best at t aking the order...he hates to charge them the extra 100...and tries to get around it.....i want to sell them what we already have on the floor.... the extra 100 has helped them pick from what we have.... ..
we have to keep track of so much just in our heads.... and thats bad too..the stuff doesnt come in with tags....and you cant have labels on it in the paint shop either....
another problem has come up with this..... the customers know we can do about anything carpenterwise so they assume that we WILL do what they want.... and they know we can paint furniture and assume we will do that too.... one lady drove 2 hours to get very dissappointed on this point...and was pretty unhappy and mad when we kept saying no...and i made it worse and it was horrible....she came back the next week within our boundaries.... which we were so glad .... and thanked her , we hardly ever get a mad customer...it was very upsetting.....
we are trying to change and offer a bit more and stay within our comfort range...im trying to offer this in a way we can do within our capabilities.... we arent a custom shop ..its complicated
thats my vent for the day....and i see ive posted under the wrong topic...i should be under managing...sorry...

Blessed
07-16-2011, 09:03 AM
It sounds to me like you need to have someone create a custom order form for you - with the parameters of what you are comfortable with doing on it and a spot for special instructions etc... have it be a 3 part carbon, the customer gets the 3rd copy, you keep the 2nd copy in house and whoever is doing the custom work for you gets the original. It should help in three ways:

1) having options outside of what you have on the floor available - keeping customers who want something specific happy
2) it should cut down the amount of time the store representative the customer is talking to spends with the customer because the form should walk them through what they need
3) keeping the communication of what the customer wants exact between the customer/store conversation all the way to the store/customer worker conversation - because the details are written down and no one is trying to remember a lot of details.

Continuing to offer this type of customer work is something that can only increase your profits and continue to help you out-shine your competition - by providing the best customer service- but you do need to get a handle on things so that you are controlling the options without the customer feeling like you are limiting their choices.

Spider
07-16-2011, 09:46 AM
"Yes, Madam - we can make just about anything you want, but most people take what we have on show because it is so expensive to make a special unit - easily three times the cost. And, of course, you have to wait for it to be made, whereas these [pointing] you can take with you today."

"Yes, I realize that what you are asking for isn't really that much different but because it IS different, it has to be made as a Special Unit. Even the slightest difference in appearance might mean making different joints or using a different tool. Even if the workshop was to make one exactly the same as those there [pointing] as a Special Unit, it would cost three times as much."

"Madam, if you just want a different color, might I suggest you buy a can of spray paint from the hardware store and get hubby to spray it for you - that will save you a lot of money."


Further suggestions--

1. Stock a supply of spray paint for sale.

2. Tell your supplier to add variety so that every item is different. Then you can advertize, "No Two Items The Same!"


Three times the price - $1,500 instead of $500 - will deter most people, but those it does not deter will more than compensate you for the trouble. You will even be able to add some extraspecial nicety - like gold-plated latches or exra molding.

Keep an open mind - you might be staring a cash cow in the face!

greenoak
07-16-2011, 03:20 PM
ha ha.,...so right spider...i mentored a guy on this.....he was so impressed with what we were doing .... and a yr later he comes in and thanks me ...he did our thing and went in the direction of special orders ...he does get 3 times the price....and is super busy...
jenns idea is doable...we kind of do it already but not on anything special as far as forms go.....
.....

Blessed
07-16-2011, 04:59 PM
it's amazing how much putting something you do on paper - in a form or other "formal" type way really does help!

greenoak
07-16-2011, 07:11 PM
right jenn...thanks ...we can do that at least!!!then maybe get the other parts going ...like adding 200$$$ to the item instead of 100...

Spider
07-16-2011, 09:27 PM
...then maybe get the other parts going ...like adding 200$$$ to the item instead of 100...Wrong! From what I'm hearing you say, you are probably spending at least an additional $500 for a special order, without considering the additional cost the supplier will charge. I wasn't kidding when I said $1,500 for a special order against $500 for a stock item.

greenoak
07-16-2011, 09:50 PM
thanks spider.... trouble is that would be impossible.... no one would pay that much
and our idea is to be more open to their wants in order to sell more....... the time isnt quite that bad.... it probably takes 1 to 1.5 extra hours...so about 40$$ max....
maybe better with a little streamlining...it is a hassle tho...

Spider
07-16-2011, 10:08 PM
ha ha.,...so right spider...i mentored a guy on this.....he was so impressed with what we were doing .... and a yr later he comes in and thanks me ...he did our thing and went in the direction of special orders ...he does get 3 times the price....and is super busy.....

thanks spider.... trouble is that would be impossible.... no one would pay that much...Huh? You just got through telling me of someone you mentored into doing just that and is now super busy at triple the price! It's only impossible in your mind - which makes it impossible for you. But it's obviously not impossible for others???? And it would not be impossible for you if you made up your mind that it wasn't impossible.

I think you are grossly underestimating the extra costs to your organization and I'm sure an additional $100 - even $200 - is resulting in a loss on these items.

greenoak
07-17-2011, 07:12 AM
i loved the good old days when the antique dealers would buy it right off the truck when i got home from the auction.....now its so different and i dont understand the customers like i used to....

Spider
07-17-2011, 08:47 AM
Oh, I think you are understanding your customers very well. How is your business coach fellow coming along?

greenoak
07-17-2011, 09:40 AM
ive got about hALF the questions done....now he wants to see all my ads..and wants to talk about who they are aiming for....what they come here to buy is really a hard question.....hes really trying to break things down ...another hard one was why do you want to work this hard.... duh....hes coming up for a few days and staying at our lake cottage..hes asking specific and also very general questions...ive never had this before... and he likes to brainstorm...love that!!! my dh hates that....
ive had to transition from the antique world that serveed us so well for 20 yrs with its rough guys and women with lots of money to these nice polite preppy families.....who, when they first come think im the labor part of the staff...and want us to have the organization and variety and ordering ability and shipping ability like llbean or pottery barn....they get over that fast!!!
....i still havent figured out t he right keywords for my new customers.... and ive done most of whats been talked about on here...i need that re3aally badly...
what a mess.... kind of like the store...lol

Spider
07-17-2011, 10:55 AM
But clearly you are enjoying it, Ann. That's wonderful!

Keep posting - I love to see how other coaches work.