Just having a little rant - sorry. A couple of months ago my darling
husband offered to take some of my work in to his work to show his
colleagues, as many of the women are nuts about jewellery. He took
them in on the basis that the price is the price, ie non-negotiable.
The prices were also low introductory prices, as the pieces in
question were pieces I’d made months previously so they were heavily
discounted. They were told that any future pieces would be more
realistically priced.
Anyway, a few pieces sold immediately to happy customers, and Darren
came home with about seven requests for quotations from other people.
They liked that ring, but wanted a quote for it in gold and/or with
that stone instead, etc, etc. So, I duly spent many hours putting
together these quotes, including one for a complex pearl and sterling
silver necklace someone wants for a relative for Christmas. I’ve
heard nothing back from most of them, but the pearl necklace keeps
bouncing back to me because it’s too expensive. So I redesign it and
requote for it and back it bounces. I’m now about to quote for the
fifth time. She loved all the designs but didn’t want to spend that
much on the person concerned. I should note that my prices are
extremely reasonable. Anyway, this customer, I can cope with, as she
is very pleasant to work with.
On the other hand, another “lady” at Darren’s workplace really liked
one of my pendants, but said she’d pay for it at the next pay day, so
he kept hold of it for her. She then ordered a pair of earrings to
match the pendant. However, she wanted them to be a specific size. No
problem, except that the earrings would then be much bigger than the
pendant - which I warned her about. I said to her that they would no
longer be a match, but she said that’s what she wanted. Not a
problem. The 50% deposit was paid and the earrings were made -
earrings which I had to make a complex mechanism for, as she wanted
the type with a hinged “post” which clips into a catch on the back of
the “hoop”, rather than just a simple post. Yesterday, Darren took
them to work. She adored them and she paid the balance. All good
you’d think. Yes, until she went to pay for the pendant and when
Darren handed it over, she wasn’t happy with the size and said she
wanted a bigger one, to match her earrings - and she wanted him to
take it in the next day!!!
I had warned her they wouldn’t match. So he sent me a text asking if
it was possible for me to make her a new pendant in a day and asked
how much extra would it be. I gave him a price and she refused it,
saying she couldn’t understand how the earrings were X amount and
there were two of them, and I wanted Y amount for one pendant. I
explained that the original pendant was a heavily discounted price,
and that I had priced the earrings in line with that discounted price
(they were a smidge short of twice the price of the pendant, and
still heavily discounted for the amount of work involved).
I also explained that I had sold a number of this design of pendant
for the price I was asking, and nobody else had ever questioned the
price. My husband told me that she was happy with the earrings and
would be happy to pay the same for the pendant, and asked if I would
do it for her on this occasion. I stupidly agreed, and also agreed to
do it the same day. So yesterday, I spent ten hours making this
pendant for her - putting behind some other paid orders I should have
been doing. As always for a paying customer, it was meticulously made
and finished to a high standard. He took it in today, and a short
while ago he sent me a message apologising, saying that she is
refusing to pay the agreed price!!! She adored it apparently - and so
she should as it is lovely - but she said she agreed to pay the same
amount as the original, heavily discounted, small pendant!!!
She says the price we thought she was going to pay is just too much,
but even the first price I gave her (which she refused to pay) was me
working below minimum wage, and the agreed price was just to keep her
happy and get that order out of the way. So basically, she was only
willing to pay two fifths of the price I quoted her, and which other
people happily pay. I’m furious, as is my husband, and he’s trying to
sell it (and the smaller one) to other people for me. We’re going
away for the weekend, and the payment for this order would have given
me a little bit of spending money, which I was looking forward to,
but that won’t be happening now, so I’m somewhat deflated.
Why do people expect me to make their jewellery for just what the
materials would cost me? I value my time, so why don’t they? They
love my jewellery but don’t want to pay reasonable prices for it. I
told him to suggest that she goes to Asda (Walmart) or Argos (big,
cheap catalogue store) if she wants to pay such a pittance for her
jewellery. She wouldn’t expect to walk into a jewellery store and
make the demands she’s made of me, and pay as little for the service.
I used to think custom work would be really fun to do, but now I’m
thinking I want rid of all such orders, and then I want to make what
I want, when I want it, and sell through galleries and jewellery
shops - and I think that’s what I’m going to do. Sorry for the rant.
Helen
UK
