Night Shift.

Grahame Case · Post by **Grahame Case** » Tue 04 Dec, 2007 7:26 pm

Good evening from a dark cold Edinburgh,

we have broken our rule of not working night shifts in the shop.

we're sort of unnaturally delaying the closing of the books for Christmas (by at least a week if not more) by working 9am-9pm and beyond on a Tuesday and Wednesday night. (the equivalent of over 16 extra man hours) and coming in most Sundays. we've filled the 22nd of December 4 times so far.

its killing us both physically, but we can't afford to employ anyone else to come in and help in the evenings.

anyone else experiencing similar horrendous shifts? is it normal?

Not your average framer · Tue 04 Dec, 2007 7:39 pm

Hi Grahame,

Yes, I'm starting to do a bit more this end too! I've just finished moving house at the weekend and now literally live next door to my shop. Although I won't do it every day, I have already started work at 7am both yesterday and today, but the open sign does not go up until 10am. I now also close at lunch time for half an hour and have already worked until 8pm on monday evening. It's gonna be a very busy month, I've got loads of orders and more coming in!

Moglet · Post by **Moglet** » Tue 04 Dec, 2007 7:40 pm

W-a-v-e-s of empathy..... ((((Grahame & Mary)))))

It's either a feast or a famine here. I finished at 4am this morning. Will be same again tonight, and many nights before the 25th. No days off in that time either. (Little change there, mind...)

What's really frustrating is:

(a) it seems that people in my area have only started booking the "I need it for Christmas" orders in the last week.

(b) I'm getting a very good response to my new marketing efforts.

I really want to keep my books open as long as possible, particularly because of (b) I want new customers to have a really positive experience, but it looks like Saturday will be the last day I can accept orders for guaranteed Christmas delivery.

Send in the Clones....

Post by **prospero** » Tue 04 Dec, 2007 8:49 pm

Longest shift I ever did lasted from 9am on a Sunday to about lunchtime Tuesday.

This after doing a very hard two weeks previously and having knocked off about 5am the night before.

This was to finish off about 30 frames for an exhibition for an artist who was leaving for Cornwall on the Tuesday. I was still fixing the last of the hangings as he arrived to load up at 5am. By that time I had got past being tired and was on autopilot. The old feet were aching a bit though.

Parkinsons Law: "The work expands to meet the time allowed".

Promised a lot of jobs for Xmas this year. One is for a 7'6"x4'6" h/f frame.
Shedload of other stuff too. Three weeks sounds a long time but I feel another three-day shift looming.

cathandon · Post by **cathandon** » Tue 04 Dec, 2007 9:01 pm

Just new to the Framers Forum hopefully this works!!

Yes - Seems to be par for the course.

Joining you from deepest darkest Grangemouth.

Fortunately we mainly do corporate work and therefore tend to be steady all year with the odd mad rush (tends not to be this time of year, most of our corporate customers are too busy thinking about christmas parties to worry about framing).

We also offer a framing support service to galleries and framers. If you need an extra pair of hands over the busy period but don't want to employ anyone maybe we can help?

Moglet · Post by **Moglet** » Tue 04 Dec, 2007 9:27 pm

Hi cathandon, and welcome!

What a brilliant idea!

Grahame Case · Post by **Grahame Case** » Tue 04 Dec, 2007 9:30 pm

cathandon wrote: We also offer a framing support service to galleries and framers. If you need an extra pair of hands over the busy period but don't want to employ anyone maybe we can help?

Welcome to the forum!

i had noticed you do that, along with your Morso blade sharpening service,

The thing is i would be worried about outsourcing any of the framing work we take in.

Ultimately the buck stops with us, and our staff, if you outsource the work there is no way to ensure the quality inside the frame is up to our exacting standards, and if any item gets damaged whilst away being framed, again the buck stops here,

i know it may work for many people, and galleries, but to be honest i can't see it working for us, we've built up a 16 year reputation, providing the best service and job for our customers, and i just wouldn't want to pass any of the work we do to anyone else.

a unique feature of our business in Edinburgh is that we do all our work on site, meaning customers items never leave the premises, and they have the reassurance that the people they are speaking to will be framing their work.

anyway, a very warm welcome to the forum, we were hoping to attend the AGM of the FATG branch at your premises but Thursdays aren't too good for us!

cathandon · Post by **cathandon** » Tue 04 Dec, 2007 9:50 pm

Hi Grahame

Thank you for your welcome.

I understand your concerns, and as you say its is best if the artwork can stay in one place. It certainly takes a lot of trust to outsource, especially with a business such as yours.

Hopefully be able to meet you at one of the FATG meets in the future or even the FATG dinner in Bristol in May. We are hoping to get a table together for Scottish members if you wish to join us?

Gordon

Grahame Case · Post by **Grahame Case** » Tue 04 Dec, 2007 10:11 pm

Hi Gordon,

unfortunately i don't think we'll (the mother and I) be heading down to Bristol.

we've already booked our 2 excursions for the year - our weeks "summer" holiday in January to Cornwall, and Spring Fair in February, where we are meeting many of the fine people on this forum.

