customers at it again

[dandydon07]

Come on, im sure you all get these phone calls.......

"Hi, I have a picture I need framed, the size is ?x?....Can you give me a cost"

You then explain it all depends on frame, mount, double mount, glass, diffused etc etc

To which they reply

"well just give me a 'normal' cost"

Argh!!

You know what then happens.....you give a cost of say £50 for the frame, no mount, glass and backing....they then come in and want the most expensive frame, a double mount and gallery glass and say you quoted £50 on the phone!!

But when you state the reason you dont like giving quotes over the phone, they get all annoyed and start to snap.

We cannot win!!

[Dave]

I tell them, that it will cost from £xx, but the skies the limit depending upon what moulding / glass they chose.

Dave

[Roboframer]

I don't have a problem with phone quotes, email quotes or real-live-customer with no artwork quotes.

You have the information they need at your fingertips all you need to do is ask a few questions....

What size? (approx is just fine)
What is it?

You're more than half way there - then, for example ....

"OK, we'd recommend a mount for that, let's say we make that three inches all round, that'll make it blah by blah overall, so, for something nice, including a single mount and standard glass, all sealed up and ready to hang .... around £X - there's dearer and there's cheaper"

Use the phone to convert calls to feet through the door - that's less likely to happen if you tell people you don't give quotes over the phone.

BTW - I think talk about customers should be in members only.

[dandydon07]

I get what your saying robo.....I do try my best with giving rough quotes but always try and say to customers that its best for them to come in to the shop so we can get the best frame mount etc for them to suit their picture and budget. I dont see how you can say that you 'suggest a mount for that' without seeing the artwork etc etc?
It just gets a little annoying when it seems to happen 3 or 4 times a day and most of the time that person comes in and the first thing they say is that you quoted £x amount....then they go to the most expensive frames samples on the wall....or the aluminium one's (which you completely forgot about) Grrrrr.......

Rant over!lol. Better get back to work (or answering calls)

[Roboframer]

I dont see how you can say that you 'suggest a mount for that' without seeing the artwork etc etc?

If it's a print/photo/watercolour etc ...on paper, I'll suggest a mount, no need to see it.

If the actual price differs vastly from the quoted price, just show what you quoted in comparison --- and make sure you have all the info before giving the phone quote.

[stcstc]

i dont have a prob with quoting without work either

most mountboards cost the same, so no really biggie there

and for full frame, i generally say "from around X" and when they come in show them what i quoted for and explain oh that moulding is a little more, y extra


most of my customers dont see their work until its either collected or shipped to them

[prospero]

I'm strictly a let the dog see the rabbit man.


You wouldn't ring a garage and say my car is making a funny noise it's about 15ft long and light blue how much to fix it.

[stcstc]

ah yea the difference for me though is generally i am printing the work too )

[Roboframer]

So - let's have a skit .....

"Tinkle Tinkle" (That's the door opening, not the phone)

"Hello madam, how may I help you"?

"I have a print I'd like to get framed"

"Do you have it with you"?

"No, I wanted to get an idea of price first"

"F*ck off"!


.

[Kwik Picture Framing]

Your right this should be disussed in the "Members Only"

[pramsay13]

I've not got a problem giving a price over the phone. As others have said I will say for that kind of thing, with a medium frame, single mount and glass, it will cost £x amount. There are cheaper options and other things that might increase the cost, e.g. a more ornate frame, double mount, specialist glass etc.
I've been told there are others near me that won't quote over the phone, so the customers reckon it will be really expensive.

[Roboframer]

..... and/or think "well, s/he was really helpful .... NOT"!

Be helpful, it's a potential customer, put them at ease, make them feel their request is perfectly normal. They have no idea, you do.

Right - an exercise "Ring Ring" (it's the phone this time)

"ACME framing"

"Hi, I've got some medals and stuff I want framed and am after some idea of cost"

(Bad salesperson) "Soz - I'd need to see them and lay them out to establish a size and see what suits etc, just bring them in, we can give a no-obligation quote"

"Oh, OK, maybe I will" (Thinks) or maybe I'll just keep ringing around until I find someone who can give me some idea.

CLICK!

(Good salesperson) "How many medals, are they individual and on ribbons or are they on a bar"?

"4 medals, individual, with ribbons"

(Thinks) each about 4x1.25 inches then - so that's about 4x6

"What other stuff"?

