HARD HARD new customer

[Mikki Kavich MCPF]

Spent over an hour with a new customer over choosing between two top mats.....there was not a hill of beans difference between the two. Both were equally good I assured her.

This was to be a double mat in her HL frame.

I gave her the price (waiting for her to sputter) she said OH! well I really need to be sure then that I like theses mats...Yes you do but I think you will be very pleased they look great.

Another 15 minutes of suffering she okays the choice and prepares to leave then she turns back and says OH! was that price with the Museum Glass....UMMMM NO...that is with the glass that is in your frame. Several more minutes of discussion and she okays Museum Glass....IN HER HL plastic frame.

I fill in the detail on LS and ask her for her name...............LINDA BLAIR she says........

FIGURES! LOL!:roll:

 

[Bennett Hall]

WOW - this does happen from time to time - one new step that we have taken to is to remind a customer of that type that glazing changes the color of the mat board, which potentially leads them to not like what they thought they were getting once it is done. We have cut labeled taped sheets of 11 x 14" glass, art glass, museum glass, optium, TV, plex, this and that - ready for just this problem.

Other than capping design to a $ sales/hour rating - this is a hard issue to resolve. In our case, it means that when it happens, potentially discounts that we often included, are redacted.

Then again, I think the perfect phrase for such a client may well be: "Normally the price would be a lot less, but for you..... "

Spent over an hour with a new customer over choosing between two top mats.....there was not a hill of beans difference between the two. Both were equally good I assured her.

This was to be a double mat in her HL frame.

I gave her the price (waiting for her to sputter) she said OH! well I really need to be sure then that I like theses mats...Yes you do but I think you will be very pleased they look great.

Another 15 minutes of suffering she okays the choice and prepares to leave then she turns back and says OH! was that price with the Museum Glass....UMMMM NO...that is with the glass that is in your frame. Several more minutes of discussion and she okays Museum Glass....IN HER HL plastic frame.

I fill in the detail on LS and ask her for her name...............LINDA BLAIR she says........

FIGURES! LOL!:roll:

 

[Kai Vanuffelen]

When a customer cannot decide between two similar mats, you can inform her, that this one is out of stock at the supplier and takes six weeks to arrive, while the other I can order and it will be here end of the week. Never mind it is a lie.

I have a customer whose surname is Speedy. The first time she brought in work, it took her half a year to pick it up.

 

[Becky Florence CPF]

Was her head spinning? LOL

...... someone had to ask :loco:

 

[David Lantrip MCPF GCF]

And if the two mat colors were *that* close, flip a coin and throw one of the samples away. It will save you money, time and hassle.

 

[Kai Vanuffelen]

Were these two boards that were almost the same from two different companies?
The solution to that problem is, that now I only have corners from Bainbridge and not from Crescent and Peterboro anymore. Customers do not know there are more colors, so they have to choose from what I have, which is still a sizeable selection.

This also matters in the backroom where I am more likely to find the exact board the customer chose in stock instead of having to order it. Ordering from one company for matboards saves in freight and simplifies the accounting.

I have done the same with my moldings on the wall. Most are from Larson Juhl, because I like their quality and customer-service. I still have the catalogs of all the other companies, so that if a customer enters with an existing frame to match, I can locate something close to it.

I should have done this when I started the shop, as it would have saved me heaps of money.

 

[Ylva Callewaert]

When a customer cannot decide between two similar mats, you can inform her, that this one is out of stock at the supplier and takes six weeks to arrive, while the other I can order and it will be here end of the week. Never mind it is a lie.

I'll admit that I have done this, with a frame and a customer who simply couldn't make up her mind which one she liked best. Price was almost the same, within $5 of each other.
It worked, she wanted it quickly and in the end, was very very happy with her choice. She only gave me a hard time that time (I think 2nd time she came in), has been back a few more times and easy going.