After that i'm afraid its just work work work.

If your ever through in Edinburgh, (say to Ashworth and Thompson) feel free to come in and say 'ello.

We were through by Grangemouth (well other side of the water in Alloa) a few weeks ago delivering a 5ft x 4ft picture, the second Kincardine crossing is coming along nicely, should increase business from over in Fife for you!

fineedge · Post by **fineedge** » Tue 04 Dec, 2007 11:32 pm

Daily routine : 07.00 walk dogs 08.00 second coffee 08.30 open up workshop and start the slog 18.00 supper watch weakest link or some other BBC rerun then crash (power nap) till 20.30 back to grind away until 02.00 Notice on my door now says Sorry Closed for 2007 but should get through the backlog by 19 Dec
With wife helping today we got through 29 items (all photographs but some done up pretty smart) as well as staining mouldings for puzzles destined for Texas on thursday

Moglet · Post by **Moglet** » Tue 04 Dec, 2007 11:41 pm

fineedge wrote:With wife helping today we got through 29 items ...

Nice going, you two!

Grahame Case · Post by **Grahame Case** » Tue 04 Dec, 2007 11:45 pm

our main problem is customers... i wish they left us alone to get on with our work!

without customers we would achieve a heck of a lot more each day.

Roboframer · Post by **Roboframer** » Tue 04 Dec, 2007 11:49 pm

I'm still on a one week turnaround - well a week and a day - we only book work for collection on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays - long story.

If of course anyone wants another day, that's fine.

Got quite a big backlog, but only due to items out of stock from one supplier - keeps giving me dates - I ring on that date and get given another - I'll only take so much of that before their samples come down.

Have never turned an order away or been 'full' for Christmas - I'd die first.

Wee hour working is not far off - would not happen with a full timer - but part timer has gone full time which helps a lot.

Tomorrow I start with four sets of 25 cigarette cards - hand cut apertures.

Four Hundred Cuts - Waaaahaaahahah

(No fillets this time

)

A CMC WILL be ordered at the Spring Fair.

Problem is, with Mrs R running around organising stuff in the village - plus up to her eyes on her side anyway - I'm pretty much having to take all the orders.

Welcome Gordon!

osgood · Post by **osgood** » Wed 05 Dec, 2007 1:30 am

Roboframer wrote:Tomorrow I start with four sets of 25 cigarette cards - hand cut apertures.

Four Hundred Cuts - Waaaahaaahahah

Email the details to me, John and I will email the cut mats back thisarvo!

Roboframer wrote:A CMC WILL be ordered at the Spring Fair.

Does this mean that Vegas is a definite no???

cathandon · Post by **cathandon** » Wed 05 Dec, 2007 11:47 am

Hi everyone.

Thanks for your warm welcome. Hopefully be able to meet some of you at the Spring Fair.

Grahame Case · Post by **Grahame Case** » Wed 05 Dec, 2007 5:43 pm

had an artist in today, and they said... "You'll be quiet this time of year"

Quiet?????!!!!?

just because there are no exhibitions on doesn't mean that a picture framer isn't busy!

obviously a framer only frames stuff for amateur artists!

(the majority of our customers aren't artists, we are a bit pricey for the amateurs! alas you get what you pay for.)

Not your average framer · Wed 05 Dec, 2007 8:10 pm

I didn't get any framing done today, spent too much time serving customers. It's getting worse, but next week I'm starting to limit my opening hours, so I can get some work done!

There are lots of orders for oak frames too. It looks like oak is very "in" at the moment.

Grahame Case · Post by **Grahame Case** » Wed 05 Dec, 2007 9:14 pm

Not your average framer wrote: There are lots of orders for oak frames too. It looks like oak is very "in" at the moment.

Oak? is that MFI Oak or Ikea Oak?

Roboframer · Post by **Roboframer** » Wed 05 Dec, 2007 10:38 pm

osgood wrote: Email the details to me, John and I will email the cut mats back thisarvo!
Does this mean that Vegas is a definite no???

Tell you what - I could have emailed the details of what I had for you to plot out for me!

When I took the order I averaged sizes out rather than spend ages with the customer - there is one set of 50 in two (portrait) mounts here and one set of 48 in the other two - because each set had an odd number of portrait/landscape cards - each pair had to be different and jiggling them about to get in the same size frame was a bit of a nightmare - sorry about the carp photo - it's all about the one in the foreground - with one whole row missing.

When I realised, I said "Oh bother"

Vegas is deffo off Ormond - not for financial reasons - I'm a full time framer's wages better off - but without that full timer the backlog on return would be unthinkable - I'd get back - see that and then have to almost immediately go to our Spring Fair. Mrs 'R' is giving it 'just do it' but there's no way - another time for sure.

What you see in the photo - those mounts, a print about to be drymounted to the left and a pastel being assembled by Mick - is all we got done today.

I took on 6 things on paper from etchings to snapshots and fifteen cross stitches.
Now on a 10 day turnaround (with no overtime)

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