"There's a photo, two cap badges and I was thinking of a brass plaque with No, rank, name and regiment"

(Thinks) I'm not asking photo size, I'm going for 6x4, also not asking cap badge size, I'm going for 2x2"

(Drawing rough diagram on order form as speaking - height - medals 4" + 1" space then photo 6" then 1" space then a badge 2", then 1" space and then title aperture, probably one inch max .... so 16")

"OK - you don't have to get a brass plaque made, the medals and badges need to be mounted on to a board, whatever colour .... and the photo will be mounted in an aperture cut in that board. We can print out what you want in a nice font on nice paper and put it in another aperture, like the photo"

"Oh, that's a good idea - you're really helpful, I like you, are you married"?

"Sorry, yes - anyway - I've roughly worked out that with a couple or three inches around all the items the glass etc would be about 20x10 ................

(Done! From that I can give a price for a middle-of-the-road frame including cutting two apertures and mounting 6 items, plus glass spacers - it's all to hand and I've noted it all down on the order form)

............ and would be around £X in something nice, with everything fixed in with NO adhesive at all"

"OK, I'll bring them in ....... isn't it hot today ... what are you wearing"?

"Please do, yes isn't it, an apron ....... I've written out a quote, may I have your name? When you come in I can show you the layout and type of frame I have in mind"

Etc!

So - s/he turns up - and everything is, like, TOTALLY different sizes to what you worked out - and it's all got to go landscape too.

So what?

[IFGL]

We generally will get the job from a phone call enquiry, like roboframer we ask questions and give an approximation of cost, further to that we ask for an email and send a visualisation with project report for three or four suitable frames, if their image is one thats been purchased over the web or is a popular image then we stick the image in the visual too.

we often ask why they chose us, most say it's because we appeared to be knowledgeable, this also gives your customer confidence in your ability to do the work well and look after their pics.


We got a job last Friday using the email / visualisation method, the customer genuinely had no idea what the cost would be and wasn't after cheap, she went for the most expensive version we sent at just over £200.

[Steve N]

Only too happy to give quotes over the phone/ email/ in person(no work with them, just need to ask the right questions, I give a medium range price and tell them that it could be cheaper or they could spend more if they want, and we can show them the range when they bring in their work, also ask if they know where we are.

Had an email yesterday, somebody flying in next Thursday from Australia, asking for a quote, and can we frame it by the Saturday (needed for a wedding ), "No problem," say I and give them a price, and at the end of the email said "looking forward to meeting you next Thursday", got a reply this morning saying "Many thanks Steve, see you next week"

As far as I'm concerned, it's all part of being in business

[stcstc]

robo you sure your not living out your fantasy there, he he


anyway, good example of how can work, just done an exhibition for Brooklyn based photographer.

6 pieces, she printed them, fedex to me, i framed etc, and the gallery collected, and she just emailed me creditcard details for payment

in between this we had email conversation about frame types etc

oh yea and skype video chat so she could see some of the frames

[JohnMcafee]

Meanwhile, back in the real world…

Ring, ring
Hello, Acme framing. How can I help you?
How much you would charge to frame four medals.
Certainly sir, I’d like to get some details …
I just need a price.
No problem sir, how would you…
Have you ever done this type of work before?
Yes sir, but I’m sure you’d like to…
Have you ever framed four medals?
Certainly sir, but…
I really just need a price, how much did you charge the last time you framed four medals?
Two pounds fifty.
Far too dear, I’ve already had a quote for half that CLICK!

[Roboframer]

At least you tried; trying and failing is better than not trying.

[stcstc]

john i think little extreme but i get where your coming from

i would say that robo and my experience are in the real world, and to be so dismissive like that is not fair

[markw]

customer through the door - customer on the phone, it doesn't matter, as a business we like to think we offer a friendly personal service. So I will do what I always do and talk to them. I will establish what they want and if they give me sufficient information a quote. The time wasters generally show their colours fairly quickly and can be dealt with politely. It pays to have a good pricing system in front of you. In my case I can send the customer a quote that details every factor discussed. If they come in then there is no argument - we have the size, moulding etc.

[dandydon07]

Wow,
I wasn't expecting all this different views when posting this topic.
I guess I was a little hasty when posting....it had been a difficult day and that certain phone call just done it for me

I am a nice guy when the phone rings (honestly) but sometimes one too many similar calls on the same day can just get a little annoying....especially when your working your backside off and stressing to get the work done in time (I work on my own by the way)

I did like Prospero's comment though.......
"You wouldn't ring a garage and say my car is making a funny noise it's about 15ft long and light blue how much to fix it"

It is a different kind of business we are in and many of the public have no idea how much a frame costs so they just want a 'rough' guide before coming in....I know that. Just need to remember........be nice ALL THE TIME!!haha.