The Framers Forum

Hi Folks,

I had a customer in with me one day last week, asking for a quotation for some multi-aperture mounts to be cut. These were 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10 aperture mounts, using a range of sized images. After I had given him the prices, he asked me how much 'extra' I charged per aperture as one quotation he had received, had an £8 per aperture extar charge on top of the normal single mount price, and an £14 extra (per apertures) on top of a double mount price.

For instance, a 500 x 400mm single mount at £10.00 with 4 apertures was an extra £32, (£42 altogether) and the same sized double mount with 4 apertures worked out at an extra £56 (£66 altogether) (This framer gave £2 per aperture discount for a double mount...whoopee de do I thought)

Am I missing something here? Am I way too cheap as I dont charge anything near that. I have it built into my pricing programme for multi-aperture mounts, and charge the same price per aperture as I would for for cutting a single aperture...off the top of my head..its around £1 - £1.50 (My pricing programme is not on this computer) For 5, 6 or 8 sided apertures I charge around £2.50 per aperture, wee tad extra time here for setting up, but not a lot.

Surely this is way far and above the call of duty .....opps sorry...decency?

Whats everyone's thoughts on this? Do we stick the arm in? Or do we do a not so difficult, but fair job for a fair price?

Steven

Over on this side of the pond I have charged $4.00 for each extra opening since at least 22 years. That is as far back as my price charts go (1983). It is a lot easier these days to set up an entra opening with a CMC. Because it is easier now, doesn't mean that the "value added" of 2 openings is not worth the $4.00.

And since I have not really thought of the subject in a long long time............maybe it is time to raise my 1983 price on this.

As another thought, what is your competition charging?

Hi

Jerome,

Well, one is charging between £8 and £14, some charge a less, some I expect would charge more f they could get away with it. But I personally feel this is doing s dis-service to our industry. I know all businesses have differing rent, rates, etc. depending on which towns they are located, but to be honest I would not feel right charging that sort of exhorbitant price for an extra aperture or apertures. Offering a customer an excellent quality job as well as value for money is paramount, it doesnt take much to set out and cut multi-aperture mounts, so I just dont understnd the need for over the top charging.

$4 works out approx. £2.50 Sterling, so I would agree with your prices.

As a matter of interest, for a 500 x 400mm mount with 4 x 178 x 129 apertures, how long would it take you to set it out on your computer? It would take me approx. 5 minutes by hand.

Steven

The actual layout time for 4 apetures would be about 60 seconds and would take another 60-90 seconds to cut the entire mount........ that is without counting the time to find the board and cut the outside dimensions to size.

The real time savings would be in doing a double mount and being within ,01mm with all bevels and reveals each and every time. Or doing a 4 apeture opening with each opening being a different size or shape (oval, round corner, knotched).

When starting out I always dreaded doing school mats (Ex: 10 openings horizontal by 4 openings vertical). With the array features one can simply insert a single opening and then insert the number of rows and columns and presto, all the openings are perfectly spaced. The time to cut a mount as this will take 5 minutes.

We Charge a minimum price of £1.00 for each additional window per layer.

In addition there is a sliding scale that increases the price as size increases.

Hi,

I have checked my pricing programme, and like Norah, I found out I was a wee tad wrong in my estimate in my original posting, it transpires that I am charging £1 extra per aperture, per mount. For me this seems to give the mount a suitable price, and is not over the top in any way.

Not sure how other pricing programmes work, but I have set my pricing programme up for a standard cost per aperture, as it asks for total apertures, and just adds it on, I can of course change this costing, but dont feel any need to do so. Unlikes Norah, I dont have a sliding scale of prices, per size, just a basic one off price.

Steven