The Framers Forum

It has been a trend in the restaurant trade for a few years now for the customer to be able to see the kitchen and all that goes on there. What do you guys think about doing the same thing in your framing establishments, if you don't already.

I have mixed feeling about it myself, but can see the benefits, especially as we are just a two man operation (soon to be one as I'm off on maternity leave from the end of this month) My Dad can have full view of the shop while still being able to wok on the frames. In additon those cocky so-in-sos who so cheerfully tell me that they can't understand the price of a frame when it's just a matter of pulling it off the shelf and bungining their picture into it, would be able to see the work behind bunging thier picture in a frame.

On the flip side is the thought of having to keep the workshop respectable, as well as the health and safety drawbacks.

We dont exactly have an open plan workshop, although one of the shop windows is also the workshop window, so people passing by often stop and look into the workshop.

The art is avoiding eye contact with people watching you work.
After a few weeks you really dont notice them.

I suppose one bonus is that if they see all your equipment etc it helps justify the framing prices. Most customers dont realise the amount of specialised equipment some framers have, so if you've got it, flaunt it.

It does mean you have to find a back room, out of view, to do the bodging and mangling And of course, there's no more "he's just finishing it off, can you come back in ten minutes" for the job you haven't started yet.

edited to add not that anybody here would bodge anything, of course.

The layout of our place does not lend itself to this - the workshop is up a dog legged corridor and actually backs onto the premises next door and is also HIGHER than the shop.

But we give VIP tours!

My workshop is MY place; it has a steel roller shutter and NO windows! It's where I get away from PEOPLE, play the music I like - SWEAR loudly at flumbs - then the internal ring on my phone goes off - mid washline usually and I have to negotiate the dogleg, muttering obscenities - at the end of the corridor is a mirror, I stop briefly in front of it and emerge in the shop in full customer service mode - big smile - - - - "what's that you say - can't find a clipframe the right size at Ikea .. Oh dear .... and you don't want to spend a lot of money on your 4 x 3 foot poster either? ... Well - neither do I - I mean why would I WANT YOU TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY .... "

Nooooo - customers would not want to see what happens in the workshop after dealing with certain customers... we have this dartboard ...!!!